Alternate Timelines
Let's say there are two men in a locked room. On a table between them is a loaded pistol. A mechanical voice over a loudspeaker tells the men they must fight to the death. As the Highlander said, "There can be only one."
The men begin to scrabble for the gun. They fight, claw, punch, and kick until Man 1 triumphs, grabs the pistol, and shoots Man 2.
Man 1 lives in the current timeline. But let's dig a bit deeper. Is there an alternate timeline where Man 2 prevails? At the moment Man 1 pulls the trigger, was there a divergence in the universe, allowing Man 2 to win?
Is there a split every time we make a decision? I bought a new hat. Was there a split where I didn't buy the hat? How many alternate timelines would/do exist? Could there be a reality where I didn't buy the hat or where I bought a different one? The possibilities are endless.
Have I lost you?
The next question could throw you off the rails.
What if writers are not creating fiction but are voyeurs of alternate timelines?
Currently, I'm writing a John Phoenix Thriller. As I write the story, am I remote viewing Phoenix's alternate universe? When I say the characters like to tell me what they are doing, saying, or where they are going, can it be possible that they really are telling me through some magical portal of the mind, a mysterious conduit that transcends our understanding?
No. I haven't been taking drugs. It was just a random thought that occurred to me while I was taking a shower, of all places.
Evan out.