Mystery Workshop

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Today's Activity: Workshop mystery piece

Here is a summary of The Cause:

 

2015, Americas economy has dipped into the 3^rd recession in 3 years.  Unemployment has risen to its highest mark since the height of the great depression. Globally the picture is not much better, as some European countries stand on the brink of revolution to debt defaults and rising unemployment.

Plot

Harris is being dogged by debt collectors and watching every night as the situation in the United States and around the world seems to be getting worse night after night. After reaching the end of his money, and options, his career more a joke to the mainstream. Harris is approached by Wilder, who has become close with Cullen, after telling them what a fan of Harris’s work they both are and grilling him with basic questions. Wilder asks Harris what would he do to prove his theories, how far would he be willing to go.  Wilder flies Harris to Wilder’s home just outs ide Texas. Wilder introduces Harris and Cullen to Simon Allen.  Allen reveals that his “research” has been focused upon time travel.  Simon Allen had been approached by Wilder in late 2011 and promised Allen full funding towards perfecting his theories and time travel and building a viable time vehicle.  After a brief discussion of how it works Allen reveals that he was successful, that it works,  Allen  tells how Wilder’s agreement states that after it is confirmed that it works, the first full test must be done to Wilder’s choice of destination.  It is now revealed the reason Michael Harris has been contacted by Wilder and Cullen is so to travel back to 1865 for three objectives, prevent the assassination of Lincoln, prove a conspiracy by northern industrialist and Secretary Stanton, and prove the quantum stream theory.  After discussion of the issues surrounding such a plan, such as the planning that will be needed, and most importantly the temporal implications. Wilder doesn’t care if they change the timeline as he now reveals the fourth objective is to be left behind in 19^th century so he can live out what time he has left.  The vehicle resembles a playground merry go round with a large obelisk protruding from the center.   After several  weeks of careful planning the men determine the best date and travel back to two weeks before the assassination.  Before the trip, Allen explains because the exact temporal consequences of their actions is unclear,  and since Wilder will be staying behind, he will be tasked with an additional objective of providing what Allen refers to as a temporal fail safe. 

We will also look at a poem if there is time!  


Homework: Dust off Billy Collins/Write a poem (use the book if you are "idealess"), bring in an old book you wouldn't mind writing in. Don't have one? Ask in the library? Goodwill? Bring in a newspaper instead,