I read this short story online on a science fiction magazine website 4 or 5 years ago, but I don't remember which one.
It is about a character who gets a job working for an old man who has been going back in time to rewrite history to prevent the destruction of the Earth. But, the earth keeps getting destroyed in different ways and he has to try again. In the old man's house are old newspapers from alternate histories and some kind of a mapping device the protagonist doesn't understand.
After taking the job the lead notices his life has changed in some small ways. His house is a little nicer, the ring he bought his wife is bigger. etc.
near the middle, the old man takes him to a warehouse where he has an old submarine that he is turning into a spaceship. somehow the old man wants to save the earth by stopping something in space. maybe it was a commet crashing into the earth?
After the protagonist has the ship revealed to him he says to himself that he must steal it. I'm not sure why. This is about the halfway point of the story and thats as far as I read.
To read the whole story one has to subscribe or something. I don't remember. I had planned to go back and buy the issue to finish the story but obviously, I didn't and now I don't know where it was.
I think the preview I read was about 4 to 6 thousand words so the story might be in the 10,000 word range.
thats about all I remember so I hope its enough to go on.
Thanks to anyone who can help out.
-CK
It is about a character who gets a job working for an old man who has been going back in time to rewrite history to prevent the destruction of the Earth. But, the earth keeps getting destroyed in different ways and he has to try again. In the old man's house are old newspapers from alternate histories and some kind of a mapping device the protagonist doesn't understand.
After taking the job the lead notices his life has changed in some small ways. His house is a little nicer, the ring he bought his wife is bigger. etc.
near the middle, the old man takes him to a warehouse where he has an old submarine that he is turning into a spaceship. somehow the old man wants to save the earth by stopping something in space. maybe it was a commet crashing into the earth?
After the protagonist has the ship revealed to him he says to himself that he must steal it. I'm not sure why. This is about the halfway point of the story and thats as far as I read.
To read the whole story one has to subscribe or something. I don't remember. I had planned to go back and buy the issue to finish the story but obviously, I didn't and now I don't know where it was.
I think the preview I read was about 4 to 6 thousand words so the story might be in the 10,000 word range.
thats about all I remember so I hope its enough to go on.
Thanks to anyone who can help out.
-CK
