"Who are you?" Elias Morrow's eyes widened. Just minutes ago, he had not even noticed a woman standing beside his nephew. A premonition of trouble swept through him, and Elias wished he could hang up immediately and return to his cell. He gestured at Robbie Reyes, demanding an explanation.
"I'm the one who solves problems, Mr. Elias Morrow. Let me tell you what happened." Wanda sat in Robbie Reyes's former seat. "The Machine may indeed appear to have broken the laws of physics, but nothing in this world can come from nothing. Equivalent exchange is the most fundamental principle. So, The Machine used things from beyond our reality as material to create matter, and every operation came at a cost. Dr. Lucy Bauer, Joseph, and the other researchers were all paying that price..."
"They're all dead." Elias Morrow glanced at his nephew, then nodded at Wanda. Though he did not know who this woman was, Robbie trusted her, and Elias had no desire to say more than necessary. "There was an accident before. The police called it an accident, but Joseph forced them to continue their research. They believed they were playing God, pushing toward the limits of reality. The entire team died, including his wife. They should have listened to me. The police said it was an accident, but I knew Joseph had killed them. I was too angry. I lost control... Girl, I don't understand what you mean, but Lucy Bauer is dead. She couldn't possibly have killed anyone."
"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Robbie Reyes asked.
Elias Morrow had hit him hard enough that Joseph was still lying in the hospital, comatose for years on end. That was why Elias Morrow had been convicted of attempted murder. Startled, Elias Morrow pulled the receiver away and