Let's Go To War!

Portals rippled open all around us, their glowing edges humming with energy. One by one, they connected us to the year 2025. This was a good sign—it meant Layla had managed to establish a connection.
To fill you in, here's what just happened: I typed in Layla’s phone number, hit ‘call,’ and let the machines do their magic. First, the electrons went through the particle accelerator, building speed. Then, they passed through the quantum converter. From there, an extra device duplicated the electrons, creating multiple portals simultaneously. Swords, lined up with pinpoint precision, sliced the electrons to stabilize the portals. And just like that, a gateway to 2025 was born.
“LEEETT’SS GOOOOOO!!!” Nagumo screamed, his excitement echoing like a war cry.
“RAAAAAHHHH!!!” The army followed, roaring as they charged through the shimmering portals, ready to confront the AI forces in 2025.
Nagumo and my father led the charge, their determination lighting the way. Meanwhile, Gaku and I stayed behind at the machine controls, preparing for the next steps.
“Gimme your phone,” I said, holding out my hand to Gaku.
“Sure…” he replied, handing it over without hesitation.
I walked to another machine, connecting his phone to the system. Then, I typed in Layla’s number and hit ‘call.’ This wasn’t about creating another portal—this was just a call.
“Hello?” Layla’s voice crackled on the other end.
“Have you received the army?” I asked without wasting a moment.
“You mean the 1000 pumped-up men who look like they’ve been training their whole lives for this? Yeah, they’re here,” Layla replied, her tone sharp and ready for action.
“Good,” I said, a weight lifting off my shoulders. “That means phase one is complete. Let’s move on to phase two.”
“Gaku, you ready?” I asked, my gaze fixed on him as he triple-checked the machine.
“Yes I am,” Gaku replied, his voice steady, his eyes alight with determination.
“Alright then.” I nodded, adjusting the straps of my gear. “Layla, meet us at the rendezvous point.”
“Got it,” Layla’s voice echoed from the phone. We disconnected the call, and I took a deep breath. It was time.
“This portal leads to Layla’s house, right?” I asked, pointing to the shimmering vortex before us.
“In theory, this should be it,” Gaku responded, glancing at the documents one last time. His confidence was infectious, but the tension in the air was undeniable.

5 Days Ago:

“Rui, hold on!” Gaku’s voice called out as I wandered through the bustling streets of the city.
“Oh, hey Gaku,” I said, turning toward him. “What’s the matter?”
“How did you make a portal to my house?” he asked, his tone filled with urgency.
“Well…” I began, explaining with a casual shrug, “with a call electron going at the speed of light, I shoot it up to a blade, cutting it in two. The space between it creates a portal.”
“I know that part,” he interrupted, “but how did the portal end up in the basement of my house? The portal didn’t connect with my phone; otherwise, it would’ve opened in Layla’s pocket since she always kept my phone with her while I was in prison.”
Now that he mentioned it, it was strange. I rubbed my chin, thinking it over. “Maybe we should test it again and see where it leads us.”
“Alright, let’s do that,” Gaku agreed.
We headed to our main lab, where workers were buzzing around, tirelessly perfecting the time travel machines. Among the hum of activity, we found one of the completed devices. I connected my phone, dialed Layla’s number, and let the machine do its thing.
The electron accelerated through the machine, sped through the quantum converter, and sliced against the blade, forming a glowing portal. I hesitated for just a second, then stepped through.
“Oh hey, what’s up?” Layla greeted me, lounging casually on her couch with her phone in hand.
“You seem… calm,” I remarked, raising a brow.
“Yeah, the war is on hold,” she replied nonchalantly.
Gaku followed behind me, stepping through the portal. The moment he and Layla locked eyes, they bolted toward each other, embracing tightly.
I decided to ignore their reunion and focus on the portal. Stepping around to examine its origin, I found myself face-to-face with an internet router.
“Hey, Gaku,” I called out. “Is your internet router in the basement?”
“Yes,” he replied, pulling away from Layla. “Why? Did you find something?”
“The electron connects with where the call is mostly received,” I explained, my mind piecing together the puzzle.
“Wait,” Layla interjected, “does that mean the portal could also open in Gaku’s house? I mean, I spend a lot of time there.”
“That’s actually good,” Gaku said, a spark of realization in his voice.
“What do you mean?” I asked, intrigued.
“We can split into two teams: attackers and defenders,” he explained. “One team will fight the AI and distract it, while the other defends the team going to another timeline to shut down the AI there. With the sheer number of people in the Russian civilization, this could work.”

Present Day (2999):

“Alright, are you ready?” I asked Gaku one last time, my heart racing as I stared at the glowing portal.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Gaku said with a confident nod.
Without another word, we stepped into the portal, bracing ourselves for what awaited us on the other side.
“BOO!” Layla shouted as I stepped through the portal, scaring me half to death.
“Heh, classic,” Gaku said, smirking as he followed behind me.
“Oh, come on! That was supposed to scare you!” Layla pouted, clearly disappointed.
“Well, I saw right through your schemes,” Gaku said, crossing his arms dramatically.
“Can we focus?!” I snapped, irritation evident in my voice.
“Sorry,” Layla and Gaku mumbled in unison, bowing apologetically.
Despite being the youngest in the group, I somehow always ended up the most responsible. “Alright, if I’m correct, Nagumo’s team is on the attack, and my father’s team is on defense,” I said, trying to regain control of the situation.
“That’s correct,” my father confirmed, stepping forward from the crowd.
“Gaku, you found a way to time travel to the future, right?”
“Correct,” Gaku said, nodding. “But… it’s only a theory. We didn’t really have the time to test it out.”
“Well, let’s get on with it,” I said, motioning for him to proceed.
Gaku and Layla brought over a machine they’d been working on.
“So, here’s how this works,” Gaku began, gesturing to the device. “When something goes beyond the speed of light, it’s not guaranteed to go back in time—it could also go forward. When the electron is sent, I believe it doesn’t just search for a receiver in the past but also one in the future.”
“That sounds logical,” I replied. “But how are we supposed to contact someone in another timeline?”
“Well,” Gaku explained, “over time—or at least since long in your era—we’ve developed ways to sense what worldline we’re in. This machine finds connections between worldlines. Do you remember the worldline the other AI came from?”
I paused, thinking. “I’m from worldline 241002,” I said, sifting through my memories. “And… 030423. The AI interrogated me in 030423,” I added, recalling the detail I’d glimpsed during that harrowing moment.
“Alright then,” Gaku said, typing the worldline numbers into the machine. His fingers moved quickly as he adjusted settings and hit enter.
The machine hummed to life, its lights flickering in rhythm with its internal mechanics. Suddenly, smoke began to pour out of it. The temperature rose rapidly, the air around it almost cooking.
“Uh… Gaku…” I said cautiously, pointing at the smoke. “Is that normal?”
“Uhhh… no,” Gaku admitted, his face tense. “Everyone back off!” he shouted.
The crowd scattered as the machine began to groan under the strain. And then—BOOM!
The explosion sent parts of the machine flying in every direction. Thankfully, no one was hit, but the blast left us coughing and dazed.
“Is everyone okay?” my father asked, his voice cutting through the haze.
“I’m fine,” I coughed, brushing soot off my sleeves.
“I’m alright!” Layla called out, raising a hand.
“I’m also okay,” Gaku added, though his voice carried a tinge of guilt.
“What now?” I asked, wiping my face.
“Well…” Gaku hesitated before continuing. “I do have another idea, but it’s risky.”
“What is it?” I pressed, narrowing my eyes.
“The AI has a way to come here—it’s probably through another portal. That means they can also return through it. We could… go through their portal,” Gaku explained.
“Is that our only option?” I asked, the weight of his suggestion settling over me.
“Yes, it is,” Gaku said with certainty, though his voice wavered ever so slightly.
I took a deep breath, looking around at the faces of my companions. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

To be continued…

[Author's Note:] 
There is a change in the upload schedule, check the details for more information.