Undoing Destruction

 

The world faced yet another great war. With all the weapons of mass destruction launched, it brought forth a long, nuclear winter. Only after nearly a decade was the sun properly visible.

“Mom, can we play outside?” a little boy asked.

“No, Tim, not yet. We’ve been told to stay indoors.”

“That’s right. We’ll let you know when it’s safe,” said my sister, Andrea, walking into the room.

Andrea was among the few scientists in our town who were making sure everyone was safe. However, she was also involved in another project: one that was meant to allow time travel in order to prevent the war from spiralling into a nuclear disaster. Some considered it impossible, but a few of her colleagues joined the endeavor.

Three months passed by and the time machine was complete. Andrea tested it by sending a drone through it. It was a success. What we saw was the world before the war. Andrea and her colleague Phillip were ready to travel through it, but I insisted that I join as well, given my military background. Andrea was reluctant at first, but I persuaded her.

Returning to the world we had once known was a bittersweet experience beyond words. Our hometown, which lay in ruins in the future, was in its former glory. I never thought I would’ve ever been so elated just to see a clear, blue sky. It was still a month before the inciting incident that sparked the war.

We met the President and told him about what was to take place the following month. Everyone thought we were mad, as expected, so we listed the seven main incidents that set off the conflict, along with the dates on which they took place. We were arrested for safety measures. A month passed and, like clockwork, the events we spoke of began to unfold. Once the third incident took place, they finally believed us.

The President called on the other world leaders to discuss peace talks, which were long arduous. However, they proved to be successful and the war was averted, albeit after two more major events took place. Promises and compromises were made, but we could only hope those would hold true in the long run, lest another disaster were to unfold upon us. When we went back to our time, the town was restored. Life was back to normal and we hoped it would remain that way.