Final answer:
a. The Morlocks took it. In "The Time Machine," the time machine was taken by the Morlocks, which is the correct answer to the provided question option 'a'. The time machine's disappearance propels the Time Traveller's interactions with the future world's inhabitants and underscores theoretical discussions about the possibility of time travel through gravity manipulation.
Step-by-step explanation:
In H.G. Wells' novel "The Time Machine", the protagonist finds that his time machine has been taken by the Morlocks after he travels far into the future. This is the correct answer to the question, which is 'a. The Morlocks took it'. The Morlocks are one of two post-human species the Time Traveller encounters in the distant future. While exploring the world of the Eloi, another species that resides on the surface, he realizes his time machine is missing and deduces that the Morlocks have taken it to lure him into their underground lair. The concept of a time machine in literature often ties into discussions about gravity and time machines and the theoretical frameworks of general relativity which suggest that manipulating gravity could potentially allow for time travel. This scientific theoretical underpinning adds depth to the time machine's function in the novel's storyline.