Dameon walked into the lecture hall about 20 of his students managed to show up for class and fill part of the 150 seat hall. It was only the first day of the semester so things could improve.

“Welcome to Theoretical Quantum Mechanics in Applied Sciences. As always I am your Professor Dameon Wells. You can call me Dr. Wells. You know because I have a PhD and that makes me awesome. Actual just call me Mr. Wells. I didn’t go to grad school for a fancy title.”

“Have you ever done something you regret?” he asked the class knowing well the answer he would receive. It was the same answer ever year. “Yes Mr. Peters, enlighten me with you answer today” Daemon said with disdain. “Uh of course I’ve done something I regret. I did it last night if you know what I mean.” The student even added a nice wink and side jab towards his buddies sitting next to him

“Wow— that was riveting Mr. Peters…” Daemon said with a side roll of his eyes “While that was a true statement from Mr. Peters it was not quite the answer I was looking for. What I was looking for was something closer to your heart.”

“Have you ever been in a fight with a friend and push them out of your life only to find out later that they had died in a horrific car accident?” The student still in the class leaned in closer into their chairs wait to hear what Daemon said next.

“What if I there was a way you could in essence go back in time and stop the fight from ever happening?"

“Well time travel isn’t possible so this is a pointless experiment” said a student in the back of the room whose face Dameon could not make out. 

“Ah, perhaps you are right or perhaps you are wrong? Now we have a whole semester to find out!” Dameon exclaimed with a quirk of arrogance. “Now for the remainder of the class I want you to write an essay debating, using precise physics and mathematics, for the side of why time travel is impossible. At the end of the semester we will debate for time travel and compare your beliefs now to then and see if you have changed you mind.” He added with a smile knowing he will change their perspective. 

Dameon sat in his office and began grading the mound of student papers on his desk. He rubbed his hands through his hair in disgust. “This is going to take all night!” he thought to himself.

Suddenly there was a knock on his office door. “Come in!” Dameon reluctantly yelled.

“Don’t shoot” a voice behind the door retorted. The door opened and it was his colleague Aryan Bhandari. Aryan was a professor in Theology at the school. He was a wise sage. Aryan was originally from India. His parents had migrated to Seattle when he was 11. He was raised Hindu but was converted to Christianity when he was 23. He had been outcasted from his family but he loves what he does. He and Dameon, an atheist, have what seem like weekly debates on faith and science. Dameon believes that god and science cannot exists but Aryan of course disagrees.

“Oh sorry Aryan. I was not expecting you.” Said Dameon “Can I have a seat?” Asked Aryan “Of course! I have a lot of work to do but I always have time for a little debate” said Dameon “I didn’t come here to debate Dameon. I came here to check on you. Sarah said you had another dream last night. I thought the meds were helping you?”

“They are.” Dameon lied “I just have some moments I can’t control. It’s…It’s like she is calling to me Aryan!”

“That is pretty crazy Dameon, perhaps God is trying to tell you something?” said Aryan “Come on Aryan I don’t have time for a debate today. I am trying to have a serious discussion here…” said Dameon “Sorry Dameon, I didn’t mean to agitate you but just think it over. Perhaps there is something calling you.—I guess I will get to the point of why I came to visit you. You are being recruited Dameon, recruited for something big. I heard Dean Wilson speaking with someone in his office before my meeting with him. They were talking about something really big. Something no one has every done before!” Said Aryan “Ok, you have my attention” said Dameon

“Dameon, this will be such an amazing offer for you!” Said Aryan “Fine, fine, I believe you! Just get to the point!” retorted Dameon “Alright so Dean Wilson was talking with the head of the private space company Relativity, Igor Korovin.

“Igor Korovin?? What does he want with me???” asked Dameon “Hold on just a minute and let me finish!” smiled Aryan “Now that he has achieve private space flights for the public he wants to try a new frontier. He wants to be the first person to successfully time travel and he wants you to head the project!!” Added Aryan

“Wow, this is heavy…” said Dameon “I have too many questions! First, how does even know who I am? I am just a professor of quantum mechanics at a small public college in Portland! Second, why does he want to time travel let alone think it is possible? I mean I have written at least 50 papers on time travel theories but they are just theories. Nothing has been proven yet…”

“Exactly!” exclaimed Aryan “That is why he wants you! He knows that you are the only scientist who even believes that Time Travel is possible!”

There was a knock at the office door. “Dameon, are you busy?” “Dean Wilson!, we were just talking about you.” Aryan said sarcastically “Oh sorry I did not mean to interrupt.” Said Dean Wilson “Oh don’t worry Dean I was just leaving” said Aryan as he slipped out of the door.

“Ok Dameon, I hope you are ready to hear some good news!” Said the Dean “Let me guess, you just got off the phone with Igor Korovin of Relativity and he wants me to help him travel through time?”

“Oh…how did you know?” The Dean shrugged with disappointment “Aryan just told me. You know that Jesus Freak cannot keep a secret!” Dameon smiled confidently to the Dean.

“Did Aryan tell you that Igor wants you to sell him your ideas and merely supervise the project? He wants to give you credit but he doesn’t want an American touching his project.”

“No…he did not tell me that” Dameon said sheepishly as he stared at the floor in disgust. “That is disappointing.” He added “I know it is not what you want Dameon but this is a great opportunity for you!” The Dean said “You mean a great opportunity for you and the college?!” Dameon snapped back. He didn’t really mean what he said but he was angry about the new opportunity and just lashing out.

“Dameon, that’s not fair—” Said the Dean “I know I’m just really confused about the whole thing now! Aryan really had my hopes up that I was really going to be apart of something! I didn’t spend all those years of research and writing to see someone make my dream come true. Let alone sell them my work and watch them more than likely do it wrong!!” Dameon said with disgust

“It is a great opportunity Dameon, I would hate to see you waste it” the dean said as he stared down Dameon like a drill sergeant stared down a new recruit on the first day of bootcamp. “Maybe I am…but I have standards!” Dameon said “No you have pride.” said the Dean on his last nerve “You need to seriously consider this Dameon. I am tried of seeing you waste your talents here. You haven’t had the same passion since Reyley died.”

Dameon looked up from his desk and looked the Dean in the eyes like he had just since a ghost. His head sank back down and he thought hard for a minute “OK I will think about it” he said

“OK great.” said the Dean “Here is Igor’s job offer and all the specs on what he wants to do. I hope to have your answer by Monday”. The Dean turned quickly and walked out of the door before Dameon could say anything else.

Dameon stared at the job offer for about 30 minutes but he never looked at it. He picked up the stack of papers and threw them in his briefcase next to his desk to take home.

Next Chapter: Too Many Morals