Chapter 8

Zyra called my team and I into TTA's HQ fit a meeting. It was a peculiar situation, to say the least. I was expecting another mission but this time was different. I stepped into the area where Zyra and Sigma stood. Suddenly three people came out of the shadows. I thought by their near identical appearances that they were AI clones. Othniel, the alternate version of myself, recounted the events that led him to this point. In his timeline, General Mellis had been assassinated during the space station's civil war in a shuttle explosion and the station erupted in a giant war afterward. But this was where time splintered. In another timeline, separate from both ours, the insurrection didn't happen until the General died of a brain tumor.

Silas and his team first ended up in the first alternate timeline before stumbling upon this one on the way back home. Silas believed that the General could've been poisoned secretly by UMOTE because the timing of his death and the manor of it seemed strange. He believed that In this splinter timeline, no traces of foul play were found in the General's autopsy. There were anomalies in this our General Mellis' autopsy but the doctors said the findings were nothing conclusive. I was skeptical of anyone saying something was inconclusive. It meant that something was being hidden. The other Othniel believed the General was only assassinated in one timeline. Yet what he saw in ours with the presented evidence painted an entirely different picture. Or am I going too far?

The room crackled with an almost tangible sense of curiosity and intrigue. Listening to their stories made me think about the journey our team would soon embark on. I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to meet a version of myself that had experienced an entirely different set of circumstances. Both Othniels had different middle names, a subtle but significant difference between us. The alternate Othniel went by Silas. The other Othniel's middle name was Chris.

As our eyes met, I couldn't help but notice the way his gaze mirrored my own, yet there was something different about him. He carried a bit more baggage as opposed to my athletic build. Him and his Zahra both did. Both Francis' looked the same except our Francis had a thicker beard while the other kept his trimmed and looked more reserved. 

I learned that Silas' way of approaching things was much different. He was more laid back but still wouldn't hesitate to go at a problem analytically. To my team, I was a bit impulsive. I was very skeptical of new comers, he wasn't. The biggest change was in our family's history. He had a younger sister named Nina. I'm the only child but I do have a younger first cousin named Nina. She has a younger brother named is Othelius. His Nina and Othelius were part of the Initiative, a vigilante group that helped end the queen's reign in his reality. My Nina and Othelius? Both were break-dancers but Othelius was the more famous of the two as he's garnered millions of followers over the years under the moniker, "The Pop'n Lockin' Caesar". Nina was known as the Empress Catalina. Coincidentally, his Nina and Othelius were known as the Empress and the Caesar respectively and were dancers until the rebellion happened. They returned to that life after the war ended. Next difference was Othniel and I's fathers. His was still alive but never joined TTA but was a Lunar Prime police commissioner. Chris never knew his father and was raised by his mother his entire life.

On the subject of Ivon, the one in his timeline was known as Lord Emmanuel. He was much older and has a scar on his face. It wasn't known if Ivon existed in Chris' timeline or not because he didn't ever mention running into him. However, in Chris' timeline, the war wasn't over. The Mellis family was still in hiding.

Silas believed his Ivon was a future version his arch nemesis who probably had a fated clash or several with a much older and more ruthless Val. It sounded like that in one of their battles, she happened to get one good hit in that permanently scarred him. Ivon knew Val was out for blood for having her parents killed but no matter how hard she tried, he was one step ahead of her, always getting away at the last moment. What Silas didn't know was that Val was a rogue TTA agent but only according to UMOTE.

Regarding the differences in our timelines according to the Evanstons, we assumed that in our timeline, Kayleen and her parents were safe. In Silas' timeline, only Kayleen survived but lived with her sister, Helen, and uncle, Col. Kevin Ravenscraft somewhere in mankind's domain in hiding. In Chris' timeline, the Evanstons had a son named Kaylin and it was found that the Queen had both his parents and Asa killed the day she learned of his existence. Kaylin was also around Helen's age but doesn't have any other siblings. Silas believed his absence from Chris' timeline could've been Val's doing. I began to believe that wherever our Evanstons were in the multiverse, Kaylin would be most likely in the same place or in the area. Not knowing when or where Val came from or currently lived bothered me. The feeling faded when I assured myself that Val wasn't our adversary. That gave me solstice in knowing our mission was successful. 

Regarding events in Chris' timeline, they were much more darker. It was a world where the Queen ruled with absolute power. The Mellis family and all their supporters were either dead or in hiding. Chris and his team was the last bastion against her.

Now back to more differences on our team. Both Zahras were practically identical twins. They shared the same physical features, from their dark flowing shoulder length cut hair to their piercing brown eyes, down to the same color red with gold-lined arm cuffs and neck Sari. But their personalities were worlds apart. My Zahra was compassionate and kind, always putting others before herself. This lady was mostly quiet but in the brain of hers stirred ideas unmatched to anyone I've ever known. In many ways, Zahra was the better detective, calculated in every move she made. Silas' Zahra, however, was more direct, assertive, and unafraid to speak her mind—a bit loud in my opinion. My Zahra was soft spoken. Silas' Zahra seemed a bit unhinged.

As the conversation carried on, it became apparent that the alternate Francis shared Francis sense of humor. We found ourselves laughing at his other self's bizarre jokes, recognizing the strange quirks that only his alternate self possessed. Yet, our Francis seemed to possess an extra wit, a quickness of mind that made him unique.

Silas, was affectionately known as 2kReturner, yet he was the original. Silas really wanted to retire that name. His aim was to take on a shortened version of that identity and simply be known as 2k. I couldn't help but wonder why he wanted to make this change. He reasoned why: Every Othniel he's met, including the one in the splinter timeline, has a codename similar to his. It was too common. Splinter Othniel was known as 2ndMillenium.

He was right. My 2kReturner had always been a gamer tag since high-school when playing various FPS and MOBA games. Our code names in TTA were for fun, not to hide our true identities. In the splinter timeline, Silas said that choosing a code name was mandatory upon joining TTA. In his timeline, it was optional but serious once chosen like a new identity. What was the significance behind our code name as 2kReturner? 2000 AD was the year we were born. As a Returner, it symbolized our unwavering resolve to uncover every hidden truth, even in the face of adversity. Every small point counted towards a larger win if you were to put it in a football perspective.

But it wasn't just about codenames. Silas delved deeper into the intricacies of TTA across every timeline him and his team visited. He mentioned that each one had a tradition of choosing code names as a way to define each member's identities and purpose within the organization. As Silas continued to unravel the tangled web of our existence, I couldn't help but be captivated by his words. 

Alternate Zahra, he mentioned, didn't have a code name but if she did, it would match her favorite color, which was Emerald Green. That color matched the face of her Quantum Chain's medallion. But my Zahra chose "Forest Flower" as hers. My Zahra explained that it was a name she adored, a name that resonated with her beauty and grace. I always said she was as beautiful as a forest flower, and she embraced that name with pride. Splinter Zahra was known as Emerald.

Meeting these three was something extraordinary. We owed the safety of the Mellis family to these brave souls from an alternate reality. My curiosity had been piqued, and I couldn't resist delving deeper into their enigmatic tale.

Their Sigma was known as Doctor Chronos. Ours was known as Dr. Time herself. I was told Splinter timeline Sigma was known as Dr. Time or the Time Guru. Regardless of what moniker the legendary Sigma Mellis went by, because of her invention, mankind could rewrite history but more importantly, solve mysteries previously left unknown. On the flip side, with this tech came many woes within a labyrinth of endless worlds, all leading to infinite outcomes and what if scenarios. One thing was for certain: The preservation of the Mellis Family was a must and it seemed that TTA across any timeline made it their aim to protect them. Most of us believed it was mostly UMOTE and their allies that were always willing to threaten our existence.

However, as fate would have it, the journey of our alternate timeline counterparts was not meant to intertwine with ours indefinitely. They believed that in order to truly grow, to embark on a new adventure, they needed to return to their own world once more. And so, they bid us farewell, but left each of us with a sense of longing, a yearning to understand the mysteries of the infinite worlds within the space-time continuum.

The longing in my heart grew stronger with each passing moment, urging me to uncover the secrets that lie buried within the fabric of reality. And so, we set out on a new journey, driven by a thirst for knowledge and a hunger for discovery. With each step taken, I couldn't help but wonder what mysteries awaited us in the future.