[ WP ] After reading hundreds , maybe thousands , of stories of people creating Time Machines and failing . You guess why , and decide to be the first to create the `` Arrival '' port of a Time Machine .

When Dr Thom Schazer entered the conference room at the Geneva Institute of Sciences, assisted by his colleague Dr Brian Ferro, the gathered scientific luminaries fell silent. All eyes tracked the fragile eighty year-old as he took to the podium. 
 
 “ It ’ s been a week since you ’ ve received my dissertation, my friends, ” began Dr Schazer, wasting no time on pleasantries. “ You have questions, no doubt. We have some time before we activate the Arrival Port, so let ’ s not waste it. ” 
 
 A buzz went up in the air at the mention of the Arrival Port – at last, the massive contraption in the adjacent laboratory, separated from the crowd by thick glass panes, had a name. 
 
 “ Yes, you over there. Dr Chen, is that right? ” 
 
 Dr Chen stood up, holding the sheaf of papers tightly in his hand. His stance was combative, his tone accusatory. “ You did not tell me that you would be using my mathematical theorems in your research. Why? ” 
 
 “ I gave you full credit, Dr Chen. Besides, you may have proven that time travel is theoretically possible, but when we last met, you refused to accept that you may not have considered the whole picture. Forgive me for not being inclined to try and change your mind again. Next! ” 
 
 Spurred to alertness by the terse exchange, a number of hands shot up energetically. Dr Schazer pointed at a middle-aged portly man. 
 
 “ Dr Schazer, I ’ m Dr Henderson, representing the Timeous Coalition. We have invested untold fortunes into… ” 
 
 “ We know who you represent, ” interrupted Dr Schazer, “ though I do not say that ungratefully. Your experiments have taught me much, and for that too I have given credit. ” 
 
 “ That ’ s my question, Dr Schazer. Why do you think your efforts will succeed where ours, hundreds upon hundreds of attempted time leaps, have failed? ” 
 
 A smile broke out across Dr Schazer ’ s face, highlighting the wrinkled contours with great effect. “ That is because our preliminary tests were successful. You are only here today to witness it for yourself, to see the crucial cog you all have missed. Who would have thought all you needed was a companion device in the present time to attune the time phase for time travel to work? ” 
 
 A cacophony of voices arose at the same time, drowning out the beginnings of a response from Dr Henderson. 
 
 “ Bollocks! We came here for proof, not flimsy conjectures! ” 
 
 “ As I ’ ve proven in my own studies, time travel is actually impossible! I can ’ t wait to see your faces when this demonstration fails too! ” 
 
 “ Did you account for Merryman ’ s Conflux Dilemma? I don ’ t see any resolution there! ” 
 
 Dr Schazer raised a hand, and the furore slowly died down. When he had the room captive again, Dr Schazer spoke, this time in a tone which hinted at the toll this odyssey had exacted on him. “ I will let my colleague answer the rest of your queries. Dr Brian Ferro may be young, but his mind is exceedingly sharp, and this project would not have been possible without him. ” 
 
 “ Thank you, Dr Schazer, ” said Dr Ferro. “ Now, then, one at a time. Yes, you over there? ” 
 
 The next 25 minutes slipped away like fine sand in a broken hourglass as Dr Brian Ferro fielded the questions expertly, deflecting the brickbats, earnestly answering the points of clarification. Finally, a small bell rang, and Dr Schazer removed a remote control from his pockets. 
 
 “ It is time, my friends. Witness history in the making. ” 
 
 Dr Schazer pushed a button, and the lights flickered as the overbearing hum of the generators kicked in, feeding massive amounts of energy through the gigantic power cables to the Arrival Port. Rapt attention was focused on the LED indicators alongside the Arrival Port as they flared to life, indicating full operational capacity. 
 
 Then, the metallic door to the Arrival Port slid open noiselessly, revealing the contents within. 
 
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 After the generators had shut down, after the crowd had dispersed, after the ringing ridicule had finally stopped echoing from the walls, Dr Ferro found himself the sole remaining occupant of the conference room. The chairs were in disarray, and copies of Dr Schazer's prized dissertation littered the floor. 
 
 Dr Ferro waited, and he was ready when his phone eventually rang. He picked it up on the first ring. 
 
 “ Yes, it is over. Of course he was enraged when the Arrival Port failed! He insisted his calculations were still correct, but no one will believe him now. I ’ m just glad he never suspected that I switched out the circuitry at the last minute, there ’ s no telling what he would have done if he knew I was sabotaging the device. Make no mistake though, we may have delayed this for another 50, 60 years, but someone ’ s going to figure out eventually that Dr Schazer was correct. You ’ d better find another agent then, I ’ m not doing this anymore. ” 
 
 Dr Ferro wrapped up the call with a promise to file his report, then double-checking to make sure he was alone, he pushed a hidden button on the underside of his wristwatch. 
 
 And Dr Ferro vanished. 
 
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 /r/rarelyfunny
