First Impression

A buzzer hissed and cackled as Sheldon waved a Geiger counter over his right arm. Drums and beeps of Kraftwerk's radioactivity pounding into his years. That and Looking Glass where the only two songs he could fit into his 32 megabyte MP3 player.

It was 1998. The hottest year on record. He was wearing 90% white polyester trying to cope with the constant heat. Also, protected against UV rays with a white bucket hat but more Gallagher then Hunter S Thompson. The Cal-tech plaza was busy that Saturday. Hearing about an up and coming science fair for up and coming high school students irritated him for weeks. Now was his chance to alienate some fresh faces. A big grin developed on face as people paced away from him and his contaminated arm.

It didn't last long though. A girl started to stare in the distance. He glanced at her and froze like a terrified animal assuming she could only see motion. She had long silky brunette hair with striking facial periods. Her proportions stacked like a pyramid made bulkier by an over-sized black dress and t-shirt combo. Panicking he looked into the crowd and glanced back at her to see if she finally left him alone. But the two started looking deep into each-others torsos. Both tensing up. Sheldon pocketed the Geiger counter alongside his gameboy in his over sized tracksuit pants. With a grim look he shut his eyes.

She then sighed and went from cat like readiness to her usually defeated slouch.

Only hearing footsteps. Sheldon tried to cleanse his mind again. Unlike his much of his family and neighborhood the only thing in his religion he could practice was the abstinence. Why even indulge in such a thing? Apart from being an obvious bio-hazard the whole thing seemed like a rampant waste of time.

"Hello". A little masculine Sheldon thought, his eyes still shut. It was an irritable Southern voice too. Like his own without the bass provided by his skull. His face scrunched up in horror he finally opened his eyes. Sure wasn't her. With his peripheral vision Sheldon already picked up a tall yet frail figure wearing a red baseball cap with that old Ronald Reagan phrase, a really cool flash t-shirt and a pair of old torn chinos.

"Mr. Cooper". The man showed his right hand. Sheldon suddenly looked more confused. The man sharing exact same burn and scar as his own right hand.

Sheldon joined hands swallowing but remaining stoic all the same. "And you are?".

"Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper. From the future obviously.".

Sheldon looked away darting his eyes left to right. "Well I've always been aware of the possibility".

Dr. Cooper nodded. "But we did suffer a lot practical jokes in this time period...but you know they never where this sophisticated". As well as this consider that you have never shared this one fact with anyone. You never recorded it either. That memory that haunts you whenever you open a door.

Sheldon raised his voice. "Please stop. I believe you. Good lord I believe you". Sheldon glared at the living skeleton with his eyes wide open.

Dr. Cooper stood up. "Excellent. We have business to tend to".

Sheldon started to follow him. Firing out question after question. "What do we have to do? Are we're rescuing some future defender or humanity? Oh wait. Am I the future defender of humanity?".

Sheldon couldn't stop. "What's the future like?".

"Is there enough oil or food? Did you have a nuclear war? Was there a robot uprising?"

Dr. Cooper stopped and closed his eyes. It would have been clear to anybody else he was in immense pain. But Sheldon couldn't pick up the cue.

"It would make your instructions considerably easier to follow". The boy whined.

"Listen. The new Star Wars franchise is abysmal, people mostly use the internet to share banal and often false information and despite the fact that I successfully traveled back here. String theory was a miserable dead end and. That's all I can fit into twenty seconds now come on". That shut up Sheldon.

In the conference the two hid behind a chalkboard. "Can you see her?" Dr. Cooper nudged Sheldon violently pointing at the girl he saw earlier.

It had to be same girl as earlier. Sheldon thought. Her greasy hair looked like a fire hazard, the eyeliner was also a bit much. "Why is she important?". He asked.

"I'll explain later. Just let her win the science fair".

"I can't".

"Yes you can. It's easy. I just have to hack they're system.". Dr. Cooper approached the organizer's clipboard crossing out the judges name and writing in Sheldon. The judge had conveniently been locked in the basement stairwell.

Dr. Cooper then pulled the shell shocked boy out of cover and pushed him into the crowd.

Sheldon resisted with the back of his feet. "I can't. There are far too many people there and it's dishonest. They're could be twenty better projects there".

Dr. Cooper braced Sheldon. Even from himself he hated it. "Listen to save our world. All you have to do is criticize the at best adorable work of teenagers that don't know they're place in the gene pool yet. There couldn't be a more matching exercise for you. Now go". Dr. Cooper then violently pushing him into the crowd.

"Mr. Cooper?". The secretary read from her paperboard like a script.

"Yes. Let's judge". Sheldon darted his fingers, glaring at the pushy presence of Dr. Cooper behind him.

Of course, he wanted it to be over as soon as possible. "Yawn", "Volcano. Real original.", "Ammonia for cars? That sure stinks.", "Cute you made a website", "Don't insult me". Reaching Amy he looked passed her metallic glasses to that streaky eyeliner. She almost looked Egyptian.

"And your name?". The only contestant allowed to introduce herself.

"Amy Ferrah Fowler" she proudly announced.

"What is your project on. Miss Fowler". Sheldon interrupted while unable to sound any less disinterested.

"Studying the effects of nootropic drugs on a variety of age groups, social and health factors". For ten minutes Amy went on to explain in great detail her methodological and findings for everything from over the counter Ritalin to Russian stroke recovery drugs.

Sheldon turned to Lee and whispered a little too loudly. "This isn't right".

Amy almost started to hyperventilate and flail her arms "I know there are ethical concerns using illegal channels to acquire the drugs as well as testing on partially aware nursing home patients, vagrants and few of the more frequently concussed high school footballers but I did it wanting to know more about what effects the brain".

Laying his hand flat on the air like it was bible he tried to calm her. "Sister. I'm all for raising to average IQ. But this is biology. It's kinda icky". He then made tiny waves with his right hand gritting his teeth.

Amy blinked and suddenly got a whole less defensive. "I'm sorry. But you happen to be a carbon base life-form".

Sheldon groaned and rolled his eyes. "Oh don't remind me".

As she crossed her arms and started to pout. Even Sheldon knew he was in trouble now. The girl was so expressive even he could understand her body language. "And I suppose you subscribe to Kurzweil's cheap science fiction?".

Understanding it Sheldon started to mimic her body language. Badly. "I happen to think Moore's Law is putting us on that path. Yes".

"And you're going to have your mind uploaded?". She couldn't stop nodding passive aggressively if she wanted it.

"And you're going to rot in the ground?". He forced his head up in pride as almost everybody in the room cringed around him. Amy just looked confused.

Her too lips curled. She was starting to win. There was a little self-satisfaction in her wide eyes too. "Do you even know what the mind is? Or how altered it can be after the slightest sign of brain damage or chemical change? People can change completely. Are sure that emulation will be even you?".

Sheldon looked at Dr. Cooper again with a face to ask what was his game. What was so disastrous about the future that he had to put up with this?

Dr. Cooper was motionless with drool coming out of the left side of his mouth.

"Is your associate alright?". Amy squinted tried to inspect Dr. Cooper wondering if she needed a stronger prescription. She climbed on the table. Resting on her knees trying to get a good look at his face as he started to shake his jaw.

Dr. Cooper reversed into the secretary and ran for the exit. Her hands on her knees. Amy twisted her head like an Owl and glared at Sheldon. "Well are you going to pursue him?". Everybody else in hall just observing.

Sheldon suddenly started to chase the most important person in his life. Himself. Only the secretary could stop him. "Hey. Who's the winner?". She yelled at the top of her lungs. Not even out of the hall Sheldon paused in horror and cringed at the miserable task.

His legs pacing up and down. "Amy Ferrah Fowler". He wagged his finger at her.

Stilling kneeling on the desk. Amy rapidly clinched her fists at 70 degrees shrieking "Yes" sharply and loudly. Everybody looking at her as she jumped off the desk to join Sheldon.

Rolling her eyes the secretary then yelled "And the runner-up?".

Almost out his lower jaw stuck out. Sheldon slowly turned around again to poke his head into room. "Ammonia project I guess. But it reeks of the father. Congratulations to you all. No real losers etc. etc. Except the losers of course. Good day". His speech finished Sheldon was finally free to run as if he was being lynched by the Sunday school back in Galveston. Again.