Time Travellers from the 1960's : Ted and Louise : Ch.1 : Going To The Future

Time Travellers from the 1960's : Ted and Louise

Chapter 1 : Going To The Future

Some close friends were very active in the 'New Seminary of the Future'. Robert and Frances were convinced that many of the medical advances which we all expected could not be completed within the ten or twenty year time spans which everyone was talking about. So they opted to move forward to a time when all the advances to come would be far more reliable and complete. They opted to be put asleep for the longest period so far dared - 50 years. (1973-2023) On the evidence of the first few travellers there appeared to be no need to worry. All the travellers whose time was due had woken up fit and healthy right on cue, not a day older according to any observers or according to scientific photographs which were taken before and after, and other tests such as blood and urine tests. However many members of the movement had expressed reservations about taking such risks with time. 50 years would take Robert and Frances well out towards their natural life span boundaries. Would time travel of this sort still work over such time differences? They might end up with senile brains and young bodies, or maybe they would never wake up. Before they went to 'sleep' both of them argued positively that they would be in safer hands waking up further into the future, because science would have continued its path of improvement, and facilities for restoration at the 'other end' would be more reliable.

Ted and Louise discussed their own time span preferences many times, agonising over such a decision, although they were convinced that they would take the plunge into an unknown future to some distance.

"I don't think 5 years is enough," said Ted. "As much as I can't wait to see the late seventies, and I don't really want to miss them, I really don't think things will have changed enough by then to be worth undergoing the experiment. If I am going to be an adventurer, I'm going to have to go a bit further into the future to make it all worthwhile. When we wake up we want to see some real progress, don't we."

"Yes, sure we do," agreed Louise. "We're not just doing this for kicks, are we? We actually want to live in a better time, when a lot of the problems which beset the world today are fixed or at least we've started to get a handle on them. Still I hope you don't mean 50 years like Rob and Frances. I think that's too far for us. They're taking on more unknown risks, and I want to be able to recognise the world we move into, to speak the same language, so to speak."

"Like they said, the further we go into the future the more civilised and progressed the world is likely to be. We could be spoiling it for ourselves if we go for less than 50 years. But perhaps you're right. Less than 50 years and more than 5 then? What do ya think Lou?"

"What do you think its gonna be like in 2003?" asked Frank, as he and Ted relaxed in a downtown bar.

"Better than 1973, that's for sure!" Ted exclaimed over his beer. Frank grinned, but it was a serious question. Ted put a bit more thought into his answer; after all it was a subject he and Louise, and the rest of their group, spent a great deal of time thinking about. They wouldn't be travelling into the future if they did not believe it was going to get better. There were plenty of signs the world was getting better, that it was on an upward spiral of progress. People were starting to care about what went on on the other side of the world. Society was on the move. It would be only a matter of time now before solutions would be found for most of the world's problems, political, social, health, even sexual. The anti war movement in the states was a sign that people wouldn't fight in unnecessary wars any more. Pressures would be increasingly brought to bear on nationalists and political extremists of many kinds to give up fighting and to talk. Make love not war; that slogan made a lot of sense. More and more people were coming to realise that every day, all around the world.

"I think we will have abolished wars by then," declared Ted, following his thought processes. "Just recently we've had Nigeria, Bangladesh, and of course, for us Americans, Vietnam. We've already seen an outpouring of caring and charity. The students and most of America, it now seems, want out of Vietnam. They see the senselessness of a military strategy. Talking surely works better."

"I hope you're right," said Frank. "Just look at what's just been happening in the middle east. Israel and the Arabs just don't seem to be learning. There are no signs of progress."

"That's a difficult one," admitted Ted. "I think there are signs of progress, in people's consciousness. It just needs more time to work through, that's all. Generally I think there will be less poverty in the future. We're learning to prevent economic disasters like the Wall Street stock market crash all the time. Governments know much better what to do to head off unemployment. They're more active in steering their economies now. And now third world and ex colonial states have self government and democracy, now they'll be pursuing policies which will help their people first and foremost. Government for and of the rich will be a thing of the past very soon.

"You think we'll ever get to grips with poverty? There's always someone doing better, but always at someone else's expense," said Frank.

"Of course we will. It's eminently achievable man," declared Ted confidently. "We produce far more foodstuffs than we have mouths to feed, it just doesn't get distributed right, that's all. The problem is definitely solvable. It just takes willpower and organisation. The consciousness is rising. Millions of educated people now want to solve these problems. It's a new phenomena, just give us a bit more time, and we'll get there."

"Could be," said Frank, swayed by his friend's optimism.

"Healthcare and medical knowledge is improving dramatically. We've beaten off TB and we're dealing with malaria. We know more about heart disease, and even cancer. Looks as if there will be effective ways of treatment one day.!"

(to be continued)