Othan Research Bureau Report No. 8806
Experiment ID: AO1-X02-TM-07
Date: Philos Calendar Year [REDACTED]
Recorded By: OTHAN-17803
Objectives:
1. Install and activate quantum interference modules for A-01 and X-02 to ensure stable operation.
2. Set the following trigger conditions: Initiate quantum interference when X-02's and A-01's energy fluctuations maintain synchronization for an extended period of time.
Status: Initiation Phase
***
The aircraft landed in Lingshir, the dust swirling around them as Caleb stepped out, holding Mira against him. She was barely holding on, her transfer port sparking violently. A thin, golden liquid dripped from the damaged interface—residual energy from resisting the forced synchronization.
Caleb's jaw tightened as he supported her weight. "You just had to resist, didn't you?" he muttered, frustration laced with concern.
Mira's breath was unsteady, but she still managed to glare at him.
Gritting his teeth, Caleb activated the aircraft's stealth mode. With a flick of his fingers, he used his Evol to pull broken tree trunks together, creating a makeshift cover over the ship. Then, without another word, he lifted Mira and carried her toward an abandoned shed nestled in the ruins.
Inside, he carefully set her down before kneeling beside her. "Why are you so stubborn? Who did you learn that from—"
Mira cut him off immediately. "YOU."
Caleb let out a short, humorless chuckle, shaking his head. Their energies swirling like yin and yang in their bodies, their exoskeletons not designed to handle two different powers. Yet, somehow, when their mismatched energy levels collided, they balanced—just barely.
He exhaled sharply. "Mira... don't do that again."
She didn't answer, only looking at him with a quiet intensity before shifting the conversation. "We came here to find resources. Let's focus on that."
He scowled. "Are you serious right now?"
"We don't have time to waste."
Caleb wasn't having it. Normally, they would split up to cover more ground, but not this time. Not after what just happened. He would not leave her side.
Mira, however, was drowning in a different battle. Her mind was filling rapidly with flashes—events that hadn't happened yet, but ones she knew would. The certainty was overwhelming, as though she had returned to a past she was already familiar with. That's the only explanation.
Yet something didn't add up. If she had come back to the past, why did she feel so displaced?
----
Meanwhile, in the sterile halls of a hidden research facility, a team of scientists and officers monitored fluctuating data streams projected onto translucent holographic displays.
"They've resisted synchronization thankfully," one researcher noted, frowning at the energy readings. "A-01's system is rejecting X-02's input voluntarily and that is not in their program, but their energy levels still maintain a strange equilibrium."
"That's because their bodies are adapting," another scientist countered. "Their connection has always been unstable, but the longer they stay together, the more their energy fields harmonize, evolution at it's best."
An officer crossed his arms, expression unreadable. "Which is exactly why we need to proceed with the next phase."
A third scientist hesitated. "Activating quantum interference now could be dangerous. If their synchronization stabilizes further—"
"The decision is not yours to make," the officer interrupted coldly. "Proceed as planned."
A grim silence settled over the room as one of the researchers input the final command.