Time Tunneling:
(NOTE: ...some of the things in here sound pretty crazy...but its based from my study on several science journals.)
Wed October 29 – 2.45 pm
Another Hit and Run Accident
Albuquerque, New Mexico: A student, Ryan Evans, 17, died after a hit and run traffic incident outside the grounds of East High Institution.
According to an eye-witness, the young man was believed to be hit by a black BMW 5 series. The statement made was then verified by another few more eye-witnesses who claimed the boy to be hit by a large black vehicle. However the police believed that the vehicle involved could have been an Audi, Mercedes or Volvo since no further details had been provided by the other eye-witnesses.
…
Troy Bolton stood still, his shoes rooted to the hard concrete slabs as he gazed at the horror before him. He had seen it all – the BMW speeding down the lane at an incredibly high velocity, knocking Ryan Evans off his feet. The collision had hurled the blond to the corner while the vehicle sped out of the scene.
The impact was strong and it had killed the poor boy that was now lying in a crimson pool near him. People started to scream. Chaos had erupted, replacing the dull silence that had dominated a few seconds before the hit.
"RYAN!" Troy rushed forward, dropping his bag and books on the ground, tears staining his cheeks.
1st of January – 2345 hours
Years have past after the death of Ryan Evans, and here I am, still unable to erase the horror I have witnessed that clear afternoon. I could have saved him but I didn't. I remained rooted on the hard concrete surface while my ears registered the soft rumble of the BMW engine from afar.
Till today, I can never forgive myself even after the man responsible for his death was put behind bars.
Not am I only a coward for not being able to confess my love to him, I have failed to save him when I could.
I could have saved the man I loved.
5th of February – 2212 hours
I know I sound insane but there might be a way to save Ryan. It is possible to save him from the accident that has occurred years back if I can travel back in time.
After reading the first few chapters of H.G. Wells' marvelous work, the Time Machine, I believe there is a way to travel back into time. Why not? Science is still young. There is more for us, scientists to learn from our surroundings and contribute to mankind.
There might be a way to manipulate the simple yet complicated laws of nature. To travel backwards in both time and space, to reverse the motion of life and reduce entropy! To break every law in science just to save him…I will.
I will make the time machine.
11th of March – 2133 hours
I am working frantically on the idea of time travelling. There has been a speculation of time travelling in the Astronomy Department. They told me that there might be a way to travel back in time.
Time travelling in the outer space is something possible if one travels faster than the speed of light. Imagine breaking both sound and light barriers – I would if I could. I will do anything just to bring him back to life. If one stands in a planet of another galaxy, he will see the shine of our sun that was a few years old…and what is the point of me seeing the light from our sun a few years back when I can do nothing to change the chronological events?
This sounds a bit like time dilation where things alters in the eyes of the observer. It is only the change of frame of reference, not the actual change in time itself.
According to the beliefs of many astronomers, in the middle of the universe, there lies this massive black hole. A black hole that is so huge that around it radius no stars exits and it is constantly growing every second I write.
One of the scientists there told me that if I can travel into the core of the black hole, I can travel back in time. He says that what lies at the other end of the black hole is perhaps an alternate universe, one with its motion parallel to ours or a gate into the past or future. Of course one can't just leap into a black hole. The black hole is so strong that any body, including light, will be 'ripped' when it is sucked into the heart of darkness.
Atoms will be divided and perhaps destroyed as a body will experience a huge force of attraction from all sides.
Imagine if it is me getting suck into it. If I managed to make it to the other side, I will be nothing more but protein soup. How can I save Ryan if I am no more but strands of protein?
14th of April – 2056 hours
I am tired and frustrated. People think I am mad. Insane. Unstable.
Even my very own parents think I am mentally unfit.
Dinner with them was a catastrophe. They have voiced their disappointment in me. Yes I have made them proud by being a well recognized science icon but they are disappointed when it comes to my social life.
I have neglected my friends and family while I plunge myself into the cold embrace of my study and research. None knew the exact reason behind my peculiar behaviour.
Perhaps it is best that no one knows about it.
People tend to shy away when it comes to truth and honesty. It's a form of denial. Even I am subjected to it.
This is my crusade. My war to fight. I will not sit and wallow in misery for the rest of my life. Many have given up by moving on.
I, Troy Bolton, will not move on. To me, moving on is a sign of my failure. I am a man who lives in the past, that is true, but I am not a quitter.
I will find a way to save Ryan even if it kills me.
16h of May – 1915 hours
I can feel time slipping by slowly as I sit here in the corner of my room. I have been working on this idea for months, but there is no visible progress. Honestly, there is no progress at all. Even up here, in my head, I have no clue how to move on from here.
There is no expansion in idea, only a constriction in hope.
I need to make a time machine but how? How can I construct a machine based on nothing but weak hopes, crude parts and zero science?
How?
To start with, how can I disrupt the chronological flow of events?
How can I build a machine so strong that it could reverse every single motion of the entire cosmos? Imagine the energy require to run the machine. How am I supposed to have such a huge supply of energy? No radioactive substance is able to produce such energy. An energy so pure and massive, it is impossible to attain. To begin with, there is no such energy that originates from one particular source. Even with the combustion of a thousand stars will not be able to fuel this machine.
I feel like quitting. Time travel is nothing more but a tale.
But when I recall that sweet gentle smile carved on his fair face, I realize that I need this to work. I need to see that smile again.
20th of June – 1845 hours
That's it! Why should I travel in time when I can tunnel through it?
Time tunneling! Forget classic physics when we can talk about quantum theory!
When a particle is freeze to absolute zero, 0 K, what happens? The particle will no longer have any rotational or translational motion. Motion ceases to exist in absolute zero since there is no energy that exists in that temperature.
Zero energy, zero motion.
However, when a particle is freeze to absolute zero, it still vibrates due to space radiation and other factors, but what happens, when motion really ceases and the particle enters and exits existence?
This is definitely against the laws of classic physics but think about it! Crazy, absurd and simply inane!? No! This is ingenious!
In quantum science, even at zero Kelvin, a form of motion still exists. Is it rotational, translational or did a particle just zoom in and out of existence?
When a particle has its energy lowered to a few nanoKelvin of absolute zero, it will tunnel a potential barrier due to the wave-like behaviour of the particle. It will penetrate the barrier, creating a tunnel in one of the four dimensions.
It is a mad idea, but right now, I am desperate man who is willing to try anything.
22nd of July – 1700 hours
I have the layout of the machine done. Many people believe that a time machine has to be big and normally consists of a gate or portal. That is not necessarily true. After examining some of the older layouts by previous scientists and with the current technology and advancement in science, I realize I can make changes to the machine.
To reduce the size and energy required to run it.
All I need is time, a little more time.
Some of my men have voiced their concerns and worries. Though the machine will protect me from the effect of travelling backwards in time – I will still remain as the thirty two years old Bolton – they are afraid of me erasing my own existence.
Life is a delicate thing. A slight alteration in the past can cause a huge effect in the long run or future. I am not sure what will happen.
Honestly, I don't care.
I just want to rescue him. I want to hear his laughter ringing in the air.
Even if it will destroy my existence.
25th of August – 1605 hours
Damn it. I have been sick for the past five days.
I rarely get sick and it was hardly this serious. I was hospitalized yesterday after losing consciousness in the middle of an important meeting. It's nothing much really. Lack of sleep, fever, gastric, migraine and well, high blood pressure.
Now I am stuck in this vile, sterile place while my men work on the machine.
27th of September – 1516 hours
Today we did a trial. The time machine can only travel back in time for a few seconds. We need more energy obviously. And a funny thing to note, the machine does not allow us to select the time or date. It only allows me to choose the length of it – the year.
If I go back in time today at 1530 hours, I will end up being here, in this lab at the year I have chosen, on this very time 1530 hours, 27th September.
For now, I just need more energy.
29th of October – 1410 hours…
(The Past)
The landing was horrid as Troy Bolton was thrown off his feet onto the hard ground below. A groan escaped his lips as he pushed himself up. A few startled gasps were heard as men and women in white smocks stared at him with bewilderment.
There was little time left. He had less than an hour to rewrite history.
"Where did you come from?" a man asked.
Troy ignored the man and rushed out from the facility. There were some changes in the building he noted but he was not going to let that slow him down. He was here on a mission: rescue Ryan Evans.
He had all in his head. The lab was forty three minutes away from East High if he chose to run but if he chose to drive, it would take about thirty minutes. Not good but he did not just travel back in time without a plan.
Leaping down from the last few flights of stairs, he spotted a young man riding his superbike. A grin rested on his lips as he tackled the young man, pushing him off from the bike.
"Travis, I'm sorry!" Troy yelled over the roar of the engine while he sped out of the scene.
He could hear Travis cursing madly. He grinned. Travis was a nasty man who in future would be the head of the Biology Department. Without any hesitation and months of practice accelerating from the lab to East High, Troy Bolton gunned down the street in an amazing speed.
It was a funny sight to many drivers and pedestrians that day. They had never in their lives seen a man in a laboratory coat speeding down the busy street. He was undeniably cool…and dangerous.
Troy Bolton was determined to stop the accident and no one, including the cop that had been tailing him for the past six minutes could do anything about it.
Predicting this to happen, Troy Bolton made a sharp turn, causing sparks to fly from the tyres due to the static friction between them and the road. He could hear the cop's frantic scream as he was thrown of his bike.
Beating the traffic lights, he turned left, missing a near hit with a red Audi.
He was getting close. Blue-grey eyes narrowed dangerously as he shot down the lane to East High at terminal velocity.
He decelerated to a halt as he watched students rushed out from the building. He glanced at his watch and shifted his attention to a blond heading down his way. Leaping of the bike, he rushed forth.
He could see the younger him walking down the steps with a troubled expression. He could hear the soft rumble coming closer and closer. He watched Ryan Evans dug his pocket for his car keys.
Before the blond could pull his keys out, he pounced on the young Ryan Evans, nailing him down on the lush green grass as the black BMW 5 series shot past them.
Ryan Evans was safe.
"Get off me!" Ryan screamed and the younger Bolton rushed to his rescue.
Troy Bolton glanced at his watch, feeling a sharp pain behind his eyes. Was this the effect of rewriting history? He pushed himself up and took a few steps back as he watched the younger him helped the blond boy up.
Again he felt the painful sensation behind his eyes. It was time for him to leave. He lifted his hand and watched with faint amusement as it flickered in and out of existence.
He was erasing his current self. Professor Troy Bolton would not exist in the future. When he return back to future, he would no longer be him. He would be someone else, living another life. He would be another man.
He glanced at Ryan Evans and smiled, "Goodbye."
(The Future)
Blue-grey eyes fluttered open. He was alive...How was that possible?
Troy Bolton pushed himself up from the field of East High. He could still feel the awful pain behind his eyes. His joints were aching and his muscles cramped. It was an awful sensation.
Why was he here?
"Are you ok?" Ryan Evans asked.
Troy gazed at the pretty blond as he felt his chest inflated with joy. He was glad to see him. He did not understand what had happened but tears trickled down his cheeks as he stared at the thirty two years old blond. He lifted his fingers to stroke Ryan's fair cheek as he noticed those clear blue eyes softened.
Was he real? Or was this another cruel dream?
"I love you," Troy Bolton confessed softly.
Ryan's eyes widened at that statement. The blond tiptoed and placed a soft kiss on Troy's lips and smiled gently.
"I know. I love you too."
Author: ...ok, I know...this is crazy right?