Chronotron: The Time Machine - How She Risked Her Life To Rescue Her Time Traveling Friend
Leo stared at the imposing man, trying to hide his fear. “What do you want with me?”
The man smiled coldly. “We know you have a working time machine. You’re going to help us change the course of history to benefit our organization.”
“I’ll never help you!” Leo said defiantly.
The man shrugged. “We have ways of making people cooperate.” He nodded to one of the guards, who stepped forward and jabbed Leo with a cattle prod.
Leo cried out in pain as electricity coursed through him. The man waited for it to stop before speaking again. “Let’s try this again. You will help us with the time machine or there will be consequences.”
Leo took deep breaths, trying to recover from the shock. He had to stall them and figure a way out. “Even if I wanted to help you, I can’t. The time machine is broken.”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “Then you better find a way to fix it. And don’t try anything foolish.” He gestured to the guards. “Take him to the lab.”
Leo was dragged down a stark corridor into a room filled with computers and lab equipment. The guards shoved him into a chair and cuffed him to the table.
“Get to work,” one guard growled. Leo looked helplessly at the scattered machine parts and notes. He had no idea how to fix the time machine, but he had to pretend to try or who knows what these men would do to him.
Back at Sam’s house, she was starting to get worried. Leo had been gone all day without a word. She hoped he hadn’t gotten lost somewhere in 2015. If only there was a way she could track him down.
Sam went to Leo’s hiding spot and dug through his backpack for clues. Inside she found his smartphone and the key fob for the time machine. An idea struck her. If Leo still had the key fob, maybe she could track the time machine’s location using the GPS on his phone.
Sam quickly downloaded a GPS app and synced the key fob. A blinking icon appeared on the map, showing the time machine’s location. Sam’s eyes widened when she saw the address - it was on the other side of the city in an industrial area. Why would Leo leave the time machine there? Unless…he was in trouble.
Sam knew she had to rescue Leo herself. She grabbed her bike and raced across town, using the GPS to guide her. When she arrived at the warehouse district, Sam stashed her bike and approached the building cautiously.
She found a side door and managed to sneak inside. The corridors were eerily quiet. Sam crept down the hall, peering into rooms trying to spot Leo. Finally, she saw him handcuffed to a table, working on machinery.
“Leo!” Sam whispered. He looked up with surprise and relief. “I’m going to get you out of here,” she said. Sam searched the room and found the key to the handcuffs. After freeing Leo, they snuck out into the hall. So far so good. All they had to do was make it back to the time machine undetected.
Leo and Sam hurried through the sterile corridors, keeping a lookout for guards. They turned a corner and suddenly found themselves face to face with two surprised men.
“Grab them!” one shouted.
Leo leaped into action, tackling the nearest guard. “Go! Run!” he yelled at Sam. She sprinted down the hall as Leo grappled with the guards. He managed to break free and race after her.
Alarms began blaring, alerting the whole building that they had escaped. Sam and Leo ran as fast as they could toward the exit. Burly guards poured out of side rooms, trying to cut them off.
“This way!” Leo pulled Sam down an adjacent hallway. They emerged into a large storage room filled with boxes. At least they had lost the guards for now.
“The time machine is on the north side of the building,” Sam said, consulting Leo’s phone GPS. “We just have to get there without being caught.”
They weaved stealthily through the maze of boxes and shelves. But as they neared the door, two guards entered, blocking their exit.
Thinking fast, Leo grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall and sprayed the guards with thick smoke. As they coughed and sputtered, Leo and Sam dashed past them out the door.
The time machine was so close now. They entered the final corridor, only to see the main adversary waiting with more armed men.
“You didn’t really think you could escape, did you?” he said menacingly.
Leo stepped protectively in front of Sam. He had to get her safely. Bracing himself, Leo charged forward and tackled the man with all his might.
They crashed to the floor in a tangle of fists and limbs. Leo managed to land a solid punch, stunning the man. “Go Sam, run!” Leo shouted.
Sam didn’t hesitate. She raced for the time machine, quickly activated it, and jumped inside. The last thing she saw as she hit the initiation button was Leo being swarmed by guards.
Then everything went white. The time machine whirred violently as Sam was thrust through the space-time continuum. Suddenly, it all stopped. Sam cautiously opened the door. She was back in her basement in 2015. Leo was still trapped! Sam knew she had to rescue him, but first, she needed help. There was only one person she could trust with her unbelievable story - her science teacher Mr. Harris. He would know what to do.
Sam raced to school and found Mr. Harris prepping for class. “Mr. Harris! I need your help, it’s an emergency!” Sam explained everything - the time machine, Leo’s kidnapping, the evil men. To her relief, Mr. Harris didn’t think she was crazy.
“Time travel? I always knew it was possible,” he said excitedly. “Of course, I’ll help get your friend back. My scientific knowledge could be just what we need.”
With Mr. Harris’s help, Sam resolved to go back in time and save Leo. She hoped they weren’t too late.
To be continued…