Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related Excuses for HG Wells: The dog ate my homework, etc.

I'm not saying anything like this has happened. But just suppose there was this big wrinkle in time and space involving Lois and Clark. And because of said wrinkle, they are not where they are supposed to be.

Can we say that? And if we can, let's go further and say that HG Wells does NOT show up to fix things in his own handy time-travel sled and gadget-thingy way.

Why wouldn't he come?

Personally, I wanted to kill him, but for continuity reasons, I can't pull the trigger. So, what would be some other perfectly good excuses for him to be away, while bad things were happening elsewhere, besides "I was dead and couldn't make it"?

I'm open to any and all ideas. Keep in mind, silly never bothers me.

And thank you!

(And for those who chimed in on Superman's globe yesterday, I owe you big thanks, and I'll get to it, I promise.)

CC

My favorite is Tempus related.

I can see Tempus being the kind that would stuff Herb in a school locker during summer break...

You said silly didn't matter...

James

My dear young lady,

While I deeply regret that I was apparently unable to assist your particular Lois and Clark, you must realise that my responsibilities are vast. Dear Mr and Mrs Kent do seem to have an uncanny ability to find themselves in trouble, and in such a multitude of universes! Despite my near omniscience, I am deeply grieved to confess that there are times when I simply cannot get to a specific dimension in time. I refer you to the incident that took place some five minutes ago in my time reference, but some nineteen months ago in your own timeframe.

Of course, I shall probably appear to your Lois and Clark with the perfect solution, albeit possibly a few minutes too late. I can hardly be blamed if some Loises or Clarks in the multiverse refuse to be patient enough to await my exquisite assistance.

As for your intentions towards myself, I can only sigh. Yes, it is true that there are many enemies of Utopia and its natural guide. Ah, well! Never mind, dear girl. I shall bear these burdens with the fortitude I always display so well.

H.G. Wells

Yeah, definitely locker stuffing time.

LOL!

I like his point, though -- there are lots of Lois and Clarks out there that need him. Kind of nervy of yours to expect him to be available to them. Maybe he's off on another universe hopping trip? To prevent that version of the Kents ... from buying the wrong house? Letting a bad guy fool them? Getting addicted to online chat rooms?

Kathy (who knows all about the online chat room thing)

Well, here's one I came up with... Maybe he has to ration the amount of time he spends time travelling. (I have in mind to use a variation on this theme in a current WIP.)

Imagine you are a friend of Mr Wells, living in Britain in -- say -- the 1920s. You see that he is looking older by the day. Wouldn't you worry about what was wrong with him? Or be a little suspicious about what he's up to?

Mr Wells's friend wouldn't know that every time Wells time travels, he ages. Depending on where and when he has been, and how long for, he could be days, weeks or even months or years older when he reenters his own time line. If he wants to live to a 'normal' age in his own time, he would only be able to spare a certain amount of his life-span to help others.

Just a thought.

Chris (who hopes this makes sense)

I say he doesn't exist at all to help out and LnC have to work it through on their own like the rest of us average Joe's out here.

Geez that sounded cynical.

TEEEEEEJ

Hmmmm, how about he doesn't know Lois and Clark are in trouble because the future is totally unaffected. No disruption = no alarm so he has no reason to respond because obviously whatever is going on Lois and Clark fixed it on their own. Now, from Lois and Clark's perspective they don't know that they'll eventually fix it so they're a bit steamed that their ever-trusty temporal fixit man doesn't show up.

The problem with him being involved elsewhere is that he's a time traveller. He can always take his time, finish up whatever he's doing, and then go back to the time in question.

As for the limited amount of time he has for any given L&C, I should point out that there are just as many Wellses out there in the multiverse as there are Loises or Clarks.

I like the idea that the problem was resolved before he detected it, but if you don't like that, I have another thought. You say there's been a wrinkle in time and L&C aren't where they're supposed to be. Okay. So where are they? Maybe the problem is that Mr. Wells can't find them. Tracking lost bits of space-time is very difficult. He knows they're gone, but who knows how or where he'll find out where they've gone to? Even if he does find them, who knows what point in their timeline he'll find them?

Come to that, maybe he can't come to them immediately because the wrinkle in the timestream makes it dangerous to travel. Maybe he needs to wait until a point further along the timestream when things are more stable before he can risk a "landing."

Or maybe the Caiken Conduit from the Flux Facilitator was misaligned by three degrees, causing an unexpected ripple in the Plotion flow to the Wilson Temporal Anomoly Navigation Keel. That sort of thing can really mess with the Boson Rod Guidance Enhancement System, causing you to miss your intended coordinates by weeks or miles or both. At that point, "close enough" will just have to be close enough, even if it does mean coming in a bit late.

Paul

What if said wrinkle misplaced Wells, too?

Julie

LOL, Paul!
I love your system analysis!

It's no laughing matter, Artemis. The Wilson Temporal Anomoly Navigation Keel is a very sensitive piece of equipment. The tolerances on that thing are so tight, it makes you feel like you're splitting hairs. What's worse, if it were to get too far out of alignment, or if, Heaven forbid, someone were to try to jimmy it, the results could be catastrophic. People have lost limbs, sometimes more! In theory, there's no end to the damage it could do. That's why they've been trying to retire the module for so long. Unfortunately, there just doesn't seem to be a viable replacement... <sigh>

Paul

ROTFLMAO!
Artemis

Paul,



Kathy

I think Michael has a good point. Since Wells has access to history, he can go anywhere he wants anytime he wants at any point in his life. Just look at Tempus, Anyone where he's much older, but yet appeared before one of his younger versions in Soul Mates. It seems he only intervenes when something happens that prevents Utopia.

So the explanation that makes the most sense is that he didn't see a need to appear. He can see all of history before him, so he can tell that L&C get out of their jam on their own and therefore prefers to help them out only when they can't help themselves.

You could always bring Wells into the story at the very end to tell them that he didn't intervene because he knew he didn't need to. That's assuming L&C were wondering. If they didn't think of him, then don't bother.

OH.

MY!

Can't breathe... well, I can now, but I couldn't for a good minute or so. I'm still chuckling. I know it's not funny. Very serious... /me tries to put on her serious face...

Maybe he just ran out of gold, and didn't have the money to buy any more. Or it got stolen. (Not like it would be the first time.)

Definitely! And if said friend happened to be an ancestor of Lois, I'd think that some snooping would take place.

Forgive me for taking so long to acknowledge all of you extremely helpful, imaginative, and in Paul's case, completely ridiculous in the best possible way, FoLCs!

I feel a pressing need to address this: I have to say, Mr Wells, had I realized you read on these boards, I would never have just...blurted...my murderous intentions quite so plainly. I certainly would have layered them in euphemisms, and polite 'it isn't personal' sorts of blather. Just so it wouldn't look quite so unfeeling. I do apologize.

As for your fate in my fic, be assured, you live and are mentioned often! (If not in the most complimentary of ways.)

And as for what held you up, I am now rich with ideas thanks to everyone!

CC