an ultimatum

Well, the mad scientist has presented me with a trade. He is going back to his lab (thank goodness Aleck isn't still there) to build a full-fledged time machine, which he feels he has sufficient knowledge to build. His ultimatum is simple. If I can keep Oleck and his father alive, and get them out of jail before he finishes the time machine, he will bring Ben back to the present, and let me go. He said he may wish for Ben to help him out, under his own freewill. But only if the time machine doesn't fall under Novikov's rules: "If Novikov's principles apply even to the regular time-machine," he sighed, "then I will have no wish to conduct any experiments at all." And then he was gone.

So here I am, on a mission. I have to do this for Ben. And then, well, I don't know. I guess I'll retire somewhere. :) <--- a faint, weak smile.