The Silent Guardian — Chapter 30, Part 2: The Plan

This installment is part of The Silent Guardian Series.

All the doubts and potential problems flood my awareness. The Phylax could catch her. One of us might miscalculate the timing. Perhaps the lock cannot be opened at all. I disregard those fears as best I can. This is the path. We both have a role, and now it’s time to play. When the lock resets, the entire timeline between 455 BCE and 2051 CE experiences one shared, overlapping window—ten minutes, everywhere, all at once. Imagine stepping outside of time and starting a stopwatch. At that moment, those outside the timeline observe ten minutes ticking away. For those inside, it begins at zero across the twenty-five centuries during which the lock has been active. Every instance between 455 BCE and 2051 CE initiates the same ten-minute countdown. This means these ten minutes unfold across all those years. Somehow, it’s both ten minutes and twenty-five hundred years. A moment and an eternity. It’s an impossible paradox created by this ungodly machine. I tell Xia she has to be ready when the lock becomes vulnerable. Her part is to bring down the old structure during that shared window. “Meanwhile, you’re planning to hand yourself over? Let them think you’ve surrendered?” she asks. “I have to. With my hands up, I’ll demand to speak with the new Archon. After that, I’ll do what needs to be done.” Her voice is strained. “What if they kill you on sight? End it right there?”

“They’ll want to hear me grovel first.” I force a smile. “It’ll buy me enough time to reach the hidden route before they realize what’s happening.” I imagine walking into the Sanctum unarmed. I tighten at the vision of their scrutiny. Of their laughter as they strip away the little dignity I have left. What if I’m wrong? They may choose to kill me before I get close enough. Xia studies me, unable to hide her worry. “This is risky, Adam. Even for you.” My lips tighten into a thin smile. “They’ve already taken everything from me. If I die there, so be it. At least we tried.” Xia inhales deeply, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “For Clara,” she says, her voice cracking. She steps forward, pulling me into a hug. I wrap my arms around her. “For Clara,” I echo. My voice chokes with sadness. We cling to each other. Her heartbeat matches mine, steadying me. We hold on, grasping at that last unbroken bond—an unspoken promise to see this through. When we break apart, Xia checks the gear she needs for her part of the mission. A small photo tucked into her pack slips loose. She crouches to pick it up. I glimpse Clara’s familiar grin in the picture. Xia runs her thumb over the edge of the photo before slipping it back into the pocket. “I’ll find you in the next timeline,” she says behind a hollow smile. “We’ll finish this,” I reply. If we succeed, we’ll reunite at the top of the Acropolis in 2136. Xia concentrates on an era before the Sanctum existed. A surge of energy flares, and she is gone. The emptiness she leaves behind feels vast. I stare at the empty room and imagine her working alone beneath the future Sanctum while danger moves above her. She will prepare the past while I walk straight into the lion’s den.

I take the Dalek from my pocket, turning it over in my palm; its worn edges remind me of Clara and the family I should have. My thumb brushes the arm socket, feeling the tiny piece of metal lodged inside. I tug at it again. It doesn’t budge. I remember the missing arms moving around. This metal piece doesn’t. Sliding the Dalek back into my pocket alongside the anchor, I feel a little happier about what I must do next. It’s like carrying a piece of Clara with me, a way to ensure she sees our mission through to the end. I glance around the safehouse one last time. Sunlight streams through the worn curtains, casting a warm glow over the walls. I step outside into the blinding light. The world may not know about the Sigma Event, but its fate depends on us stopping it. With Clara in my heart, the future isn’t waiting. It’s mine to re-write.

Previous: previous installment. Continue with Chapter 31, Part 1.

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