"Timeline" by Michael Crichton Quiz

Answer: transcription errors

Joseph Traub was an employee for ITC. He had time-traveled too much and, over a period of time, developed certain transcription errors. These errors caused his circulatory system to go haywire and come back together out of place. This was noticed when he was taken to a hospital and was checked in an MRI machine.

The nurse on duty in the emergency room assumed that it was a malfunction with the MRI machine. In Traub's fingers, veins and arteries would go into his fingers and then skip over to the left or right, not correctly lining up with one another.

Answer: Dordogne

A team of archaeologists from Yale and another big name school came to the Dordogne River in France to excavate some ruins from the medieval times. Marek explained that the river was a boundary line during the 100 Years War. One building was the Monastery De St. Mere.

This monastery was already mapped out by Traub, but no one knew how he would know about the project. Other fortresses included Castelgard and La Roque. Castelgard and later La Roque, in their time, were taken over by Sir Oliver and his men.

Answer: they thought it was site contamination

Kate and Marek were concerned about the lens because it posed the question of site contamination. If such an event occurred, it would cause doubt about the authenticity and sincerity of the rest of the artifacts found in the ruins. Kate saw the corner of the lens sticking out of the soil and called Marek over to view it.

But since she was able to brush the soil away from it, Marek was concerned that someone had brought it into the site while the digging was going on. However, the lens was found to be from the 14th century. Later in the book, it was found to be the professor's bifocal lens.

Answer: True

When Kate and Marek gave the bundle of parchments to Elsie, she found what looked like a handwritten note from Professor Johnston. She had said on the walkie-talkie radio that if someone was playing a joke, she was not amused.

Answer: 1357

After identifying the handwriting as Professor Edward Johnston's, Elsie read the note that was left supposedly by the professor. It had read: "Help me, 4/7/1357". Everyone, including Marek was thinking Elsie was losing it and could not figure out why the missing professor was sending them a note from 600 years in the past.

This was until David Stern's group had done analysis on the lens and the ink from the parchment. Both were dated from about 638 years ago, give or take about 47 years.

Answer: Gordon

Gordon was vice-president of ITC. ITC was owned by Michael Doniger. Gordon was the one sent by ITC to gather up the team to prepare them to go back to the 14th century to get the professor. Gordon explained to the team exactly what they would be doing and where to go after they left the machines.

He also explained the theory of quantum mechanics which is what the machines were using to go back in time.

Answer: No

Robert Doniger seemed to be very callous about what happened to some of his employees that have gotten trapped back in the past. He even seemed unconcerned for Joseph Traub's death and only made it look like an accident. He also said that Traub died of a massive coronary.

His main concern was any kind of press release that may come out of the disappearances of the professor and Robert De Kere.

Answer: David Stern

David Stern admitted that he was no historian and that he only agreed to this dig because his girlfriend was there from Toulouse. Also, since he was not a historian, he felt that he shouldn't go with the others and get in the way, and he was not convinced that the machines were safe.

He felt that Gordon and Doniger were both hiding something about what had happened with prior trips. Chris Hughes also tried the same line, but was talked out of it by Marek.

Answer: False

Gomez and Baretto were the two killed within the first 23 minutes. Gomez's head was chopped off by Sir Guy's sword and Baretto was shot through the throat by an archer and thrown back into the machine reeling in pain and death. However, when Baretto came to the present, he had started a hand grenade.

The grenade went off in the room and destroyed the machines. The team was now trapped until the debris and fumes were cleared away. Time was running out!

Answer: 37

The team was told during their briefing that they would have 37 hours to go back and get Professor Johnston and bring him back in one piece. This was how long the battery packs had until they would run out. If they didn't make it back in the 37 hour deadline, they were going to be trapped in the 14th century for good.

Answer: Oliver

As the story went on, Lord Oliver had control over Castelgard. He had already captured Professor Johnston and asked him if he knew the secret passage to Le Roque. Johnston claimed he didn't and this angered Oliver. Oliver threatened death if Johnston did not come up with the answer to the secret passage to Le Roque.

Answer: Chris

After the discussion with Professor Johnston was finished, Lady Claire came in with Chris. She claimed it was he who had saved her life. Sir Guy, angered by this, walked up to Chris and taunted him, called him a spy and said he was no knight. In a ruse, Guy took off his chain mail glove and dropped it in front of Chris. Chris didn't make a move until Lady Claire tricked him into picking up the glove. With this gesture, Chris unfortunately found that he inadvertently challenged Guy to a jousting match. Marek stepped in and then challenged Guy if he won the match against Chris.

But first, he would have to fight Sir Charles.

Answer: No

Marek instructed Chris to just let Guy knock him off the horse. Chris did so and Marek also knocked Sir Charles out of his saddle as well. This left the match between Marek and Guy. After a fierce sword fight, Marek led Guy over towards where Chris laid still. Guy fell to the ground after tripping over Chris's body. Marek thought about slicing off Guy's head, but thought better of it. Marek would realize later that it was the biggest mistake of his life.

Answer: Kate

After escaping from the dungeons of Castelgard, Kate led everyone to an upstairs hallway. Along one of the walls was a piece of tapestry which concealed a hidden entrance. By moving her hands and feet, Kate found the lock for the entrance. This led into a secret corridor where guards could look in at the residents of Castelgard.

This corridor was also adjacent to the apartments occupied by the knights and servants.

Answer: Sir Guy

As the group went through this corridor, they stopped at a hole in the wall where they could peer into one of the apartments. Chris could hear and see Lady Claire with Sir Guy kissing and talking about the marriage that Lord Oliver was trying to force on Lady Claire.

While in the midst of talking, a knock sounded and Sir Guy suspected that it was Sir Daniel. Lady Claire told him to hide in his special hiding place. However, it was an opening which also led onto the corridor. Sir Guy caught the team and yelled out an alarm.