Chapter 17: Fragments of Control

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

The hum of the ChronoNet core thrummed beneath the floor, steady but ominous. Theo stood at the console, his thoughts swirling. They had preserved the timeline—at least for now. But the encounter in ancient Rome still clung to him, like a shadow that refused to lift.

Helena leaned over the interface, her fingers moving with precision. “Diagnostics are holding steady,” she reported. “No new fractures or anomalies... for now.” But her voice carried an edge of doubt. She knew—just as Theo did—that the Architect’s game wasn’t over.

Theo rubbed his temples, exhaustion creeping in. They had dodged one disaster, but at what cost? The Architect was still out there, operating with tools and knowledge far beyond their grasp.

Kalen shifted lazily by the wall, his arms crossed. “So, what’s the next step? We wait until our mysterious friend decides to drop in again? Or do we try to stay ahead for once?”

Theo straightened, forcing himself to focus. “We need to figure out how the Architect keeps staying one step ahead of us.” He turned to Helena. “That anchor we found in Rome—can you pull more data from it? Maybe track where else he’s planted them?”

Helena nodded, though her brow furrowed. “I can try. But pulling temporal residue isn’t easy. It could take time.”

Kalen’s grin widened. “Time we don’t have, right?”

Theo shot him a glare. “Then we make the time.”

New Temporal Data Fragment Detected.

The console flickered as Helena isolated a fragment—another marker embedded deep within the ChronoNet’s structure. Her fingers flew over the interface. “Found something. It’s faint, but it looks like... another anchor. Not in the past this time. It’s in the future.”

Theo’s heart skipped a beat. “How far ahead?”

Helena scanned the readout. “Thirty years. 2078.”

Kalen whistled softly. “So the Architect isn’t just meddling with ancient Rome. He’s planning for the future too.”

Theo leaned closer to the console, his pulse quickening. 2078—another blind spot in time. If the Architect was planting anchors across multiple points, it meant their work wasn’t just random. There was a plan unfolding—one they were only beginning to glimpse.

“Can we access it?” Theo asked, his voice sharp.

Helena bit her lip. “Not directly. We’ll have to sync with the core again and initiate a temporal insertion.”

Theo nodded. “Then that’s what we do.”

Time Insertion Coordinates: March 21, 2078.
Location: New Berlin – Sector Five

The core pulsed brighter as Helena locked in the coordinates. Kalen gave a low chuckle, clearly amused by the prospect of traveling forward instead of back.

“Ever been to the future, Theo?” Kalen asked lightly. “It’s got a funny way of making you regret the present.”

Theo shot him a glance. “You’ve seen it?”

Kalen’s grin didn’t fade. “I’ve seen a lot of things.”

Theo ignored the cryptic response, focusing on the console. They needed to stay sharp. The future was uncharted territory, and the Architect had already proven that he was far better prepared than they were.

Helena’s voice broke through his thoughts. “We’re synced. The portal’s ready.”

Theo exhaled, steadying himself. “Let’s go.”

Time: March 21, 2078
Location: New Berlin – Sector Five

The portal shimmered, depositing them onto the cracked pavement of a wide, empty street. The sky above was a steel-gray expanse, the buildings around them towering but eerily quiet—as though the city had been abandoned long ago.

Theo scanned the surroundings, unease settling deep in his chest. “Where is everyone?”

Helena adjusted her device, running a quick scan. “I’m not picking up any life signs... at least, not nearby.”

Kalen stuffed his hands into his pockets, whistling softly. “Looks like someone hit the fast-forward button on civilization.”

They moved cautiously through the streets, their steps echoing in the silence. Shattered glass littered the ground, and flickering neon signs buzzed weakly in the distance. The remnants of a once-thriving city, now reduced to ruins.

Helena’s device pinged softly, breaking the stillness. “Got it—the anchor’s close. It’s inside that building.” She pointed toward a looming structure at the end of the street, its windows dark and broken.

Theo gave a curt nod. “Let’s move.”

00:03:12 until Anchor Detection.

They slipped through the cracked entrance of the building, their footsteps silent on the debris-strewn floor. The interior was cold, the air thick with dust. Faded posters clung to the walls—advertisements for a future that never came to pass.

Helena’s scanner hummed, the signal growing stronger. “The anchor’s in the lower levels. We’ll need to find a way down.”

Theo spotted a stairwell at the far end of the hall. “There.”

They descended carefully, the steps groaning beneath their weight. The deeper they went, the colder the air became—until it felt as though they were stepping into another world entirely.

At the bottom of the stairs, they found it: the anchor. A sleek device, similar to the one hidden in Rome, embedded in the wall of the underground chamber. Its surface pulsed with a soft blue glow.

Helena knelt beside it, scanning the device. “It’s active. And it’s tied directly to the core—just like the one in Rome.”

Theo’s mind raced. The Architect was laying a network—anchors spread across time, all connected to the core. But for what purpose?

Kalen crouched beside him, his grin gone. “Looks like someone’s been busy.”

Anchor Analysis: In Progress.

Helena worked quickly, her fingers flying over the scanner. “There’s data embedded in this one—more than the last anchor.”

Theo’s pulse quickened. “What kind of data?”

Helena’s brow furrowed as she scanned the readout. “It’s... coordinates. Another location.”

Kalen chuckled softly. “So we’re chasing breadcrumbs now, huh?”

Theo ignored him, focusing on Helena. “Where do the coordinates lead?”

Helena’s voice was barely above a whisper. “They point... back to the present. 2048.”

Theo’s blood ran cold. The Architect’s plan wasn’t unfolding in the past or future—it was happening right now. And they had walked straight into his trap.

Kalen let out a low whistle. “Well, well. Looks like the game just circled back.”

00:01:39 until Anchor Shutdown.

Theo exhaled slowly, his mind racing. “We need to shut it down. If these anchors are active, they’re feeding into the core.”

Helena nodded, her hands steady on the device. “I’m on it.”

Kalen leaned against the wall, watching them work with a lazy grin. “So, what’s the plan, Theo? You stop the anchors... and then what?”

Theo didn’t look up. “We find the Architect. And we end this.”

Anchor Shutdown: Complete.

The blue light faded, and the anchor powered down with a soft hum. Theo exhaled, tension easing slightly from his chest.

But the relief was short-lived. Helena’s scanner pinged again—another signal.

She glanced at Theo, her expression grim. “There’s... one more anchor.”

Theo’s stomach dropped. “Where?”

Helena’s voice was barely audible. “Back at the Innovation Center. It’s inside the core.”