—March 17, 2161, 15:14:26—

  The air was warm, thick with the scent of what she could only imagine to be the smell of a pre-collapse outdoor garden. Air recyclers kept the sweet, earthy smell of the synthetic turf swirling around the expansive area–a gently fabricated wind against her cheek. Evie’s feet fell into a steady rhythm on the indoor track, each step a satisfying thud against the ground. Inside the vast acrylic biosphere, the sky outside was a dreary, perpetual greyish-purple, but in here, it was a perfect, climate-controlled afternoon. She slowed to a walk, her breathing deep and even, and sipped from a bottle of cool, citrus-infused water. A profound sense of relaxation settled over her, the blissful aftermath of an exhilarating run.

  She kept moving, letting her heart rate come down gently. In the center of the track, nested like a precious jewel, was a playground. Children, bright splashes of color against the green turf, swarmed over a playscape of gleaming, curved metal and soft, impact-absorbent surfaces. Parents sat on benches that lined the perimeter, laughing and chatting, their faces relaxed and open in a way Evie rarely saw. They were just… enjoying the day.

  Evie leaned against a metal railing, a smile touching her own lips as she watched a little girl with pigtails chase a boy who was clearly her older brother. This magnificent sight–it was a life she would likely never know. The thought of seeing a child of her own run around with the same bliss, making small talk with other parents was a fleeting dream. She could find a nice man, yes. She could even fall in love. But the demands of Temporal Command would forbid her to be able to settle down. She could never take time off. No vacations, no family medical leave. The world could not afford for her to have the type of devotion she would need to be there for moments like this. But it was beautiful nevertheless.

  She tilted her head back, closing her eyes and savoring another sip of her drink, letting the simple joy of the moment wash over her. That’s when she felt it. A hum that vibrated in her bones, a dissonant chord that struck the world out of tune. Her eyes snapped open and were drawn to the sky, to the light that wasn’t just there, but felt like a response to something inside her. It started as an intense bright spot against the dreary greyish-purple, but it intensified with terrifying speed. She flinched, averting her eyes, but it was too late. She squeezed them shut, yet she could still feel the light growing, a pressure building behind her eyes.

  Searing pain. Like she’d never felt before. All over. She was lifted off her feet, thrown backward in a dizzying, weightless moment. The laughter, the children playing, the parents talking, the joggers jogging—it was all erased in an instant. A weight of something heavy and rigid pinned her to the ground. She lay motionless, a deafening ringing in her ears penetrating through all of the other senses, even through the immense burn radiating from everywhere.

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  Evie came to her senses as she was able to open her eyes. At first, everything was a blur. The air was a hot stinging current. As focus settled in, she took in the horrors of what clarity brought. She wanted to close her eyes–to unsee the things before her. Her eyelids disobeyed and remained open, betraying her desire to look away from the unspeakable terrors around her. The little girl with pigtails lay feet away from her. Unrecognizeable. Evie’s eyes managed to shut. But it was too late. The image was already seared into her memory.

  A raw, primal rejection of this moment, of this pain, of this beautiful world being torn apart, welled up within her. It was a roar of pure, unfettered will—a furious, desperate scream that poured out of her and into the fabric of the false reality around her. And she let it all out–a visceral sound that tore through her vocal chords. A sound of raw desperation and unfiltered power, it grew louder as she poured all of the energy remaining in her limp body left into it.

  She had visions of the Loom. The blue energy within its core flared in perfect, terrifying harmony with her scream. It was a conduit, taking the force of her will and focusing it. The violent pulse that followed wasn't an echo of her rage; it was the apex of it. It was the final, deafening stroke of her will upon the canvas of time. Her world vibrated and then peeled apart, ending with an intense jolt.

  She was back, sitting up in her chair, grabbing at herself, still screaming. The Loom, beside her, was reacting. It pulsated with her, sputtering madly, blue bolts of electricity shooting out from its core. And then, mimicking her rage, it roared with a pulse so violent that the entire room rumbled and shook. The lights went out. The Loom darkened and went silent. She had never seen its light go out before.

  Seconds later, back-up generators kicked in. Emergency lighting flickered on, casting long, dancing shadows against the ferocrete floor.

  Evie was breathing heavily, looking around wildly. Her eyes found Marty. He looked panicked. He slowly stood from his stool and backed away from her. She saw his eyes lock onto her. He was afraid. She raised her hands to her head, to the circlet that was plugged into the Loom. Marty flinched, his arms half-raising in self-defense, as if to protect himself. He was hyperventilating now. Evie felt his fear. And she knew.

  He was afraid, but not of the vision she saw. He was afraid of her.

  Marty lowered his hands enough to peek at her. “What’d you do, Evie?” his voice was trembling. “What did you do?” The second time he asked, it was an accusation, his voice more firm.

  “I…” Evie began. She paused. She knew. Somehow she knew. “...I had to.” She was re-remembering. It was a pain too much. She breathed hard. “I had no choice, Marty. I had to.” thinking frantically of some sort of defense. Even just to convince herself. “Marty…” But there was nothing. No justification for it.

  Marty shook his head. He just whispered to himself. “Oh Evie. What did you do? What did you do?” He slinked down to the ground, his back to a cabinet, shaking, his hands covering his face, sobbing. “Oh god, what did you do, Evie?”