The Old Timeline

Kahn nodded, though utterly exhausted, they had no time to rest. The building before them was clearly abandoned for years, with vines covering the walls, shattered window panes, and peeling paint that revealed the corroded rebar within. However, this was precisely what they needed—a forgotten place, unlikely to be visited by anyone.

"Hopefully, we can still find something useful here," Rakien said as he pushed open the rusted iron door, which let out an ear-piercing creak, as if it hadn't been opened in decades.

They entered the building's lobby, where the floor was covered in a thick layer of dust, and the air was filled with the damp, musty smell of decay. Dim light filtered in through the broken ceiling, barely allowing them to see their surroundings. In the corner of the lobby, there were piles of worn-out furniture, scattered yellowed newspapers, and plastic bags. Rakien whispered, "It looks like no one's here."

They tacitly searched around, quickly rummaging through any potential resources. Kahn noticed a makeshift storage room behind a door, and upon entering, he found some old clothes. Though time had eroded them significantly, they were better than the wasteland attire they currently wore.

"These clothes are still wearable," Kahn whispered, and Rakien came over to take a look. "Not bad at all!" They quickly changed into these garments, which, though ill-fitting, at least concealed their identities.

"At least we won't be easily identified as... not belonging to this time," Rakien said with a wry smile.

Kahn nodded and stuffed the small future device back into his backpack. They had to be cautious with this technology; any exposure could lead to suspicion and arrest in this timeline. They found some tattered mattresses and hastily arranged them as a temporary resting place.

"Figure out the current time and keep a low profile," Rakien leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, trying to relax for a moment. Kahn took out a small energy chip from his backpack, an energy reserve brought from the future world.

"This chip can be used to power our devices," Kahn whispered. Their equipment, though advanced, required energy to function, and this chip was their key resource at the moment.

Rakien nodded.

"The time cockpit is still outside; we need to get it back and hide it quickly," Rakien continued.

Kahn nodded, "The key is to find a place to hide it; we can't just leave it in the room! The floor here is noticeably thicker than in regular houses; this might have been a warehouse before. Let's look for an underground storage room."

"...A basement?" Rakien looked up, a glimmer of light in his eyes.

They carefully searched the dilapidated lobby, with Rakien occasionally tapping the floor, trying to find any unusual sounds. Finally, Kahn discovered a wide hidden door under a worn-out carpet in the center of the living room.

"There really is one!" Kahn's lips curled into a smile, and Rakien quickly helped move the debris and open the hidden basement entrance. A wave of damp air rose from below, and the underground space reeked of moisture and decay.

They cautiously descended to find an abandoned storage room filled with rusty tools and boxes. Most strikingly, there was a spacious area on one side of the basement, large enough to house the time return cockpit.

"This place can be our secret base," Kahn said, satisfied as he looked around.

Rakien also felt a sense of relief, finally finding a hiding place. They quickly returned to the landing site, and the two of them struggled to move the return cockpit into the house and hide it in the basement. Kahn carefully checked the cockpit, testing the energy reserves.

"The energy display shows it's depleted; the time cockpit can't be started," Kahn frowned and whispered.

He raised his hand, looking at the faint glow of the energy chip.

"Although this chip is small, the radioactive energy inside is virtually inexhaustible," Kahn gently touched the chip, "The problem is, the chip we brought is too small to provide enough energy to power the time transfer in the cockpit."

Rakien nodded, "At least it can maintain the normal operation of other small devices."

"We have to find a power source," Rakien whispered, "And it has to be stable, continuous electricity."

They moved like ghosts, tiptoeing out of the old building. The road beneath their feet was scarred, as if telling of past prosperity and present desolation. They slowly made their way along the desolate, heart-wrenching street, each step taken with extra caution.

This area on the edge of the city had long been mercilessly abandoned by people. The once bustling crowds and noisy traffic now left only desolation and silence. Occasionally, a few dilapidated old cars would pass by them, but the drivers seemed completely immersed in their own world, oblivious to the two mysterious figures.

At that moment, Kahn, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped and pointed to a corner in the distance. Following the direction he pointed, they could see a rusty utility pole standing alone, with a few low-hanging wires like the limp arms of a dying person, and next to the pole was an equally abandoned electrical box.

"Let's check that out," Kahn said in a low voice, his tone revealing a barely contained excitement. The two quickly walked towards the electrical box, and upon approaching, Rakien took a deep breath, tightly gripped the rusted lid, and then forcefully lifted it open. A wave of decay hit them, causing them to wrinkle their noses. But when they saw the inside of the box, their faces simultaneously lit up with delight—although the wiring inside looked very old, it still retained some electrical connections!

Kahn quickly leaned in and carefully examined the meter. Seeing the needle slightly swing at that moment, he was overjoyed; this seemingly long-abandoned electrical box still had a faint current flowing quietly inside...

"It seems the power supply in this area hasn't been cut off," Kahn said with a smile.

Rakien nodded, "If we can divert it back, we can slowly charge the return cockpit."

They found some simple tools, removed wires from the surrounding old houses, and carefully connected them, guiding the power from the electrical box back to their hideout. Before nightfall, they successfully channeled the electricity into the basement, and the return cockpit's equipment emitted a faint hum, indicating that power was slowly accumulating.

"Well, it's replenishing energy now," Kahn said, panting. "But the voltage is too low; I don't know how long it will take to fully charge."

After eating a simple meal, they were exhausted and lay down on the floor in a corner of the basement, quickly falling asleep.