Paean for a Branch Ghost

by Filip Wiltgren

Release: March 2022
Format: Short Story
Genres: Science Fiction, War
Audience: Adults
Content: Definite Time Travel
Original Language: English

In the far future, a woman who had lived through the Sobibor extermination camp manipulates the system to go back and rescue the rest of her family.

— Michael Main

“Twentieth century,” said Davos, and I whistled, long, and low, and falling. “Special assignment,” he said, and I whistled again. I’d never heard of anyone going that far back.

DEBUT

“Paean for a Branch Ghost,” Future Science Fiction Digest #14, March 2022 [e-zine · webzine].

VARIANTS

1 English variant

TAGS(SPOILERS!)

Time Periods

Circa AD 1940 to 1949: 14 October 1943
Unspecified Future Year

Timeline Models

Branch-and-Return Timeline: Normally, the retrievers bring back people from short-lived, branched-off timelines.

Time Travel Methods

Time Portal: the vortex

Themes

Self-Visitation: Rothman meets her younger self in the branched-off timeline.
Time Corps: The retrievers are part of some sort of Time Corp.

Real-World Tags

Groupings

Future Science Fiction Digest (periodical): #14, March 2022

TIME TRAVEL ITINERARY (SPOILERS!)

From an unspecified time travel facility in the future at an unknown time ⋙ to the Sobibor extermination camp, 14 October 1943. Note: The narrator and two other retrievers go back.
From the Sobibor extermination camp, 14 October 1943 ⋙ to an unspecified time travel facility in the future at an unknown time. Note: The return leg.