Flash. He saw an old Model T car.

Flash. That looked to be a 1960s Mustang. Probably the Mach 1.

Flash.

Flash.

Flash. A Supernova 200XL swept by using the latest in antigravity technology.

Byron flipped a switch, and time stood still for a moment then jerked into slow motion. Yet it wasn’t slow motion. It was the speed of real-time seeming slow after speeding through the centuries.

Byron smiled, knowing that Dr. Mitchell would reprimand him for telling time by the type of vehicles he saw. Dr. Mitchell insisted that Byron use the gauge on the dash, which was, according to Dr. Mitchell, more accurate. Byron knew his cars, though, and he was never wrong. He was in the present again, the year 2512.

“What did you find out?” An anxious voice came over the intercom.

“Hang on, be right out.”

When Byron exited the time machine, he wasn’t surprised by the welcoming committee. Every engineer that had worked on the project was there, as well as his wife and Dr. Mitchell. Giving his wife a kiss in greeting, he held her hand as he turned to the doctor.

“He’s in 1912. He’s trying to stop Alfred Wegener from developing the continental drift theory.” He held up his hand to forestall the question. “I don’t know why. He found out I was there, and I had to leave.”

The Time Traveler, as they had dubbed the mysterious man who was attempting to stop significant scientific discoveries, had already altered the course of history. Thankfully, Dr. Mitchell and his team developed their own time machine, and Byron was sent back to set things right.

“Byron, you must know what he’s trying to accomplish,” Dr. Mitchell insisted.

Byron gave Dr. Mitchell a flat stare.

The doctor cleared his throat then continued, “he’s your twin brother, after all.”

One of the technicians gasped in disbelief. Byron turned and left without a word.

Later that evening, Byron and his wife were walking down the quiet tree-lined street near their home. As they walked, she looked up at him. “Honey, someday they will figure it out.”

“No, they can’t. If they know I’m the Time Traveler, and I’m trying to stop my future self from changing history, they’ll pull the plug on the project. I’m the only one who can stop me.”