AUTHOR NOTE

This story is going to look at a possible strand following the Slipstream incident, taking a closer look at Winston's efforts to resolve Tracer's disorder.

It's also going to try and take a closer look at his emotions and behaviour during this time: The frustration of failed attempts, the despair of not knowing whether it can be done, the overwhelming joy of success.

The title isn't meant as an insult to Winston. It popped into my head as an idea when I saw a program called "The Trials of Robert J. Oppenheimer" on PBS America. Oppenheimer was a nuclear physicist who helped pioneer the Manhattan project. You may have seen one of his quotes if you've read Destroyer of Worlds, the Torbjörn comic.

I felt it rather fitting. Enjoy this, anyway.

1: Flashpoint

4 months after the Slipstream accident

Winston awoke from yet another night of broken sleep. Ever since the accident, he had not been able to sleep. There were too many questions in his mind.

Why did the matrix malfunction? Why didn't I run more tests first? What happened to Tracer? Why did I let her fly it? Why didn't I stop this from happening?

He sighed. I suppose there's nothing I can do to rewind time.

He sat down at his workbench and pored over the plans he had drawn up. Even though Tracer had been located a month earlier, she was by no means in a good state. THAT was the part bothering Winston. She flickered in and out of reality like the bulb of the lamp next to him. He hit the side of the lamp, knocking the circuit back into line and stopping the flickering. He winced. Flickering, just like... her. As far as anyone could tell, whatever had happened to the Slipstream, happened in a way to Tracer. She now had these problems.

He looked across at the sterile chamber. The box he had desynchronised was still flickering away. For some reason, ininanimate objects seemed to remain in the present, albeit unstable. Yet living beings, like her, could only stay in place for a short time. Seconds, minutes at most. It just didn't make any sense to him: something which worked for inanimate objects didn't for the living.

He pored over his scribbled notes again, looking at each formula. trying to figure out what could help to put this right, somehow. He was her best bet. Her only bet. The rest of the physicists were out of ideas already. 'It can't be done. There's no way to put her right.' He refused to believe them. There must be a way! If it can happen in the first place, then something can be done to undo it.

He leaned back in his chair. His eyes lit up as an idea occurred to him.The equation his hand was resting on.

He took the Chronal Restabiliser, which he had been working on since Tracer had been retrieved and her condition documented. He reprogrammed it with the new parameter. This might just be it! He could feel the excitement build inside him as the possibility of solving this, putting right what he felt he had done wrong, came within reach. This wasn't like his previous attempt, this was a breakthrough.

He walked across to the chamber with the Stabiliser. Placing it next to one of the boxes within there, he closed the door and stood at the viewing porthole. He held his breath and flicked the switch.

The entire lab was lit up by a bright, neon-blue glow. sparks permeates the air around the device. And then, everything went dark for a moment. Winston opened the door. His eyes widened as he saw the box was no longer flickering, but stable.

"Yes! It's-" The box cut off his train of thought abruptly. It started to make a slight buzzing sound, then stopped.

No, no!

The buzzing started again before the box returned to instability.

Winston's expression dropped. No. So close...

He slouched back into his chair, somewhat defeated.

"I don't get it," he muttered to himself, "everything looks right and yet it doesn't work. What am I doing wrong? What am I missing?"

He glanced at the clock on his desk. It read 03:28. He'd been awake for theory hours straight trying to understand this part of the puzzle. He yawned.

"Well, perhaps some sleep will fix this."

"Quite right Winston, your brain activity levels are below average due to fatigue and sleep deprivation. Setting your alarm for 13:30."

He jumped slightly. "Damn it Athena! I forgot you didn't sleep. Would you mind taking a look at this while I get some sleep?"

The AI chuckled. "Of course not. You sleep, while I try and understand what you are looking at."

He staggered over to his bed in the corner of the room, collapsing onto it and falling asleep virtually as soon as he hit it.

"Goodnight, Winston."