George is an inventor in early 20th century New York. When the novelette opens, he is being chased by thugs he is certain were sent by one of the big energy barons (Rockefeller, Edison, or Frick) to abduct him. Just as the out-of-shape George runs out of steam, a strange, masked “intervenor” appears through a strange door and dispatches George’s would be abductors, using an impossible, futuristic energy weapon. Being a fan of H.G. Wells, George believes the intervenor to be a time traveler from the future. But has this person from the future prevented George’s abduction with good or evil intent? When George reads an obscure article suggesting that burning fossil fuels could have an adverse effect on global temperatures, he believes his rescuer meant for him to continue developing his “solar power generator” for mass production.

This is the second story in this issue of Analog, and the second to concern itself with climate change. I like that many such solution-based approaches to the subject matter are becoming commonplace in our oldest continuous science fiction publication. As for the story itself, it is of adequate quality: good character work, clear and concise prose, steady pacing. While plenty of obstacles in George’s way are referenced as the story progresses, we actually see little of it in action. The result is a story with a lot of conflict but little tension. While we might presume the mysterious time traveler achieved their goal, they never reappear, and the open ending perhaps suggests the author could revisit this alternate timeline in a future tale.