Fellow Scientist, we can be heroes
or a Sci-Fi Explanation of Current Events
Ladies and gentlemen of the scientific community,
Today, I stand before you to share a most unusual and enlightening journey into the nature of time- an endeavor that began with a simple accident, yet has profoundly altered my understanding of what time truly is. Unfortunately, I also come to you with an urgent plea. Though my work carries with it unlimited potential, it has proven to be perilous and delicate to handle.
Let me take you back to my laboratory, where ambition and curiosity transformed into a valuable lesson. After a year of painstaking research, my assistant, Alfred, inadvertently slipped on a sample of time plasma. What followed was the unexpected shattering of continuity, resulting in the bad luck we are currently experiencing. I have since parted ways with Alfred, as dooming humankind for the next 2,555 days (approximately 7 years) was not among my scientific aspirations.
This accident, however, furthered the discovery that time can exist in various states. Alfred’s mishap caused seconds to splash across the lab, creating a fissure in the fabric of time itself, something akin to a crack in a mirror. Thankfully, it was a limited amount, but we will still feel the repercussions for years unless we can find a solution to mend the break. I have successfully transitioned time from a non-Newtonian state to a gas, and then to a liquid. My vision is to solidify it through artificial freezing. My calculations suggest that it is possible to elongate 26 minutes into an expansive six months.
Before I go any further, I must address a question for which you will all expect an answer: how did I come to realize that time was a tangible entity rather than just a concept of measurement? The answer has roots in the extraordinary realm of black holes. While studying these cosmic gravitational juggernauts is a herculean task, I have managed to isolate a substantial amount of matter found at the event horizon (the boundary surrounding a black hole). Looking upon time as a thing rather than a concept has opened tantalizing possibilities, including time manipulation. Time possesses its distinct form of matter, something that can be bent and shaped, much like any physical substance.
Isolating what we now recognize as time is perhaps one of our greatest accomplishments, and I didn’t need to traverse an event horizon to reach this revelation. I have collected the data magnetically and without radiation, because radiation cannot escape a black hole’s gravity. With magnetic instruments, I pull materials from the accretion disks on the event horizon that are needed for my work.
I’ve now told you my most valued professional secret and, by doing so, put my faith in the scientific community’s strong code of ethics. Though our bad luck is due to Alfred’s negligence, the work is, for the most part, safe. I urge my colleagues in the scientific community to focus on the incredible possibilities this discovery has granted us. The difficult luck that we are facing in this timeline shall be a backdrop only, and not one that will stall our progress.
Hence, while Alfred’s accident may have altered our path, it has also opened avenues for understanding. I urge each of you to consider the implications of our work and the responsibility we hold in the realm of scientific discovery. Together, let us strive to mend the fracture we’ve encountered and expand our grasp of this remarkable dimension that governs our existence. If we succeed in freezing time, we could take our time, many years if necessary, to fix the break; meanwhile, humankind will experience a much slower existence of minutes to months. The bad luck that society encounters will be a small speed bump, with us, the researchers, taking the hard times on ourselves for the good of the world. We can be heroes by discovering how to freeze time and give others the valuable gift of ignorance.
I urge you, esteemed colleagues and fellow scientists, to pause your current research and join me in an extraordinary mission to reshape the future of our world through the groundbreaking pursuit of time maintenance and manipulation. I understand that this request carries immense weight, as living in our current timeline presents challenges like never before. However, I have faith that many of you—those who chose the path of science with the noble intention of healing our planet—will rise to this call.
Now is your moment to shine, to contribute to something truly monumental, to be remembered for generations to come. By joining this fight, you not only preserve the future but also etch your names in the annals of history as heroes who answered the call to action. The reality is stark: I cannot do this alone. If we do not unite to mend the fissures in our timeline, we will continue years of unparalleled misfortune.
This is not just an opportunity; it is a responsibility—a chance to alleviate suffering for humanity as a whole. Together, we can transform adversity into triumph and pave the way toward a better world. I invite you to take on this challenge, to embrace the journey, and to make your mark as the champions of our generation. Let us stand together and forge a brighter future through science and community. Together, we can make life livable again.
Thumbnail art by Stefan Vogels (Studio DIES)