When the light faded, Bud found himself standing on the same platform, but the depot was bustling with activity. Steam locomotives hissed, workers shouted, and a newspaper vendor called out the headline: The date on the paper read April 14, 1914 . A Race Against History Bud realized the serial key he’d used— 14 —was not just a number; it was the date that anchored the portal. The tracker had pulled him to the exact moment the original Terre Tracker was being tested. He spotted a young engineer, a woman with bright eyes and a red cap, adjusting the very same brass‑capped device Bud now held.