Story 2: Instructions (Part 3)

 Read "Missing" and "The Seven Buildings" before you read this.

Tyler appeared in an open area with several trees surrounding it. He still had the time machine in his hand. He looked around and saw that James and Alice were next to him. Then he noticed Sam standing in the middle of the area.

Tyler, James, and Alice were hidden behind a tree so he couldn’t see them. James was about to ask something when two more versions of Sam appeared.

“There are three Sams,” Tyler whispered.

“Thank you Captain Obvious,” James replied.

The two Sams which had just appeared had several differences. One of them looked thinner than the other. That version of Sam also looked older.

“We don’t have much time,” the older version Sam said. He pointed at the Sam who had been there first. “You need to leave a time machine with Tyler, James, and Alice and leave them a note telling them to come here right now.”

The version of Sam , who had been there first, looked surprised before nodding. 

“Also time travel out of the building,” the younger version of Sam said.

The Sam who had been there first nodded again before disappearing.

The older version of Sam turned to the younger version of Sam. “You have to fix the time barriers so this works. Also the organization created a time travel machine that doesn’t have control over time barriers. The person who made the machine died shortly afterwards. She was the only person who knew how to make the machine.”

The younger version of Sam paled. “They are going to come after me now that they can time travel.”

The older version of Sam nodded. “And Tyler, James, and Alice are going to help you escape.”

Tyler stared, “ How are we going to help Sam escape? We don’t know how to use the time machine.”

“Maybe they will tell us,” Alice whispered looking at the two versions of Sam.

Tyler focused on the conversation again.

“Are they going to stop me from getting captured?” the younger version of Sam asked.

“No. You have to get captured to destroy the organization's time machine. They are going to help you escape.”

The younger version of Sam seemed to realize something. “You are going to leave them a note.”

The older version of Sam nodded and dropped a piece of paper on the ground. He then disappeared.

The younger version of Sam pulled out a device that looked really similar to the one in Tyler’s hand. He started pressing some buttons on it.

“He isn’t time traveling,” Tyler whispered.

“I think he is changing the time barriers,” Alice said from beside him.

Tyler still didn’t understand what a time barrier was. He was about to ask Alice when a group of people appeared next to Sam. They grabbed him and then they all disappeared.

“That was the organization,” James whispered.

“Let’s get the paper now,” Alice said.

They ran over to where the paper was. Tyler almost didn’t notice that the object next to it was the younger version of Sam’s time machine.