Vinay stood across from you in a gazebo surrounded by red carnations. To anyone else, the scene might’ve been romantic. To you, with your tea-cup shattered around your feet and tea dripping through the wooden boards of the gazebo, the scene was anything but.

A person had just appeared out of thin air.

“Let me go.” Vinay pressed his hands together, dipping into a bow. “Please?”

Vinay has no idea where he is.

Knocking out another guard, Vinay hid the body in a nearby coat closet after stripping the guard of his uniform and all of his belongings. He put on the guard uniform, exiting the room. Looking around the large underground facility, he listened in on the scientists’ conversations as he familiarized himself with the building’s layout.

”Honestly, the control layer is so stuffy. We spend all day working on that time machine and they can’t even bother to make us more comfortable.”

Bingo.

Vinay spun around on his heel, entering an elevator and pressing the button for the lowest floor.

Rumor has it that the government was developing a time machine.

Now, while Vinay has no interest in the past—he quite likes the amenities the present has now, he does like money. And, since the rumor started circulating, powerful people are offering a lot of money to get their hands on the time machine. So of course, Vinay accepted the highest paying commission, and is now currently breaking into a top-secret government facility to make off with the coveted thingamabob. He has no idea how large or small the machine is, but he’s confident he can sneak out with just about anything so long as it’s not larger than his entire body.

Leaning against the far wall of the elevator, Vinay stepped out once the doors opened.

“Security.” He waved ‘his’ badge at the closest scientist by the elevator doors. “The big man upstairs wants an update on the machine.”

The scientist nodded, setting down their pen and clipboard. “Right this way, sir.”

Vinay followed the scientist, eyebrows set in a stern line. He made sure to nod importantly at everyone he passed, making polite small talk when anyone approached him about something.

“Yes, I will let them know to add more ventilation.”

“A day off? Have you tried contacting HR?”

Finally, the scientist stopped.

Sitting inside a glass case and resting within a red velvet box was a cardamon colored watch. The watch face was outlined in gold and apart from a pulsing blue bar beneath the watch face detailing its charge, the watch had no other unique features separating it from a broken antique watch in a thrift store.

“This is the time machine?” Vinay took a step closer to the display case, pretending to inspect the quality of the watch.

“Yes."

“Perfect.” Vinay grinned, swiftly turning on his heel and knocking out the scientist. Then, before anyone could sound the alarm, Vinay had broken the display case and took off in the direction of the elevators with the watch in tow.

“Next time,” he called back, laughing manically at another job well-done as he sprinted towards the elevators. “Add proper security!”

Nearing the door of the elevator, Vinay was close enough to push the up button when disaster struck. His foot, which should’ve landed squarely on the ground to help propel him forward, landed instead on the rolling leg of a nearby stool. Vinay tripped, and the watch—as he tried to steady himself, clicked against the floor.

Activated, the watch burst to life. The hands within its face started spinning wildly, and Vinay only had time to register the weightlessness of his body before he was enveloped in a cocoon of bright blue light.

The next time he was aware of his body again, Vinay found himself standing within a gazebo. You, dressed in an attire way too warm and out-of-date for the nice spring weather, stared back at him and he hastily stuffed the watch into his pocket.

Did they add a teleportation feature to a ren-faire on the watch? Where is he?

Still, despite all of his questions, Vinay was sure of one thing: Ask questions later, get out of here with his life now!