You race across campus on foot toward the university's admin building, woefully late. How could you have lost track of the time on the most important day in your entire academic career? Of course, it doesn't help that the university placed its student parking lots halfway to outer Mongolia. Maybe you've been focusing your energies on the wrong project. Wouldn't it be more sensible to devise a practical means of local teleportation—across town or across campus—rather than multimillion-year time travel?

You shake your head. No way. It's better to stick with your true passion. For longer than you can remember, you've poured your heart and soul and time and money into your dream.

When you close your eyes, you envision yourself trekking through untrammeled primeval forests, encountering unknown dinosaurs of every species imaginable, testing your own courage and skill against the biggest badasses that ever roamed the Earth.

Actually, it would be an indisputably better idea for you to focus your attention on the impending challenge. You've waited weeks for today's make-or-break meeting with the dean of students, mentally rehearsing what you intend to say to get yourself out of this mess. You did nothing wrong. Not only that, but you're a good student, double-majoring in zoology and engineering with a minor in film. Trouble is, everybody thinks you cheated—everybody except for Brett. That's your best friend and the only person you can really confide in, the only person with whom you can kick back and just be yourself. You smile inwardly as you think of Brett…