Decision

“Question one,” Paavo said, suddenly shifting from his flashy demeanor to a cold, serious expression as he sat down in his chair. “How do you plan to travel back in time?”
“Did you kidnap Gaku? He has all the documents for this time travel thing,” I responded, narrowing my eyes.
Paavo ignored my question entirely and moved on. “Question two,” he said, leaning forward. “Have you ever heard of the tree theory?”
“The tree theory?” I repeated, confused.
“Let’s say that time moves in one straight line,” Paavo began, gesturing as if drawing an invisible timeline in the air. “If a time traveler comes from the future to the past, a branch might be created. If a time traveler on that branch travels back in time again, they might make another branch. Repeat this enough times, and you’ll start to see a tree forming. That’s the tree theory.”
“Why are you asking me this?” I asked cautiously.
“Because there’s one more thing about this theory,” Paavo said, his gaze darkening. “If someone travels far enough back in time, before the branches are made, they might be able to enter other timelines entirely. We’ve seen a dangerous number of different AI systems here in the future. And Rui… you might be the cause of that.”
“Tsk!” I hissed, realizing the implications of what he was saying. If I was responsible for enabling the AI robots to travel back in time and cross into other timelines, then…
Paavo leaned back in his chair, observing me closely. “From what we’ve seen on your arm—those digits etched there—they resemble worldline numbers. But the number doesn’t match ours. That’s a clear sign you’re from another timeline.”
“And what now?” I asked bitterly. “Prison? Death penalty?”
“That was the original plan,” Paavo admitted, his tone chilling. “But we’ve decided on something else.”
“What do you want?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.
“We want you to end the AI war in the past, the current AI war in the present, and eliminate the AI systems from the other timeline,” Paavo declared. “We’ll give you an army, materials to build whatever machines you need, and any resources you require. All you have to do is end the wars. Do that, and you, your friends, and your family will be free. Is that a deal?”
“Leave my friends and my family out of this,” I said firmly, meeting his gaze. “I’m the only one who traveled here and brought AI from another timeline. This is my responsibility, not theirs.”
Paavo smirked faintly. “Well then, we’ll get started tomorrow morning,” he said, standing up and brushing imaginary dust off his coat. “And you better not mess up.”
Paavo suddenly turned his attention to Maria, squinting at her attire. “Hey, what did I tell you about the dress code?”
Maria crossed her arms and sighed. “Yeah… about that…” she muttered. “There is no way I’m dressing flashy.”
“You, as the vice-president, should follow my path,” Paavo insisted, gesturing dramatically to his paint-splattered ensemble. “So dress flashy!”
“Nah…” Maria replied flatly.
“Boooorrrriiiinnnggg,” Paavo groaned, throwing his head back theatrically.
“Hey, uhm…” I interjected awkwardly, stepping between them. “Can I… leave?”
“Yeah, sure. Follow me,” Maria said, already heading for the door. Before we left, she glanced back at Paavo with an exasperated look. “Oh, one more thing, Paavo. You can be as flashy as you want, but could you please stop dripping paint on the carpets?”
“Yeah, yeah, get out of here,” Paavo replied, waving her off dismissively with a dramatic swing of his hand.
Maria led me through the building to the exit. As soon as we stepped outside, I was hit by a blinding yellow light.
“Ahh… it’s morning,” Maria said, taking a deep breath and enjoying the breeze.
I looked around, squinting at the artificial landscape. “Hey… are we underground?”
“Yep,” Maria confirmed casually. “We’re hundreds of kilometers underground. This way, the AI can’t find us.”
“So… the sun, the weather, all of this is fake,” I said, staring at the glowing sky above.
Maria smirked slightly. “Didn’t you live your whole life like that?”
“Well, I never really enjoyed it,” I admitted, turning back toward the direction of the hotel.
“One more thing!” Maria called after me. I turned around to see her waving with a rare, genuine smile. “Good luck.”
I raised my hand in a wave and nodded before continuing my walk back to the hotel.
Back at the hotel, I stepped inside the room to find my dad lounging on the bed, idly scrolling through his phone.
“Oh, you’re back. Is Gaku also back?” he asked without looking up.
“He hasn’t returned yet?” I asked, slightly concerned.
“Nope.”
Without another word, I turned and left the room, closing the door behind me. Two possibilities ran through my mind: one, Gaku was still at the lab overworking himself; or two, he’d been kidnapped. But knowing him, it was probably option one.
When I arrived at the lab, my hunch was correct. Gaku was slumped over a table, barely awake.
“The machines are almost done,” Gaku whispered, his voice weak as he tried to keep his eyes open.
“Oi, Gaku,” I said, shaking him gently. “You should stop overworking yourself.”
“I need to finish this…” he muttered stubbornly, his exhaustion evident.
“I’ll get my father to finish it. You need some rest!” I insisted, pulling him up.
“Are you sure?” he asked weakly, his eyelids drooping.
“Yes.”
With that, I wrapped my arm around him and brought him back to the hotel. As soon as he hit the bed, Gaku fell into a deep sleep.
Even though exhaustion pulled at my body, sleep was elusive. Too much had happened, and the day had already begun. Stepping outside the hotel to clear my mind, I was immediately greeted by Maria.
“Hey there,” she said casually, her presence catching me off guard. “I got scientists and workers to start on the time travel machine. You just need to give them instructions.”
“Right, thanks,” I said, my insomnia weighing heavily on me. Before she could leave, I blurted out, “By the way, can I have a bigger lab to work in?”
“Yeah, sure,” Maria replied without hesitation. “Give me two hours, and I’ll have one prepared for you.”
“Thanks,” I said, watching her walk away.
Turning to the workers who had followed Maria, I gathered their attention. “Alright, ladies and gentlemen,” I called out. “Here’s a paper with the location of a lab I hired. Go there and make sure the machines are stable according to these documents.” I handed over the time travel blueprints along with the address. “I’ll check in with you all in two hours. Don’t fail me.”
The group nodded and set off in unison. Just as I was about to continue my walk, my father appeared behind me.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.
“Good timing,” I replied, shoving the weight of responsibility onto him. “Go join that group of people. You’re the leader now. Make sure everything works.”
“I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but… aye aye, captain,” he said with a small salute before heading off.
Relieved, I turned to leave again, only to have Nagumo suddenly jump on my back.
“Good morning!” he said, his energy starkly contrasting with my own.
“Ah yes, you. Get off,” I groaned, trying to shake him off.
“You seem to be in a bad mood,” he said, sliding to the ground. “What’s going on?”
I took a deep breath before responding. “I just feel like everything’s on my shoulders. There’s so much riding on this, and I’m terrified of failing because I know I can’t repeat this.”
Nagumo studied me for a moment before breaking into a grin. “Looks like you need help,” he said matter-of-factly. “You don’t need to do everything on your own. You’ve got me, Gaku, your dad, and Layla. We’re all in this together.”
A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. “And this is why you’re my best friend,” I said. “Thanks, man.”
“Always,” Nagumo replied with a thumbs-up. “Now, since you know this city pretty well from your walk yesterday, I need new clothes. Bring me to a good shop.”
With that, the two of us set off. My resolve hardened. I wasn’t just carrying this burden alone—I had a team, a family, and friends by my side. Together, we were going to win this war.

***

A week had passed since then, and everything was coming together. Thanks to the help of countless individuals, the time travel machines were finally ready. Multiple copies, all built according to the documents we had. My father had been leading the team of engineers, guiding them through the complex process with his usual calm determination.
Meanwhile, Gaku had been orchestrating the strategy. He meticulously planned our next moves, focusing first on entering the other timeline to stop the AI there. That, in turn, would help us resolve the war in the past. Afterward, we’d turn our attention to ending the ongoing war. The plan felt solid, but I knew we had to act fast.
Nagumo, ever the eccentric strategist, had been training me how to fight alongside the Russian military. It was an odd sight, but it was proving useful. Nagumo believed, without question, that he was the main character in some grand anime story, and honestly, I couldn’t argue with the results. His fighting skills were on point, and I couldn’t deny that I was learning a lot.
As for Layla, we managed a few brief calls, but the connection was unreliable at best. Despite this, the war in the past seemed to be in a stable condition, with humans holding their ground against the AI. It wasn’t easy, but they were making progress.
Despite the chaos and uncertainty, I couldn’t help but feel a sliver of hope. We had a chance. I could feel it. We were on the brink of something monumental, and with the team we had, I believed we could win this.
And then, the day had finally arrived. Everything we had worked for, everything we had sacrificed—it all led to this moment. We had the machines ready, capable of sending hundreds of people back in time. Our army, stronger than we ever imagined, stood ready for battle. The plan was set, the path clear. All we had to do now was see it through.
We weren’t just fighting for ourselves, we were fighting for the future, for everyone who would come after us. The stakes couldn’t have been higher, but our resolve was unshakable.
“Alright, everyone!” I shouted, looking at the group gathered before me. “Let’s finish this war!”
“YEAAAHHH!!!” The roar of our army shook the ground, fists raised high, a wave of energy and determination flooding through the ranks. We were ready. Ready to end the conflict, to secure victory, no matter the cost.

To be continued…

[Author’s note:]
Fun fact: This chapter was originally supposed to be the final one of the entire series! But, I may have underestimated just how much dialogue there is in this story. Let’s hope I can finish everything in time!
Also, Happy New Year to everyone! Wishing you all a year full of excitement and good vibes.