It was one of those days when Dave took a look back at what happened two years ago. He had been a huge fan of a reality TV show, Total Drama, since its first airing. He ever so wished to join one day; competing in challenges, experiencing the reality tv show fame, and possibly finding some true love. But all of that crashed and burned on him when he was picked to join Pahkitew Island. The first few days of grueling challenges and fierce competitions weren't exactly ideal, considering his germaphobic tendencies caused him to go off at times when filth was present. More so, he met what he thought was the most gorgeous girl there ever was; Sky. She was everything he wanted in a girl - compassionate, athletic, and smart. He thought he would end up as the main couple for the season and become a power couple by the end of it.

But all of that changed when he was given the most shocking truth; she had a boyfriend the entire time.

Clearly, Dave found himself in a fit of rage, his feelings for her were shattered and he had only wanted her chance at winning the million-dollar grand prize. Although she didn't win the money, it was still a sour defeat for him. After his descent into madness, he became infamous around the Total Drama community as one of the most hated. Perhaps he may have overreacted when he discovered Sky had a boyfriend this whole time, or the times he acted so insensitive because of his terms phobic quirks The long-term effects of being infamous on live TV caused him to feel so much guilt.

Desperate for a fresh start, Dave scoured the internet for a job opportunity far away from the prying eyes of the public. Finally, he stumbled upon an exclusive research facility that promised anonymity and a chance to start anew. The prospect of a new beginning gave him hope, and he jumped at the opportunity.

Job Title: Research assistant at Boreas

The Boreas Research Facility is a cutting-edge research facility that specializes in developing advanced technology solutions for a range of industries. We seek a talented and motivated research scientist to join our team and contribute to our groundbreaking work.

Incentives include:

Up to $5,000 biannual payment alternating from one week of intense work and one week off.

Free air travel accommodations to the facility.

Although Dave was hesitant about the job application, he felt compelled to apply because he needed the money. While he wasn't interested in work-from-home offers, he was intrigued by the offer of free helicopter rides whenever he was called in for work. This offer reminded him of his previous experience riding an aircraft during his time on Pahkitew island.

As he sat buckled up in his seat, he couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension. The pilot was steering the chopper in complete silence, and Dave didn't say much. He knew from the fine print that the location was kept secret which only added to his unease.

Suddenly, the pilot's voice boomed through the intercom, announcing that they were making a landing. Dave let out a sigh of relief. At least there was one helicopter ride he didn't have to jump out of with a parachute. He unbuckled his seat and was instructed by the pilot to exit in an orderly fashion.

As the helicopter doors sprung wide opened, Dave was greeted by the cold chill of the snowy environment he found himself in. He realized too late that he wasn't dressed for this type of weather, and his attire offered little protection against the biting cold. "P-P-P-Pilot...w-w-w-where are w-w-w-we?!" he chattered outside of the helicopter.

As Dave stepped out of the helicopter, he heard a deep voice calling out to him. "My apologies kiddo, we did not inform you of what to wear." He turned to see a tall man wearing a thick white parka and accompanied by three others dressed in the same gear. The man's hoodie was pulled tight around his head, and a few strands of grey hair poked out from under the hood. He wore a pair of glasses, and his eyes twinkled behind them. As the man approached him, he pulled a bag from behind his back and reached inside. Dave was surprised when the man pulled out a spare parka and a pair of mittens, handing them over to him. Instinctively, Dave snatched the bag from the man's hands, eager to put on the gear and escape the blistering cold.

"Better?" the scientist gives him a reassuring look, "Professor Schwaz at your service! Let's begin the tour shall we?"

"But..." Dave took a second to check his surroundings, seeing he is on some airstrip in the middle of the cold mountains, "I barley see any large facilities anywhere?"

"Ah yes, that's because it is underground you see!" Schwaz pointed out, "Come now, our ride awaits us!"

The buggy ride was short, and they finally reached a small building with elevators that supposedly led to the underground research facility; the elevator interior looked unhygienic coming from Dave. "E-excuse me, sir, I expected this place to be more...clean..." He bit his lower lip seeing the rust and grit everywhere.

"Well, I don't blame you, but we focus on function than comfort. This place used to be a military base for training purposes." The professor right beside him gave him the heads up, "It's secluded far from civilization; as long as we aren't making nuclear missiles or war machines, the government could care less what we do."

Dave did not like the position he was in, but it was not only for the money; he needed a job away from the press batting an eye on him. When the elevator reached the underground floor, he could see the age of this place simply by the interior. Assuming a highly advanced research facility would be the most sterile environment out there. It smelled fine for what it is, but it was until the Professor and his assistants directed him to a room filled with computers on desks, multiple people working on each station, stacks of papers everywhere, and a strange-looking chamber just in the middle of the room. He stood idly just by the Professor currently tapping on his tablet in hand.

Schwaz began the conversation, "Shall we begin, Dave? Do you believe it's possible to travel through time?"

Dave was taken aback by the question. "Well, I did live on a mechanical island for a few weeks, so I guess time travel isn't too far-fetched," he replied cautiously.

"Well, spending time at a reality TV show on a mechanical island surely did number on you, eh?"

The mention of Pahkitew Island made Dave's heart race. "You know about Pahkitew?" he asked nervously.

Schwaz chuckled. "Know it? My boy, we're the ones who built it! It was used for a reality TV show a few years back, of course, I only watched the first few episodes. I just didn't have the time to watch teenage reality TV shows. Speaking of Total Drama, I've heard they're planning another season of it somewhere, but I don't know the details of that."

Dave let out a sigh of relief, glad that the professor wasn't aware of his embarrassing breakdown on national television. Schwaz continued to explain the purpose of their meeting. "So Dave, you will be the first human to be traveling through time! We will set a specific time for you to travel 30 minutes into the past. We want you to recall if you have any mental or physical changes when the 30 minutes is up."

A growing concern arose from Dave's frightened voice as he asked, "W-Wait! So, you're just going to send me back in time? How about the risks of, meeting with my past self and creating some time paradox!?"

"Ah yes, typical time travel paranoia." The professor let out another chuckle, "Theoretically speaking, yes it is quite dangerous to meet your past variant in time, but this time travel is different."

Dave's eyebrows raised in confusion. "Different how?"

Schwaz leaned forward, his eyes glowing with excitement. "We're not sending your physical body through time. Rather, we're using a device that will transport your consciousness into your past self 5 minutes ago. So, there's no risk of you running into yourself or creating a paradox."

Dave nodded, feeling slightly relieved but still nervous about the whole concept of time travel. "Okay, I think I understand. But why me? Why was I chosen for this experiment?"

The professor's grin widened. "Well, as you mentioned earlier, you have experience living in a technologically advanced environment. Plus, your time on Pahkitew has made you a bit of a celebrity, which means you have a higher tolerance for the unexpected. We need someone who can handle the psychological strain of time travel."

Dave took a deep breath, his mind racing with questions and uncertainties. But he knew he needed the money, and this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. "Alright, I'll do it. When do we start?"

"We can begin in exactly 5 minutes, we're going to perform a controlled test to see if you can prevent a misfortunate event."

"Misfortunate ho-"

SLAP*

It was suddenly, but Dave was mysteriously whacked in the head by a plank of wood coming from behind him. It was one of the scientists who snuck behind him and gave him a good whack. He cried in agonizing pain for a few minutes before turning around in frustration, "What the?! Why did you do that for?!" he angrily expressed.

The professor quickly reassured the young man, "Don't worry, Dave. This is all part of the experiment. After 15 minutes, we'll put you in the chamber to travel back in time. You'll go back 5 minutes from now to prevent the guy from hitting you in the back of your head. If you can do that, we'll know if it works." Schwazz started setting up the parameters of the time machine by entering the exact date and time when Dave had been injured into his tablet. "I'll do some last-minute calibrations on the chamber. In the meantime, just take this tablet and wait at that empty desk over there."

With the tablet in his possession, Dave quietly walked to the empty desk and sat on the chair with his heart racing. He did not expect to be the first-ever time traveler in the world. Perhaps this could be the turning point of a remarkable breakthrough in science. All he has to do is travel to the past and stop that guy from hitting...

"Hang on...this tablet here," he could examine the interface of the tablet that displayed the current time and date. The professor had configured it to be 15 minutes into the past. "If this thing works, then I could...no...I can't!"

If this experiment did manage to let him travel into his past self, he could go back to the first day of spending time on Pahkitew Island and change the course of events that befell him. The idea was silly, but Dave didn't really expect an opportunity like this still examining the tablet's user interface. The thought of going back in time gave him an uneasy sensation. What if it didn't work? Will he end up lost in some space-time rift? All these questions carried a weight on his head, but he took a look back on his horrible time on the dreaded reality T.V. show. The constant pain from challenges, the environment, and all of the filth and mess that came into contact with him. Not to mention what happened with Scarlet, and his derailment for one girl. He could pretty much go for a redo. This may be the only time he could ever have, and he's willing to risk his life for it.

Quickly with his fingers, he stealthily changed the date and time displayed on the tablet to an estimate of when the first episode of Pahkitew Island aired. Two years into the past may be far off from the 5 minutes he was supposed to travel,

"The checks are done!" The professor called out for Dave from a few feet away, "My boy, you can hit the button to begin the warm-up phase!"

"A-Alright!" Dave hid his anxious face, as he carefully pressed on the button on the screen to begin the time chamber.

As the time chamber hummed to life, Professor Schwaz and the other scientist marveled at its magnificent glow not paying attention to Dave from the back. Schwaz took a big relieving sigh, "Ha good! It did not explode like last time. Now Dave, please come forth now while we prepare for the time injection."

Just walking down the ramp gave Dave apounding heart wigh the humming time chamber growing louder, he felt his anxiety rising. The machine was taller than he was, with a sleek metal exterior that gleamed in the dim light of the laboratory. The humming sound was deep and steady, like a heartbeat, and the faint glowing light cast an eerie glow on the surrounding walls. He could feel the energy emanating from the time chamber, like a powerful force field. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should go through with the experiment.

"Okay...I'm ready!"

Schwaz carefully escorted Dave inside the chamber as he opened the round glass sliding panel of it and told him to stand still. There was no turning back now, Dave was only minutes away from becoming the first...or last time traveler. The hum and glow of the chamber grew exponentially intense, the scientists from each table effortlessly monitoring the condition of the chamber as well as Dave.

One scientist at his workstation called out, "The heart rate of the test subject is abnormally high!"

"That's normal, he is going to be time-traveling after all!" Schwaz smiled, standing within a few feet of the chamber, "Prepare for the injection!"

Another scientist from across the room glimpsed at the monitor, "Preparing for time injection at the given date, two years into the past!" She hit the enter key with no hesitation and the whole chamber began glowing vividly.

"Yes! We're about to make-" Schwaz took a pause for a second hearing, "-Two years!? Wait! that's not the given date time! Dave! What did you-"

A quick flash of light struck like lightning came from within the interior of the chamber, leaving behind only an empty interior of the chamber. To the professor's surprise, the chamber appeared flawlessly intact.

"Um sir, it appears that Dave modified the date on the tablet to be two hours in the past," one scientist ran to Schwaz. "That's way past our window of 5 minutes, is there any way we can bring him back?"

Schwaz replied, "Well... I'm afraid not, I didn't expect a subject to travel so far into the past to make a return feature. Without any way to send him back to the present, he's going to have to relive those two years of his life."