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White River High School
A dull roar could be heard throughout the gym. Displays of all shapes and sizes were perched on tables, waiting for the highly coveted first prize award.
“You ready for this?” Greg asked as he nervously looked around the crowed, noisy gym.
“I think so. The project shows that time travel is possible, although I left key parts out so no one could steal my, well, our work.”
Greg smiled. “Yeah, we don’t need some rich person taking your ideas and making it happen.”
“Exactly. If I had the money, I could get things going right now. But I’m just a teenager with grand ideas, and no money to back them,” she said with a chuckle.
No sooner had she said that, than a tall, slender man in a greyish business suit and short, cropped hair stepped up to their booth. Paulette smiled at the man, waiting for him to begin the questions about their project. She could see him carefully scanning every inch of their display, pausing occasionally on a particular section. Then without much notice, he spoke.
His voice was smooth and almost quiet as he said, “This is an interesting project. I see your hypothesis that time travel is possible, but how have you been able to test this theory?”
Great, a stickler for the facts. Like I have the money to do an actual test of my theories.
“As you know, time travel is just a theory. My hypothesis states that time travel is possible. In order for us to actually test this theory, we would need to build a time pod and program it to jump into the past or future. Since we don’t have this capability just yet, I have used a computer to simulate what would happen.”
Paulette didn’t wait for the man to respond as she called up her program and hit enter. She observed the expression on the man’s face as he watched her program initiate and go through the process of traveling through time.
He squinted at the laptop as math equations flew past, simulating a time pod traveling to the year 2030. Everything appeared to work as it should. She could see a grin beginning to form. This was good news.
He turned, extended his hand, and said, “My name is Ryan Abernathy, of the Abernathy Space and Science Agency. Your project is... well, astounding, especially for such young people.”
“Thank you,” they said in unison.
“You are most welcome. I’m one of the judges. Normally you would get a nice ribbon and certificate and an A plus for a grade, but your project is not the normal kind of work teenagers do for a science fair.”
Paulette and Greg looked a bit puzzled as Ryan continued.
“My company has been working on the same project, but my scientists can’t figure it out. I would like to offer both of you a position in my Physics Department. You can work evenings and weekends after school and full time during the summer. What do you think?”
Their mouths hung open. What could they say? This wasn’t what either expected. Paulette would have a chance to test her theories.
“I would love to come work with you; however, I would like to make sure that my formulas and ideas remain mine, solely.”
She watched Ryan carefully but couldn’t determine his intentions. He nodded. “Of course. You would retain all patents and rights to your ideas. I wouldn’t dare think to take it away.”
Greg stared at Paulette and whispered, “Are you sure about this. I thought you didn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands?”
Paulette leaned toward his ear and said, “I know, but this gives us an opportunity that we won’t ever get again. I’ll be careful.”
She could see that Greg wasn’t happy with her answer, but she couldn’t give up this opportunity. She would just have to find a way to control the outcome.
She smiled and reached out to shake Ryan’s outstretched hand.
“I’ll get the contracts and other papers drawn up.” Ryan turned and strode off toward another project, leaving Greg and Paulette in a twist of conflicting emotions.
Not long after Ryan’s visit, they found out that their project had won first place and best of show and would move on to the state science fair.
Abernathy Space and Science Agency
Paulette’s whole body shook with excitement. This was the first day of her new job at Ryan Abernathy’s company. She walked in, nervously looking around, before noticing the woman with red hair sitting at the front desk. She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath to calm the raging butterflies in her stomach, and strode forward.
Reaching the desk, she waited for the red-headed woman, who seemed to be in her thirties, to finish with her phone call.
The woman looked up, smiled at Paulette, and said, “Well, hi there. You must be Paulette. Ryan has been talking nonstop about you and Greg.” The secretary looked around, then said, “Where’s Greg?”
“He said he would be a little late. Something about finishing an exam.”
“Oh, okay.” She smiled at Paulette, then picked up the phone and punched in a four-digit number that Paulette couldn’t make out. A moment later, Ryan walked out into the foyer.
“So glad to have you here, Paulette,” he said as he extended his hand to her.
Paulette shook his hand and said, “I’m excited to get started.”
Chuckling, Ryan motioned for her to follow him. “Well then, we better get moving. I’ll show you where you’ll be working and introduce you to everyone.”
Paulette scanned every inch of the place as she was led to the physics lab. When they entered, she stopped cold in her tracks. The area was enormous, but what had glued her in place was the pod sitting in the center of the room. She gaped at it, then turning her head slowly, she looked at Ryan.
He had a mischievous grin on his face. “What’s the matter, Paulette?”
She stammered as she tried to speak. “You...umm...you didn’t say you already had a time pod built.” Again, she just stared at the object.
“No, I didn’t. But I did say we were working on time travel and that my people couldn’t figure it out. Besides, the pod, as you call it, isn’t complete. That’s what Greg is here for.”
Paulette slowly turned to study Ryan. What is this guy up to? Does he think I’ll just give him what he wants?
“True, you didn’t give up any specific information. So, what are you going to do if we’re successful?”
“Why, of course travel through time. Isn’t that why we’re working on this project together?”
She hesitated before speaking. “Well, yes, but — ”
“No buts. We’ll make history here, and it’ll be all because of your theories. Imagine winning the Nobel Prize as a high schooler. Wouldn’t that be cool?”
I think this guy is trying to butter me up. But yeah, it would be kind of cool.
“I guess it would be.”
“Don’t be silly. It would be a great honor to stand by you as they award you the most prestigious award in history.”
The edges of Paulette’s lip quivered into a slight smile.
“Well, shall we get started making history?”
“I can’t believe how well things are going,” Greg stated as he reached for a screwdriver.
“Speak for yourself,” Paulette quipped.
She could hear a muffled laugh from Greg while he worked on installing a computer console in the time pod.
She kept clicking away on her keyboard inputting her math equations and other important data. She was hoping they could test the time pod soon. The other scientists in the department worked diligently beside the two teenagers, taking instructions from them without complaining. Of course, they complained in the beginning. Ryan had to instruct his scientists to listen to and follow their directions. Paulette could only imagine how humiliating it had to be for these people who had degrees in their specialty.
She paused, picking at her lip, before she looked up and called Greg. “Hey, can you come over here for a second?”
She heard Greg groan as he exited the time pod.
“Sure,” he said, rubbing his head.
“Sorry, did I startle you?”
“Yeah, bumped my head on the console.” He continued to rub the sore spot on his head as he walked over to Paulette.
“What’s up?”
“Is the time pod almost done?”
“Getting close. I have a few more tweaks and tests to do after the computer is installed. Why?”
“I’m entering the last bit of programming and will be ready to test it soon.”
She could see his face light up at the mention of her programming being completed.
“That’s great. But how do you plan to test the machine?”
Paulette picked her nails as she thought of how to answer him.
“Well...umm...we do have access to the facility at night.” She lowered her voice, “I thought we could test it when no one is around. I’ve been getting a weird vibe from Ryan. I don’t think we can trust him, but I really want to know if it will work.”
Greg leaned closer to Paulette, “I think that might be for the best.”
“Agreed. Okay back to work with you.”
Shaking his head, Greg waltzed back to the time pod.
It was late at night when Greg and Paulette showed up at the lab. They walked in and passed the vacant front desk. Arriving at the elevator, they pushed the button and anxiously waited for the doors to open.
They rode the elevator to the third floor and exited to the right. They scanned their cards at the door of the physics lab and entered. The lights switched on automatically.
Both froze. Confusion etched across their faces. Ryan, and all the scientists were gathered in the lab.
Why hadn’t the lights been on prior to their arrival?
“Hello, Paulette, Greg. I would say I’m surprised to see you here at such a late hour, but I’m not.”
“Umm, what are you all doing here? We just came in to do some last-minute calculations and such so everything would be ready.” Paulette could feel sweat on the palms of her hands. She hated lying but didn’t see any other choice in this situation.
“Oh, Paulette, do you think I don’t monitor everything that goes on in my company?”
Exasperated, Paulette said, “You spy on your employees?”
“I wouldn’t call it spying, but, yes, I do keep tabs on everyone. I’m concerned with corporate espionage. What no smart retort?”
Paulette looked at Greg, who just stood their slack-jawed and wide-eyed. He wasn’t going to be any help. She swept her hair out of her face and consciously worked on not picking at her nails.
“Well, I suggest you two get to work. I want to see this thing work.”
It was hard for her to walk over and sit at her computer station, but she managed. Glancing over the top of her monitor, she could see Greg as he entered the time pod to do final inspections. This wasn’t how she thought things would turn out. It seemed that Ryan had some ulterior motive. I can’t believe I was so naïve. This project should have never gone beyond the science fair. This was exactly why my theories should have stayed with me only. What can I do to fix this?
“Paulette, is your programming ready for testing?” Ryan asked as he stood next to Greg. It looked as though he was preventing Greg from going anywhere.
She looked around the room and knew she had to do something. “Almost. I can’t be certain it will work though.”
“Oh, dear Paulette, we both know that it should work. So, get on with it.”
Well crap, he did more than spy. He must have gone through my programs. She quickly typed a few keystrokes and hit enter. She hoped that Ryan hadn’t seen what she had just done.
“Finished.”
“All right, everyone, to your stations. Let’s see this thing finally do what we built it for — travel though time.”
Everyone hurried off to their individual stations and promptly got to work.
Ryan escorted Greg to the observation room, handing him off to one of the security guards. “Watch him.”
“Yes sir,” the guard replied.
Paulette saw Ryan re-enter the room and walk toward her. “I hope you’re ready to make history, young lady?”
She simply looked at the computer screen then down at her keyboard. Here goes nothing! Sucking in a deep breath she smashed the enter key, then held her breath.
She watched the time pod intently. It fired up and lifted into the air, sitting their suspended, waiting for something else to happen. Paulette glanced at Ryan for a split second and could see a disturbing glimmer in his eyes and a grin that made her skin crawl. How could she have been so stupid?
A hush fell around the room, and all you could hear was the roaring of the time pod’s engines as it awaited departure.
“Why is it taking so long, Paulette?”
“I don’t know. The wormhole should be opening anytime now.” Just after she completed her sentence, a wormhole opened, seeming to have swallowed the entire ceiling above the time pod. A moment later the time pod, lifted and disappeared through it.
A sudden cheer erupted throughout the room. Scientists were slapping each other on the back and congratulating one another.
Paulette, on the other hand, felt sick. A sinking feeling was dragging her down into utter despair at what she had done. Her only saving grace would be if her slight alteration would prevent the pod from returning. She could only cross her fingers and hope.
“What year did you send it to and for how long?”
Paulette spun her chair around and stared at Ryan. “I sent it to the year 2030 for ten minutes. It should be back any minute now. I hope not.
“Good.” He stood staring at the ceiling waiting for the time pod to suddenly drop.
The second hand ticked past the ten-minute mark, and nothing had happened. She began breathing regularly again, a sudden calm coming over her, until she felt a hand grip her shoulder and spin her around. What she saw, caused her stomach to clench, and she almost retched. She swore she could detect a murderous look on Ryan’s face.
“What happened?”
“I-I-I don’t know. It should have worked.”
“Well, it didn’t. You need to fix it. Now!”
“I ... umm don’t know if I can. There are hundreds of lines of code. I don’t even know where to begin.”
“You just cost me millions of dollars. You lost my time pod.”
“Technically it’s not lost. It’s just at the coordinates we sent it to in the future.”
“So, you’re telling me I have to wait till 2030 to retrieve my time pod?”
“It seems so.” Paulette couldn’t help but smile inwardly, despite how sick she felt.
“I don’t want to wait. You have till sunrise to fix your mistake and bring it back, else you’re fired.”
Music to her ears. She couldn’t care less if she ever worked for this evil man ever again, and it gave her time to plant the virus she had created as a backup, just in case of such a situation. The virus would destroy the code beyond repair, including any backups on the network. No one but her would be able to use her programs ever again.
She typed furiously on the keyboard under Ryan’s careful watch. She only needed a moment of his inattention to launch the virus. It would run in the background as she continued to appear to be repairing the program.
She glanced up and finally noticed Ryan looking at the ceiling, apparently waiting for his time pod to appear. She quickly turned back and slipped the USB drive in and launched the virus. With a side glance, she could see he still wasn’t paying attention. She wiped the drive, then pulled it out and slipped it back in her pocket.
Relieved, she continued to appear to be working the problem, simply waiting for sunrise to be escorted out of the building with Greg.
The sun rose over the mountains, sunlight filtering through the windows of the physics lab, and still the time pod hadn’t reappeared. Paulette slowly turned her chair and observed Ryan storming toward her. She took a deep, calming breath, bracing herself for the inevitable.
Ryan came up to her, his nostrils flaring, as he yelled, spittle flying at her face, “You’re fired. I don’t ever want to see your or Greg’s faces again. Do you hear me?”
Wiping the spittle from her face and feigning a frown, she said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t fix it. I’ll leave now if that’s what you really want.”
“Oh, you’ll leave, and I don’t expect your apology. It should have worked.”
“Yes, it should have, but mistakes can happen. All it takes is one accidental keystroke that you don’t even know you did to mess it up. Again, I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want to hear excuses from someone as bright as you. Now, both of you, get out!” Ryan motioned for two guards, and they walked over, took Paulette and Greg by the arms, and escorted them off the campus.
Once they caught a taxi, Greg looked at Paulette and asked, “Was it supposed to work?”
She leaned over and whispered so quietly he almost didn’t her say, “Yes.”
