Wasting Time: Book 2 in the Physics, Lust and Greed Series by Mike Murphey

Author:Mike Murphey
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Published: 2020-09-30T16:00:00+00:00

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YOUR UNIVERSE IS HERE

TIME IS WHAT KEEPS EVERYTHING From Happening All At Once.

Sheila’s first instinct was disappointment. Here she was, talking to . . . to God? . . . seeking understanding during the final moments of her existence. She wanted to say, “That’s it? That’s the best you’ve got?”

Then, with the mental clarity fostered by the limbo, she began to see.

She understood that time is both a blessing and a curse. A curse because she was just about to run out of it. A blessing because Time Is What Keeps Everything From Happening All At Once. Without time, all of history would unfold in one chaotic squirt. No doubt the event would be exciting. Of course, no one would be around after to write books or to postulate what it all means. Or enjoy the precious bounty of a life well lived.

Windows to understanding were accessible here if she just had a little more . . .

Time.

“In that sense,” the Hall Monitor said, continuing his lecture, “time is useful. In a lot of other ways, it’s a real pain in the ass. Since I work mostly in the corridor, I am one of the fortunate souls who doesn’t have to deal with it all that much.”

The comment shook Sheila from her reverie.

“This is a hallway? We call it the limbo. We thought it was the . . . the border between universes . . .”

“Well, in fact, it is, but . . . let’s see, I need a frame of reference to which you can relate. That’s like saying the Mississippi River is the border between Illinois and Missouri. Sort of trivializes it, don’t you think?”

“Then what is . . .”

Another possibility occurred to her.

“Ah,” she said. “My mind has created an hallucination to cope with the disorientation of the limbo and my fear of imminent death. When the limbo spits me out, I’ll die. So, my mind has manufactured you.”

“Who told you that?” This time the voice carried a clear note of irritation. “I will not be reduced to anyone’s figment.”

“Well, the psychologists told us that we might . . . Naomi said we might hallucinate here . . . and Naomi is a really smart person. Not just science smart, like Elvin or Yuni. She’s real-world smart, you know?”

“Naomi? You must be more specific. In order to cross-reference the files, I’ll need her last name.”

“Hu.”

“Naomi.”

“Naomi Hu.”

“That’s what I asked you.”

Sheila couldn’t suppress a giggle.

“You’re really not God, are you. Naomi’s last name is Hu.”

“Your grammar is atrocious. You mean, ‘Naomi’s last name is what?’”

“No.” Sheila’s laugh was full and boisterous. “What’s on second base? I Don’t Know’s on third.”

“Oh. Oh, I get it now. That’s clever . . . so you know baseball?”

“Of course I know baseball. Marshall talks about it all the time. Marshall says baseball is the best game ever invented by man . . . except he probably said ‘mankind.’ Marshall tries not to speak in sexist terms.”

“My dear girl, my dear naïve girl,

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