Chapter 13: Another Version

Time: 2048
Location: Berlin, Global Innovation Center – Core Room

The fractured timeline rippled through the ChronoNet core, sending waves of unease across the team. The red glow dimmed slightly, replaced by an unstable pulse—neither solid nor flickering, as if the system was trying to find balance but couldn’t quite lock in.

Helena sat at the console, running her fingers over the interface with a precision that betrayed her rising panic. “The timeline has fractured, but...” she trailed off, staring at the data feeds. “It’s not settling. It’s still fluctuating.”

Theo stood rigid, his heart pounding in his chest. “What does that mean?”

Helena shook her head slowly. “It means we’re in unknown territory. The timeline isn’t stable, and it’s refusing to align itself with any version we know.” She glanced at Theo, her voice quieter. “Something out there is resisting the fracture.”

Kalen stood by the wall, his arms crossed, watching the unfolding situation with that infuriating smirk plastered across his face. “And now we get to find out if you made the right choice, Theo.”

Theo shot him a sharp glare. “Do you ever shut up?”

Kalen chuckled. “Not when things are getting this interesting.”

New Temporal Data Incoming.

Helena tapped into the feed, her hands moving fast over the console. “I’m getting something—new entries. They aren’t from our original timeline or the fractured one we created.”

Theo’s brow furrowed. “A third version?”

“Yes,” Helena murmured, disbelief creeping into her voice. “There are small, but significant changes across multiple points. Historical markers we never touched—events altered before we could even react.”

Kalen leaned forward. “Looks like we’re not the only ones meddling.”

Theo narrowed his eyes. Who else could be working behind the scenes?

Then a chilling thought struck him. “This new timeline... Is it coming from one of the agents you mentioned, Kalen? Another faction?”

Kalen’s smile deepened. “That’s the thing, Theo. Sometimes the enemy isn’t a shadowy organization. Sometimes...” He paused, savoring the tension in the room. “It’s an ally you didn’t know you had.”

00:09:58 – Incoming Signal Identified.

The console flashed with a new alert: "Connection Request – Unknown Protocol."

Theo stiffened. “That can’t be from our network.”

“It isn’t,” Helena confirmed, her voice tense. “The signal’s riding along the ChronoNet’s framework, but it’s not coming from us. It’s piggybacking—same as the transmitter we found earlier.”

Kalen tilted his head. “Looks like someone’s finally making contact.”

Theo exchanged a glance with Helena. “Do we let it through?”

Helena hesitated, her fingers hovering over the control panel. “If we do, we risk exposing the entire system.”

“We’ve already fractured the timeline,” Theo muttered grimly. “What’s one more risk?”

Kalen gave a low chuckle. “Spoken like a true time traveler.”

Theo ignored him. “Let it through, Helena.”

Helena nodded reluctantly and tapped the control. The screen flickered, and a new interface blossomed on the display—a circular logo pulsing with an unfamiliar design: two intersecting rings, with a jagged line cutting through their center.

The connection stabilized. And then a voice—smooth, calculated—spoke through the speakers.

“Well, well. Looks like we’re finally talking.”

Theo leaned closer to the console. “Who is this?”

The voice gave a soft chuckle. “You’ve already met me, Theo. Just not... yet.”

Theo’s blood ran cold. Another version of himself?

Helena’s eyes widened. “What is this?”

The voice continued. “Let’s just say I’ve been watching you. And you’ve been walking a dangerous line.”

Kalen’s grin widened. “Now this is getting fun.”

Theo kept his voice steady. “If you know so much, then tell us—what’s your endgame?”

The voice on the other end hesitated, as if savoring the moment. “You’ve already started the fracture. Now, the only question left is this: Will you keep pushing forward? Or will you try to fix what can’t be repaired?”

00:03:47 into Communication

Theo clenched his fists. “You think you know what we’re going to do?”

“I don’t think, Theo,” the voice replied smoothly. “I know.”

Helena cut in, frustration lacing her voice. “If you know so much, then why don’t you stop playing games and tell us what you want?”

The voice chuckled again. “Because the only way to learn is through experience, Helena. You can’t skip ahead to the answers.”

Kalen’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “You see, that’s the problem with time travel—you always think you’re smarter than yourself.”

Theo ignored Kalen, his mind racing. “You’re saying... you’ve lived this before? This exact sequence?”

The voice paused. “In some ways, yes. But every time, things unfold just a little differently.”

Theo’s stomach turned. A loop—one that repeats, but changes slightly each time.

“We’re done with loops,” Theo said firmly. “We’re moving forward.”

The voice was silent for a moment, as if considering his words. Then: “Good. Because if you stop now, you won’t survive what’s coming.”

Theo exchanged a look with Helena, who gave him a small nod—silent confirmation that they needed to stay the course, no matter the cost.

Connection Terminated.

The circular logo flickered and vanished, leaving them in the dim glow of the core room. Theo leaned back from the console, his heart still racing.

Kalen let out a satisfied sigh. “Well, that was enlightening.”

Theo glared at him. “You’ve been unusually quiet about this whole thing, Kalen. What do you know?”

Kalen’s grin widened. “I know this: You’re not just fighting to control history anymore, Theo. You’re fighting yourself.”

Helena’s voice was grim. “We need to be ready. Whoever—or whatever—is behind this... They’ve been one step ahead of us from the start.”

Theo nodded slowly. “No more waiting. We take the fight to them.”

Kalen chuckled. “Now we’re talking.”