El Efecto Mariposa
(The Butterfly Effect)
La doctora Elena Vidal llevaba tres años trabajando en un proyecto que sus colegas consideraban absurdo.
Doctor Elena Vidal had spent three years working on a project that her colleagues considered absurd.
En un laboratorio diminuto de la Universidad de Granada, habia construido un dispositivo capaz de enviar mensajes al pasado, aunque con limitaciones enormes.
In a tiny laboratory at the University of Granada, she had built a device capable of sending messages to the past, albeit with enormous limitations.
Solo podia transmitir una unica palabra, y esa palabra solo llegaba a ella misma, exactamente veinticuatro horas antes.
It could only transmit a single word, and that word only reached herself, exactly twenty-four hours earlier.
Cuando logro que el aparato funcionara, se quedo mirando la pantalla sin atreverse a creer lo que veia.
When she managed to get the device working, she sat staring at the screen, not daring to believe what she saw.
Sus primeros experimentos fueron modestos.
Her first experiments were modest.
Envio la palabra paraguas y, al día siguiente, comprobo que efectivamente habia llovido.
She sent the word 'umbrella' and, the following day, confirmed that it had indeed rained.
Después probo con trafico, lo cual le permitio evitar un atasco en la autovia.
Then she tried 'traffic', which allowed her to avoid a jam on the motorway.
Cada exito la llenaba de una euforia que no habia sentido desde los primeros años de la carrera, cuando la fisica le parecia un idioma secreto capaz de explicar el universo.
Each success filled her with a euphoria she had not felt since the early years of her degree, when physics seemed to her like a secret language capable of explaining the universe.
Todo cambio la mañana en que su amiga Lucia le conto que iba a conducir hasta Málaga para una entrevista de trabajo.
Everything changed the morning her friend Lucia told her she was going to drive to Malaga for a job interview.
Elena conocia aquella carretera y sabia que los viernes por la tarde se producian accidentes con frecuencia alarmante.
Elena knew that road and was aware that on Friday afternoons accidents occurred with alarming frequency.
Aunque no tuviera pruebas de que algo malo fuera a ocurrir, la posibilidad la atormentaba.
Even though she had no proof that something bad was going to happen, the possibility tormented her.
Se sento frente al dispositivo y, tras dudar unos segundos, tecleo una sola palabra: Lucia.
She sat down in front of the device and, after hesitating for a few seconds, typed a single word: 'Lucia'.
Al día siguiente, la Elena del pasado recibio el mensaje.
The following day, the Elena of the past received the message.
Al ver el nombre de su amiga sin contexto alguno, penso que debia llamarla.
Upon seeing her friend's name without any context, she thought she should call her.
Durante la conversación, menciono que habia oido que la carretera a Málaga estaba en obras y que seria mejor tomar el tren.
During the conversation, she mentioned she had heard the road to Malaga was under construction and that it would be better to take the train.
Lucia, que confiaba ciegamente en Elena, cambio de planes sin pensarselo dos veces.
Lucia, who trusted Elena blindly, changed her plans without thinking twice.
Esa tarde no hubo ningun accidente en la autovia.
That afternoon there was no accident on the motorway.
Elena suspiro aliviada.
Elena sighed with relief.
Sin embargo, las consecuencias no tardaron en manifestarse.
However, the consequences were not long in making themselves known.
Lucia llego a Málaga en tren, pero con retraso.
Lucia arrived in Malaga by train, but late.
La empresa ya habia entrevistado a otro candidato, y Lucia perdio la oportunidad que tanto necesitaba.
The company had already interviewed another candidate, and Lucia lost the opportunity she so badly needed.
Sin ese empleo, no pudo pagar el alquiler y tuvo que mudarse a casa de sus padres en un pueblo donde no habia trabajo en su sector.
Without that job, she could not pay the rent and had to move to her parents' house in a town where there was no work in her field.
Elena observo con horror como una sola palabra habia desencadenado una reacción en cadena imposible de detener.
Elena watched in horror as a single word had triggered a chain reaction impossible to stop.
Intento corregirlo.
She tried to fix it.
Envio nuevas palabras: espera, calma, insiste.
She sent new words: 'wait', 'calm', 'insist'.
Pero cada intervencion generaba ramificaciones inesperadas.
But each intervention generated unexpected ramifications.
Cuando logro que Lucia consiguiera otra entrevista, el nuevo puesto la llevo a una ciudad donde se sentia profundamente infeliz.
When she managed to get Lucia another interview, the new position took her to a city where she felt profoundly unhappy.
Cuando intento arreglar eso también, descubrio que habia alterado los planes de personas que ni siquiera conocia.
When she tried to fix that too, she discovered she had altered the plans of people she did not even know.
El tiempo, comprendio al fin, no era un rio que pudiera desviarse sin consecuencias; era una red infinita donde cada hilo estaba conectado a todos los demas.
Time, she understood at last, was not a river that could be diverted without consequences; it was an infinite web where every thread was connected to all the others.
Una noche de invierno, Elena se sento por ultima vez frente al dispositivo.
One winter night, Elena sat down in front of the device for the last time.
Miro la pantalla en blanco y comprendio que la unica palabra que merecia ser enviada era aquella que nunca deberia haber escrito.
She looked at the blank screen and understood that the only word worth sending was the one she should never have typed.
Tecleo basta y pulso el botón.
She typed 'enough' and pressed the button.
Luego desconecto el aparato, lo guardo en una caja y la cerro con llave.
Then she disconnected the device, put it in a box and locked it.
Afuera llovia, y el sonido de las gotas contra la ventana le parecio, por primera vez en meses, algo hermoso precisamente porque era impredecible.
Outside it was raining, and the sound of the drops against the window seemed to her, for the first time in months, something beautiful precisely because it was unpredictable.
Algunas cosas, penso mientras apagaba la luz, existen para recordarnos que no todo puede ni debe ser controlado.
Some things, she thought as she turned off the light, exist to remind us that not everything can or should be controlled.
Key Vocabulary
el dispositivo device
transmitir to transmit, to send
el escalofrio shiver, chill
atormentar to torment
desencadenar to trigger, to unleash
la reaccion en cadena chain reaction
la ramificacion ramification, consequence
impredecible unpredictable
desviar to divert, to deflect
el alquiler rent