Munich 1920

Munich 1920

by Brian Bogoly

I didn't fully comprehend the inner workings of Charles' time machine. I wasn't a scientist, after all. Yet, I eagerly volunteered for the mission that ignited his desire to create such a contraption. The concept he called "reverse entropy" was the foundation for his time machine to function. And so, I found myself lying down inside the machine, which resembled more of a mechanical coffin than anything else. As the lid closed, the sound of whirring gears filled the air, followed by a resounding thump that reverberated through my chest.

Minutes passed in an agonizing silence, leaving me unsure of what I would now find on the outside. Tentatively, I pushed the lid open, and to my astonishment, I discovered an English countryside stretching endlessly before me. It seemed I had remained in the exact spot where Charles' house would one day eventually stand. The calendar had rolled back to the 18th of January, 1920.

There was four ounces of gold which I had brought with me, I exchanged the gold for cash, and soon found myself brandishing a revolver. Munich was my next destination, arriving on the 16th of February, 1920. I settled into a hotel near the Hofbräuhaus beer hall, fully aware of the historical significance that would soon unfold within its walls.

On the 24th of February, 1920, Hitler would present the Nazi Party's Twenty-Five Point Program right here in this beer hall. At this point in history, Hitler was a mere blip on the radar, and his untimely demise would be no more than a footnote. The absence of bodyguards simply enhanced my chances of success, as well as

my chance of survival.

To acquaint myself with the surroundings, I began frequenting the beer hall, indulging in the sumptuous Bavarian cuisine it had to offer. Ham hocks, chicken schnitzel, succulent bratwurst smothered in mustard, and pork tenderloin danced on my palate like symphonies of flavor. Among the myriad choice of beers, I eventually settled on a locally brewed lager, its golden hue glistening under the dim lights. One evening , I struck up a conversation with Ludwig, one of the waiters, who

thankfully possessed a rudimentary knowledge of English. With his assistance, I began to unravel the intricacies of the beer hall's usual activities. Ludwig, with a touch of hesitation, eventually informed me of a meeting scheduled for the upcoming Tuesday evening on the third floor in what was then known as the festival hall. He casually referred to it as a "political group," leaving behind an air of mystery and intrigue.

It was on Saturday afternoon that a tall fellow with grey hair and a scruffy beard approached my table and said “May I join you David? Adding “My name is Kazimir.”

An English speaking friend of Ludwig I thought. Trying to make sense of the situation “Zwei bier, bitte!” he called out.

Two full beer steins were promptly brought to our table.

“I know why you are here” he said, his gaze piercing through me like a searing flame. “Oh, yes! the food here is great!” was my reply. “No, your larger purpose!” he answered with a stern look in his face. Nervously I shook my head in disbelief “what are you talking about?” was my reply.

How could this guy know anything about me I thought, then I said ‘listen mister if”…….He shushed me with a wave of his hand.

“Listen closely, I will not try to stop you, I merely would like to advise you”

I took a large swallow of my beer.

He continued.

"I am from another realm, a parallel dimension to yours," he divulged.

"Whenever someone traverses the fabric of time, a ripple reverberates through our world, a small timequake if you will." My eyes widened, captivated by this otherworldly revelation. How

could such a phenomenon occur? I pondered silently.

He continued.

“Now this occurs extremely rarely, someone only travels backwards in time maybe

once every five hundred years in your time frame. This is because the conditions must be precisely perfect for any time machine to work, and of course it is very rare for anyone toperfect the mechanism that is needed for it to function successfully.”

“In our dimension time moves much quicker than in your universe.”

“We have what you could call a time compass which pinpoints the location of any time travelers arrival”

“Upon being notified about your appearance, I was dispatched to meet you.”

“And now I must warn you that any interference with time almost always ends in a calamity.”

“We know that your World War II cost what? something like fifty to seventy million lives?”

“It is understandable that you would want to do something to prevent that. But consider this.”

“You kill Hitler, his successor turns out to be a much more cautious leader than Hitler could ever be. This leader does not persecute the Jews. He actually pampers them, especially scientists and in particular physicists.”

“While building up his military he also funds atomic research, which eventually leads to the creation of nuclear weapons.”

Disastrously, the world would find itself falling for a wolf cloaked in sheep's clothing.

This new leader, strategically patient, would bide his time until the German war machine was unbeatable. Upon amassing an arsenal of atomic bombs, he would strike, unleashing

hellfire upon unsuspecting nations. This alternate trajectory plunges the world into a chaos far worse than the devastation witnessed during World War II, doubling or even tripling the loss of human lives.”

“As I have said, I cannot stop you, but was advised to warn you about what the consequences would likely be if you succeeded”

Kazimir took a giant sip from his beer stein and promptly left the hall through the main entrance.

After a few moments, I tried to chase after him but as I exited the beer hall he was nowhere to be seen.

Venturing back to my table I slowly finished the rest of my beer,

I paid my bill, and walked back to my hotel, tossing the revolver into a trashcan along the way.