Gregor and Goldmund: an Odyssey

by mac11andcheese

Gregor from The Metamorphosis and Goldmund from Narcissus and Goldmund meet at a pleasure dome and embark on a journey across the world to carry out the wishes of Kublai Khan.

9. Chapter 9: Epilogue

Epilogue 1

Linz, Austria

The personality mimicking software in the machine had been damaged beyond repair, but the machine's internal gestation chambers were still fully functional, and had received what they required before their counterparts had been disabled, the seed of a true timer.

Epilogue 2

The Pleasure Dome, New Zealand

Gregor watched his friend leave the palace through the massive crater created by the beast that he had shared occupancy with for several seconds before it left. What have you done, my friend, he thought, and then lowered his head to feast on the succulent remains of Linda. It's not cannibalism if you're temporarily a cockroach and she's from another timeline, is it?

Epilogue 3

CIA Headquarters, Langley, Virginia

Twelve men sit around a table, their cuts crew and stature uniform, and dress uniforms.

"We have convened here today because of a startling discovery. We are not currently living in real time, only speculative time. Real time has lagged behind almost a millennium, and since then a multitude of alternate timelines has emerged. It seems that each has developed their own time machines and has increased their chances greatly of becoming the real future. Our data shows that our now has only a 4.2% chance of being the real future, as it stands. Gentlemen, we are at risk of total nonexistence, unless we act now, we will never have acted, ever. That is the situation as it stands."

The heads in the room all turned to one the one man who sat unperturbed by this news.

"I have a team," he said, "and a plan."

For Your Consideration

1. Linda was chosen for this mission because her body type was required for practical use of the pleasure chair, and she supplanted the Mauri king to take the seat. What followed her declaration against the throne closely resembled a sumo match. Despite her claims, Linda did not need energy to keep her from slipping out of the timestream; this was only jargon she picked up from the controllers' briefing. The energy did, however, keep her alive and gave her minor regenerative abilities.