The Immortal Gazette studio was quiet, the flicker of enchanted lights casting long shadows across the walls. Loki lounged in his chair, fingers tapping absently on his glass, his gaze distant. Rumplestiltskin, always the one to stir up mischief, stood near the fire, his voice low as he began to speak. Alice, as usual, was practically bouncing on the edge of her seat, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. It was clear that tonight's tale was going to be one for the ages.
"Tonight, we delve into one of the great what-ifs of science fiction," Alice began, her tone playful but with a hint of something deeper. "We’re talking about The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. A machine that can take you to any point in time—past, present, future. But the question remains: Can we really change the course of history, or are we doomed to watch it unfold, helpless?"
Rumplestiltskin smirked, turning to face the others. "Ah, the Time Traveler. He’s a curious fellow, isn’t he? A man of science and ambition, eager to prove that time is just another frontier to conquer. So he builds his machine—a contraption that will allow him to journey through time itself, to visit the distant future, to see the end of the world and beyond. It’s a bold idea, if you ask me. But we know how those things tend to end."
Loki raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Bold, yes. But perhaps also a little… reckless? After all, if you can travel through time, what does that make you? A spectator, a god, or perhaps something more dangerous? The Time Traveler goes to the future, expecting to see the fruits of mankind’s efforts. What he finds instead is a world that has, in many ways, lost its way. The future isn’t a shining utopia—it’s a decay, a hollowed-out version of what humanity could have been."
Alice leaned forward, her voice carrying the weight of unspoken knowledge. "Exactly. The future the Time Traveler discovers is a world inhabited by two distinct species: the Eloi and the Morlocks. The Eloi, delicate and fragile, are the product of a society that has evolved into passivity. They’ve lost the will to fight, to think for themselves. And then there are the Morlocks—those creatures that live in the dark, underground, doing the labor the Eloi are too weak to do. It’s a society built on a terrible inequality, one where the once-great human race has split into two factions—one privileged, the other enslaved."
Rumplestiltskin chuckled darkly. "It’s almost poetic, isn’t it? The Eloi, once the masters, now reduced to mere children of the future, and the Morlocks—their very existence a reminder of what happens when society crumbles beneath its own weight. It’s as if time itself punished humanity for its excesses and mistakes. The Time Traveler, like all of us, assumes that progress is linear—that the future will be an improvement. But what he finds is a stark reality: Sometimes progress leads to stagnation. Sometimes, the more we advance, the further we fall."
Loki’s eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. "You know, I can’t help but think that Wells might’ve been making a subtle point about human nature. Here’s the Time Traveler, this man of science, believing that by controlling time, he can control destiny. But what he fails to see is that no matter how much power we think we have over time, it will always have the final word. And let’s not forget his ultimate fate—he leaves, knowing that the future is not some place of endless possibility, but a grim reflection of humanity’s own failings."
Alice twirled her cup in her hands, a soft, knowing smile playing on her lips. "It’s the ultimate lesson, isn’t it? That time is not something to be controlled or manipulated. The Time Traveler tries to change the course of his life, to stop the inevitable, but in the end, all he does is watch as it unfolds. In his quest to control time, he becomes a mere spectator to its power. And perhaps that’s the tragedy of it all—his inability to do anything but observe the consequences of his own actions. Time moves forward, no matter how desperately we try to hold it still."
Rumplestiltskin nodded slowly, his voice a mix of admiration and cynicism. "Yes, and don’t forget the paradox at play here. The Time Traveler cannot help but change the past, even when he’s trying to avoid it. It’s a cycle, a loop, a never-ending spiral. The more we try to change time, the more we solidify it. A fascinating concept, don’t you think? The very attempt to control the future is what ensures its inevitability."
Loki let out a small laugh, his voice low and amused. "The Time Traveler might’ve thought he could escape the consequences of his own choices, but in the end, time was the one in control. And that’s the beauty of it all. No matter how many machines we build, how many plans we hatch, we’re all just drifting through time. And in the end, we’ll all meet the same fate. Some of us just take a little longer to realize it."
Alice’s expression grew serious for a moment, her tone becoming reflective. "In the end, H.G. Wells isn’t just telling us a story about time travel. He’s telling us a story about humanity. About our arrogance, our hubris, and our inability to see the world as it truly is. The Time Traveler is both a hero and a fool—heroic in his quest to understand time, but foolish in his belief that he can escape its grasp. The real question is, did he learn anything by the end? Or was he just another casualty of his own ambition?"
Rumplestiltskin’s voice softened as he added, "Perhaps, in the end, time is the only thing that truly knows what’s best for us. And no matter how hard we fight, we’ll never be able to outrun it."
The Verdict: The Time Machine by H.G. Wells isn’t just a tale of futuristic technology and the quest to control time—it’s a deeper exploration of human nature and the consequences of our actions. The Time Traveler’s journey through the future reveals that progress isn’t always what it seems. Sometimes, what we think is improvement is merely the prelude to decay. In his quest to conquer time, the Time Traveler learns the hard truth that time doesn’t bend to our will—it marches forward, regardless of our desires. And in the end, no matter how much power we think we have, time will always have the final say.
Alice, her arms still crossed, shot a look between Loki and Rumplestiltskin. The fire crackled beside them, the flickering light casting an eerie glow as they all settled into an uncomfortable silence. Finally, Loki, the trickster himself, broke the stillness with a resigned sigh.
"Okay, okay, you caught us. I know we promised to tell the real story of The Time Machine, but truth be told… well, we tweaked a few things. We embellished. Alright, a lot."
Alice raised an eyebrow. "You embellished? Like, a little dramatic flair, or full-on creative rewrite?"
Loki shrugged nonchalantly, clearly unrepentant. "A bit of both, honestly. Wells had this whole future, post-apocalyptic vibe, right? The Time Traveler hops into the future, sees two groups of people—Eloi and Morlocks. The Eloi, all passive and delicate, and the Morlocks... creepy, underground dwellers who did all the hard labor. It’s a big metaphor about class division, humanity’s decline, and all that deep, philosophical mumbo-jumbo. But—" He gave an exaggerated pause for effect. "There’s not a whole lot of action in there. Just a lot of… thinking. A lot of thinking. Who wants to sit through pages of some guy just pondering, right?"
Rumplestiltskin, scratching at his chin, reluctantly added, "Yeah, Wells was more into the whole reflective vibe. The Time Traveler goes to the future, sees the Eloi and Morlocks, and gets sad about what’s happened to humanity. That’s it. No big fight, no high-stakes showdown. No heroic speeches. The guy just… observes. It’s basically a warning about how time could make us forget our past mistakes, but there’s no grand battle, no redemption arc. Just a sad guy in a weird future."
An intern stepped forward, blinked, her tone incredulous. "So you’re telling me that the big, dramatic, tension-filled story we’ve been hearing isn’t even the original? That’s not even what happens?"
Loki, looking defensive, gestured grandly. "Okay, fine. You caught me. But you have to admit, it's a way more interesting story with the extra stuff. The Time Traveler does some crazy stuff, right? He's not just some guy sitting around on a giant machine. He’s an adventurer, a man who goes into a future world, and of course, in our version—well, we had him face off against the Morlocks, get in some life-or-death battles with them, even have a moment of philosophical tension about humanity's doomed path. We threw in some romance, some big speeches, some drama. You know, things to keep people interested!"
Rumplestiltskin snorted. "Oh, sure, we made it sound like there was a fight for the future, but truth is, Wells never gave the Traveler a chance to do anything about it. He was just a witness. It’s not that grand. You read it, and you’re like, ‘That’s it? He just... looks at things, shrugs, and says ‘well, I guess time’s a tricky thing?’'” He shook his head in mock exasperation. "I mean, we couldn’t just leave it at that!"
The intern rolled her eyes, tapping her foot. "So, let me get this straight. In your version, the Time Traveler's out there, fighting Morlocks, giving grand speeches, probably kissing Eloi princesses—while the real story is just this guy sitting there, sulking, and doing a little armchair philosophy on the inevitable destruction of mankind?"
Loki grinned. "Exactly. I mean, we added a little pizazz. There’s nothing wrong with a little drama, right? Who wouldn’t want a hero who, I don’t know, does something? Not just a guy who goes to a post-apocalyptic future, scratches his head, and says, ‘Oh, well. Guess everything’s gone to hell in a handbasket.’"
Rumplestiltskin added with a sigh, "Look, Wells was telling us that humanity’s future wasn’t so much about one big, heroic fight. It was a warning. He showed us two types of people: those who get to live in the sun, and those who end up working underground, doing all the hard labor. The Eloi and the Morlocks? They’re not enemies. They’re just… two sides of the same coin. And the Traveler? He’s just watching it all fall apart. So, yeah, we might have made it sound a little more like the end of the world. But it’s really not. It’s just... time."
Loki leaned back, tapping his fingers against the arm of his chair. "But come on! If we hadn’t thrown in a little extra action, you’d all be falling asleep by chapter three. There’s only so much ‘time's a bitch’ philosophy one can take. So, yeah, we added in a little excitement, a dash of urgency... and maybe, just maybe, gave the Time Traveler a little more purpose. But hey, in our defense, that’s what people want. And... maybe a little drama never hurt anyone."
Alice sighed dramatically, shaking her head. "So let’s clear this up for everyone, shall we? The real story goes like this: The Time Traveler builds a machine, travels to the future, and sees two different factions—those who live in the light, and those who toil in the darkness. The Eloi, delicate and passive, and the Morlocks, working underground. The Time Traveler doesn’t fight anyone. He doesn’t have any grand, life-changing battles or speeches. He doesn’t rescue anyone. He just sees how things turned out when we stopped paying attention to where we were going. There’s no great conclusion, no big finale. Wells’ story is a meditation on time, decay, and the danger of ignoring the past. It’s bleak—but real."
Loki grinned sheepishly. "Well, I still think our version's a lot more fun, but yeah, that's the gist of it. Just don’t go around telling everyone we said it was all true, alright?"
Rumplestiltskin rubbed his forehead. "I mean, the truth is… it’s not even just about the Eloi and the Morlocks. It’s about what happens when we stop caring about where we’re going—when time gets away from us, and all that’s left is a broken world that we can’t fix. Not even with a shiny new machine."
Alice gave them a pointed look. "Well, next time, let's try sticking to the truth, yes? No more trickery. People need to understand what Wells was actually saying. Not just the dramatized version that makes it sound like the Eloi and Morlocks were about to break into a dance-off or something."
The Real Story: The Time Machine by H.G. Wells doesn’t have the action-packed moments we added. The original story follows a Time Traveler who explores a distant future where humanity has divided into two species: the Eloi, gentle but weak, and the Morlocks, monstrous creatures that live underground. The Time Traveler watches this future unfold, but he doesn’t change it. There are no epic battles, no heroic speeches—just a sobering look at time and humanity’s potential to decay if we aren’t careful. Wells' focus was always on the philosophical exploration of time, not saving the world with a big, dramatic showdown.
