Famous scientist interviewed by robot girl on #LisaBurtonRadio

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p style=”text-align: justify;”>“You have been on a radio show.”
Pietro was pacing the little kitchen in his sister’s Alberta apartment, in Amsterdam.
“Yes.”
Alberta was perched on a stool at the kitchen counter, her demeanour unperturbed as they were talking about the weather.
“You have been on a radio show with a robot girl talking about our time travel and everything else.”
“Exactly.”
Pietro pinched the bridge of his nose and stopped pacing. He couldn’t leave for a week to attend to his own business that his sister was granted to do something reckless.
“Pete, relax. There’s nothing to worry about. It was just an innocent interview.”
“An innocent interview?” Pietro turned to her with a horrified glance. “You told her everything about what happened, the time machine, our children selves, your research, everything! There’s nothing innocent about it. What about your colleagues? Do they know their underground activity has been exposed?”
Alberta pushed her hair behind her ears and fidgeted on the stool. “Actually, it was their idea. We talked about it and decided it was a good thing, it could raise interest in time travelling and our work. We need sponsors and—”
“You already have a sponsor.” Alberta had admitted so much after they sent the children back and he couldn’t say he was pleased. The man Abbi described wasn’t the sort who does something without getting anything in return, and Pietro was worried. When was he going to ask Abbi to return the favour? And what would he ask?
“I know, but we need more. This thing is getting bigger but nobody seems willing to fund us at ESTEC. We need to find someone else.”
More private funders, more requests to come, more complications.
“Pete, don’t worry. If anything bad should come from my interview I can always go back in time and change things.”
If he hadn’t known Alberta so well, he could have believed she was jesting. Unfortunately, she wasn’t. The eager look in her eyes, her bright smile and the always moving hands told a different story.
“Listen to me.” Pietro put his hands on the counter and fixed his eyes in his sister’s. “I’m not letting you or any other of your colleagues messing with time anymore. It’s time to stop this madness. And I’m not going back to Italy anytime soon. You—all of you— obviously need a babysitter.”
Alberta’s smile vanished.
“Have you actually listened to the interview?”
“No. It was enough listening mom and dad and aunt Clotilde and the neighbours talk about it.”
“Because if you had, you’d know nothing bad can come of it. Come,” Alberta stood and marched towards her laptop, “see with your eyes.”
Pietro sighed and joined her. He was about to discover exactly how much damage she had done.

Do you share Pietro’s worry or are you with Alberta? Read the full interview on Lisa Burton Radio here!

And if you want to know how it all started, read Children in Time, my story inside the amazing anthology Quantum Wanderlust.