Chapter 7

Sportacus and Pixel arrived at the "Gizmo Guy's" house. The above-average hero set Pixel down and asked,

"Do you remember a few years ago when you were working on a time machine?"

"Yes but I've never tested it. No one wanted to try." The younger man replied.

"There's no time like the present." Sportacus told him.

"But what if I can't bring you back? What if something goes wrong? Then you're going to leave Stephanie all alone?" Pixel sounded worried.

"There might not be a Stephanie to be with. In order to save her future, I must go back to the past; even if that future doesn't include me." Came his friend's reply. These words shocked Pixel. Sportacus couldn't truly mean what he just said.

Back in FunTown, Amanda sat next to Stephanie's bed. The girl had been completely baffled by Sportacus' behavior. First thanking her for coming, then him not wanting to let go when they hugged earlier, and finally that display in the waiting room. Maybe this last act of violence had caused the brave hero to finally have a mental breakdown. What were they going to do?

Pixel and Sportacus went down into the basement. There was the time machine. It stood at about six feet tall by four feet wide. A large tube was surrounded by a control center that had many buttons and dials. The entire contraption appeared to just be plugged into the wall outlet. Pixel and Sportacus quickly cleaned all the dust and cobwebs off.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Pixel asked.

"I must. Now how does it work?" Sportacus wondered.

"Well you stand in the tube and I set the time dials over here to whatever time you want to go to. Then I press this big red button next to the dials. Supposedly after that, a hole will open the space-time continuum and suck you to that time which you've selected. But as I said before, I don't know if it will work." Pixel told him.

"What about the power source? Are you sure there will be enough in the house to make the machine work?" The above-average hero asked.

"This isn't just any ordinary outlet. I have solar energy brought in from the satellite dishes on top of my house. This will harness all the sun's power plus all I can get from the house and the few surrounding houses." Pixel said almost proudly.

"How do I get back when I want?" Sportacus asked.

"Oh you'll need to wear this." Pixel said handing him a wrist band with a button on it. Putting it on, his friend gave him a look.

"And this little piece of equipment is supposed to bring me back?" He asked.

"It sends a signal to the time machine to pull you back from the hole in the space-time continuum. The machine will latch onto the wrist band's signal and pull whoever wears it back to the present." Pixel explained. "In theory, it should be able to pick you up in seconds but since it's the first time it could take a few minutes. Also you need to make sure that no one is in a three foot radius because you may bring them back with you. If this happens, the time loop will distort and things will not be as they should. This also goes with you just walking around. You cannot meet your past self or interact with him." The young man continued.

"All right then I wish to go back when Stephanie was thirteen. Can you get it to be in June?" Sportacus asked.

"Yes. Are you sure you want to go back that far?" Pixel asked. Sportacus nodded and entered the tube. The younger man turned the dials to the correct date and flipped a big switch. The switch pulsed power through the machine then pressing the big red button, the space-time continuum opened. Sportacus stood there and watched as Pixel disappeared. The journey through time had begun.

To Be Continued…