Alligator Campfire, Tuesday evening

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

Scully had printed out a copy of her graduate thesis (Einstein's Twin Paradox: A New Interpretation) today, and re-read it, keeping in mind everything she'd learned so far in her last three weeks here.

That would be why it's burning merrily in the little firepit outside her cabin, cover page first. As well as the page that read, Although common sense may rule out the possibility of time travel, the laws of quantum physics certainly do not. Nothing like wishing you'd never been right and wrong.

[ooooopen]

Comments

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

"Yes," Scully admitted. "There's only been two. The first one was about twenty-five years earlier. Devastating, even without atomic bombs." She tilted her head. "So when someone uses the expression 'starting World War Three', you have some idea of what they're talking about now. Sadly."

[glacial_queen]

"Terrielle and Kaeleer went to war with one another fifty thousand years ago," Karla said quietly. "It devastated both Realms for centuries. It's why we closed our borders. Now most people don't even know Terreille exists outside of myths and legends. Because we thought it was a better way than another war."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

"After World War II, there were other wars. There's always a war," Scully said, sad. "And a Cold War, of spies and weapons build-up, between America and the Soviets for a long time. I think I envy your world that peace. But-- it sounds like you lost something, too."

[glacial_queen]

"Perhaps," Karla said, still sorrowful. "But everything has a price. And ours wasn't paid in lives."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

"That's good, then," Scully said, voice detached even as her face remained grave. She studied Karla a moment, then said, "There are worse things in our history. Particularly in that war. Do me a favor? Please?" She bit her lip. "Don't go looking for that information alone. Take someone with you who knows it, so they can talk to you about it."

[glacial_queen]

"There are worse things?" Karla almost wailed. "How can there be even worse things?"

She held up a hand to forestall Scully's answer. "Never mind. I don't want to know right now. Thank you for warning me. I promise. I won't go looking alone." Karla wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to go looking at all. Not if there were worse things.

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

Scully didn't say the obvious, about there being worse things than death. Just nodded, and said, "In any event. My original point stands. The world is here, eleven years into my future; and there's multiple futures where it goes on... so maybe we can learn. Without having to cut ourselves off. I hope."

[glacial_queen]

Oh, Karla was well aware of the 'worse than death' options. But worse than seventy-five thousand deaths? That was another question entirely.

"There was still war in the future I visited," Karla admitted. "But the people" children "we were talking to were trying to put an end to it. I'm pretty sure we did, before we left."

By putting a bullet in Achilles's head.

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

Let her keep that much of her ignorance and innocence, at least for a while. Scully didn't need to be the person to enlighten her any further.

"Good." She shook her head. "I can't imagine a world without war; and yours hasn't had one for thousands of years. No wonder we find it hard to talk to each other, sometimes."

[glacial_queen]

"I think the real issues comes in if you replace me with you and war with Craft," Karla said, giving Scully a tiny smile, "but yes. Sometimes I feel so...adrift, here. There are so many things here that I won't ever understand. Or want to, really. And what I think of as normal...it's unfathomable for most people."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

"What is normal?" Scully asked, suddenly missing Mulder sharply, with a nearly physical pang. "But what people are used to. And blind to." She looked down at her thesis, clenching her fingers around it. "I won't ever stop trying to understand. But that's my faith, as much as the religion I was raised with."