Chapter 6: Into the Jungle

In the aftermath of the lab’s defense, Alec’s mentor, Yusen, explains the workings of the device he used to send the hostile tribe back to their time. His explanation, though technical and layered in complex details, only deepens the suspicions of Alec’s adoptive father, Ken. Ken watches Yusen with narrowed eyes, sensing that there’s more to this technology—and to Yusen—than meets the eye. Memories of his past and the tragic loss of his wife, Cait, resurface. Driven by his need to protect Alec at all costs, Ken insists on joining the team.

“I’m coming with you,” Ken states firmly, his gaze steely. “I won’t let what happened before happen again.”

The team sets out, this time four strong: Alec, Ken, Ulburt, Ruson, and Snow. With Yusen remaining at the lab, acting as their "man in the chair," they make their way deep into the jungle, following coordinates that pinpoint the tribe’s base. Despite their high-tech equipment and navigation tools, the journey is unsettling. The jungle is alive with the sounds of unseen creatures, its dense foliage and twisting vines creating an eerie maze.

As they close in on the tribe’s location, their communication devices suddenly fail. Alec checks his gear, frustration growing as he realizes that all signals have gone dead. They’re in a dead zone—a place where time’s disturbances have created pockets of temporal energy that block communication and disrupt technology. Without contact with Yusen or any of their modern tools, they’re forced to rely solely on their instincts and skills to survive.

Pressing forward, they finally reach the tribe’s base. Strange, primitive structures stand among the trees, and an ominous silence hangs over the area. They ready the device Yusen had given them, hoping it will send the tribe back to their original time. But as Alec activates the device, nothing happens. They quickly realize, with sinking dread, that something in this place—perhaps the intense temporal energy—is blocking its function.

In the next instant, the tribe descends on them. They’re swiftly overpowered and captured, their weapons and gear stripped away. As they’re led deeper into the heart of the base, the grim reality of their situation becomes apparent. The tribe leaders, suspicious and furious, decree that the intruders must pay for disrupting their lives. They’re to be publicly executed in sixteen hours.

Locked in a small cell, Ken, Ruson, Ulburt, and Snow sit in silence, the weight of their fate settling heavily upon them. Alec, however, is nowhere to be found. They realize that the tribe must see something special in him, perhaps even tied to Lina’s importance in their beliefs.

Back at the lab, Yusen receives a brief garbled transmission before the signal cuts off entirely. He realizes with horror that they’re cut off and on their own. Knowing the clock is ticking, he races against time, desperately searching for any solution that could save them.