CHAPTER 46 – SCHRODINGERS CAT
She let him spend the balance of the day with his team. She had sensed the discord when they had been on P8T198. She trusted Ronon and Teyla and knew that given the chance, they would have her back and protect her with their lives. That was the code that they lived by. If she was important to John, then that made her part of their world also. The discord had come due to the association with Rodney leaving. Taking her place. Ronon was a simple man and saw things in black and white. Her being in Atlantis had brought some shades of gray and she knew that he would have difficulty seeing these shades clearly.
She pondered how to let him know that she would not get between his friendship and John and would not upset the dynamics of their team. John had told her that she would be city based and would not go offworld, unless a certain need was created and a physicist was required on a particular mission. She intended to argue this point when she next saw him. While she had chosen not to make waves, at least not in the beginning, she did not intend to leave them without an mission physicist and he would have to come to terms with the fact that if she was to attempt to even fill a small part of Rodney's role, then she needed to have some of the freedom to do it.
It was several hours later that John finally found her. He had eaten in the mess with his team, pushed her briefly out of his mind, knowing that she was likely busy familiarising herself with the city. Also resting. Carson had made it clear that she was to rest every few hours, still uncertain that the effects from her head injury were not going to manifest itself in other ways.
He stood in the doorway of Rodney's lab where she was shoulder to shoulder with Radek Zalenka who was gesturing excitedly at the pile of notes that were spread out on the table before them. She had a somber look on her face, and Radek repeatedly touched her arm to get her attention and John groaned. It looked as though the little scientist had developed a small crush on the lady from 1962. Just what he needed. To have to declare himself. Not really in the mood for a pissing contest, at least not with Radek. The guy had confidence issues as it was, and thanks to working side by side with Rodney for the past five years, he had hidden his light under a bushell for some time now. Perhaps now he would have a chance to shine a little.
"Interupting something, guys?" John pushed away from the doorway and moved into the room and he saw the nervous look in Radek's eyes as he took in the coiled energy that flowed through the Colonel. Muttering something in his native language he stepped away from Gina, moving to the other side of the table. He did not want to get on the bad side of the larger man with the dangerous eyes.
"Hey John. Radek and I have been running through the last notes that Rodney left. Obviously the whole time travel thing had fascinated him more than anyone here knew. Most of his later notes are about time travel and most of his research into the ancient data base is regarding their time travel – and what they had documented up until the time they left. I think he was trying to tell us something with these notes... without telling us anything.. if you get my meaning?"
Radek was nodding energetically as though in complete agreement with her. "Yes yes yes, the notes are all relating to time travel Colonel. And not just the stone portal on P8T198. He's been a busy boy for some time now, and I had no idea he was looking into this. His notes say he found something down in one of the lower levels, but he hadn't mentioned anything to me before about it. Do you think it is something to do with the rift? Perhaps this wasn't all such a surprise for him? Knowing Rodney, he'll likely keep this to himself until he can announce some big discovery."
Radek appeared to run out of steam, in the face of the now scowling Colonel. "I'm sure if Rodney had discovered anything of that importance he would have told somebody. If not you, then Elizabeth."
Gina had watched the nervousness that had crept into Radek's demeanor as John's dangerous edge started to sharpen and saw him move carefully around the table as if to attempt to escape the Colonel before he pounced on him. She took pity on the scientist – she had enjoyed his company that afternoon, found him kind and easygoing. She moved toward John now and placed a calming hand on his arm, rubbing softly to still him.
"Don't be so grumpy John. It's not Radek's fault if Rodney was holding back... hmmm?" She looked up at him innocently with those blue eyes and his posture changed, moving closer to her and blocking out Radek who breathed a sigh of relief and shot Gina a grateful look. "Rodney told me when he spent time in the infirmary with me, that he had been working on something important. Something he had yet to share with anyone. He was missing important information in order to reach a conclusion, but he had said he was close. These notes seem to mainly be about time travel... and perhaps something else, something I prefer not to go into yet."
"So that's what you were talking about – you and Rodney?" Johm murmured. "He already knew then, didn't he. He was priming you, getting you ready to take over – this one special project, something he knew he wouldn't have the time to finish... Oh Rodney.. what have we opened this time..."
Gina picked up a handful of Rodney's notes. "He talked about Schrodingers cat, John – is this term familiar to you? This is a hypothetical experiment in which a cat was put inside a box with some equipment which releases poisonous gas on detection of electrons. In this case, after an hour, one would say that he doesn't know whether the cat is dead or alive, and this can be known only by looking inside the box. But according to quantum theory, it is better to say the cat is half dead or half alive, until one can check on it. Confused! Actually it is based on the basic assumption of probability and not the fact. Fact comes in picture when we actually see inside the box, till then it's all about probability. This particular theory in quantum physics is often scorned by scientists because there is no basis, no way to elicit actual proof – every action that is made simply changes the probability."
John's body had slumped slightly and Radek watched the slight glazing of his eyes and hid a smile. This was an unusual pairing – the Colonel and Gina. "John, I know this is likely off the scale for you, but it is a leap from this" – here she held up a handful of Rodney's notes - "to existential dimensions. Rodney was interested not just in time travel, but multiple and parallel universes. The schrodingers cat theory is a non proven theory regarding the existence of more than one universe." Again she rattled his notes, this time moving away from John and going to stand beside Radek – who in light of the way that John's eyes suddenly narrowed at this action, chose to take a safe step back from her.
"The theory of schrodinger's cat is a paradoxical thought experiment that illustrates the concept of parallel universes. Quantum suicide and quantum immortality, the basic idea that a person who dies in one parallel universe should survive in another parallel universe as both options clearly exist in the schrodinger cat theory. Now the very nature of our lives is one of being aware that we are alive, so the only possible parallels open to us are the ones in which we are alive."
John's eyes were no longer glazed. "He was hoping to do more than go back in time, wasn't he Gina. The arrogance of that damn man. He wanted to exist in more than one universe. Aaah Rodney... and he was not able to complete what he started. Why did he think you could continue this for him Gina. I understand Rodney's arrogance, but involving someone else in his project? That I don't understand. It is also not proven, completely theoretical – and quite frankly Gina, I think it best if you were to stay away from this particular area of Rodney's thinking... I think it's dangerous – unproven and dangerous."
Her smile was a little forced, not wanting to argue with John about her intended involvement in Rodney's aborted project but needing to explain Rodney's thought process, just a little. It seemed unfair that the scientist was not here to defend his own rationale, and to have John dismiss it out of hand brought a small amount of impatience to Gina.
"Remember Callandra telling us that a person can only exist in one time line at once? When you stayed too long in my timeline, and essentially you still existed in this one, your body started to weaken and there were effects. Catastrophic effects. Work it out John... what do you think Rodney was trying to do?"
He thought and it wasn't that much of a leap – she was right. Rodney accused the ancients of arrogance but this would take first prize. Rodney was working of how to exist in one time line of one universe and another timeline in a parallel universe.
Scrhodingers Cat – Sam Carter named the cat she gave to her To'kra friend Martouf. Sam had started work on this parallel universe theory also. When Rodney went back to rescue me he saw an opportunity to expand his research and when he knew that he had the chance to go back to 1962 he took it, but not for the reasons we thought he did. Not just for kudos he would receive for his work on the space programme. He's going to deliberately plant the seeds in Sam Carter's mind. He's found a way. Soon, things here are going to change. Soon, if what Rodney plans comes to pass, we may find that little rift down there, the one tucked deep into the city, safe and out of reach for most – is more than just a rift. It is likely a doorway to a parallel universe.
And he knew that he would do whatever it took to keep Gina from going anywhere near Rodney's research. It was dangerous, untested and he would not lose her to something that Rodney had in his arrogance and folly, begun to meddle in. Some things were meant to be left alone. Time travel had been forced upon them – he would do his best to make sure that the whole parallel universe theory remained just that and firmly out of Gina's reach. Let Sam play around with it if she had to – that was her call and not his business. But he had made Gina his business when he brought her here and he would protect her with his life.