Shortest Time Travel Story I Know Of

Copyright 2015 Jesse Lex

Before Godfrey could tell Emily to push the time travel ignition button, the doors crashed open. A haggard looking man in his underwear came running into the room.

The man yelled, "Don't push that button! Don't allow time travel to happen!"

"What?" Godfrey said, "Who are you?"

"I'm Clarence Vanderbilt," the man said, "You can't push that button!"

"What? Why not?" said Godfrey.

Clarence said, "You'll start a predestination paradox. The whole mess you're trying to fix will by created by you trying to fix it."

"How do you know this?"

"I just read it in a novel written by you, published a hundred years ago." said Clarence.

"Interesting. How did it end?"

Clarence said, "I don't know. Once I read up to this point, I ran here."

"So. . .," said Godfrey, "You haven't read any further and don't know what will happen next?"

"Um, no. . .," said Clarence. He got a confounded look on his face.

Godfrey pulled out his gun, aimed it at Clarence then said, "Good. I would have hated to ruin the surprise." He shot Clarence through the head. Clarence's body slumped to the floor.

"Emily, Sear," Godfrey said, "Could you call security and asked them to take away this body?"

Emily looked up calmly. She said, "Yes, Dear," then reached for the phone.

"Poor man," Godfrey said, "He really should have read further. We could have avoided this whole mess. What a waste. . ..

"Oh well. Now to get on with our work. We have a civilization to save. "