FIXING THE FUTURE

FIXING THE FUTURE It started out, like a glorious dream. A dream ( or a fantasy), about the time when America would celebrate the addition of the 100th state, to the federal union. I dont know why, however, even as the festivities were going, full tilt, I felt an urgent need, to relax, and lie down. At the time, when I passed out, my last recollection was that the year was 2045. To say that I would be astounded to wake up, in 1970, would be an understatement. To say that my mother, who would, decades later, die, of a medical condition, which caused severe obesity, was not only alive, but not overweight, at all, was something, while my adult memories found more than freaky. As for my father, it seems that the factory worker, that I remembered, had changed jobs, using his advanced knowledge, of the German language, to land a career, in tech development, was more than a little un-settling. My eldest sister was well on her way to becoming a valedictorian, at our grade school. Our middle sister was harnessing her talents, as a project coordinator. As for myself, what I did not know, until that time, was the fact that the details, that I seemed to know, about coming events, were not just the fanciful ravings, of a child, with an over-active imagination. Without realizing it, I was quoting information from my then-future. What really surprised me was when 1972 came, and went, with my parents not only remaining married, but our moving from the suburbs, and into a development, which my fathers employer owned. Also odd was the fact that my mother did not accuse my father, of having affairs. Not when security placed him, working on projects, at the lab. The time, when I knew that history ws "changed" was when, in the late 1970's, the American Embassy, in Iran, was not taken captive, by alleged "terrorists". In a suspicious twist of fate, the Iran-Contra scandal never developed. Neither did Mr. Hinkleys attempt, on President Reagans life. My own life would change when my father secured me a maintenance job, with his employer. Sure, I was still dumping trash, and cleaning restrooms, but most of the jobs I had, previously, had, did not come forth. While both of the U.S.-led invasions, of the Middle East, did happen, my father was encouraging my pursuit, of body building. Then came the "BIGGIE". After Mr. Trump became "leader", of the United States, with his Zero Tolerance Policy, towards Latin Americans, my father encouraged me NOT to become involved. Even as the U.S. military was given orders to use "Any force necessary", to "seal" the Texas/Mexican border, and the bodies really began to pile up, my parents would remind me that the border was not my problem. I had a job, and my parents were working on finding me a wife. It was the night after Mr. Trump had ordered a mkassive shelling, of Mexico, in order to drive the Latino's back to the south, that I KNEW that history had changed. The war, which Mr. Trumps policies had started, had lead not just to massive devastation, of the nation, of Mexico, but the man sent the Pacific Fleet, to POUND the Latino's into surrender. What the man did not count on were the retaliatory attacks, on the west coast. The United Nations would pass an edict, condeming Washington D.C.'s actions, and authorizing retaliatory strikes, on California. Strikes which, by 2022, would level vast area's, of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other area's. It was the night after the strikes began that I began to wonder what had happened, and how life had changed. After all, in the 2045 that I remembered, the United States was at PEACE, with the world, and Latin American had added forty-nine states, to the stars-and-strips. I was left to fall asleep, wondering "How could the time-line be changed? How did Iran-Contra never happen? Why was the U.S. embassy never attacked? Why did Hinkley never shoot at Reagan?" It was not until American military units were ordered to launch nuclear weapons, on the Latinos, that I dared to ask the question, which began producing answers. Some guy, whom I had, never, seen, before, came to me, saying "History has been changed, on PURPOSE." When I would ask "Why?" The guy would say "They had to stop you from bringing the Latino's into the U.S., legally." When I asked "Why?" The man said "Dont you get it? With Latino's as legal Americans, the labor pool, which produced so much cheap products, would evaporate." When I suggested "Let me get this straight. You are saying that history has been altered. If this is so, then WHY do I remember the other time-line?" The man would say "This is your punishment, for trying to build a better life. If you accept this time-line, then all of the effort, that you put out, in the other time-line, will vanish." When I asked "Oh, yeah? What would the consequences be, if I stay in this time-line?" The man would say "Some very important achievements will not occur, and mankind will perish, on Earth." When I would ask "Achievements, such as?", the man would say "In 2040, yours will be the voice, of reason, saying that man must develop Warp Drive, and Sub-Space Radio, before sending out colony ships. By the time the `100th state joins the union, Germans will be working, with Latino's, on decoding ancient texts, which will begin to prove how space travel SHOULD be handled." When I would ask "How do you know this?" The man would say "I am a temporal law enforcer. I was sent back, to set the past, right, and to set you on your true path." When I would ask "What is my "true" path?" The man would say "While your parents would get divorced, and other tragedies DO happen, all of this, including almost going to prison, for, allegedly, claiming that murdering the president was the way to end the Middle Eat invasions, you will find your "voice", via diplomacy. It will be your repeated references, to the Founding Fathers, and the formation, of the United States, that will lead to a peaceful resolution, to the Texas-Mexico border. It will be YOU, who will show those, involved, that peace is the way. After all, YOU will be responsible for beginning the path, to state-hood." When I would say "Okay, but HOW do I get back to the correct time-line." The man would say "Let ME handle that. After all, this IS my job." I dont claim to understand it but, when I closed my eyes, I was in one time-line. When I opened my eyes, to hear someone calling my name, and saying "You are missing all the fun." I re-jioned the festivities, of watching state number 100 officially joining the union. At last, all of South America, was part of the United States. When I saw the time-traveller, and tried to thank him, he told me "Dont thank me. You are the one who inspired this. I am just doing my job." While I would write, and publish, an article, on the experience, few people believed in it. After all, history had, already, been written. If it were real, and not just a dream, then what a journey it had been. Knowing people, whom I, barely, remembered. When I contemplated "What if I could go back, and change just a few, key, decisions?" The "time-cop" would say "I know that look, and the answer is "No. You cannot go back, and change any part of the past. Not without consequences." When I whispered "Just a thought." The last thing, that the man said was "Thoughts are fine. Just keep it real." With that, the man was gone.