Charlotte's Time Machine [COMPLETED]

I love you

I shut down my multi-touch table and leaned back against my chair. Sighing as I placed my hands at the back of my head. I closed my eyes as sleep was taking over.

I spent the entire day and night trying to catch up to work from where I left off. Everything was disorganized and a pile of papers stacked up on my desk. It was a mess.

Some wanted approval for new scientific projects. Some wanted more products. Some wanted my signature to finalize a deal with a company, others could be contracts from other companies who wanted to work together in some projects. Some were from trainees who wanted to train here but I usually reject most of them. Only the best are allowed here. It was a secret place after all.

These trainees never know about this place, some only the name and some know absolutely nothing; the government send their files without them knowing. I usually pick one from thousands after an approval from the ministers of defense and health.

They must go through many processes just to be allowed in. Even when that happens, they're blind folded all the way till here. We are an underground lab still.

I almost fell asleep when I heard my phone ringing. I groaned and picked it up without looking at the ID. It is 3 am, can't they give me a break?

''Yes?''

''Hey Charlotte. Sorry to call at this time.'' It was Olivia. We're in the same building, why is she calling?

Is she that lazy that she would give me a call rather than come over?

''You need to come to the main room right now.'' I frowned at her shaky tone. She sounded breathless but not from physical activity, more of fear and nervousness.

I stood up and questioned her for a reason, while grabbing my lab coat.

"We have a problem. A big one." I couldn't help but yawn in to the phone and answered with a sure, before hanging up.

I wore my coat and placed my phone in my pocket. I was confused at what problem she meant. If there's problem in the main room, then there's probably a problem in the machine. I don't like the sound of that.

I didn't want to jump to assumptions but I can't help not to. I closed the lights to my office as I opened the door and stepped out. I closed the door to hear it automatically lock itself before walking down the long white hall.

It was empty since everyone left home; only I and usually, Olivia are the ones left. The security guards were here but stood by the entrances and the exits.

In a few minutes as I walked down the stairs and to the ground floor, I reached the main room doors. I used my key card and the doors slid open. I walked in to see Olivia, my left hand in almost everything and Christopher, who was one of our best mechanical engineers and a great friend too.

I heard the door slide back closed and walked to their direction. they stood behind the machine, the back cover was open and their faces were hidden inside of it.

"So, what's the emergency?" I asked, smiling with tiredness in my eyes.

Olivia gave me a worrisome stare and Christopher had his head down, his hands were inside the machine as he was placing a plutonium cover over some wires for protection.

I stood beside them to look through the engine. As soon as my eyes landed on the tubes, my smile fell. I already knew what the problem was.

This was bad. This was really bad.

"The tubes are empty. We only got a half a tube left." Olivia spoke as I stared at the three tubes, two empty and the third is almost half way done. These tubes are the fuel for this machine, without it, there's no way we can send Veronica back home.