The man emerged from the tiny booth, noticeably unsteady on his feet.
The scientist helped him walk across the laboratory and flop down into one of the two armchairs. He gave him a glass of water and sat down opposite, waiting to hear how it had gone. Seeing that the other was still recovering, he got up and checked that the settings on the booth’s dashboard had all been adjusted to rest mode. He was satisfied that all was as it should be with the one-man time machine, it being one of the very few legally and privately owned. The time traveller began to roll his shoulders and massage his neck.
“So, tell me. Did you find what you were looking for?” asked the scientist.
The time traveller shook his head.
“Ah! Sorry to hear that.”
The other sat forward, rubbing his knees and grunting. “I’d forgotten what the world was like back in the 2020s,” he croaked. He looked at the celebrated scientist and friend with a pained expression. “I mean, we all know our history, naturally, but to see it in reality… it was a real mess.” He sagged back into the chair. “Many thanks for letting me try. I know, despite your respected standing, it was still less than legal.”
The other waved him off. “Happy to help, you know that, it was obvious that the attempt meant a lot to you.”
“Yes, it did.” He nodded and gave a weak smile. “I found the road. I even found the house. I knew it would be there. Some of those old manor houses were left standing for centuries, as you know. They were protected…” His exhaustion began to show and he fell silent.
Trying to hide his impatience and natural curiosity the scientist egged him on. In a relaxed voice, he said, “you got in then?”
The other stirred, “Yes, sorry. I did. The place was deserted, of course. It was easy to break in; I was expecting that. Access to the cellar through the camouflaged door in the library was no problem. I found the strongbox.”
“You found it?” the scientist blurted.
“Yes, I found it… but it wasn’t locked.”
The scientist held his breath, then said, “Yes?”
The time traveller slumped back into the chair again, closed his eyes and whispered, “It was empty!” His eyelids flickered as exhaustion began to set in. “It was empty,” he repeated, as he drifted off to sleep.