In the heart of bustling London, Alice's steps quickened with a sense of urgency as she hurriedly made her way towards the coordinates Samuel had given her. She knew the situation was critical, and she couldn't afford any delays. The streets of Piccadilly seemed to close in around her, their usual vibrancy overshadowed by an inexplicable sense of unease.
On reaching the designated location, she glanced around, searching for any signs of unusual activity. Her eyes darted nervously as she scanned the throngs of people bustling past. But despite her best efforts, there was nothing out of the ordinary to be seen–no swirling vortex of energy, no mysterious objects or strange person lurking.
Frowning in confusion, Alice double-checked the coordinates, her mind racing with questions. Had Samuel made a mistake? Or was there something more to this situation than met the eye? She knew she couldn't waste any more time; something was clearly wrong.
Quickly, she dialed Eleanor's number, hoping for a response. Yet, the phone remained eerily silent, the call going straight to voicemail.
Frustration gnawed at her gut, and she realized she needed a new plan. She knew that she had to follow her instincts and trust her intuition. Without hesitation, Alice turned on her heels and hurried to Eleanor's apartment.
Nervous and scared of the unknown, Alice stood outside Eleanor's apartment and knocked on the door several times, her knocks echoing through the empty hallway. There was no response. But when she tentatively tried the door handle, she discovered it was unlocked.
The lack of any signs of forced entry or disturbance only added to her growing unease. Concern etched on her face, she took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and stepped inside. The interior of Eleanor's apartment was a complete mess.
Alice's eyes swept over the disorganized space. Papers lay scattered across the desk, books piled haphazardly on the shelves, clothes were strewn across the bed, and the stench from the dishes piled high in the sink was thick in the air. The faint hum of Eleanor's computer which was still turned on, filled the room, it was as if someone had rummaged through it in a hurry.
With a sinking feeling in her chest, Alice approached the computer, her fingers trembling slightly as she reached out to touch the mouse. She hesitated for a moment before clicking it. And when she did, the screen blinked to life, revealing a program that Eleanor had left open–the same program she used to analyze the mysterious device.
Curiosity piqued, Alice leaned forward and began to skim through the program. Her eyes widened as she read the information displayed - the device had been analyzed, and its origins were revealed. It dated back to the year 2075.
Doubt and bewilderment flooded her thoughts. Her mind raced as she tried to process what this meant. How could Eleanor have accessed a device from the future? And why would she keep it a secret?
She quickly grabbed her phone and dialed Samuel's number, her heart racing with every second that passed.
"Alice, any news?" Samuel asked, his desperation evident.
"Yes, Samuel," she replied, her tone urgent. "Something's wrong, I'm at Eleanor's apartment and she's not here. Her room is a mess, her computer is still on."
There was a brief moment of silence at the other end of the line before Samuel let out a shaky breath. "Look for anything out of the ordinary. Anything that might help us find her, please, Alice."
"I don't know what's going on, but it seems she was analyzing a device from the future. There's a device from 2075 on the computer screen," Alice said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"What? That's impossible. How could she have gotten her hands on a device from the future?" Samuel asked in disbelief.
Alice could hear his panicked voice on the other end of the line. She shook her head, her mind reeling with the implications of what she had discovered. "I honestly don't know, Samuel."
Frustration crept into Samuel's voice. "But that doesn't make sense. We need to find her, Alice. She could be in grave danger. Please, hurry."
Samuel's voice was urgent and frantic as he gave Alice directions to the excavation site where Eleanor was working. She hung up the phone and raced out of the apartment.
***************
The steering wheel of Alice's car felt like it was burning her hand as she pulled up to the excavation site in her trusty old SUV, her heart hammering with anxiety. She stepped out of the vehicle, the scorching midday sun beat down on her mercilessly, casting long shadows across the parched earth.
A bead of sweat trickled down her brow as she noticed and hurried towards Dr. Wilson, Eleanor's boss, who was hunched over a dusty crate, meticulously examining its contents.
"Excuse me, sir," Alice called out, approaching him, her voice tinged with urgency. "Are you Dr. Wilson? I'm Dr. Alice Alderman."
The air was thick with tension, and a sense of unease hung heavy in the stifling heat.
"I need to speak with you about Eleanor. Have you seen her?" Alice added as she closed up the gap.
Dr. Wilson straightened up, wiping a sheen of sweat from his brow as he turned to face Alice. His weathered features were etched with concern, mirroring the anxiety that gnawed at Alice's gut.
"Yes, Dr. Alderman," Dr. Wilson said, his voice weary with worry. "Well…I'm afraid Eleanor hasn't shown up for work in two days now. I've been trying to reach her as well, but she's been completely out of touch."
A knot of worry tightened in Alice's chest as she listened to Dr. Wilson's words. Two days without contact from Eleanor was highly unusual, and the fact that even her boss was concerned spoke volumes about the severity of the situation.
Dr. Wilson sighed, "I was even planning to visit her after work today to see if everything's okay, but now... I'm not sure if I should even go."
Alice's brow furrowed in concern, "Do you have any idea where she might be?"
Dr. Wilson shook his head, "No, I don't. All I know is that she wasn't at her post or her office. I've tried reaching her on her phone, but it goes straight to voicemail."
Alice's mind raced as she tried to process the information. This was not the welcome she had expected, especially after driving all the way to the excavation site. She took a deep breath and decided to act quickly.
"That's bad," Alice said, she reached into her pocket and out a business card. "Here's my number, Dr. Wilson. Please call me if you hear anything from Eleanor or if you find anything," determination in her voice.
Dr. Wilson hesitated for a moment before retrieving his hand from his pocket and reaching out for the card. Alice handed it over to him.
"Please, Dr. Wilson," Alice pleaded, her voice laced with desperation. "Time is of the essence."
Dr. Wilson nodded solemnly, his expression mirroring Alice's sense of urgency. "Of course, Alice. I'll keep you informed if I hear anything. And please, if you find out anything as well, don't hesitate to reach out to me."
"One more thing, can you tell me where she was last seen?" Alice asked, her mind racing with possibilities.
"She was here with us a few days ago, working in the field. But since then, she's been absent without leave, and her lab is empty," Dr. Wilson replied, a note of concern in his voice.
With a grateful nod, Alice thanked Dr. Wilson and turned to leave, her mind swirling with thoughts of Eleanor and the mystery that surrounded her disappearance. But as she approached her car, she heard a commotion coming from behind. She glanced at the rearview mirror of her car and saw someone running towards her, out of breath, his face etched with panic.
"Hey, wait up!" The man called out in an urgent tone, his voice crackling with anxiety as he reached her. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. "I overheard your conversation with Dr. Wilson."
Startled, Alice turned to face the man, her eyes wide with concern. "Who are you?"
The man took a moment to catch his breath before responding. "I'm Jake, Eleanor's colleague," he explained, his voice urgent. "I was with her two days ago, just before she disappeared."
Alarm bells rang in Alice's mind and she stepped closer to Jake. Chills ran down her spine as she listened to Jake's account.
"I saw Eleanor with this device," Jake began, his voice trembling slightly as he gestured with his hands to emphasize his words. "It was unlike anything I've ever seen before. It looked like a pocket watch, but it was so much more."
Alice leaned in closer, her brow furrowed with curiosity. "What do you mean, Jake? Can you describe it to me?"
Jake nodded, his eyes scanning the horizon as he conjured up the image of the device in his mind. "It was intricately designed, with engravings that seemed to dance in the sunlight. There were dials by the side, adorned with strange symbols that I couldn't make sense of."
Alice's heart pounded in her chest as she listened to Jake's description, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. "Did Eleanor say anything about what she was going to do with it or where she found it?"
Jake shook his head, his expression grim. "No, she was tight-lipped about it. She had unearthed it from this site. But I could tell it had her completely captivated. And then, the next day, she was gone."
A sense of unease settled over Alice as she absorbed Jake's words. "That device," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Fear coursed through her veins as she connected the dots, everything was beginning to make sense now.
"Seems like it could be connected to Samuel's research after all," she muttered.
Jake's brow furrowed in confusion. "Who's Samuel?"
Alice paused for a moment, realizing she had said too much. "Uh, no one. Just someone I know who works on similar projects. It sounds like a prototype of the one Samuel has been working on in his lab."."
"What do you mean?" Jake queried further, his curiosity piqued.
Alice hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. "There's a researcher named Samuel who's been working on a time-travel project involving similar devices. They're…experimental, to say the least."
Realization dawned on Jake's face as he made the connection, his eyes widening with alarm. "You think Eleanor stumbled upon a prototype of Samuel's time travel device?"
Alice nodded solemnly, her mind racing with possibilities. "It's a plausible explanation. If Eleanor activated one of these prototypes, she could be in grave danger."