I recognized this bug . It looked the same as the one I had seen in the time machine room .
“ Is that a … Spotted Lanternfly ? Wait a minute . What year did you say we were in ?” “ 2053 . Now leave me alone ,” he grumbled . “ Lanternflies are the bugs that have been appearing in front of the time machine . You said they were slipping in from 2056 ! That ’ s only three years from now !”
“ The Lanternflies won ’ t help us get home . Unless you want them as test subjects for your homemade time machine ,” he scoffed .
The time machine is unilateral . It always has been . So how did the Lanternflies travel forward through time if a time machine didn ’ t exist ? Then it hit me . Maybe one did .
“ That ’ s not a bad idea . I think I figured it out . We can build a time machine . I know for certain we can find a way home . We already have .”
~ Alexander B .
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