This is a podcast extra from Nature.

Every week, nature publishes a science fiction story in its futures slot.

At the end of every month, we read you our favourite.

This month's story is Tempus Omnia Revelat, written by Tian Li, published on the 7th of May and read by Jeff Marsh.

Hey, geek boy, what's the new episode of Rome-like?

My roommate, Scott, strolls into the sitting room and flops beside me on the couch.

He leans over to get a clearer view of my laptop.

It's only the raw cut, but I'd say it's as good as the earlier ones, I reply.

I'm lucky. Thanks to my language and history studies, I get privileged access to the undubbed episodes of Rome at least 24 hours before the edits broadcast.

Scott shrugs. I think he's losing interest in my favourite series. When Rome first started, he watched the undubbed episodes

with me, listening to my rapid translation of the dialogue. He even boasted to his new girlfriend that he

could understand all the Latin emanating from the screen, although his confidence got a bit dented when I told

him that some of the time they were speaking Greek. But over these past few weeks, his eagerness has

subsided. First, he stopped watching the show with me, waiting instead for the English dubbed version

to become available. And last week, I even caught him watching the old series of the same name that

was made back in 2005. I didn't like last week's episode, Scott says, confirming my fears.

When I saw Cleopatra, I was shocked.

I mean, how could such a woman have charmed both Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony?

Let's face it, she was no Elizabeth Taylor or Vivian Lee.

I sigh.

I'd heard other people say the same thing,

and the audience reports they'd seen echoed Scott's sentiments.

...