Legatus Legionis

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"Cheer up, Ralph," Pallas Athene smiled. "It's not often you get to play the boss God."

"No, it isn't," Ralph Grenfell replied, "and it might be fun if this weren't our last shot at this."

Each knew the situation well. The temporal viewer not only let them view history, but Pallas Athene had also learned how to send messages back in time, at least under certain circumstances. She had thought this to be a great idea, even if it were to lead to the end of her career as a classical historian. Not that that mattered in the present. As far as those in the temporal satellite were concerned, all civilization on Earth ceased some time before the beginning of the twenty-fifth century, thanks to that technician sending a message to the nearby aliens. It was unclear what happened, or why. What was clear was that the aliens on Ranh had destroyed Earth's civilization before the temporal viewer had been built. They were now in a state of paradox: if Earth's civilization were destroyed then, the temporal satellite and all it contained could not have been built, but if the temporal satellite had not operated, Earth's civilization would not have been destroyed. At least that was their interpretation on what had happened.

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