Iterations

by William H. Keith, Jr.

Release: October 2001
Format: Novelette
Genre: Science Fiction
Audience: Adults
Content: Debatable Time Travel
Original Language: English

An accident near a black hole has seemingly doomed Kevyn Shalamarn along with her copilot and her AI, until they are pulled into a far future that could have been inspired by Frank Tipler’s Omega Point cosmology. The trip to the future seems to be in the domain of relativistic time dilation rather than time travel, and it’s unclear whether the trip back is actual time travel or some form of quantum physics mashed up with simulations.

— Michael Main

The goal of this device is nothing less than complete knowledge, knowledge of everything that ever has been, that ever will be, that ever could be.

DEBUT

“Iterations,” in Past Imperfect, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Larry Segriff (DAW Books, October 2001).

VARIANTS

1 English variant

TAGS(SPOILERS!)

Time Periods

Circa AD 2100 to 2199: We believe that the mission began on Earth in the 22nd century.
Near Future, AD 2300 and Beyond: By the time the ship reaches the galactic center via near-lightspeed, it will be millennia later.
Far Future: Relativistic time dilation takes them to an unrecognizable future.

Time Travel Methods

Alien Time Travel Technology: Alien time travel tech may be used in returning Kevyn to her own time

Themes

Many Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Physics: “You’re saying that this super-computer harvests all of the different timelines, all of the different possibilities . . .”
Simulation: Or it might all be a simulation.

TIME TRAVEL ITINERARY (SPOILERS!)

From an unspecified place, circa 2150 ⋙ to a place outside the plane of our galaxy, the far future. Note: We believe that the travel to the future was entirely via [Error: Missing '[/ex]' tag for wikilink].
From a place outside the plane of our galaxy, the far future ⋙ to near the central black hole of the Milky Way, an unspecified time post-2150. Note: Kevyn is returned to an alternate start of the story (or a simulation thereof).