2 Time Machine

[AN: You can skip onto details as you like, if you're not interested in knowing the personal life of the female character before time travelling, it will not change the course of the storyline. Also, the later chapters will be character-centric than the world around them.]

*****

Project 202110 Time Machine

After pushing a power button, a hand was laid down on the flat screen. On the console, different commands began executing on the left and right side of the hand, circles forming under the tips of the fingers, an indicator of scanning each finger. As the five circles disappeared from the screen, the hand was enclosed in a neon blue outlined box.

"Acess granted", an automated built-in voice articulated. Text-to-speech technology was used to make the voice come off as natural as a human.

It might have looked like minutes had passed but speaking precisely it was a matter of seconds for the scan of the hand to be completed, a new window replacing the scanning interface.

"An object has been placed", a soft voice lacing anticipation of the happening that was supposed to have happened in the coming minutes rang in the empty room.

When other scientists of United States were swamped in the implementation of quantum computing in real life by introducing its various applications, enhancing the power of AI, creating virtual environments to carry out their experiments, the one who paved the paths for them was holding her breaths, brown orbs rolling to each command running on the screen, rooting for the technology; that was under the development for almost a year now; to operate all the functional requirements, successful time travel.

"All the terminals are sealed with the tubes bringing in voltage."

"Power status, checked."

"Generators, working."

"Let's begin", heaving out an eager yet nervous sigh, a hand tapped on the button that had the word 'Start' lighting in the colour pink over a sky blue background, the outline of the digital button shining in neon blue.

While designing the UI-User Interface, of the controller, the team intervened, asking the professor to change the colour of the start button from soft to vibrant just as how almost all of the start buttons were designed in the machines, the girl cut them dead.

The second when they meddled about how many applications they had designed for the government and private organizations were top-selling items of their time and none of them had the colour pink, the professor finally opened her mouth, telling them, "You all may leave any instant and tell your government that you would no longer work with a young girl scientist who, for the sake of all cute things in the world, chose the colour pink for the final button of the biggest invention of time, if get succeeded, I may add."

No one plucked up the courage to bring up the matter again. She looked like an easy-going person from outside, someone who could be fooled easily, nonetheless, the one thinking so was a nitwit himself.

Some researchers were jealous of her as she gained more attention and publicity in such a short period of time than they couldn't have after turning their hair grey in the fields. Some scientific labs had offered the girl to join them, she politely turned every offer down. She was happy where she was.

The team also went along with her girlish antics as they didn't want to risk their jobs. Except for the colour of the start button, they were satisfied with the machine. Overall, all the modules were perfectly coded.

The interactive interface was indeed distinct in its own nature, with high-quality graphics with zero delays in the response time. No doubt, why the government had sent the best team of engineers and coders to help out the youngest scientist of their nation having marked incredible milestones in the past.

When she announced that she would be working on the time machine for the final year project, the government was more than just ready to invent the youngest genius. She liked to work alone but never hesitated to grasp the offering hands whenever needed.

"Select a year", just as soft as the previous voice, a new female voice echoed in the room, however, the difference was the absence of emotions present in this robotic voice as contrasting to the first one.

The room vibed off a sleek look, white lights reflecting at the shiny surface of white floor tiles. A machine was positioned in the center, wires and glass tubes connected at the various terminals, a controller fixed to the very right side from where the girl was operating it. In all the labs of the university, cameras were installed except this one.

The professor didn't let them place one in there rationalizing that it would be an invasion of her privacy and considering how many researchers had green eyes on her, they could do anything to have upper hands over her work.

A hand selected a year from the list displayed on the digital screen. The list somehow looked like,

2020

2019

2018

2017

with more years proceeding to the mentioned ones if the screen was to be scrolled down.

"2020 has been selected", the same programmed voice resonated. The girl selected the year 2020 as when she travelled in the past, she certainly wouldn't want to be lost in ancient times where the lives of inhabitants weren't dependent on technology and luxurious comforts it had brought to today's man's life.

"Checking system essentials", an outwards curve appeared on the center of the screen with a digit 1 on its inner side, indicating the percentage. The digits kept adding, forming a semi-circle until the digit 50 was displayed, followed by a complete circle when the two digits were replaced by 3 digit number, 100.

"The system is safe to initiate the launch. The transfer will begin in"

"10"

"9"

"8"

"7"

"6"

"5

"4"

"3"

"2"

"Beep...beep", an alarming sound pierced through the tense air of the room.

"Error...error", the programmed voice reverberates with the alarm still ringing.

"System failure", two letters in brilliant red displayed on the screen followed by a voice, explained why the professor hated the red colour, it indicated error messages that would have the girl biting her nails.

"The launch failed."

"Ughhh!!! The f*ck I'm missing! I have checked formulas, equations and codes more number of times than I've farted this week!"

A high-pitched voice went off in the room followed by the professor stomping off to the metal door.