August 18 2099

The explosion was enormous. A giant ball of fire punched its way out of the building, like a
yellow and orange fist. Smoke trailed out soon after. The building fell apart, blackened and
burnt. Flames licked at the walls and leapt up onto the windows. It burned until the inferno
reduced it to a black rectangle on the ground.
Its hard to believe that it all began in a classroom.
Fourteen-year-old Perdix Sefton was shepherded into the classroom by the professor. She
relished the feel of the room. After all, it was only once a fortnight that she got those lessons. Of
course, the professor had to write her teacher a note. According to the family doctor, Perdix had
an infection on her arm that had to be checked at regular intervals. Luckily, it wasnt
contagious, so she could continue going to school. No-one even batted an eye.
The classroom was at the far end of the school. It had been used in the past, but then the school
roll had decreased and the room had been abandoned. The professor - who posed as a teacher at
the school - used his daily release time to tutor Perdix. He secured the class for these lessons.
Perdix looked around. There were dozens of shelves fixed on the plain brown walls. The shelves
were only interrupted by four huge windows, two on each wall, and the even larger black
curtains. On the shelves were bottles and beakers of every conceivable shape and size. They held
all manner of potions and objects inside of them. The liquids were of every colour from cyan to
magenta. Here and there, Perdix could see bottled spiders, toads, and even the clichd eyeballs.
Anyone else would have run away screaming, but Perdix enjoyed being in the room. It was her
only sanctuary from her school life. It was where she could be herself.
That is, a witch. Albeit one in training. One of the last witches alive.
Let's recap from last time, Perdix.
With a start, Perdix remembered the professor.
His name was Professor Goodwin. He was a tall, wiry man who was handsome in a bookish sort
of way. His salt and pepper hair was cut short and he wore thin, round glasses. The professor
looked like a middle-aged Harry Potter more than anything else - especially since he was
wearing full length robes that reached down to his black, leather shoes.

Sure, Professor.
Professor Goodwin strutted into the room and sat in a chair that hadnt been there a second
before. From his pocket he produced a sheet of black metal, which he threw on the wooden floor.
Perdix could hardly contain her delight.That could only mean one thing. The metal sheet
bubbled and expanded, until a black cauldron stood in its place.
What is the main ingredient in the Time Travellers Potion, Perdix?
Newts tongue, Professor.
Good. We will be making the Time Travellers Potion today. Do you remember all the
ingredients and the method from last times theory lesson? I couldnt find the recipe again.
Truth be told, Perdix couldnt. Despite that, she was confident that when the time came, she
would remember.
She nodded.
Goodwin waved his hand at the cauldron. Then begin.

The boys name was Daedalus. He knew why the monster was attacking him. He knew
everything about it, except how to fight it. Daedalus looked up at the monster looming above
him. It was seven feet tall, covered in a ragged black cloak. Its long, thin fingers gripped a
bronze leaf-bladed sword, dull with age. The monsters face was hideous, with grey lips that
were curled back in a snarl, and its red eyes burned with hate.
Daedalus backpedalled as fast as he could. He didnt know what to do. Fear built inside him like
a poison, coursing through his veins. He couldnt bear it anymore, the poison broke free, and he
yelled, with anger or fear, he did not know.
The ceiling of the school gym exploded, and debris rained down on their heads. Tendrils of
lightning arced through the air, vaporizing everything it came into contact with. The monster
was struck in the chest, and it let out a high-pitched shriek before it was disintegrated.
Daedalus didnt have time to congratulate himself, because a second later lightning hit him too.
He experienced it with all five of his senses. First, the sight of the lightning zigzagged through

the air, and then a brilliant flash of blue and white. Then, the deafening crash, which sounded
like a thousand drums ravaging his ears. The smell of burnt flesh permeated the air and invaded
his nostrils. There was a coppery taste coating his tongue. And then there was the pain. It racked
his entire body, as if a sharp toothed creature was eating him from the inside. He would do
anything to escape it. He couldnt breathe. He couldnt do anything except scream.
And scream he did.
He screamed until his throat hurt and he could feel blood in his mouth. And then it stopped.
Daedalus fell, steaming, onto the ground. He heard sirens in the distance, and wondered if they
would be too late. He faded into oblivion.
When he came to, there was a policeman crouching over him. Daedalus groaned, and slowly
propped himself up on his elbows.
Are you alright, son? asked the officer. We tried to move you into an ambulance, but you were
too hot to move, and you screamed whenever someone tried to pull you onto a stretcher.
Daedalus gritted his teeth, and tried to speak. His jaw worked, but no sound came out.
Its alright son. Here, have some water.
Daedalus gripped the proffered water bottle weakly and emptied the contents into his mouth.
The officer looked at him kindly, as if she had dealt with lightning struck teenagers before.
You can take as long as you want, but we need to get some answers out of you. For instance,
what happened up there? The officer pointed to the roof. Other police officers were walking
around, surveying the extent of the damage to the building. A hand gripped Daedalus shoulder.
It was only then that he noticed the paramedics, hooking a million different devices into his
blackened skin.
Daedalus passed out again.

Almost there Perdix. Almost there. Professor Goodwin looked up from his magazine to see
where his student was up to. As usual, he was impressed. She was almost done - and in record
time too! Professor Goodwin would have expected any other student to take an entire day, or

more. But Perdix was not an ordinary witch. She was more brilliant than any of his previous
pupils.
I know Professor, I know.
Her only drawback was her arrogance. Perdix knew she was better than her predecessors, and
she enjoyed it. If anything would be her undoing, that would be it.
That, and her clumsiness.
Just a few more minutes professor. One last ingredient.
Okay. take your time. No need to rush.
Perdix ignored him. 1 teaspoon of crushed peppermint. There, done.
Crushed peppermint, did you say? I dont remember that being on the list of ingredients. And
then he realised what had happened. Not peppermint! That reverses the effect! It was meant to
be spearmint! He reacted quickly, throwing up a Shield around both of them.
It wasnt a second too late, because, a second later, the cauldron exploded.
It was complete mayhem. Fire consumed the room in mere seconds. The teachers precisely
placed ingredients and potions were destroyed, smashed to pieces by the blazing inferno.
Professor Goodwin felt tears in his eyes as he saw his classroom disintegrate around him. He
didnt feel any hatred towards his pupil though, it partly was his fault for not providing her
with instructions.
The green orb around them flickered, and Professor Goodwin knew that his Shield wouldnt hold
for much longer. Already he could feel it zapping his strength.
On the count of three, I want you to run out of the room. Dont worry about me, Ill be right
behind you. I just need to shut off my Shield before it kills me. Understood?
Perdix nodded.
One, two, three!

Perdix ran as fast as she could. Her Professor shut off his Shield and followed her out of the
room.
Not one person from the gawking audience, outside, saw the two people running out of the
building.

When Daedalus woke up for the second time, he was in an ambulance, with about a dozen people
crowded around his stretcher.
Amazing! someone murmured.
Ive never seen anything like it, whispered another.
Is he even human?
When they noticed that he had woken up, everyone went silent. Daedalus got up, slowly at first,
then with more confidence when he realised that he didnt hurt anymore.
How are you feeling? asked the same officer as before.
Much better. Can I go now? Daedalus was feeling quite nervous.
Not yet kid. A paramedic appeared in front of him.
The explosion interrupted their conversation. Explosions can do that sometimes. It gave
Daedalus the perfect cover to escape. When everyone was staring at the explosion, Daedalus ran
off. Of course, his heart ached for whoever was stuck inside, but his escape was more important
for him right now. He didnt want to be studied like a prized specimen.
Daedalus ran into the crowd gathered outside of the burning building. Except the building
wasnt there anymore. It had disappeared, along with the crowd and the rest of the school. It
was replaced by a scene that seemed to be from an old movie. A lone black car trundled down the
street. It was one of those old cars from the early 20th century.
On closer inspection, Daedalus recognised the street. He had learnt about it in history class.
With a sinking suspicion. he looked back. And there it was. Franz Joseph Street. As if to confirm
it, the Latin Bridge was directly in front of him. Dread trickled down Daedalus back. He knew
what was about to happen here.

June 28 1914
He saw the man standing in front of Schillers Delicatessen. He saw him stare at the approaching
car. He also saw him draw a gun. Daedalus ran forward, trying to force the gun away from the
man. But he was too late. The man stepped forward, aimed his gun, and pressed the trigger as
the car drove past. Not one shot, but two. One for the husband, one for the wife. The two bullets
crashed into their targets. The two bullets that cost 17 million people their lives, and started a
war. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The start, of the First World War.
Daedalus crashed into the man, sending them both sprawling to the ground. After about five
minutes of punching and kicking, a group of men in uniforms pulled Daedalus off the assassin.
Thank you young man. You have apprehended a murderer. You reacted very quickly, and have
done a great service to your country.
But Daedalus was too distracted to reply to the police officer.
Do you know what you have done? he shouted at the man. You just started a war! spittle flew
out of his mouth. The man, Gavrilo Princip, said nothing, but a steely glint appeared in his eyes.
Easy there son. What do you mean you just started a war?
Seeing no other way out, Daedalus ran away. The police didnt even bother to chase after him.
He was running so fast that he couldnt see where he was going, and almost bumped into
somebody. That someone was a girl who looked around the same age as he was. She looked
disoriented, like she didnt know where she was. The girl had medium length brown hair with
matching eyes, and a pale, freckled face. She wasnt short, but she wasnt very tall either. The
strangest thing about her, though, were her clothes. She wore black robes that reached down to
her feet. It earned strange glances from the people passing by.
Oh sorry, said Daedalus.
Thats alright. Say, you wouldnt know where this place is, would you? The girl looked
genuinely lost.

Then she noticed his uniform. Her eyes widened as she saw his grey pants and black jumper
emblazoned with the school crest and motto. They widened even more when she took in his
watch and sneakers. The girl seemed to have seen a ghost.
Where are you from, may I ask?
America.
The girl seemed to be wrestling with something inside of her. She tried to hide it from her face,
but she failed dismally. She stepped closer to him and whispered in his ear.
You wouldnt happen to be from the future, would you?
Amazed, Daedalus could only nod dumbly. It was as if a great weight had been lifted of the girls
shoulders.
Thank god for that!
Are you from the future too?
Yes. answered the girl. My name is Perdix Sefton and Im from the year 2099.
Me too. suddenly, Daedalus remembered something. You wouldnt have anything to do with
that explosion earlier today, would you?
Yeah, sorry about that. That was what created this whole mess in the first place. Perdix
sounded sheepish. Do you know where we are? Err. whats your name?
Daedalus. We are in 1914, at the assassination of Franz Ferdinand.
Ah, I thought I heard a loud bang. But what do we do now? I dont know how to reverse the
effect of my potion.
Your potion! Thats absurd! What are you, a witch?
Perdix didn't reply. Both of them fell silent, as if they had only now grasped truth of their
situation. They were lost in time, with no way back.

October 8 1914
Three months later, they were in London. Perdix had dug into her pockets at the ticket booth and
produced a handful of Bosnian coins. Daedalus had a sneaking suspicion that they hadnt been
there before. The ship to England had taken so long, that the two of them didnt think they
would get there in one piece. That was due to an unfortunate case of seasickness that had
besieged them. After all they were not used to ships and the sea. People in the 21st century would
board a plane instead.
Finally, after a long time, Perdix and Daedalus stood outside their destination, Spade House. It
was more a mansion than a house. For starters, it was huge. The house formed a capital L. The
roof was black, and the walls white. There were four chimneys sprouting out the top, and under
that were three windows set in slope of the roof. There were two balconies on the second storey
and too many windows to count.
Daedalus knocked on the door. It was opened by a man who looked to be in his late forties. He
had medium length black hair and a thick moustache that was pointed in the middle, like an
arrow. The man was wearing a brown coat over a white shirt, and black pants.
Daedalus? Werent you here yesterday? the old man frowned.
Hello Mr Wells. Daedalus said.
Weren't you here a few hours ago?
No sir.
My mind must be slipping. Alright then, come in, come in. Whos your friend?.
Perdix, sir.
Well bring her along too.
Daedalus had only one word to describe the house. Spacious. The mahogany floor and the oak
wood walls stretched for metres and metres. It came to rest at an intricately carved stairway,
leading up to the second storey. Its dark brown handrails were shaped and carved like a dragon.

The floor of the lounge was draped with a large red carpet, upon which rested two leather sofas,
a black coffee table, and a bookshelf that held dozens of books.
Perdix whistled. Nice place, she muttered.
Daedalus was likewise impressed.
Mr Wells turned around. Daedalus, I know you were here a few hours ago. I just didn't want to
make a big fuss about it outside. Why did you come back?
And then he saw the clothes they were wearing and the holographic watch on Daedalus wrist.
Comprehension dawned on him.
Oh. he said. And then, for seemingly no reason, he started jumping around, dancing, whooping
with joy.
What happened Mr Wells? Someone will hear you! Daedalus had to shout to be heard.
Mr Wells threw back his head and laughed. My family has gone out. But thats not the point!
My Time Machine works! It works! It works!
Time Machine? We didnt do anything with a Time Machine. I was trying to create a potion to
go back in time. I say created, but what I meant was failed to create a potion. Instead of me
going back in time, I stayed the same and the world went back in time.
A potion! That's absurd. Mr Wells was taken aback.
Thats what I said! Daedalus exclaimed.
Wait a minute. Perdix was confused. I thought that you wrote the Time Machine, not built it!
Well since you are a witch-
He was interrupted by Perdixs gasp.How did you know that? No one knows that I'm a witch!
Mr Wells laughed. Seriously? I'm not stupid. Who wears robes of that size? And how many
people do you know of that make potions in their basements? Frankly, I'm surprised no one
figured out your secret. The people in your time must be incredibly dim witted.

Now, back to what I was saying. Since you are a witch, I can tell you that I am a technopath.
My book, the Time Machine, is based on the first ever Time Machine in history. One that I made.
On my first test, I decided to visit the future. Unfortunately, I forgot to turn on my regulator, so
my Time Machine vanished, but without me in it. I do not know if it actually visited the future or
not. I tried to make another one, but I can never get it right again. I have blueprints, but I can't
see what I'm doing wrong. Since you two are from the future, I thought that you had found the
Time Machine and had travelled here to give it back to me.
No sir, sorry.
No matter, Perdix. Well, Daedalus? Youve been awfully quiet. What do you have to say about
all of this?
Youve already told me all of this a long time ago, remember? All I want to know is how to get
back.
Im afraid that I cant help you much there. The only thing I know of that can help you is my
Time Machine.
Why cant I make my potion again, sir?
Well, best I can tell, your ingredients cant be around here. Whats your primary ingredient?
Newts tongue.
Right. So unless you want to go around finding newts and lopping of their tongues, as well as
finding all of your other ingredients, your potion wont take you anywhere. Also, there is
something else you havent thought of. Your potion brought the world back in time, yes? So the
future will never have existed. 1914 is the furthest into the future you can get. The only thing that
can reverse that in my machine. Oh, and one last thing. The longer you stay in the past without a
regulator, the more you will change.
Meaning? asked Perdix.
It means that you, Perdix, will cease to exist.
The tension in the air was so thick, you would have trouble cutting it with a knife.
Hang on a second. Why is it that only I would cease to exist? What about Daedalus?

Thanks for that. Daedalus grinned. Perdix poked her tongue out at him.
Wells answered Perdixs question by half glancing at Daedalus. That is not my place to say.
Daedalus cleared his throat. Can I please have a look at your blueprints? I might know what is
wrong with them.
Of course.
What? How would you know anything time travel? Your 14 years old! Perdix was
flabbergasted.
But Daedalus was gone.

Ah hah! Look at your tachyon particle storer! You forgot to connect it to the control panel. When
you insert the date you want to visit, nothing would happen, because it doesnt have access to
the tachyons.
Of course! Thank you very much Daedalus.
I need to start building it straight away. Can you please tell me where I can work in peace?
I have a workroom where I work on all of my projects. It has been soundproofed, so you wont
disturb anyone. Just dont forget to lock it, or my wife and kids will find you. They dont know
youre here. There are two beds in there, and Ill bring you some food.
Thank you Mr Wells. Im really grateful for everything you have done. Ill would repay you,
only
That brings me to a private matter Daedalus. I know what you are going to do. Im not stupid. I
know who she is. I saw the partridge mark on her neck too. If you are going to go through with
it, then you should at least tell her the truth. She deserves to now. After all, you did, you know.
Yes. I will. I promise. But not until the time is right. Thank you, Herbert.

You have done a lot of bad things in your life, Daedalus. You have a lot of peoples blood on your
hands. But, I think, after what youre doing to help that girl, you might make up for it all. With
that said, H G Wells went to bed.
I know. Daedalus whispered to the empty room.
The next day, everyone was hard at work. Or at least, Daedalus was. Perdix was his assistant,
but he didnt need much help. Perdix had tried to start a conversation, but it had been cut short
by Daedalus.
There is something youre not telling me. It wasnt a question, it was a statement.
Yes. Daedalus was too caught up in his work for a better reply. They lapsed into silence. That
was how Herbert found them when he delivered their lunch. He also delivered a newspaper
bearing news from the war. It wasnt good. Thousands of people were already dead, with tens of
thousands wounded.
You need to go. he said. My wife is getting suspicious. She wants to know why Im spending so
much time down here. Build your time machine, but build it fast. That said, he turned around
and left.

December 30 1914
Weeks turned into months until finally, the day before New Years Eve, Daedalus was finished.
The Time Machine stood three metres tall and five metres wide. It had an elliptical shape, with a
glass windscreen and sides. The rest of it was a beige, yellow colour. The metal gleamed in the
sunlight that entered through the windows.
Daedalus admiration of his handiwork was cut short by a scream. Perdix ran over to him and
held up her hands. Or she would have, if they were there.
What happened?
Are you blind? My hands just disappeared! I was reading today paper, and just as i was about
to finish, it fell out of my hands. What do I do? Whats happening to me?
Dont worry-

Dont worry?! My hands just vanished!

Dont worry, its just like what Herbert said what would happen. The longer you stay in the
past without a regulator, the more you change.
Then just give me the stupid regulator!
It doesnt work like that. You need to get back to the future to reverse the effects.
Then lets go! Youve finished it, right?
Yeah.
Well Im going first. Perdix clambered into the Machine and sank into the leather seat. And
then the penny dropped.
Wait. Theres only one seat. Do you have another machine hidden somewhere?
Im not going.
What? Dont be stupid. Look, theres some space here. Itll be a tight squeeze, but we can put up
with it for a few seconds, right?
Daedalus smiled sadly. Im not going. There is something I didnt tell you. The regulator has to
be operated from the outside. If you put it inside, the tachyons react with it and the whole thing
explodes. Thats why Herbert forgot to turn it on.
Then just call Herbert and tell him to turn it on!
Hes out. He didnt expect me to finish so early. If we wait for him to come back, youll fade all
together.
No! You need to come back! Its not right! You dont deserve it!
Daedalus muttered something under his breath.
What did you say?

Nothing. Perdix, relax. I knew that I wouldnt be able to go back as soon as I saw the blueprints.
You just go. I might find another way.
Reluctantly, Perdix nodded. Alright then. There are two things I dont understand though.
Number 1: how did you build the Time Machine?
Im a technopath, like Herbert. Thats how I can control lightning and could kill that monster.
What are you talking about? What monster?
Oh, right, you werent there. My bad.
Now the last thing.How are you not affected by time?
Im sorry, but I cant tell you that. Everyone has a secret that they will not divulge. This is mine.
It will do more harm than good. Daedalus gut twisted as he said that; knew he was breaking
his promise to Herbert.
But if I go back, then wont I forget all this? Perdix asked.
With the help of the regulator, you wont. Now enough talk. Youll fade even more.
It was true. Perdixs arms were slowly disappearing.
Get ready. Ill enter the time and date you want to go to, and then turn on the regulator.
In one fluid motion, Daedalus climbed into the Time Machine and typed something in the
control panel. The jumped out, and pushed a red button on the side of the machine. A white
portal appeared a few metres away. It pulsed, like it had a heartbeat.
Perdix pushed a lever and the Time Machine inched forward, slowly at first, then faster and
faster. Just before she vanished, she turned around. The last thing she saw was him smile and
spread his arms. A second later, he faded away.
Then the front of the machine entered the portal.
Suddenly, she was enveloped in colour. Splashes and streak of different colours swirled around
her. She felt like she was inside a kaleidoscope. Perdix looked at the speedometer. She was going
1250 miles per hour.

Thats not too fast, she thought.

Perdix didnt get to see what happened at the end of the tunnel, because, as might be expected of
someone who had just travelled through time, she passed out.