Geoff breathed out slowly and pressed the BEGIN button on the tablet, and in that moment, everything around him changed. The walls of the Continuum building melted away, the sky went dark, and in front of him, huge volcanoes appeared on the horizon, spewing out lava and pumping thick, black smoke into the air. Instead of standing in a small underground room, he now found himself on an outcrop of rock, surrounded by bubbling rivers of lava. He removed his finger from the button on the tablet and tugged at his collar—it was baking hot.
“Welcome to your Continuum tutorial session,” a voice said from behind him.
Geoff spun around.
He knew that voice.
It was Jennifer Adams again.
Or at least, it was a holographic representation of Jennifer Adams, projected a few feet in front of him to make it look like she was standing there with him. Her physical form was slightly transparent and seemed to be constructed out of a blue light, and as she moved, millions of floating pixels darted around within the rough outline of her body to animate her movement. She kind of reminded him of Cortana from the Halo games, except she actually had some clothes on.
“Jennifer?” Geoff said, taking a step forward. The ground beneath his feet felt hot even through his shoes, a bit like when you’re on a beach and it’s sunny, and you think it would be nice to walk around barefoot until you realize after two steps that the soles of your feet feel like they’re on fire.
“Jennifer?” he said. “Is that you?”
The hologram of Jennifer Adams didn’t appear to react to Geoff’s question; its eyes just looked straight through him as if he weren’t there. This was actually how a lot of women tended to react to Geoff, so it wasn’t an unusual experience for him. He reached out to touch the image, but his hand just passed straight through it.
Now that was unusual. He’d never actually just reached out to touch a woman without warning before, but he assumed the normal reaction in that instance would be to get a slap.
And then get arrested.
Geoff’s stomach rumbled again.
Roughly translated, this meant “please insert food immediately.”
The hologram of Jennifer spoke.
“You are now standing at the earliest known point when the Earth could sustain oxygen-breathing life forms, billions of years ago,” it said. The image of Jennifer appeared to be prerecorded, reciting a standard script. Geoff assumed this was what every tourist saw on their first trip.
“At this time, most of the planet is still covered in lava,” it continued. “There is barely any plant life, and the first vertebrates will not exist for many, many years.”
Great, Geoff thought. If that was the case, he didn’t fancy his chances of finding a conveniently located Pret A Manger nearby. He would just have to put up with being hungry a little while longer.
The hologram turned to face the vast range of volcanoes in the distance, extending its pixelated arms toward them. “In front of you,” it said, “the Earth is still a volatile planet, with the continents you know today still yet to be formed. But over time, forests will grow. Oceans will rise and fall. And mountains will climb high into the sky.”
And ultimately, Geoff thought, the human race will appear on the scene and offer many contributions of its own to the evolution of the planet, like the wheel, foldable cutlery, and squeezy Marmite.
Once the hologram finished speaking, it disappeared in a puff of blue dots.
Geoff stood there for a moment, staring blankly at where the hologram had just vanished into thin air.
Was that it? What kind of tutorial was that? He’d just been given one of the most sophisticated pieces of time-manipulation devices to do with as he pleased, and yet when it came to being told how to use it, all he’d gotten was a quick lecture about how the planet had lacked a lot of basic amenities back when it was still developing into the world he knew today. It was like turning up for a flying lesson only to learn that the instructor was a small dog holding an interesting story about the Wright brothers in its mouth.
But just then, something began to happen. Time appeared to speed up before Geoff’s eyes, and he watched in total amazement as the landscape of the planet began to change form in a matter of seconds. It was as though he were watching a piece of time-lapse photography set over billions of years, like that really cool special effect in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan where Kirk watches the video demonstrating how the Genesis device could transform a barren moon into a lush planet in just a few days. He watched in awe as tiny saplings in the ground grew into towering trees in a matter of seconds, and then watched as a cycle repeated itself of trees decaying away, falling down, and being replaced by other trees. To his right, a few trickles of water swelled into a surging river, weaving its way through the landscape like a winding snake. And in the distance, Earth’s tectonic plates crashed into each other like two angry giants, the scars taking the form of beautiful snow-capped mountain ranges that soared into the sky.
He couldn’t understand how this was happening. Who was controlling his journey through time at the moment? It was only then that he thought to look down at the Sat-Nav. On the screen, the date was spinning forward, and the words TUTORIAL MODE were displayed underneath.
The device must have been doing all of this automatically.
At least, he hoped that was the case—otherwise he was in big trouble. It would be just typical if he’d broken the bloody thing already.
Eventually, the flow of time returned to a normal speed. Geoff let out a deep breath, took a few steps forward, and looked around. He was standing in the middle of a tropical jungle, with all kinds of strange and exotic animal noises emanating from his surroundings.
Geoff looked down at the tablet again. On the screen, the date said 200,000,000 BC.
In front of him, the hologram of Jennifer Adams appeared again. “Now, let’s take a look at your Space and Time Navigator,” it said, “or as we like to call it at Continuum, the Sat-Nav.”
Geoff sniggered. He still couldn’t believe they’d called this thing a Sat-Nav. As far as the naming of a product went, it was nearly as bad as when Kellogg’s briefly renamed Coco Pops to Choco Crispies before changing it back again. Didn’t they realize nothing rhymed with crispies if they wanted to use the same jingle in their TV adverts?
“The Sat-Nav is a remarkable device, allowing you not only to have complete control over your exact position in time, but also in three-dimensional space. It is small, compact, and easy to use, with a simple, intuitive interface. It also comes in eight different colors, and for additional security, the screen took a scan of your fingerprint when you first pressed BEGIN, making you the only person now capable of using it.”
The Sat-Nav was all very impressive, Geoff thought, rubbing his stomach, but could it help him find the nearest restaurant?
“At present, your Sat-Nav tutorial program has sent you to two hundred million years BC, in the middle of what will one day be known as the Amazon rainforest. If you look at the display, you can see the date clearly.”
Geoff could indeed see the date. This interface seemed pretty straightforward and easy to use so far, although that’s what he’d thought the first time he’d used Windows 8.
“You are now on the WHEN screen,” the hologram said. “The WHEN screen has two main functions—it tells you when you are, and you can tell it when you want to go. Now, you will see three icons at the top of the screen. One has a question mark, one has a clock, and one has a crosshair. The question mark represents the WHAT screen, which we will get to later. The crosshair represents the WHERE screen, which we will look at now. Go ahead and press the icon with the crosshair.”
Geoff did as he was told. As he pressed the icon, the screen below changed to show a map of his location. As he played around with the screen, drawing on it with his finger to navigate, he realized you could zoom out for a full view of the planet, or right down to the individual blades of grass beneath his feet. It was like Google Maps on steroids, only minus the blurred-out faces and markers for minicab companies.
“This is the WHERE screen. Just like the WHEN screen, the WHERE screen also has two functions—it tells you where you are, and you can tell it where you want to go. Used in conjunction with the WHEN screen, you can use the Sat-Nav to transport you wherever, and whenever you want.”
Geoff raised his eyebrows. Despite the stupid name, this device was seriously impressive. It was so sophisticated it made Apple’s iPad look like it had no more functionality than an actual apple.
“Now, let’s say you wanted to travel forward in time, and appear on another continent. First of all, go back to the WHEN screen by pressing the clock icon.”
Geoff pressed the clock. The current date appeared on the screen.
“Next, use the dials to change the year to one hundred and ninety million years BC.”
Geoff did as he was told.
“Now move to the WHERE screen again, and zoom out. Spin the Earth so the crosshair is over the northern hemisphere, then zoom in. The image you see is a real-time snapshot of the moment in time you intend to travel to, so you can be sure you won’t materialize in the middle of a mountain, or in the path of anything moving toward you. The Sat-Nav will also perform a safety check of your destination before transporting you, and will prevent you from traveling anywhere that might put you in danger.”
Except in my case, Geoff thought, when I’ll eventually use this thing to go back and get shot. Great!
He followed the hologram’s instructions, scrolling around the map and zooming in on a beach somewhere in the northern hemisphere. When he had decided on a location, another icon appeared at the bottom of the screen. It said EXECUTE.
“When you are ready to travel,” the hologram said, “press the EXECUTE button. There will be a short delay while the Sat-Nav performs its safety checks, and once that is done, you will be transported instantly to the time and place you selected.”
Geoff pressed the EXECUTE button and waited. In the top right-hand corner of the screen, a little hourglass spun around. Then before he knew it, he wasn’t standing in the jungle anymore. He was on the long sandy beach he had chosen, looking out across the ocean, the sky overcast and swirling with huge gray clouds up above. It was like standing in the middle of a magnificent Constable painting, except there were no horses wandering onto the scene.
This thing was incredible.
“Next, we have the WHAT button,” the hologram said, appearing in front of him again. “This is the third icon at the top of your screen, with a question mark on it. The WHAT button provides the user with a live stream of information, allowing you to understand the consequences of any changes you make to the course of history. For example…”
Without warning, Geoff’s surroundings suddenly changed, and he found himself standing in the middle of a lush evergreen forest. Above him, huge pine trees rose high up into the sky.
“Welcome to London,” the hologram said, this time walking out from behind Geoff, which he found to be a little disorienting. “Or rather, welcome to the site where London will one day be built, one hundred and ninety million years in the future.”
Geoff shook his head. For a moment, he couldn’t believe how different everything looked from the London he knew, but then, he was still struggling to comprehend just how far back in time he was. It wasn’t like this place was going to get bulldozed in a few weeks and converted into a nice high street with several apartment blocks (and Pret A Mangers, of course). He was one hundred and ninety million years in the past.
“Now, we’ve all heard of the butterfly effect,” the hologram continued. “This is the theory that a small change made long ago could potentially have a huge ripple effect on future events. You’re going to test that theory. In a few moments, a butterfly is going to land on the ground in front of you. When it does, please stand on the butterfly and kill it.”
Just as the hologram had predicted, a large butterfly with violet wings soon fluttered around in front of him before landing right at his feet. Geoff looked down on the insect. It was a beautifully delicate creature, with an intricate purple pattern spread across each wing like a piece of decorative calligraphy, designed by nature itself.
He trod on it and twisted his foot into the ground, killing it instantly.
“Now, on the WHEN page,” the hologram said, “you will notice a button with a fast-forward symbol on it, much like the fast-forward button you would find on a video remote.”
Geoff recognized this button. It was the same one William had pressed to see the future consequences of his actions when he destroyed Canary Wharf.
“Holding down this button will begin to wind time forward, and the harder you hold it down, the faster time will pass. Try it now and see what the consequences will be of killing that butterfly.”
Geoff held down the fast-forward button and watched as time began to speed up. Just as the hologram had said, the more pressure he put on the button, the faster time passed, until the rising and setting of the sun was just a blur. He watched as the years began to count up on the Sat-Nav’s display, and within a few minutes he was racing through thousands of years every second.
“Now, you may be wondering how you are able to occupy the same space while time is moving forward, and not be impacted by any physical changes in the environment,” the hologram said.
Geoff was actually thinking about whether it was too soon to have another cup of tea when the opportunity presented itself, but now that he thought about it, this was a good question. While traveling through time, would it appear to everyone else that he was just standing still? And what happened if something bumped into him while he was standing still? Like a speeding bus? He suddenly felt a little nervous.
“While you are in this state,” the hologram explained, “your body is phased outside of regular space-time, meaning not only are you invisible to people in the normal world, but physical objects pass straight through you.”
Well, that’s good to know, Geoff thought. The last thing he would want to happen would be to travel forward a few millennia only to discover that someone had stolen his trousers six hundred years ago.
As he got closer and closer to 0 BC, he took a little pressure off the button, causing time to pass a little slower. He had yet to see any sign of human civilization, although some structures began to appear on the landscape that he didn’t recognize. But time was just passing too quickly for him to catch a glimpse of any people.
One thousand years AD came and went, and London started to take form. But as Geoff slowed down the passage of time more and more, he noticed a number of significant differences in this new timeline.
For a start, the dominant species on the planet did not appear to be Homo sapiens anymore. Instead, the major species was a catlike race with stumpy tails and large feet, walking around on their hind legs and wearing clothes much like humans. As a result of this, the passage of history was very different from the way he remembered it, and he observed with interest as the catlike creatures became more and more technologically advanced. Over the years, this race built a city on the same site as London, but they chose a very different architectural style, with several dome-topped cylindrical towers of different heights being the main type of structure.
It was like a city of giant scratching posts.
Once Geoff reached the twenty-first century, he took his finger off the fast-forward button and stood in the street. All around him, the catlike creatures stopped and stared back at him, as though he’d just materialized out of thin air. Some began to panic and run away. Others seemed to be approaching him with caution. It was really strange—these creatures had so many qualities similar to human beings, but they were feline. What the hell was going on? How had stepping on that butterfly turned the world into a Saturday morning cartoon with anthropomorphized cats everywhere?
At that moment, time paused, and the hologram of Jennifer Adams appeared in front of him. “You’re probably wondering why everything looks so different,” it said.
No shit, Geoff thought.
“This is where the WHAT button comes in,” the hologram said. “Press it, and the Sat-Nav will explain the exact consequences of any changes you have made.”
Geoff pressed the WHAT button and watched as the screen filled up with text. Just as the hologram had said, the Sat-Nav provided a real-time explanation as to why the Earth was now dominated by a catlike species rather than human beings. It turned out that stepping on the butterfly in 190,000,000 BC had caused a chain reaction, altering the course of evolution in the favor of a feline species. In short, stepping on that butterfly had wiped out the entire human race.
Good job no one had mentioned that to the Varsarians two years ago. If they’d known it was that easy to defeat humanity, they would have just turned up in prehistoric times with a can of insect repellent and waited.
“Finally, we have the rewind button,” the hologram said. “This is probably the most important feature of the device. In the WHEN screen, you will see a symbol in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, much like the rewind button on a video remote. Press it.”
Geoff did as he was told.
Just as had happened on William’s Sat-Nav when he’d pressed the button, a new line of text appeared on the screen: PLEASE CONFIRM HOW FAR BACK YOU WISH TO REWIND.
Beneath this text was a horizontal slider, and a series of dials for years, days, hours, minutes, and seconds.
“The slider in front of you represents your own personal continuum, as experienced from your point of view,” the hologram explained. “The far right of the bar represents the present moment, and the far left represents the moment you ingested the serum linking you to the Sat-Nav. To rewind time, all you need to do is drag the slider to the left as far back as you want to go. The dials below will change accordingly, and if you want to fine-tune the period of time you want to go back to, simply touch the dials to change them manually. In this case, we want to go back to the moment before you trod on the butterfly, which was three forty-five p.m. on the third of March, one hundred and ninety million years BC. Simply slide the arrow accordingly, or touch the dials to enter the date and time manually. Once you are done, press the flashing green button at the bottom of the screen.”
Geoff entered the date and time he’d been given and pressed the flashing button. The moment he did, time began to flow backward, and just as he’d experienced when William had done this, his body felt paralyzed, as it was forced to move exactly as it had just done, only in reverse. He watched as he unentered the date and time he had just entered on the Sat-Nav, then passively observed the events he had caused by stepping on the butterfly undo themselves. The catlike civilization regressed back into a primitive state, and the impressive city of vast cylindrical towers shrank back to nothing. Then the reversal of time began to speed up, no doubt reflecting the speed at which Geoff had fast-forwarded time when he perceived it flowing forward. Then, finally, time slowed down, he felt himself lift his foot back off the undead butterfly, and as he regained control of his body again with a jolt, he watched the butterfly fly away unharmed. He sincerely hoped that butterfly was going to take good care of itself and that it had a decent pension plan—the future of the entire human race depended on its survival.
He thought about what had just happened. It was strange—even though he had just undone all the changes he had made to the space-time continuum, he could still remember all the details of the alternate future he had created.
“Finally,” the hologram said, “if you have chosen to bring along some spare serum so a guest can join you on your travels, you will need to know how to use it.”
Geoff felt his pocket to make sure the bottle was still there. He knew exactly who he wanted to give this to, so he was sure to listen carefully as the hologram gave its explanation.
“Using a spare serum is very simple. First, your guest will need to ingest it. Once this happens, they will automatically be linked to your Sat-Nav, meaning they will have the same experience of time being manipulated as you. They will be connected to your Sat-Nav indefinitely, and will be able to move along the timeline as far back as you ingested your own serum. If for whatever reason you wish to sever the connection, simply hold down the small red button on the rear of the device for three seconds. But be careful using this feature—once your guest is disconnected, they will no longer be able to move through time with you unless you are rewinding time, and even then they will no longer be able to retain memories of anything they unexperience.”
So it was a bit like disconnecting a Wii remote to the main console, Geoff thought.
“Be warned, though—once your guest is severed, they will not be able to reconnect to the Sat-Nav until they ingest more serum, and rewinding events will cause them to lose all memory of the changes you experienced together.”
Geoff nodded to himself. Like the rest of the tutorial, that sounded pretty straightforward.
“So I will leave you now to explore history however you please,” the hologram said, flashing a pixelated smile vacantly toward him. “We hope you enjoy your Continuum experience, and wish you a safe and pleasant vacation.”
With that, the hologram disappeared in a puff of blue dots again, only this time the dots seemed to get sucked into the Sat-Nav. Was that where the projection had been coming from all along?
So this was it.
He needed to decide what he was going to change.
He stood in the forest alone for a moment, closing his eyes to listen to the wind ruffle through the surrounding vegetation.
Geoff imagined most people being completely spoiled for choice when it came to choosing where to go and what changes to make, but in his case the decision was made instantaneously.
He knew exactly where he wanted to go, and what he wanted to change.
He wanted to go to a restaurant, and change the fact that he hadn’t eaten anything all day by ordering a large cheeseburger.
He might order some chips, too.
And then he would find Zoë.