Chapter 3

"Ok, that is depressing. So I'm guessing from the future. We can figure that out later. What are you wearing then?"

"Hazmat suit."

"Well I guess that makes sense. So you don't know if you are the cause of this?"

"I don't know."

"Ok…ok…ok… um ,you mentioned, quite a lot, that you read books. Anything like this?"

"All fictional, but yes I have."

"Well if I have questions you will have to be the expert. That thing on your wrist?"

"Techpad."

"So what is it though; some kind of computer or smartphone?"

"I guess more like a computer. I don't really know what a smartphone is."

"Well it is… never mind. So this is the fifth loop, but what was that light? I never saw that before. Have you seen it?"

"That was my first time as well."

"So if this is a time loop, then either that's new or it has always been happening. We are going to find that out then."

Cravem looked at Ziv like a teacher and his student.

"Follow me and keep quiet. I'm guessing that those military guys were involved before Buck ever called emergency services."

"What are they doing here?"

"Good question and one I hope that blue light can answer for us."

Before they moved out, Cravem stopped and turned around back towards Ziv.

"Again, I'm sorry for… hurting you like that."

"Just don't do it again. My body feels exhausted every restart after going through the portal, and anymore than that is just too much."

"Well once this is all over I will help you out. I have two siblings, so I can take care of you. Plus I owe you a debt I can never repay."

Ziv just nodded. He didn't know how to feel. He was hurt by Cravem and fell asleep or maybe he died. If, by going through that portal, he did cause this, then maybe he did deserve it. Getting chased and shot at didn't help Ziv feel better. One thing that did scare him was his eyes. Cravem's eyes when he was grabbed by the neck. Full of disgust and hate.

"The loop starts at 10:43pm and ends at 11:43pm. In my car the second time through I was looking at the clock before getting hit in the head by you. Well, we have just over ten minutes before the next reset, so do you want me to carry you or do you want to walk?"

"I'll walk."

---

Ziv was tired and ended up being carried by Cravem. As he mentioned that Ziv barely weighed anything, so at least he wasn't being a burden. He didn't want to make him angry.

Telling his story to Cravem had been a good thing for him. He told his life story, the pain he had been through and what he did to get here. He wasn't looking for sympathy or anything. He just needed someone to talk to.

Thankfully by the time they reached the building he had rested up enough. Cravem put him down and they both walked into the building. The door they entered through from was supposed to be locked, but it was bashed open. From that point on they were on high alert looking around for where that blue light had come from.

They continued walking around slowly and checking every place they could. Their guess that this is where the light originated paid off. They could hear muffled talking coming from the vents. So they went up stairs to see if it was from there.

The noises got quieter. Their time was up and ended up restarting.

---

"It has to be the basement!"

"That makes sense, but why was that place dusty?" Ziv wipes his hand on the tables around him. " These aren't, they are clean. What is that building?"

"Well they had closed it down and were doing some renovations a couple years back. Since then, no one has said anything about it. So like the others, I just guessed they planned to tear it down. Whatever they wanted to do with it probably failed."

"People were there though."

"True, but we need to be careful. Assuming whatever there started this whole thing, we need to be prepared for them and for the guys with guns."

"What we both are wearing are dark enough to make it difficult to see each other."

"Well we should assume those guys have night vision."

"We do too."

"What do you mean?"

"My hazmat suit has a night vision setting for the helmet. In case we needed to fix something when the reactor was turned off."

"That explains those things you pointed out to me. What else can you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like does that suit have weapons or something like lasers?"

"None of that."

"Oh ok. Well we know that the doors are broken into right? Let's go find out if it was always like that or if those guys did it. Since you can see in the dark, I'll have you keep watch and we can go inside when it is safe."

---

Ziv watched four people stand around the door. One of them wasn't wearing all black like the others. His clothing was more casual. Like something Ziv's father would wear while sitting on the couch while he played some games with Ziv and his mother. The man standing there was giving the orders as one of the people in black took a metal bar off his back and used it to break open the door. It took a few moments for Ziv to recognize it as a crowbar.

"They broke in and are walking in the building."

"We will give them some time and follow in after them."

---

They found a staircase and another busted door. Moving past, they hear people talking up ahead.

"You can't stay in there forever. We will get in there, it is just a matter of time."

The next voice was a woman's. It was different, louder, like she was talking through something.

"This is wrong and you know it. We don't even know if it works."

"Aerix you have built something of true value. This will change the world and 'you know it'." He mocked her back with the same words she spoke. "It takes people like me who can understand what you built. Someone like me who knows how to fully utilize its power." He walked closer to the speaker. He spoke softer, but Ziv and Cravem were still able to hear him. "And you and I both know that it works."

"This was never meant to be controlled like that. You are going to use it to control events and people. This isn't right. You cannot play god!"

"I just want to help people like you. Plus I don't 'play' around. I gave you the funding for this. I own you Aerix."

"You aren't a god Yazhan and you don't own me!"

"Get that door open now!"

---

"Aerix?"

Those two were held up behind some boxes and containers in this lab. It was big, huge even, compared to the building above that is. They were located near the doors leading up the staircase. On their left there was an area for two large lifts. They were easily as big as those two cars that Ziv remembered during the first loop. At least mixed with seeing it on the security cameras. Cravem had helped Ziv learn different things they had passed so he could refer to them better.

Further ahead was something like an observation deck. Two large doors separated by an airlock of some kind. Inside was a grand machine. Ziv couldn't see any parts moving, but the monitors and lights around it were changing often. The machine lay in the center of the room in a dip with a walkway above and around it.

"You know her?"

"We are in the same class. Just some literary class, but I know she is smart. We have talked a few times. Nothing memorable. So I guess in a way it makes sense to see her here."

"What about that guy?"

"Well he looks young, possibly a few years older than me? Somewhere just under thirty, but I have never seen him before."

Since they were whispering the others couldn't hear them talk. The doors were being cut using a blowtorch. Well two of the people dressed in black were. The other one was smoking with Yazhan.

"We need to talk to Aerix. She can help us out of this."

"Not this time. We need to find out what happens first. Plus how do you expect to talk to her?"

"Good point."

---

They sat back and watched the events unfold. After the first door was opened they moved to the next one. Things started to devolve from there.

"Yazhan, if you come any closer I will destroy the machine and all my research!"

"You won't do that and you know it. This has been your dream."

"You are forcing me in a corner and anything can happen."

Yazhan got angry at that. He yelled at them to cut through the door faster.

"Cravem what do you think she is doing over there?"

They watched as Aerix was at a computer station typing on the computer. Her face was filled with fear and anxiety.

"I think she will destroy the machine. Whatever is about to happen is probably the cause."

---

They watched as Aerix gave her final warning over the intercom as Cravem had informed Ziv.

"If you don't leave now, I will destroy everything here!"

"Set up the charges we are going in now. Take her alive if possible, otherwise make sure she can't destroy any of it."

The three gunmen were setting charges and getting ready to move into the room where Aerix was.

"Final warning!"

"Move in now!"

As the explosion occurred Aerix turned over to one of the monitors. She looked at it in horror as she dropped onto the ground. Cravem and Ziv both saw it. It was a very big number.

[000012593806 Current Activation(s)]

"Stop! We need to stop it!"

The door, the machine, the building was destroyed in a flash of white-blue light.

---

"You saw that too right?"

"I can't believe it. That's almost 1,500 years!"

"We can think about it later, but we need to get to the basement now before Yazhan gets there."

Cravem understands right away. He picks up Ziv's helmet and Ziv himself and starts running for that building.