penthius

The train was late, of course. It was only a few minutes, but he felt like he stood out in the crowd. Anyone looking at him would surely and immediately say, "He doesn't belong here." The longer he waited for the train, the more likely it was that someone would spot him. He was taller than most, his coloring was more fair, and his clothes were too new. He was too clean. He'd been warned about these things, but with the mission done and everything arranged, he had thought he would be fine to finally wash properly and wear something that made him feel less depressed and drab than the dark-clothed, shorter, bustling people around him. It was foolish. Everywhere on the train platform, there were signs advertising, "Watch out for time hijackers! If you see someone who does not fit, let a rail guard know!"

Inspiration: Searched "problem" on art station, found picture of man on train platform. https://www.artstation.com/artwork/DaNke
Story potential: High.
Notes: I like the idea of a society being aware and resistant to time travelers working among them, like there is actually a war between the present and at least one of the futures.

"Time is what you make it. Never feel like you're going to break it, because if you feel that you might--well, then you might. But if you don't feel that you might, then you never will. And we hate having to go in and clean up after broken time. It's inevitable, I suppose, with us teaching you young ones how to take care of it, but that doesn't mean it's any fun. Sometimes there are human casualties, and there are *always* causality casualties. All of you will be volunteered to help with a time collapse before you're passed through. It's important to learn what we're trying to avoid, here. And yes, there are natural time collapses, and yes, they can be real buggers about it because they're not as naturally limited in scope as ones caused by kids screwing up something minor. Yes, I'm talking about you. Yes, I know that most of you have degrees and all of you are over the age of majority--like any responsible parent would sign off on a minor--and--yes, you have a question?" "More of a statement, really," he said calmly. "I'm fifteen. Just thought you'd like to know." "Well, yes--what?!--who passed you thorough?" "It was less of a passing and more of a necessity. I was found in one of these disaster zones, and my parents--don't exist anymore. I can hardly remember them, since I was only a toddler. I've been in a special exclusion zone ever since, but they decided that was no longer safe enough for those around me. So they decided to train me instead of kill me." He hesitated. "I think. I suppose it's possible I'll die here or that the killing will still end up being the only option, but they decided to give me a chance first."

Inspiration: "Until the Morning" - Thievery Corporation
Story potential: High.
Notes: I'm giving this story bonus points because it's a possible time-travel/paradox-related story that I actually like. Though I think I'd probably treat it as fantasy instead of SF, if only because time travel is...not very much S, really.

"The very last ones, you promise?"

"Absolutely. They were on this small island in the middle of the Pacific. Their population never spread beyond it. There can't be more than twenty of them, at the most. We only know they were there because of fossil remnants left behind after the tsunami wiped the island clean of life. No paradox possible if you eat the species instead."

"What will they taste like?"

"Chicken, most likely. Perhaps a little gamey."

Inspiration: https://www.facebook.com/evan.loehleconger/posts/10102111072251220
Story Potential: High.
Notes: And then his plan to eat a species into extinction goes horribly awry, beginning when he forgets to bring a chef.

The ship sailed in out of the fog, and the sailors on the port gaped at it. Never had they seen a craft so tall and strong, as tall as two city buildings stacked on top of each other, a weird green iridescence flowing over it's surface. They'd been going about their business all steady and normal-like, but at the sight, a serious breakdown in order occurred. Some ran for their cameras, to get pictures to National Enquirer or videos to YouTube. Some ran for th control room. Some ran for the weapons locker. The latter were not entirely incorrect in their aim, as it turned out, but they had no idea that the AK-47s and stun-guns stored there would do nothing--

Inspiration: "ship"
Story Potential: High--if I figure out the rest of it.
Notes: There have been a number of "ship from the past emerges from the mist/bermuda triangle" stories, and a certain number of "ship from the present ends up in the past," but not so many "ship from the future ends up in the present" ones.

It wasn't until she found herself doing things ten years ahead of time that she noticed she had a problem. And then her assistant came rushing in with the figures for that projection, and she realized that she wasn't the only one. Then she flipped the TV to a news program and found them discussing what people should be doing to prepare for ten years in the future, and she realized that *everybody* had a problem. That was when she went from mild irritation at herself for wasting her time--to fear about why this was happening. She went outside, in the middle of spring, and found animals building dens for winter (she couldn't ask them, but she was sure that if she'd been able to, they'd have said it was for winter 10 years from now). She found mothers calmly buying clothes for children ten years older than their own. She found farmers looking really serious about how they were worried the giant granaries they'd been maintaining would hold up.

Inspiration: Thinking about preparing things ahead of time (dinner, actually--wondering about writing a book called "cooking for later" about slow-cooking and other prepare-ahead-of-time-type cooking).
Story Potential: High.
Notes: Not sure why everyone is preparing ahead of time, but it could be an interesting twist on any number of tropes.

Free will in "main" universe, but not in splinter universes. Might be one way to resolve time travel paradox, and could use both fixes for a bizarre result.

This post brought to you by me getting my CONvergence-inspired ideas in the same place as the rest of them!

When time slips, at first you don't notice it. You don't think anything's changed--most of the time. Most of the timeslips are small enough to shrug off. They mean you'll get a ticket for leaving your car parked too long, or have to explain to your boss why you didn't show up one day--just say that you're horribly ill with something that kept you so busy vomiting you couldn't make it to a phone. That's usually enough for them. You may find yourself in one of the bigger timeslips. That's actually what we're hoping for. If that happens, rest assured, the company will provide well for any family or designated beneficiaries that you have left behind--or ahead--and you will also receive very generous compensation. Of course, that's why we insist that you always carry with you the--

Inspiration:"Our Surprise Decision" by Burnside Project
Story Potential: High, actually. At least medium-high.
Notes: An interesting idea for story set-up, that could go any number of places, future or past. Past would be, I think, more interesting--but also would involve more research. Also, must decide how to play corporation--"Corporations Are Evil" would be too easy.

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Entries tagged with time travel

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Train to Nowhen: SF

Time Zones: Fantasy

Consuming the Species: Science Fiction

Bermuda Triangle: Science Fiction

Preparing Ahead: Science Fiction

Free Will: Science Fiction

Time Slip, Inc: Science Fiction (Historical?)

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