DATELINE: Trinity, New Mexico - 1946. The earth's inhabitants had just witnessed the horrors of yet another world war. 55 million dead, 35 million wounded and 3 million missing persons. Never before had civilian casualties been so high in a war. Total cost: $1,500 billion (U.S.) And it was all due to one man. Adolf Hitler.

Astounded by this horrific toll on humanity, Albert Einstein and his wily assistant decide to secret themselves away in a laboratory somewhere near Trinity, New Mexico. After working feverishly for many months they manage to complete an experiment that was to have a profound effect on the annals of history. Their motivation was the quest for the answer to a simple question: What if Hitler was taken out of the picture long before there was even a picture to paint? What if it were possible to go back in time and simply remove Hitler from history as if one were an artist tearing a bad drawing out of an old sketchbook?

For Albert Einstein, the day had come to find out.

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"Stop playing with that thing!" Einstein barked at his assistant who was tinkering with a console mounted on a strange looking machine. Einstein walked over and sat down in a chair that had wires attached to it. His assistant had wanted to do a few more tests but it was clear from Einstein's tone that he suddenly wanted to get on with it.

"Give me the sequence calculations. ...NOW!"

Einstein's assistant hurried to hand him a clipboard. Einstein impatiently motioned for his pen and then made a few perfunctory signatures. His assistant took the clipboard, returned to the machine to make the final preparations. He could barely contain his excitement. Meanwhile Einstein just sat there calmly wiping his glasses while waiting to travel 22 years back in time.

"I wonder if it will be raining," he said.

A moment later, all was in readiness. Einstein's assistant wondered if he should say something special to commemorate the occasion. He briefly contemplated and then decided against it. He knew that the austere and "strictly business" professor would disapprove. What would possibly be his final words to Einstein amounted to nothing more than a procedural advisory and were somewhat ironic since the professor was about to warp to another dimension.

"Stand by," he said.

Einstein quickly pocketed his glasses and gripped the armrests. A split second later there was a blinding flash of light and Einstein promptly dematerialized into thin air.

The Chronosphere had been activated.


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DATELINE: Landsberg, Germany - 1924. Adolph Hitler was walking out of prison after being incarcerated for leading a coup against the German Weimar government. An old and strange looking man was ambling towards him. Hitler nodded politely and was about to walk away when the old man addressed him.

"Herr Hitler!" (Mister Hitler!) he said.

Hitler felt agitated. He prided himself on being sociable but not here, not now. There was so much to do. People to see. Places to go. A revolution was at hand.

"Ja? Was ist loos?" he said. "Ich habe keine Zeit um hier rund zu stehen!" (Yes? What is it? ... I don't have time to be standing around here!)

Albert Einstein extended his hand seemingly as a gesture of friendship. His simple reply was compelling, almost hypnotic.

"Ja.... ich ferstehe." (Yes... I understand...)

Who is this old man? Hitler thought. It's like he knows. But knows what? Bewildered and not knowing what else to do, Hitler gripped Einstein's hand. He was about to shake it when a split second later there was a blinding flash of light.


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DATELINE: Trinity, New Mexico - 1946. Albert Einstein rematerialized in the chair that he had just disappeared from a moment earlier. To his assistant it seemed as if he had only been gone for a few seconds at best. At first he thought the experiment had been a failure. Perhaps they had missed. Perhaps Einstein had not travelled back in time at all. Einstein took out his pocket watch and began studying it closely. Then his assistant knew that something indeed had happened.

"Did you find him?" he asked. Einstein was strangely unenthusiastic with his response.

"Hitler.... is out of the way".

His assistant was incredulous. This was fantastic. The experiment had been a huge success. Their wildest dreams had been realized.

"Congratulations professor! With Hitler removed....!"

Einstein abruptly held up his hand cutting his assistant's words short. His assistant suddenly knew that there were much deeper things to be considered. It wasn't going to be as simple as they had planned.

"Time will tell," Einstein said slowly, winding his watch.

"Sooner or later... Time will tell."


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And time did tell. Hitler was gone. The NSDAP never rose to power. Germany never invaded Poland. 6 million Jews were never exterminated in death camps.

BUT...

Mother Russia, under the iron fisted rule of thick black haired despot named Josef Stalin, rose to great power unchecked by a second world war that should have been but never was. And she was intent on rattling her sabre all over the European continent. And she was ultimately intent on ruling the world.

The European powers quickly allied themselves into a coalition to wage a guerilla resistance against the advance of the Soviets. There was no time to lose. Instead of spearheading the Axis (as what would have happened had it not been for Einstein's experiment) Germany now found itself at the head of the Allied Powers fighting to keep Europe together instead of fighting to blow it apart.

The Allies were definitive contenders. Copiously armed with traditional war machines —albeit comparatively light— they represented an opponent to be reckoned with. As well, centuries of continental warfare had inured them with a special understanding of the art of battle. They knew about values of stealth, speed and deception.

The Soviets, on the other hand, were heavily armed and bluntly aggressive. Their trump card was brute force and an arsenal of insane weaponry that succeeded in rousing great fear in the hearts of men as much as it wreaked havoc and destruction.

The time had come for every man to choose a side and test his ability to make the most of available resources. The name of the game was build, seek and destroy before the enemy could do the same.

The time had come to command and conquer.