Page 15 - Unlikely Stories 4

The Discontinuator

“Indeed. But the fourth possibility is that you somehow succeed in
creating that logically and physically impossible boundary. If reality is
in face monistic, then what would instantly follow is not anything as
local and limited as a black hole, but the flipping of metaphysical
cases from the apeiron to nullity. They cannot both be the case,
according to logic. That means the end of everything, with no
recourse, no replay, no restart: nothing has no way to become
something, despite quantum theory and mathematical self-hypnosis
leading to belief in points as real and the present as anything other
than an illusion obscuring acceptance of the four-dimensional real
continuum.”
“Thank you very much,” said Dr. Killeton. “Now I shall bid you
good day, sir. You are welcome to your opinions, no matter how
outlandish. I am a scientist, not a mystic.”
“Nor, apparently, a logician. I appreciate your patience, Professor.
I presume you will be returning to your work now. Is it in the
physical sciences lab?”
“Yes, but it is not open to visitors.”
The physicist strode off. Gregorian sighed.
“One chance out of four he actually built a discontinuator,” he
muttered to himself, and looked down at his briefcase and its fraught
contents.

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