Time Riders

CHAPTER 10

2001, New York

‘It began with theory: a paper written in 2029 by a talented Chinesemathematics graduate called Edward Chan,’ said Foster. ‘According to him, on paperat least, it was possible to bend space and time in such a way as to create a hole. But it took another fifteen years, and someone else, toconstruct a prototype that sort of worked. The man’s name was Roald Waldstein, a quitebrilliant amateur physicist.

‘There were all manner of huge corporations and military research teams working day andnight to be the ones to make the first time machine. But it was Waldstein, working in littlemore than a garage, who managed to overcome the practical difficulties of turning the theoryinto a functioning device. It was Waldstein, one man on his own, who beat corporations andgovernments to the prize.’

Maddy laughed. ‘The billionaires of tomorrow always seem to start out in garages,don’t they?’

Foster shook his head, eager to continue. ‘The story goes that he tested his ownmachine, went back to somewhere in the past. However, he returned acompletely changed man.’

‘Why?’

‘He claimed he saw something on his trip that scaredhim.’

‘What?’

‘Waldstein never told anyone what he saw. But whatever it was itconvinced him that his work on developing a working time machine was dangerous. He becameobsessed with preventing any further work on time travel. Over the years, Roald Waldsteinbecame rich from other inventions, became an influential voice and campaigned very publicly toensure this technology died.’

Maddy slurped her Dr Pepper. ‘And obviously it wasn’t halted.’

‘Obviously.’

‘So what happened?’ asked Liam.