text | user: Avengersfan282

[notasaviour]

[...He'd picked his username when they pulled him here because superheroes and people on the internet have one thing in common: secret identities. He'd also kind of assumed there wouldn't be any actual Avengers here. So he'd given them his wiki-editing handle, and he maybe regrets it a lot now, but at least he can make this post without his real name attached, or he probably wouldn't make it at all.]

Just a question, but if you knew someone here could tell you about your future... would you ask them about it? Would you want to know, or not? Would it make a difference if they seemed pretty uncomfortable about it?

[He's not sure he does want to know, honestly. But at the same time, Billy is being just a little weird about it, and maybe knowing would be better, in case he lets it slip later anyway. He just can't decide.]

Comments

[howlongiwonder]

Are you saying two or more people are originating from the same universe, but from different dates?

Isn't it more likely that they are different worlds, just ones that are similar to each other?

[notasaviour]

Well, so far they seem like the same world. But time travel is probably easier than another dimension, or at least it happens way more often at home.

[howlongiwonder]

In that case, immutability of the future is uncertain, isn't it? Maybe knowing what should happen will allow you to avoid or prepare for it.

Still, I hope you are wrong.

[What an ominous statement.]

[notasaviour]

You... hope I'm wrong about it being the same timeline? Why?

[Very ominous.]

[howlongiwonder]

I know of worlds that are not exactly happy.

I wish they are the future for nothing else but themselves. That they are not something that will happen to where anyone present in the Quarantine came from.

[notasaviour]

It sounds like you went to them. Were they really that bad?

[howlongiwonder]

[A reply doesn't arrive until a moment later.]

Yes.

I'm sorry.

However, you must not give up hope. Even if some worlds are connected, it's unlikely your future will lead to the ones I know.

[notasaviour]

I'm sorry. It sounds like it was a hard time for you.

I don't think mine can be that bad, though. The people here from my future seem okay, just... uncommunicative.

[howlongiwonder]

Don't worry about it. Your own future sounds good at least.

[2B briefly considers something before adding a bit to her message.]

Could it be that they are reluctant to say anything because they do not want you to feel like you are stuck in a fate you cannot change?

[notasaviour]

But I feel kind of bad for complaining when things aren't that bad for me.

I think he thinks it would upset me. And it might, I don't know. I just think it's going to upset me worse if I find out some other way later.

[howlongiwonder]

Even if others have it worse, that doesn't mean your own worries are meaningless.

It sounds like you already made up your mind, however.

[notasaviour]

Maybe not. It probably means no-one really wants to hear them, though.

I think so. I'm still not sure it's the right decision, but it helped to get some perspectives on it. Thank you.

[howlongiwonder]

You made a choice, that's the important part. I don't think it was a wrong one, either.

[2B is happy she could help, not that there's really any way to see it from a text message.]

[notasaviour]

I hope not. I'll find out when I ask, probably. And... if you ever need someone to talk to, you know my user name now.

[He means it.]

[howlongiwonder]

[She's not certain if she wants to bother people about her own problems. It's not something they can change - probably. However...]

I will remember it.

[Nothing wrong in knowing an option exists.]

[notasaviour]

I'll see you around then. Probably, anyway, it's maybe going to be hard to tell off the network.

[howlongiwonder]

If we need to identify each other, I know your user name. You said it yourself.

[notasaviour]

That's not my real name, you know.

[...Although does that mean her name really is 2b?]