Chapter 28: Ripples from the Future

Chapter 28: Ripples from the Future

Frantic activity was the picture in the command center of the Temporal Division; every screen glowed with streams of data, graphs, timelines fluctuating wildly as frantic technicians scrambled to interpret them. The ripple from the future was unlike anything they had ever seen-its signature wasn't a natural disturbance, nor even a typical Syndicate trace; it was something new.

Eli Voss stood right in the middle of chaos, his gaze fixed on the largest display, which projected a rapidly fluctuating timeline. Samara Kade stood at his side, her posture rigid, while her sharp mind was already piecing together possibilities.

"Give me something," she finally barked at the head technician.

The man swiped at sweat on his forehead. "The ripple's originating from a point in 2283. Not one event, really; chain reaction. Something has jerked time out of balance, back that far, and now the echoes are moving backwards in time."

Graves slumped against the console with crossed arms. "That is the future playing games with the past. New one for me.

Eli's mind was racing. "Do we know if this is the Syndicate? Could they have survived and moved their operations forward?"

The technician hesitated. "It doesn't match the Syndicate's patterns. This. it's something else. A huge disruption, but the intent isn't clear yet.

Samara turned to the team. "We've always dealt with history-events that have already happened. If we jump to the future, we're walking into a completely unknown timeline. The rules might not even apply the same way."

"That's never stopped us before," Graves said with a smirk. "We adapt, or we lose.

Eli nodded, his jaw set. "We need to see what we're dealing with. If this ripple is as dangerous as it looks, it could unravel everything we've fought for."

Samara sighed. "Alright. We'll need a forward insertion team. Minimal impact-observe and report first."

"Not a chance I'm sitting this one out," Graves said.

Samara rolled her eyes. "Didn't think you would. You'll go with Eli and Aria.

Aria, the team's tech genius, nodded from her station. "I'll prep the gear for future calibration. This isn't just jumping centuries—it's jumping into unpredictability."

Arrival in 2283

The team materialized in the heart of a sprawling city bathed in neon light and towering skyscrapers. The air was dense with the hum of drones and the distant sound of automated announcements echoing through the streets.

Welcome to the future," Graves grumbled, adjusting his tactical vest.

Eli surveyed the skyline, taking in the jarring contrast between shining towers and dark slums below. "If this is progress, it's. fractured."

Aria brought up a holographic map from her wrist device. "The ripple signature is strongest near that tower." She pointed at a monolithic structure aglow ominously in the distance.

The team moved through the streets, drawing as little attention as possible. As they neared the tower, they began to notice signs of chaos-glitches in advertisements, buildings flickering in and out of existence, and people frozen in eerie stillness.

"This isn't just a ripple," Eli said, his voice low. "It's a temporal collapse.

As they entered the tower, the air grew heavier, and time itself seemed to bend and twist around them. They reached a central chamber, where a massive machine pulsed with energy, surrounded by figures in sleek armor—clearly not Syndicate operatives.

"Who are they?" Graves whispered.

Before Eli could answer, a commanding voice echoed through the chamber. "You're too late."

A figure emerged from their midst, features bathed by the pale sheen of a visor. "The Syndicate was just a distraction. We are the Architects of Time, and we're going to bring order into the chaos you call history."

A chill ran through Eli's veins. It was a new enemy-one with an abominable vision of the future-pitted against them. This time, the stakes were not limited to the past but all that was dear.