The heavy metal door to the bunker groaned open as Alex pulled the makeshift sled inside. The noise echoed through the dark, cold room.
The smell of old dust and metal was strong in the air, which was made even worse by the cold that stuck to the bunker's walls.
He had to work hard to breathe, and his muscles hurt from the strain, but he kept going, carefully moving the big block of ice that was surrounding the mysterious woman.
He moved with urgency, knowing that time was not on his side. The calibration's success had given him a fleeting window of opportunity.
He brought the sled to a halt before a large, reinforced chamber: a sealed capsule lined with neuro-conduits and sensors.
This was the Neurochamber, a piece of old-world technology modified with Alex's ingenuity, designed to stabilize mental and spiritual energies.
"Aiden," Alex yelled, and his voice echoed a little. There was a hologram image of Aiden next to him. His stern face showed that he was both interested and skeptical as he looked at the frozen woman.
"You sure about this?" Without rushing, Aiden asked in a low voice.
"We don't have any other option," Alex said, his eyes filled with purpose.
"I've not felt such strong mental energy in years." as he exclaimed, "It's amazing, she might be our last chance to change the past if she can do even half of what I hope she can do."
Alex quickly moved his fingers over the control panel to change the Neurochamber's settings.
"First, we need to stabilize her mental energy so that there won't be any backlash," he muttered, half to himself and half to Aiden.
Using various conduits and wires, he attached the ice block and set up a system of stabilizers to control the complicated process of melting without damaging the block beyond repair.
The wind howled through the cracks in the bunker walls, reminding how bad things are in the world. The scary symphony went well with how quickly Alex's work was being done.
He reached for a vial of Elemental Essence, which was a strong mix of spiritual energy that he had collected from various beasts over the years.
He put it into the chamber in the hopes that it would help the woman's mental energy stay stable as the ice melted.
Slowly, the temperature inside the Neurochamber began to rise. Steam hissed and swirled within, mixing with the cold fog emanating from the melting ice.
Alex watched intently as the woman's form became clearer, her pale skin now visible beneath the thinning ice layer. She was motionless, her body appearing delicate yet oddly resilient as if frozen in a moment of defiance.
Aiden's however; his gaze analytical. "It's a risky move, Alex. If her mental energy overwhelms the system, it could backfire on both of you."
"I know," Alex replied, his voice tense. "But it's a risk we have to take. She's the strongest candidate we've found… and maybe the only one left."
As the ice continued to melt, her hair once frozen into solid strands, began to flow gently down her back like silver cascades.
Her face was soft yet marked by a certain harshness a battle-hardened, perhaps, or molded by unimaginable trials. There was something regal about her, even in her frozen state, a silent testament to her resilience.
Suddenly, the Neurochamber's sensors beeped erratically. Her mental energy spiked, sending shockwaves that reverberated through the chamber.
Alex's heart raced, and he adjusted the stabilizers rapidly, trying to prevent the chamber from overloading.
"Easy," he murmured, sweat beading on his forehead, "Stay with me… just a little longer."
After working hard for hours, the last bits of the ice block melted away, leaving only her weak body inside the Neurochamber.
Although her body looked like it wasn't moving or breathing, Alex could feel weak pulses of mental energy coming from her.
He held his breath, hoping for a sign of consciousness.
After a few days, her body which appeared to be motionless, almost lifeless earlier was now brimming with energy.
"It must be her ice elemental power that made her body strong and durable even after years been frozen in ice," Aiden said as he thought to himself how strong she was now even though she had not yet started cultivating.
Her eyes suddenly fluttered open slowly and weakly, but they were open. She had piercing blue eyes that were sharp and full of a wild, untamed ferocity.
With a mix of confusion and fear, her eyes darted around the room, looking at her surroundings.
Aiden's holographic form shifted slightly, stepping closer.
"Don't panic," he said in a calm, authoritative tone, "You're safe, at least for now. Try to focus your mind and keep it steady."
Her gaze fixed on Aiden, her expression one of instinctive distrust. Her breathing was shallow, but her mental energy began to stabilize, its aura visible as a faint blue glow around her.
She seemed to draw strength from Aiden's words.
"Where am I?" she asked, her voice raspy yet commanding, "Who are you? What happened to me?"
Alex stepped forward cautiously, knowing her distrust was justified.
"I'm Alex, and this is Aiden."
He gestured toward the holographic projection, who nodded solemnly.
"We found you in a block of ice near the coast. We managed to stabilize your mental energy and bring you back."
"How long has it been" she asked, "What day is today?"
"It's been 15 years since mutation and three years since the invasion… since the world fell." Alex replied
Her brows furrowed, processing his words. The weight of the situation dawned on her as she observed the bunker's grim surroundings, the remnants of a lost civilization.
"15 years…" she whispered; her voice laced with disbelief, "And you saved me. Why?"
Alex hesitated, knowing that she was no fool.
"We didn't just save you out of kindness," he admitted.
"We have a plan, a way to change everything, to alter the past potentially. But we need someone like you… someone strong enough to help make it happen."
"Change the past?" With a mix of doubt and interest in her eyes, she asked, "How?"
Aiden intervened, his holographic form standing tall.
"Alex possesses a rare mental ability, one that can send spiritual consciousness back to an individual's past self. But the power required for such a feat is immense, and it requires a strong receiver to anchor the consciousness during the jump."
She listened intently; her eyes locked onto Alex, "And you think I can be that receiver?"
Alex nodded and said, "Your mental energy is unlike anything we've encountered. It's powerful, stable, and, more importantly, intact. You could serve as the anchor for the jump, allowing us to send consciousness back to a critical point in time."
She looked unconvinced and spoke, "Even if you manage to send someone's consciousness back, to make a significant change you have at least to make it to a few years before the invasion happened three years ago, and with how strong you are how can it happen?"
Alex met her gaze, his eyes burning with a fierce resolve.
"The key isn't to stop the invasion outright, but it's to change how we responded to the initial mutation event." He paused for emphasis.
"I've developed a device capable of amplifying mental power, generating enough energy to reach the day I first acquired my abilities."
Her skepticism began to waver, replaced by a glimmer of interest, "You're talking about going back to the very beginning… when the meteor landed?"
"Yes," Alex confirmed, "The day the mutations started. If we can prepare people in advance, help them harness their new abilities quicker, and stop their scout ship from sending a signal to warship we might stand a chance against them even stopping them before the full-scale invasion."
Her gaze was intense, searching Alex's eyes for sincerity, "And what's in it for you?"
"For me?" Alex paused.
"Hope," he replied after a moment of reflection, "A chance to save what's left of humanity, to reclaim the world we lost."
She processed the information, her expression gradually shifting from doubt to determination.
"All right," she finally said, her voice resolute.
"I'll help. But I need to know everything the risks, the resources, and how we plan to survive once we reach the past."