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Everyone loves the idea of time travel, and Toby was no different. He devoted his life to making it happen. And eventually, he did - he built himself a time machine. However, on the day he tested it, something happened that he had not counted on. He triggered something he could only describe as a time loop. And he was perpetually stuck.
At some point, he discovered a pattern: he would go into the time machine and travel somewhere new; and when he stepped out of the machine, and back into his workshop, he wouldn’t fully remember everything he knew before. And the more times he went through the time machine, the less and less he remembered about his life outside the workshop.
When he went into the past or the future, he could experience his life in the outside world, but his memories of those experiences faded quickly when he returned to the present. Whenever he travelled to a time where someone should know him he seemed unrecognizable to them. On top of that, he was stuck in his workshop, unable to walk out and interact with the outside world in real-time.
At some point, some version of him realised what was happening and started a diary. He left it in his workshop and recorded memories from each trip before they faded, hoping each time he left that the diary would be there when he stepped out of the time machine again.
Entry #1
Hello Toby,
I can only hope this works. It’s you from the past. It seems that our time machine has entered a time loop. I know you might not believe me, but let me tell you a fact I am sure you will remember. When we were in elementary school and we told the kids in our class that we wanted to build a time machine, the only one who believed us was Jenny Jankins. She kissed us in the corner of the classroom and everyone made fun of us for years. Do you believe me now? Good. We must do something, we can’t stay in the time loop forever - please do something. Please record what you have learned and where you have been, so we can go home. I am going to the earliest centuries to learn what they first thought of time travel. Please trust me.
Toby
Entry #2
We are in a time loop? Meaning we can do whatever we want? Since it’s not real life? This is amazing! There are no risks, and no worries - we will always be okay! I don’t know what this last version of us was so worried about. This sounds amazing! I’m going to visit ancient Greece and see all the amazing battles and war zones. No worries!
Toby
Entry #3
I have decided that some versions of the time loop don't include this book. I just checked out the Renaissance era. Are we really in a time loop? What's happening outside the workshop then? Do we know? Should I try the door? ... No, I’ll leave that for one of you to try. I like time travelling. It's so cool! I'm going to go to the time they put a man on the moon!
Toby
Entry#6
Okay... So the novelty might be wearing off... Looking at this book, has no one noticed that we never tried to escape? Or to stop the loop? Shouldn't we? The first guy tried to explain and we didn’t listen… Why do I feel like we’re forgetting about someone or something? I've also noticed we always go to the past. I'm gonna go to the future. Maybe I'll learn something to help us...
Toby
Entry #7
WE HAVE A WIFE AND DAUGHTER! And no, I didn't marry someone during this time travel loop. I mean that, before we built the time machine we were married, and we had a daughter… I met her today, she is getting married. And WOW, does she ever look like our mom. She speaks highly of us. They think we died… We have to fix this. We need to change this. We need to be there for her. We have to get out of here. I'm just going to try to leave through the workshop door…
Toby
Entry #10
Whatever you do, please stop trying to leave through the door. It seems to make the loop worse. Look, I get it, we're desperate to get out and we never really know how many loops have passed between each entry. But repeating past mistakes will not help this! Don't lose your head. I know reading this and realising what is happening brings up emotions. But we need to keep our heads about us so we can get out of here. I am going to try going back to our childhood and see if we can change something.
Toby
Entry #11
So meeting us as a child didn't do anything, it seems. Is this our doomed fate? Can we stop this? Also, did meeting us as a child only encourage us to look into time travel more? Did I make it worse or has this always been? Can we ever truly be free? There must be something!!
Toby
Entry #12
Soo... I'm not sure what the last guy tried but clearly it didn't work... So here is an idea - what if we don't exist? Like, what if we stop Mom and Dad from meeting? Then none of this can happen... I don't see how we have another choice - it's clear nothing else has worked.
So I am going back to our parents’ high school years to see if I can stop all this…
Toby
Entry # 13
HOW DID THAT NOT WORK? It's like fate is against us. No matter what I did, it wasn't enough. I tried to stop their date, or mess up big events or milestones… It didn't work. They always pulled through. Like their love is a constant truth, that cannot be avoided. I want to see the life I’ve forgotten. I want to know what we've missed, I need to know!
Toby
Entry #14
She's amazing... She's kind and loving. She believed in our ideas when the rest of the world didn't. She never quit on us. She was pregnant with our daughter. She hadn't told us yet… She'd found out the morning we went into the workshop to try this invention. She was planning on telling us tonight with a cute little surprise. And we never get to see it. Why did we never think of the risk of time loops? Why did we have to prove everyone wrong? We could have just lived a life without any kind of worries. But no, we had to be something, had to accomplish some feat! Wait.... what if I just destroy the machine? Then we never try time travel, then maybe just maybe we can leave this room.
Ok, I destroyed the machine, and I'm going to walk back out that door and if it works, we will never try this again. There is no need, because while the past is interesting and the future is intriguing… The present is a gift I will never waste again.
Toby
In case this fails,
To my loving wife, please know that I tried. I did all I could to get back to you. I can only hope you find this book.
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