Time Travel Thinking

Ok, so hear me out. If we assume that time travel is possible, any changes to the timeline have to have some limitation. To whit, they can't end up precluding time travel, both for the practical paradox avoidance, and also out of some sense of self preservation.

And there's only two plausible scenarios given our current state of the world where they develop time travel. Either the future is so amazing they have the capacity to experiment and make it, or a billionaire creates it to be rich.

One doesn't need to change things, the other doesn't want to, either.

Cracking Magic

The Wizard stroked his (magically enhanced) long white beard.

"So, your claim is that there's something beyond the Gods?"

"Yes! Because how else can magic work as people wish it, and not be weird?"

"I explained it, us magic wielders have intense willpower that-"

"Ok, but willpower against what? If its just empty randomness, spells wouldn't fail. You're pressing up against something, or someone!"

"And if it's not the Gods..."

"Which it isn't."

"Then... Hmm. You may be onto something.

Shame."

He waved a hand, and the troublemaker was consumed by the void before they got too out of hand.

Wave Goodbye

I found him staring at a button.

"The outer defenses have fallen, is it ready?"

"Sort of."

"Explain."

"It'll send the wave out, killing any living thing outside the inner defences."

"I'm not hearing a justification for 'sort of' there."

"The wave will just keep going, through space, wiping out everything. Enemy forces, civilians, mindless creatures, everything."

"It'll wipe out all other life? Seriously?"

"I mean, the energy will probably dissipate after a few dozen light years, but can we justify-"

I leaned over and pressed the button.

Nothing happened.

"And that's why I disabled the weapon a minute ago."

God Of Morality

After decades of study, and thousands of gold pieces worth of magic ingredients, I finally cast a spell that got me to speak with them.

"Mortal, you dare insist on speaking to the God of Morality?"

"Yes, what gives you the right to judge all acts?"

The God paused.

"I'm a God, you understand."

"So what? Who decided you could decide what is good and evil in the world?"

"I did. That's the point. Why, you think you could do better?"

"Maybe, I-"

"Deal!"

There was a flash, and I became the God of Morality, and understood why he ran.

Somewhat Lucky

It was two hours in when I stood up. I was lucky in that they didn't shoot me immediately.

"Hey, sit the fuck down, we-"

"Are three people trying to maintain control of eleven while holding off the cops. Look, just let the rest of them go and keep me."

"Are you crazy, man?"

"No, I'm just trying to end this with the best possible outcome. You let all these others go, you'll get sympathy."

After a brief discussion, they agreed, as two of them sheparded the rest out, leaving just one with me that I quickly and easily overwhelmed.

Non-Drabble: Taking Time Off

 Hey, so I'm going to be taken a couple weeks off, real life stuff and then prepping for an RPG con, so my mind is elsewhere. I'm aiming for an Oct 8th return, but there's always a chance I'll come up with an idea and just have to post. But hey, there's thousands of Drabbles here, have fun, and I'll see you soon!

Drone On

The war was fought for 100 years, and also over 25 minutes.

The declaration was done over the inter-system communication array, a religious dogma on one end, a very long term expansion plan on the other.

Both systems then set in motion the plans, both of them launching drone strikes that set off on their journeys across empty space, towards the targets.

For decades, the massive payloads travelled, silently, until they finally arrived and connected in a complicated 25 minutes.

Unfortunately, by then, both sides had completely forgotten about the initial war, and it started all over again soon after.