Chapter 5

Ziv woke up. He didn't feel like puking and his hearing and sight were working fine. He was leaning next to Cravem with his back against the wall.

"I'm so happy to see you awake!"

Cravem hugs Ziv. He is a little confused, but with a different start, something must have happened. How long has it been?

Ziv looked around. They were still in the same science lab, but Cravem is different.

"What is going on?"

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"You had been shot and I was trying to stop the bleeding. Someone came in and… well that is the last thing I remember."

"Well it has been a while since then. You have been sleeping for almost a day. We have gone through twenty more loops since then."

Ziv looked at the clock and it was over half way through this loop.

"I see."

"Well, in that time I have had some plans and have worked out how to get into that building. So do you remember the lifts they use to get the supplies down there? Well we are going to use that to go down. Now the doors are really good at keeping me out. Nothing high-tech, just need to break open a single door. Once inside however, I need you to hack into those if you can. You said you could do it with time, right? As long as we aren't spotted, we can make it down there before Yazhan. With multiple restarts we can make it in spending less and less time. We will need that extra time to become efficient."

"We already had a few minutes to spare before Yazhan arrived. Why do you say we need more?"

"Once we interact with Aerix, we need to be able to convince her to open the doors. If we cannot, we must be able to open the doors ourselves. You will need to hack into those big metal doors, get each set open, then we need to destroy the machine and get out."

"That makes sense, but what will you do?"

"Well depending how it goes my job will be a lot harder. First thing is finding something to get into the lift area. I found a metal bar in a previous loop. I already tried it and I can open the door. It is close so the time will work out. The more difficult problem is talking to Aerix. I need to explain to her what is happening and convince her to open the door. From what I remember, she can be stubborn. So while I 'convince' her, if she listens, just in case, I need you to work your magic to get the doors open so I can drag her out. We can block the staircase, to give us more time if needed. Then you or her will need to destroy anything and everything that has to deal with that machine."

"Ok, but I have a few questions. Do you know why I don't remember the last twenty loops?"

"Ugh… well… I don't want you to freak out. That man who came into the room well he hurt you. I guessed maybe it was too much for you and you needed time to wake up from it."

"Did I die?"

Cravem flinched when he said that.

"No… he just hit you on the head."

"Ok, then let's go to the lifts so I can take a look at them."

"Sure."

---

Over the next few loops, they broke in and Ziv started working on hacking the lifts. You needed a keycard like the doors to go down. In the first restart, Ziv was able to understand what he needed to do, but they spent a couple more loops to make it more efficient.

This loop they were riding the lift down.

They walked over towards the window to look into the machine. Aerix was surprised to see them and not all too happy about it. Ziv went to work on the door while Cravem started to talk to her through the intercom.

"Remember Ziv we are just scouting. If you get the door open, we get in there, but lock it. Do not leave it open. Let me know if we run out of time and we will go up the lift and try again."

Ziv just nodded as he started hooking his techpad up to the keycard reader.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Aerix, don't you remember me? We are in Mr. Stearix's class?"

"I remember you now, but what are you doing here and why is that kid here? How did you know about this place and how did you get in here?"

"Whatever." He mumbled. "Aerix, that machine there has been used many times already. It is causing time loops and we are stuck in it. In the next few minutes Yazhan will come down here and try to break in."

"You're with Yazhan?"

"No! He is bringing people with guns. Can you just let us in there? I can explain more to you if you just let us in."

"I don't know you. Seriously what is that kid doing?"

"Tech support."

Cravem smiled. The way she kept moving around and looking at him made him understand that there was no way she was letting them in. Well thankfully he understood her enough and planned for this already. He gave up at the end of it. He can try again.

Ziv's techpad made a beeping noise.

"They should be breaking down the first door now. I will need more time with this one, so we can get it on the next time."

Cravem ran over and picked Ziv up as he unhooked his techpad. Before leaving he told Aerix one more thing before leaving.

"We will save you and stop this. Just make sure to trust your gut."

---

Once they found themselves to be safe, Cravem looked towards Ziv.

"We have about twenty minutes left. We could go and get something to eat? Want something? I'm buying."

"Sure."

---

They sat down with their food and started eating. Ziv was enjoying a hearty burger along with Cravem.

"What is this again?"

"A burger."

"What is it made out of?"

"I'll explain later, just savor each bite. The loop is about to end."

---

Ziv woke up, immediately taking off the helmet part of his hazmat suit. He coughed a few times, but he was able to suppress the urge to empty his stomach. His eyes and hearing cleared up fast, but there was a little delay now. He was shaking, like he was freezing. His body warmed up about a minute later.

"It's good to see that you don't have to go through that again."

"Yea. I hated going through that over and over again."

Cravem picked Ziv up once he steadied himself.

"I just wish I didn't have to get hit in the head every time. But you have it worse than me."

"True, so what was the burger made out of?"

---

They both got to work. Cravem broke down the door and Ziv worked on the lift. Each getting faster each time. They started enjoying their banter about different foods to have once this is all over.

"Once we have the plan down to get out of the loop, we don't have to leave it right away. We could enjoy some food."

"Well I only ate vegetables at my home. We never had meat and it sounds like a steak would taste good. I think that sounds good, but shouldn't we just finish this first?"

"That stuff costs money. I don't that much."

"Makes sense."

"Want to do it then?"

Cravem was more or less asking, just so he had the excuse to enjoy food without any consequences.

"Let me try again this time. After this loop we can spend some time eating, then we need to end it. I want to see the world. I want to experience everything it has to offer."

"Got it!"

---

'I just about have it. I have been finalizing this project for a while. The dilation chamber should work, but I want to go over everything I can. I need to make sure it will work.'

Aerix looks up from the computer monitor while she pinches the bridge of her nose. She moves her hand through her hair and takes off her glasses. It has been a long night for her and the pressure from Yazhan wasn't making it any better.

"Guess I should go home… No, not yet…"

She looks at the monitor beside her. It's the light from the industrial lift.

"Who is coming down? Yazhan? I don't want to deal with him right now…"

She got up and walked over towards the window that looked into the machine area from the loading area. All the machines and boxes that had helped her put this together. She went to class for the most part, but the rest of the time had been spent working every night on this place. It helped her keep all her research to herself so no one could steal it. However it made this project take longer. At least she was able to get the funding and autonomy, but she had to deal with Yazhan.

"Once he gets down the lift, I will give him an earful."

Walking off the lift was someone that looked familiar to her and there was something in his arms. A child? Aerix was confused as to what was happening and started voicing her questions through the intercom.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Don't worry Aerix, but me and my companion here will need to apologize in advance."

"How…"

"Don't worry. We will explain once this is all over. First let me explain. Your dilation chamber as you call it, is flawed. We learned that one along the way. We also learned that you have hidden some explosive material around it."

"What? How did…"

"Like I said you will get the full explanation later. What you need to know now is that we are coming in. You won't like that, but if you don't come with us, we will drag you out. I won't harm you and Ziv here won't either. We just need to destroy your life's work."

At this point the kid opened the external airlock. She watched as they were cleaned in the chamber as the kid started working on the next door.

"Stop this!"

"I'm sorry Aerix. We cannot have this go on any longer. Yazhan will be here soon and he plans to use the dilation chamber for his nefarious deeds. I know that makes it sound weird to say that out loud, but you know what he wants with it. Don't you?"

"I guess, but you need to leave now or I will call the police."

"I know you won't do that, because you can't be there. You have tried before and it won't work. Yazhan already isolated this place. You said that he must have done it two days ago when he last visited. Ring any bells?"

"I… I don't get this."

The door opened and the kid ran past her towards her workstation. She was still stunned by what was going on. The man walked up to her.

"If you don't remember me yet, my name is Cravem. Will you come with me and Ziv to leave this place?"

Aerix was at a loss for what to do. Things were happening too fast and it was getting way too confusing to process what to do. But right now she needed to stop this man, Cravem? Wait isn't he in the same class as her?

"Aren't we in the same class?"

"That's right." He turns to look at the kid, Ziv, she figured as Cravem called him. "Looks like he is done. Last chance Aerix will you come with us willingly?"

She looks around towards the kid. He is wearing some strange clothing. Even if she wanted to stop them, he was stronger than her. And what of the kid, obviously the kid did get in here. If she did go with them, perhaps she could get her answers, but what will happen?

'They said they will destroy everything I have worked on. I can see the explosives here are already armed. If I stay, I will die.

"Fine."

Cravem picks up Ziv and she walks with them towards the lift. The ride it up and walk out. She hears a loud crash coming from within the building. She follows the main as they walk towards the parking lot.

A large explosion comes from the building as the ground caves in. Everything she has worked on is gone. She could build it again. It would be faster and she had learned from a lot of her mistakes. The feeling of loss fills her and she starts to tear up, but doesn't cry. There are too many questions that still need to be answered, so she continues to follow Cravem and Ziv.

"Just who are you two really?

The kid turns around and answers her.

"We are just a very concerned third party. Those questions you have Aerix can be answered. Want to talk about it over a meal? Cravem is paying!"

"Not too much now. We are out of the loop or at least I really hope we are. We have spent too much time there. I want to see the sun again."

Aerix hears loop, but guesses that she too is out of the loop and would like to be in on whatever is going on.

"I am hungry."

---

It's been a month since everything ended. That was the reason for the loop and they had ended it. Ziv had a big smile on his face as he recalled what he had gone through. They had to go through about a hundred loops in total to get the timing and everything right. The distance for the explosion was the biggest factor. As once Ziv was hit, his body was still weak so he was out for the rest of that loop.

Later Aerix, once she had understood the situation and the grave error she made, she told them what likely happened. The dilation chamber was meant to be internal and simulate the world, within a limited area. Due to her mistakes and the explosions from Yazhan, the limited area that was supposed to be within the chamber, exploded out. Creating a pseudo simulation. It essentially trapped part of the planet in a loop. For the rest of the planet, the universe, time stopped. With time frozen, the limited area within the loop continued for a crazy amount of time.

Simple.

Aerix told them that the star positions and planetary alignments stayed the same, so that was how she came up with her hypothesis.

In the meantime, Cravem and Aerix have been getting closer. Nothing substantial yet, just closer. Cravem had Buck help him with a problem with a professor. Everything so far to do with that is turning out fine.

Ziv on the other hand has been staying with Cravem. With his computer Ziv has been learning about the world. Apparently Ziv wasn't from the future. His history, from the news stories and articles stored on his techpad showed him, major historical events never happened here. So being from a parallel universe has been eye opening.

Ziv has been using his skills and knowledge to act as a freelancer. To earn money for himself and for Aerix and Cravem. He told them where he was from once he learned and that started turning gears in Aerix's head. Since they blew up her lab, he and Cravem have been helping to pay her back with her future endeavors. That includes research on parallel worlds and what not.

The explosion at the university was a big deal. News reporters and the administration of the school were going crazy over it. They didn't understand why there was a basement there and what all those parts were. They actually treated it as some terrorist attack. The investigation is still ongoing.

Ziv destroyed any electronic trace from the facility and more around the area. So nothing will be traced back to anyone unless there is physical evidence. Even if they do, Ziv has an eye on the investigation to make sure nothing like that can happen. Once this is all behind them, Ziv has stated his opinion about becoming a librarian. He loved reading and his friends supported him in that.

Tomorrow, he will be meeting Cravem's siblings. He was actually looking forward to meeting them. While it is difficult to talk to people he doesn't know, meeting others that are already friends of his friends are easier for him.

"I think I will go out and walk around. It's been a while since I've been to the park."