The Man Who Was Sidetracked from Time to Time

What happens when a scientist creates a machine that he thinks will stop time but it accidentally malfunctions and all his friends disappear? No, I'm legitimately asking you, this isn't a wacky rhetorical question. I genuinely don't know what would happen. Sure, I did just write this book based on that particular premise, but I was just making stuff up. I don't know what you would do in real life. Probably call the police, right? Maybe get your supervisor to inform the OH&S people. You know, play it safe.
The people in this book did not call the relevant authorities. They went off and had an adventure. So, in that respect, this is a bit of a cautionary tale. Adventures are dangerous, you should always call the police if your friends disappear. And you should probably wear sunscreen more often as well. That's unrelated, it's just generally good advice.