The morning is quiet. You know what you have to do. After looking over the plans one more time, you set of for the tower. You get in, climbing the vines on the far side, up to the fourth story window. To your horror, the wizard is standing there, writing at his desk. He looks up, stares at you with his bloodshot eyes, and screams. You fall back from the concussive force, plummeting to the ground below…
The morning is quiet. You know what you have to do differently. You have another chance.
I had a very strange dream once. I was a spy, sent into a building to retrieve a secret file. I had gotten it, but another spy had come to intercept me. They killed me before I made it up the stairs. Next, I jumped to a road trip scene, where the car hit a tree. Then I was back to the stairs. That time, I made it through the door to a blank concrete room with a window. Before I could decide what to do, the other spy caught me again, sending me back to the car. This went on for several scenes until finally, I woke up.
Today’s topic is about time loops. Specifically, one of the likes of the movie Groundhog Day, where the day repeats over and over until something breaks the loop. Many TV shows have replicated this effect with their own personal spin (like “Cause and Effect” from Star Trek: Next Generation and “Hedgehog Day” from DC’s Legends of Tomorrow). While each has its own reason and solution, we’ll be focusing more on the time loop itself.
What is a time loop? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Time repeats over and over in a continuous cycle, often restarting at a point of trauma for the ones experiencing the loop. In film, its common for one person to have complete knowledge of the loop, therefore being the only one who can change it. It’s really difficult to pull off a time loop where no one is aware (though “Cause and Effect” did alright). I find it more entertaining if multiple people are in on the time loop, as the existential dread of being trapped forever dies down a bit and there are more possibilities to explore.
For now, let’s say you are the only one in the time loop. It could be any normal day. Maybe you get to work and realize you forgot your notes for an important project. You panic the entire day, and feel dejected by the time you get home. You set your work down on your desk, when suddenly your head starts to feel dizzy. You sit down, close your eyes, thinking this couldn’t be any worse, when it goes away. You look up. You’re work isn’t on your desk. The sun is rising. It’s another day. No, not another day… The same day.
First question, would you notice? I might not for awhile. I’d blame the horrible “day” before as just a really bad dream, and go on as if nothing was wrong.
Let’s say that you go through the day again, with your notes. But now you forgot your wallet. Not as bad, but not great. You get home, melancholy about the day. Then it happens again. Unless you are oblivious, you’d probably have figured it out by now. The day resets, and off you go again.
This is when the fun begins. You can do anything without consequences (except get hurt or die from your perspective). What would you do? Here are a couple of things I would do…
- Experiment with work, doing crazy stuff and seeing what the boss thinks.
- Learning to ride a Segway
- Sending a hundred Segways down a street (this time with people)
- Exploring the city without as much caution
- Telling others about my predicament over and over until they believe me
- Do the montage thing
Yes, I’d do the Segway run here to. (I might make it my mission in reality to do so anyway.) As for the last two items, that is solely for experimental purposes. I want to see if the movie holds up. Probably wouldn’t be completely accurate, considering circumstances.
I could go on and on, but I think this topic deserves a fiction piece. I currently do not have that kind of time. So I leave you with this question. What would you do with this power, and how would you get out?
(Get Out?)
The Hypothetical Game 