THE PARADOX OF TIME

Sampreet Kalita
Present Day.
Sameer rushed into the lab, storming towards the person at the main desk, a copy of the days newspaper in one hand. As
he neared, he clutched his fingers forming a fist. His troubled face expressed the gravity of the current situation, reflecting
the tension which had converted into rage the moment he went through the morning headlines. Symantec shuts down their
drone program.
I told you not to do it, Raj. I warned you, Sameer hammered his fist on the desk pressing the newspaper on it, We messed
with our timeline the moment we started it.
Hey, calm down yaar. What happened? Raj got up from his seat, startled by Sameers intrusion while he was sipping his
morning tea at his research desk. He could clearly make that something was highly out of place. He had never seen Sameer
this angry before. Picking up at the newspaper placed on the table, he gave a closer look at the article Sameer was pointing
at. Sigh.
This is bullshit. Why do you even bother to read such articles, Sameer?
What? Sameer let out another expression of shock. You mean to say that shutting down the whole project is bullshit?
Seriously? It was our design, Raj. We cross-checked it several times, didnt we? There was nothing wrong, the compatibility
was
Are you out of your mind, Sameer? Raj interrupted, a startled yet curious look on his face, What are you talking about?
Why? Dont you see the consequences already?
Sameer, all I can see is that you come to me at this time in the morning, hit my desk and give me some bullshit story to read
talking about some drone thing I have never heard of.
Silence.
Sameer snatched the newspaper from Raj and went through the headlines. Impossible. The article was gone. Another one
about some official treaty signing between two nations had replaced it. Sameer turned the pages one by one, searching
furiously for the headline he had seen in the same newspaper earlier this morning. It wasnt there anymore. He searched
throughout once again as Raj watched him, startled by such behavior in Sameer. Frustrated, Sameer looked up at Raj, as
one point was definitely clearer now. The timeline is self-adjusting.
*****
Ten Days Ago.
Sameer switched on the cameras and clicked on the Record icon. Picking up the mic, he spoke, The Teleportation
Experiment. Trail 41. Raj fixed the problem with the quantum condenser which prevented the qubits from reaching
minimum error. I recalibrated the adiabaticity conditions to address the remnant decoherence in the system. QKD generator
calibration. Check. Coupler frequency reduced to resonance. Container calibration. Check. System consistency, Sameer
looked at the levels in his desktop screen, Check. OK. Initialize qubit generation sequence, Raj.
Two meters away, Raj plugged in the power and switched on the generator.
As the shrill of the machine filled the air, the lids of the two foot-long containers closed slowly, refraining any light to pass
through them. Sameer picked up the mic once again, Initializing teleportation in 3. 2. 1. OK. Its done. Lets check the results.
Raj powered down the generator and came up to his desk. He read out and recorded the experiment log as Sameer noted
down the main events.

The attempt failed. There was a condenser problem once again, Raj said with a sigh.
They waited and reevaluated the results daylong, exploring a way to fix the quantum condenser.
*****
Nine Days Ago.
Sameer received a parcel in the morning in his laboratory just as he was about to start their 42nd trial. He opened up the
packing and found a small cubic box with a note: Sameer. This should fix the condenser problem. Use it well. From the future
you. The lesser you know the better.
What is it? Raj questioned.
I dont know, Sameer said handing over the note. He gave a closer look at the box and opened it slowly. Inside, there was
a small device, packed with pieces of thermocol. It resembled the condenser they were using, just that it was smaller and
appeared futuristic.
*****
Eight Days Ago.
The Teleportation Experiment was halted for the time being. Sameer and Raj had decided to complete their QKD-Drone
prototype. The project had been funded by one of the leading security agencies of the world, Symantec. However, due to
inefficiency of the condenser the prototype was a failure. The project had been on halt since then, about two months ago.
The drone prototype was tested for consistency using the new condenser they had obtained. It fit perfectly. However, as
they tested it for the last time, Sameer seemed concerned about something. The paradox of time.
Raj, can we think about it once more?
Yeah sure. Whats troubling you mate?
See, we receive a condenser from someone just when we are on the verge of attaining the greatest discovery of the century.
And then we use it for something else entirely. Dont you think that it was meant to be used for the teleportation
experiment?
Raj walked up to his desk giving a short thought. See Sameer, we have already gone through this before. We are also in the
verge of creating a world level information security system that no one has ever dreamt of achieving. Isnt it a great feat
too? We are changing the world yaar. Plus, the drone is fully compatible with the condenser. And once the project is at a
go, we will use it to complete the teleportation experiment as well.
Yes, I understand that too. But, what if this is the case, Sameer picked up a pen and a paper. Drawing a circle, he said,
suppose this is the present we, figuring out the teleportation experiment. He draw another circle to the right of the first
circle and joining them by a line. This is us, sending the condenser back in time, a case which might have been possible if
we first discovered teleportation, he said pointing at the first circle again. However, he continued drawing a third circle
right above the first one, if we chose not to do so and go on with the drone project, it will void the first and foremost
condition for the parcel to reach us, the success of the teleportation experiment. No condenser. No successful drones either.
That will build a world where none of them exists through us. He dropped the pen on the table, then the whole of this
might just be erased from the timeline as if it never happened.
Raj showed a slight hint of seriousness, but soon replied with a smile, You are overthinking mate. Take a good sleep. We
have a very important demonstration tomorrow.
*****
Three Days Ago.

Symantec launched its drone project in several stations. Sameer and Raj demonstrated their patented drones at a few
stations too. There was a jet-stream of offers coming up for them. They could just sit back and relax their whole lives if they
wanted to.
*****
Present Day.
Sameer looked at the angry Raj, furious and confused of what would happen next. The timeline had adjusted such that it
had erased the headline entirely. He rushed to his desk and opened up the drawer. No. The project offer letters are gone.
He went up to his desktop to check the log. There was nothing about the drones. No experiment log for the last ten days.
He just stared at the desktop. His fear had just come true.
Raj noticed Sameers bothered state and walked up to his desk. Hey, whats happening? Havent you recovered yet?
Recovered from what? Sameer asked back. What happened to me?
I dont know. You never told me that. I just delivered your letter to the office.
What letter? Sameer was startled. So was Raj. A moment of silence and Sameer began, Raj, tell me everything that
happened after the 41st trial.
You were on leave Sameer. For the last ten days, Raj replied. He then explained how Sameer had just gone home without
informing anyone but just leaving a letter of leave to be delivered in the office. He also told that the teleportation experiment
was halted since then. Also, the Symantec people had come the day before to inform that the deadline for their project
prototype had passed and they would not be able to fund it anymore. I couldnt do anything but sign on the paper Sameer.
I am sorry. They said that someone else was working on the project now. And I also have something to show you.
Raj went to his desk and opened his drawer producing a letter. He then showed it to Sameer. It seemed that Raj was leaving.
He had got an offer for the post of junior scientist and was to join in two days. I intended to tell you but you were not
available on your phone either. I sent you a mail though. I have been packing my stuff here for the last couple of days and
intend to move today. So I came early. And then, out of the blue, you appear on my desk and come up with a story that
never happened. Are you really alright, Sameer?
Sameer gulped. It was a lot for him at this short interval. He just faked a smile for now and said, Yes, I am alright. I havent
been well for a few days but now I am fine. Thanks. Dont mind the events today. It seems I had mistaken something for
something else.
Okay, Raj smiled back, mind helping me pick up the boxes then?
Sure.
And yes. I almost forgot. You received a parcel the day you left. Its a small box type of a thing I did not intend to open. I
kept it on your shelf.
Sameers heart stopped for a second. For a moment he hesitated to turn back towards his shelf. Then slowly, as he turned,
his eyes fell upon the very similar cubic parcel that was supposed to change their lives, sitting upon his shelf like a boss. A
smile automatically appeared on his face. Trial 42 is about to answer everything soon.