Prologue: An Introduction

Have you ever wanted to travel back to the beginning of history and see where life first began? Have you ever wanted to see how life changed over time and how these changes affect us in the modern age? Have you ever wanted to see the first reptile, a thirty-foot-tall T-Rex, or a terrifying saber-tooth cat? I know I do.

Would you like to hear a story? In the year 5022, a young man named Daniel Matton did just that. The end. Was that too vague? Let me try again. Once upon a time, a young man named Daniel Matton traveled to the past, present, and future. Still too vague? How about let's just hear the story from the beginning, but not without a brief introduction.

In 5022, seventeen-year-old Daniel Matton traveled through a wormhole in a starship to ancient times. His father was an astronaut, and Dan was an aspiring paleontologist. He lost his mother to pneumonia when he was only twelve years old, and Dan never recovered from her death. Despite that, he still had a dream–to see a real life Quetzalcoatlus, one of the largest flying reptiles ever to zoom across the Mesozoic skies. If he met one, he would name her Becca, after his mother.

To meet a Quetzalcoatlus seemed impossible, but nothing is, and Dan proved that. Wormholes, black holes, white holes, and time traveling are real, but so is disaster. In 5022, he was the star of the PPMC Project, a project said to change the world forever, and boy, did it! Dan's story is not Jurassic Park or Back to the Future; it is much more.

With that out of the way, I would like you to turn your attention over to the adventurer himself–Daniel Matton! Welcome, Dan! We're excited to hear your story! Even though you're coming up in age now, you still remember it perfectly, correct? I thought so! I mean, how could someone forget an adventure like that? Anyway, I think I've prattled on long enough. Have a seat. Where would you like to start: Greenville, the Precambrian Time, the Paleozoic Era? Oh, sorry, let me just shut up.

Welcome, everybody, to this special night with Daniel Matton! We hope you find his story just as fascinating as I did! Please, hold your questions until the end of the talk, and then we'll do a Q&A. Does that sound like a plan? Yes? Cool. Let's strap ourselves in; it's going to be a wild ride. Take us, Dan, to the past, present, and future. Take us through the wormhole.

***

Thank you for that wonderful introduction, Dr. Mercury. Hi, everybody! My name is Daniel Matton, and it's a pleasure to see so many faces out there tonight. Before I dive into Through the Wormhole, I want to add a little more to Dr. Mercury's speech.

I have been interested in geologic time since I was a child. There was not a single day where I would try to dig up fossils or pretend I met a dinosaur. After my adventure through the wormhole, I dedicated my life to studying paleontology, and that's how I winded up at this fantastic school.

I may be old and crippled now, but everything is still fresh in my mind: PPMC, the black hole, the wormhole… Becca. Excuse me. I have something in my eye.

Anyway, since there is so much to share, I have broken up this reading into two parts. Tonight, I will be sharing Part 1, and next week will be Part 2. I know you all have tons of questions, but let's hold off on those until the end. We will have a quick Q&A, and then if you want me to sign your copy of Through the Wormhole, you are welcome to come up and ask. Thanks again for coming, and let's get started.