The tension between knowing Sutter's fate and not being able to warn him really captures the temporal ethics dilemma nicely. What caught me was how casually they justify taking gold because 750k pounds were extracted anyway, like the sheer scale of extraction somehow makes individual actions irrelevant. Reminds me of how people rationalize small enviornmental choices cause "corporations polute more anyway." The mysterious observer with the red book at the end flips the whole premise though, now theyre the ones being watched.
I think I would side with the Professor. They needed money and I can’t imagine taking a few nuggets would change history any more than interacting with the shop owner, pawn broker, stable owner, hotel clerk, wait staff, etc. It’s not like they killed somebody or prevented something from happening.
Of course, any time travel story eventually collapses under the weight of its own fabricated “rules” of time travel. Rules designed to keep people from simply going back and fixing things.
I am enjoying your perspective of California history here, Mark. My own Bartle Clunes story talked quite a bit about gold panning and sluicing in the foothills of the Sierra. It is an interesting topic, and you have inspired me to pull out those bits and share them again.
Thank you, Mark. I am happy you liked this quiet, nostalgic tale. I am using these excerpts to do my chapter revisions. Bartle need a lot of work, so one chapter at a time…
It’s good to have dreams. Big and small. But don’t let them make you a fool. I don’t know how well Kiki’s strategy works, but I do know she has the music in her. 🤣
The tension between knowing Sutter's fate and not being able to warn him really captures the temporal ethics dilemma nicely. What caught me was how casually they justify taking gold because 750k pounds were extracted anyway, like the sheer scale of extraction somehow makes individual actions irrelevant. Reminds me of how people rationalize small enviornmental choices cause "corporations polute more anyway." The mysterious observer with the red book at the end flips the whole premise though, now theyre the ones being watched.
I think I would side with the Professor. They needed money and I can’t imagine taking a few nuggets would change history any more than interacting with the shop owner, pawn broker, stable owner, hotel clerk, wait staff, etc. It’s not like they killed somebody or prevented something from happening.
Of course, any time travel story eventually collapses under the weight of its own fabricated “rules” of time travel. Rules designed to keep people from simply going back and fixing things.
I am enjoying your perspective of California history here, Mark. My own Bartle Clunes story talked quite a bit about gold panning and sluicing in the foothills of the Sierra. It is an interesting topic, and you have inspired me to pull out those bits and share them again.
Good old Bartle. Always a pleasure to read.
Thank you, Mark. I am happy you liked this quiet, nostalgic tale. I am using these excerpts to do my chapter revisions. Bartle need a lot of work, so one chapter at a time…
That is a smart way to do it.
Blinded by his dream…
Ahhhh! Interesting.
Maybe Kiki Dee was on to something!
https://open.spotify.com/track/2dpGNisIy8LNjpEGzDdtft?si=9lr_H2kGRX6vl0mr_dEoSg
It’s good to have dreams. Big and small. But don’t let them make you a fool. I don’t know how well Kiki’s strategy works, but I do know she has the music in her. 🤣
Indeed!
I thought Sutter made wine. 🤣
I’m sure he did some whining later on. 😉