"It is finished!" exclaimed Jim. The very first inter-dimensional dynamic displacement unit had been constructed.. The "Box", as it would be called would have the most profound effect on his civilization. He would be free to roam the galaxy in pursuit of his dreams. He pondered using it to find his father.
Jim couldn't remember much about his father. It seemed so long ago that he had left the planet . All that remained were some obscure drawings and plans in his laboratory. Jim discovered that these were the blueprints for the Box. These blueprints, if you could call them that, were more of a very complicated jigsaw puzzle which Jim himself could just barely decipher.
Some of the Box's supposed capabilities were quite obscure, thus the only way to really find out its capabilities was to take it for a spin. Jim would never leave the box for Isis to open and operate, so it was designed with the ability to change its apparent shape. Oh! But what a disguise! The box looked like a chest from the outside, but once inside, it was enormous!
Jim decided to hop inside the box and close its lid. "Well, this is odd!" he thought. "I should have set the box upright, for when I shut the lid I find myself lying on my back in a very large chamber." The lid had disappeared and Jim found himelf in a room with a console in the center. Suspended, above and on their own, were four singularities (the emptiness out of which matter and anti-matter can be extracted); the power source for the box. Isis liked to call the singularities "yin and yang", but she didn't know their differences. She was overly obsessed with magic, sorcery, rituals, ceremonies and other materialistic cravings as were the rest of the Amazons. Isis was their queen. Ah, yes, Isis had plans for Jim all right, but Jim knew who claimed rights to all the power. The queen of Artemis had sent her fleet directed to earth forty years ago, even though Jim's father had been opposed. It was just another conquest mission concerning a planet that the Venetian empire had just noticed; a planet which would, in a few more years, find itself victimized and plundered by her insatiable taste for power.
As if Isis lacked for anything! No, not her! All known civilizations paid her tribute. She considered herself queen of the heavens as did her mother, the queen before her. As Queen Isis' consort, Jim was responsible for reproductive functions along with other minor Amazon duties. During his spare time, he was permitted to frolic about with gadgets, machines, robots and other trivialities in order to divert him from his real purpose and to keep him occupied during the queen's absence. The great Queen Isis explains her affection for Jim: "I need to be satisfied. He must be with me when I want him. Whenever I want him! Otherwise he serves no useful purpose to me. He has little potential other than my physical needs. I shall continue to teach him the ways of the galaxies. He will learn. I will make certain that he learns. I want him to entertain, occupy and educate himself when he is not needed to satisfy my incredibly unique carnal passions."
Jim was not permitted to go into battle or leave the planet at all. Partly to blame was his father who left and never came back, or so he was told. It didn't seem quite right the way he remembered it, but that was so long ago and the details were so confusing.
As Jim touched the screen, Genie's sensor system identified him and was activated. "Your wish Master?"
"Identify yourself."
"I am the General Electronic Nexus Interface Exchange. I am keyed to obey your commands only and I will not activate or change commands without confirmation by your actual presence which I am tuned to recognize. Through me, you may gain access to all control functions of this inter-dimensional interface unit, retrieve any known Amazon text or file and a myriad of other functions too numerous to itemize. More?"
"Thank you, Genie. Where is my father?"
"I do not have any references as to his whereabouts."
"Can you estimate?"
"No."
"Where is the Amazon fleet headed? Who and what is there? Why is Isis determined to journey there?"
"Local population refers to the planet as Earth. It has an abundant supply of water, which can provide ample fuel for the use of the Venetian Empire for an estimated millennium. It also has a resident species which is genetically semi-compatible with the Amazon race. The male population can be used to produce female offspring from an Amazon female. Unfortunately, the human male, the man as they call him, does not survive the mating ritual. You will not be displaced by them Jim, so don't be jealous."
"Very amusing Genie. And I'm sure that Isis plans to exploit and take advantage of them to the fullest of course."
"There is a high probability that Isis will consider Earth to be her garden from which she will be able to tap indefinite perpetuation of the species."
"Well, we've managed quite well without crossbreeding and I'm not really tickled with some of the conclusions. I feel very sympathetic toward those doomed men as they eagerly expect their last evening with one of the Amazons. They will never complain one second, even as the last bit of life will be sucked out of them. It's truly amazing that even though they will be doomed that they will lavish in their lust, show so much pleasure and will beg for more. You know what I mean, Genie. Isis has a way with me and I know and understand the pleasures that these men will feel. But, to die for! Ah, never me! I do not know whether I am cursed or blessed by being my sister's consort."
"Master, my internal security system has just warned that there may be an information security breach in the future. I am programmed to receive your immediate response as per your pre-programming directions."
"I assume that this request is standard boot programming for initial power up."
"Affirmative Master, per your instructions." "Drop the master routine in case there may be some confusion as to whom you're talking to."
"Affirmative."
"How about responding by saying OK?"
"OK."
"I have another new name for you Genie. I will also call you Idiot but you can identify yourself as Genie to everyone else. With others present you may refer to yourself as Genie and not Idiot. I alone will call you Idiot and that will be my preliminary, all secured password. I alone will address you as Genie in the presence of others and you will respond with OK and refer to me as Master. If I direct you to respond with affirmative when you say OK in the presence of others, then you are to assume duress conditions and do a first and second level security lock-down and follow current duress standing programmed directions."
"Which are?"
"This box will develop a power down and a fire shall be triggered as an excuse. Need I say more?"
"Instructions are adequate and implemented. Update OK."
"You will still be open to me to instruction under duress conditions for third and lower level instructions. First and second levels will be accessible under duress by use of the first or second level password respectively. Neutron and muon power control will be second level password protection. Spatial displacement mode will be second level password protected. Temporal displacement will be first level password protected. Gravitational warp power will be first level password protected. Security will also be first level password protected."
"First level password?"
" If I refer to you as Idiot, undoubtedly we are alone, there is no duress and I have access to first level."
"OK. Second level password?"
"ISIS, with a request for a follow up password."
"Which is?"
"Define Isis."
"Isis is your sister."
"No, I'd like you to ask me for a definition of Isis and that definition is the password."
"OK. Define Isis."
"The Intelligent Satellite Data Information System."
"OK."
"And if I refer to Isis as my sister or if anyone else refers to Isis as my sister then you know duress conditions are implemented and stand prepared for action."
"OK."
"Well Idiot, that's all for now. Logging off and see ya later."
"Bye Master. Do you really have to go?"
"Clever, Genie, you're such an idiot. But I really should give you a little program to run and analyze. I will also need an optimal navigational plot with minimal distortional perturbations and aftershocks." "Standing by."
"Understand that this will involve some severe time contractions and we will need to approach singularity as we take this machine to the limit."
"Unclear."
"Yes, I'm vague. Let me release all now and I'll let you sort as well as I while we ponder the possibilities suggested here."
"Oh? New science? New input? OK! OK!"
"Well, since this box is a geometrodynamic control device, I suppose we should go over the principles once more so that you will be able to identify any inconsistencies."
"So, I am to assume that you want me to do the math and you are to sit back and enjoy a fun, fast ride?"
Jim nodded. "Yes, Idiot. I need to get somewhere in an awful hurry. More like yesterday."
"Do you want me to arrange for yesterday, Master?"
"First we need to get a better handle on paradox before we try anything like that. My teacher taught me that topological-geometrodynamics is an attempt to unify fundamental interactions by assuming that physical space time can be regarded as sub- manifolds of certain n-dimensional space. Metric units of mass Idiot?"
"M/s/s/s/s a five dimensional field."
"Velocity?'
"Easy. M/s a two dimensional field."
"Electrical charge?" "M*M/s/s/s a five dimensional field."
"Current?" "M*M/s/s/s/s a six dimensional field."
"Force applied over distance?"
"Force 8-dimensional over distance one dimension, result nine dimensional unit of energy, M/s/s/s/s X M/s/s X M yield result of MxMxM/s/s/s/s/s/s."
"And you are programmed with all known laws of mathematical physics?"
"Yes, Master. I know how to plot a course anywhere. Where do you want to go and how much subjective time do you want to experience getting there?"
"When I come back, I want to be on earth in 8 hours." "Eight hours from now or 8 hours from when you come back."
"Does it matter?"
"Considerably. I can plot a course now to get us there in 8 hours immediately now, but it may take 8 hours and 57 seconds to plot the same course if you come back two hours from now."
"I'll be comfortable with the difference Idiot."
"And what about the Minkowski space light cone and my four dimensional complex projective space?"
"Yes, I have the correct string model equations within this box to provide a continuous 3-dimensional surface while I function to maintain your local gravitational field invariant. Externally however, I can be anywhere, any size and I am not constrained in motion by time or space, to put it simply."
"Let us discuss the field equations more on route. How is my English?"
"Master, your English is good; excellent. I'm certain that your ability to discuss relativistic mechanics in English rather than in Venetian is exemplary proof that you will able to speak with the natives fluently. Why even the earthlings can barely explain it any better."
"Thanks for the compliment."
"You're welcome Master. "
"What is meant by Poincare's invariant theory of gravitation?"
"It is a reference to the precise definition of energy and difficulties associated with the presence of masses which makes space time curved and Poincare transformations cease to act as isometries."
"Slow down Idiot. I'm not familiar with some of those fancy words."
"You forgot, Master?"
"That's not important at the moment. What do we have in the $M^4/S$ department?"
"I'll get back to you on that; I can't seem to recall that at the moment. My navigational systems and circuits are 'Poynting' an indeterminate vector in that direction. Which way do we go? I need direction. Your will?"
"Why Idiot! You forgot it too!"
"It's not that. It's just that I have to calculate the answer. Dimension of a magnetic monopole? The monopole cannot exist at steady state. Why don't you work some more on the type of light cone you want me to control?"
"All right. But let me think a little about that before we embark. What kind of supplies can this Box haul?"
"Well, since I am capable of extracting mass from the void as my propulsion principle, I am capable of creating any molecule or item you may desire or combination thereof. Of course, I can't project it out of the box for you. You will have to carry supplies and necessities out yourself."
"Well, how about if the supply is larger than your external size?"
"I can expand to the size of an aircraft hangar or larger if necessary."
"Then I can steal a certain flagship, and hide it in you?"
"Yes"
"Cool. I'm getting some ideas."
"The Lorentz contraction is related somehow to the relationship between inertial and gravitational mass."
"Instruction received, OK."
"That wasn't an instruction, that was a ponder."
"Sounds OK to me."
"I'll hold that thought."
"What are ramifications?"
"I can get you there Master."
"Huh?"
"Jim, you are fully aware that you have invented a time machine and are just afraid to admit it to yourself. Is that what all this is leading up to?"
"Well, I am a little nervous about taking a spin."
"I have more than adequate safeguards to protect you with."
"Additionally, my plans include vanishing to the external observer and our external gravitational mass vanishes. That's why I can appear to outsiders as a light, small wooden box, because only a small part of this chamber is actually merging with your home planet and time."
"Is this something to do with the fact that we are presently accelerated to a state where the Lorentz factor is close to the proverbial limit?"
"As if you don't push it to the limit when you want to go somewhere?"
"Well, I am noted to like fast rocket ships."
"What are those things floating up there?"
"Quarks. You invented them."
"Oh, black holes. "
"I'm trying to teach you some new English words."
"Oh, by the way, do not tell the earthlings how to construct this box because numerous paradoxes can possibly occur."
"Don't they know the principles of topological condensation?"
"No, they're pretty much stuck to their home planet and are only capable of dreaming about what you take for granted."
"Well, then space time displacement can be undertaken at unlimited displacement range as long as we don't violate the continuum of this local space time field."
"Yes, I can safely get you there. You were mentioning something about the queen's flagship?"
"You mean my cruiser, that I alone invented and built, she appropriated as her property?"
"The same."
"And you want me to plot a course to intercept you when you take the cruiser on a spin an hour or two from now?"
"Precisely. Keep a fix on me, and when you sense that I am piloting that ship at .7C, I need you to expand this box to the size of an aircraft hangar, match my speed, swallow me up, shrink to vanishing mass and get me to earth in eight hours. Got it?"
"No problem."
"OK, Genie, I'll see you later." Jim crawled out of the Box. He decided to retire to his palace sleeping quarters and contemplated his next move.
"Aladdin, the queen requests your presence in her private chamber within thirty minutes for personal business reasons", Jim's pager announced. Aladdin was her pet name for him this month. She changed his name almost as frequently as she changed her wardrobe, so it seemed. He preferred to be called Jim; short and simple, but then again, he did not have any power where Isis and her ridiculous demands were concerned. The very fact that he had to be called and respond to whatever name she fancied, irritated him to no end. She knew this, but felt that she was only teasing him. His name shouldn't matter anyway. He was hers and she would never give him up even if it meant sacrificing her empire. Isis was not inclined to be any form of a pushover in the slightest with respect to giving up the empire.
The Creator had endowed Jim with this sister whether he liked it or not. Certainly life is not that easy to master; he was born with the ability to think for himself and Jim resented any outside attempts to control any part of his life. He felt that his sister's intent to conquer Earth was misguided and he was compelled to do something about it. Jim was not inclined to go against his better judgment even if it meant treason and becoming his sister's primary adversary. Love and hate! What a dilemma!
Jim hated his court costume. He had to wear golden shoes with golden fleece lining. The soles were made of dragon hide. He wore white baggy pantaloons made from an extremely rare lightweight cloth that would not tear. He wore no shirt, but, instead had to be decked-out with an outlandish amount of jewelry. If that weren't enough, she made him wear a gaudy looking crown, so heavily adorned with diamonds and other assorted rare crystals that it restricted his agility greatly. The jewelry weight seemed to be twice that of his, although it only matched his own 90 kilograms. His crown was weighted with 20 kilograms of gold alone, before the extra 10 kilograms of jewels and other rare metals were tacked on. The remaining 60 kilograms were worn around his torso, arms and hands. Jim felt very uncomfortable being loaded with 90 kilograms of metal and rocks.
Lazarus Cain
