The air was thick with anticipation as I sat in the dimly lit room, surrounded by my companions. We were an unlikely group, brought together by a shared destiny that none of us fully understood. I glanced around, taking in the faces of those who had become my confidants, my allies, and my mentors.
To my right sat Ivon Immanuel, the enigmatic figure that had extended the invitation that had changed the course of my life. With a thick beard and piercing eyes, he exuded an air of wisdom and mystery that both intrigued and intimidated me. I knew little about him, other than the fact that he was respected and feared in equal measure within the ranks of the organization known as the Time Travelers' Administration (TTA).
Across from me sat Francis Karr, a peculiar individual whose every word was cloaked in elaborate analogies and pop culture references. His quirky demeanor and offbeat sense of humor provided a welcome respite from the gravity of our situation. Francis possessed a unique talent for making even the most mundane tasks seems like thrilling escapades, and I couldn't help but marvel at his ability to weave entertaining, analogous stories out of thin air.
But it was Zahra Melech who captured my attention the most. Hailing from the vibrant streets of New Delhi, she possessed a quiet elegance that belied her fierce intellect. Zahra was a calculated young woman who seemed to have an uncanny ability to see through the noise and chaos of our world. Her soft-spoken words held a weight and depth that left me spellbound.
It was as if she knew my deepest secrets, my hidden desires. For in this peculiar mix of individuals, I had discovered something unexpected - a secret crush that had blossomed into love at first sight. Zahra's mere presence set my heart racing, and I found myself yearning for every stolen moment, every shared glance.
As the days turned into weeks, we delved deeper into the secrets of the TTA program. General William Raylor Mellis Sr., the enigmatic figurehead of this clandestine operation, had handpicked each one of us for a reason known only to him and his niece, Sigma Mellis, the program's founder. Yet the true brains behind this operation was the General's daughter, Zyra. She had the info on all of us. Our exemplary record was what attracted her attention. The sense of purpose and excitement that coursed through our veins was palpable.
But as with any great mystery, there were questions left unanswered, shadows lurking in the corners of our minds. What was the true purpose of the TTA program? What were the stakes involved, and what sacrifices would be demanded of us? The more we discovered, the more enigmatic and sinister the program seemed.
I could feel the weight of the secret pressing down on me as I stood in the dimly lit office. The walls were adorned with maps, photographs, and newspaper clippings, all pointing to a truth that the world refused to acknowledge. Two years ago in 2021, the Evanston Massacre shook San Diego, California to its core, but I couldn't help but question the official narrative.
The General, a man of unwavering conviction, paced back and forth, his eyes filled with determination and disbelief. He refused to accept the validity of the many death reports claiming that terrorists mercilessly killed the entire Evanston-Pyun family. I, too, found it hard to believe that a family with such deep connections and influence could be wiped out so easily.
As I delved deeper into the case, rumors began to surface. Mainstream news outlets whispered about the Evanstons' alleged tampering with the Global Union of Benevolence (GUB) – a powerful organization that controlled most of Earth's energy resources. It was said that the family had angered the Union with their revolutionary Anti-Gravity technology, jeopardizing their worldwide business interests.
But something didn't add up. The General, a man accustomed to deciphering truth from falsehoods, had his doubts. He believed it was an inside job. Investigative Journalism outlets like OMG and InfoWars echo similar sentiments. The General also believed that there were survivors, hidden in the shadows, waiting for their moment to resurface. And so, our mission was set—to uncover the truth and bring justice to those who had suffered.
Naira Hill-Adega, a name whispered in the darkest corners of the Lunar plane, came up in these reports. In the public, she was the Space Station's Defense Administer. A former African tele-evangelist, the General picked her to be his second because of her ability to unify the people as she did in many African nations in a spiritual sense. As a political leader, her job was more of the same but in a different way. Yet using her spiritual background as a basis in crafting her many policies created an air of respect around her. She had many supporters that championed her high moralistic and heavily enforced laws. Though they were written for the entire Lunarian society to follow, she could only have such laws enforced on the Space Station. Connor and Michelle, along with their families were ones that vocally opposed Naira's policies, calling them "too restrictive". Any other person would've been given the boot for their stance against Naira but the Evanston—Pyun families had immunity just like the Mellis family. So, Naira made it her aim to make life hard for them by hurting them economically with sanctions while trying to uncover some kind of "sin" that the public and the other ruling families on the Station would be against.
That day finally came about a decade ago when Naira exiled Conner and Michelle Evanston, accusing them of secret, illegal backdoor deals that connected them to the villainous GUB. The timing was too coincidental. Weeks before their trial, they found themselves entwined with a powerful organization that could orchestrate a massacre. The General believed it was a setup with evidence falsely planted on Conner to get him and his future wife exiled.
The path ahead was treacherous, filled with danger and uncertainty. But I couldn't resist the allure of solving this mystery. With each step, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, revealing a web of deceit and betrayal. The more I uncovered, the more I realized that the truth hid in unexpected places.
It all started with Asa's mysterious disappearance. One day, he simply vanished without a trace, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and a community in distress. As news spread, whispers and rumors began to circulate, fueling the curiosity of anyone who heard the tale.
Before his disappearance, Naira summoned him, Connor and Michelle. All were college students living in the same dorm in Sector B while attending the Lunar Station University. However, Asa had a child by Michelle named Helen. Naira presented them with an ultimatum. Michelle, torn between her affection for Asa and her growing feelings for Connor, was given a choice. Naira demanded that Michelle marry either Asa or Connor, believing that it would somehow lead to the truth. If she married one, her sentence of banishment would be null and void yet Asa would be forced to move to another dorm.
Michelle hesitated. She couldn't make such a life-altering decision without being with the father of her child. Yet Connor was the breadwinner, making 6 figures and more from his LLC known as Evanston Dynamics, a cyber security startup firm. Naira wanted Michelle to choose wisely but saw the lady refused to do so by her the actions resulting from the lady's immoral Lifestyle.
Unbeknownst to Michelle, Naira maneuvered matters to break up this love triangle. The General firmly believed that it was a deliberate move on Naira's part, a way for her to manipulate the situation and make the decision for Michelle. However, he couldn't prove his theory. It was merely a gut feeling, an intuition that refused to be silenced. What added weight to his suspicions was the knowledge that Asa had been working as a reporter for the renowned O'Keefe Media Group, popularly known as OMG. He had a knack for uncovering corruption and digging up dark secrets that individuals in power desperately tried to conceal. He thought that Asa had stumbled upon a dark secret, a link between Naira and the notorious GUB organization or one of their allies. In the General's mind, it was the most plausible explanation for Asa's disappearance. The Hill-Adega family had a long history of silencing anyone who dared to expose their malevolence, and Asa seemed to fit the profile of their unfortunate victims.
But that wasn't the real issue. According to the Nairan Code, a set of rules governing all who resided on the space station, their living arrangement was strictly forbidden. Punishment for such an offense? Exile. It seemed like a severe consequence for a seemingly harmless violation, but there was more to this story than meets the eye.
Days turned into weeks, and the mystery surrounding Asa's disappearance continued to haunt the Space Station. The story became the talk of it, captivating the imagination of everyone who heard the story. People speculated, theories were crafted, and whispers filled the air, each one adding a layer of intrigue to an already baffling puzzle.
As for the General, he refused to accept that Asa had simply vanished without a trace. He delved deeper into his past, searching for any clue or connection that could shed light on his sudden disappearance. Then his former lover, now married to Connor Evanston, along with their entire family, were wiped out due to have "allegedly" pissing off a powerful organization earlier this year. He wanted answers and hoped the newly formed TTA would find them.