The teleportation chamber hummed with almost unleashed power, crystalline walls pulsating with waves of blue-white energy. Evan stood on the circular platform at the chamber's center, his heart hammering against his ribs as nanites swarmed beneath his skin. The microscopic machines prepared him for a journey that no one of his rank had ever attempted-or survived.
He curled his fingers, straightened them: dim blue lines of Aether etched patterns under his skin. Hours had passed since the integration process had begun; he already felt his change. The heightened senses: colors and sounds more alive, clearer, air felt different with each breath full of information his natural body never would detect.
"The merge will sting," Arthur explained behind the safety shield, his fingers typing out on holographic screens. "Your body's being rewritten at a molecular level. The nanites'll increase your strength while maintaining your core identity-that is, your memories, your compassion, your humanity." He glanced up at the process momentarily. "And don't forget who you are, Evan. That's why you're being brought aboard."
Evan nodded, trying to focus on the technical details instead of the growing discomfort spreading through his limbs. "What exactly am I looking for on Earth?"
"Anomalies. Patterns. Anything that might indicate why the Aether flows are destabilizing." Arthur's image flickered as another explosion rocked the facility. The Cheso forces were getting closer. "The sensor crystal will help you track disruptions in the Aether field. To the inhabitants, it will appear as a simple gemstone. To you, it's a sophisticated array of quantum sensors and communication devices."
Through the reinforced windows, Evan could see that the last defense barriers of Habellion flickered against the relentless assault. What used to be the beautiful skyline is now a maze of broken spires and burning buildings. Out there lies George's body with countless others who are sacrificed in a war that they would have known all along they would lose.
"Time works differently in the simulation," Arthur said, his voice sharpening to a pointed edge. "Three days here equals three decades there. The temporal displacement was necessary to allow for proper evolutionary development of the Earth humans." He raised his head, his eyes meeting Evan's. "But it means you'll be alone. No backup, no direct communication with Habellion. Whatever you face, you face it alone."
The energy in the room began to build, and a high-pitched whine started creating an edge in Evan's teeth. The nanites in his system responded; their activity increased until it felt like his whole body was on fire.
"One final thing," Arthur said, his voice little more than a whisper above the rising crescendo of power. "The simulation has evolved beyond our original parameters. The people there have developed their own history, their own beliefs. They call Aether manipulation 'magic' or 'divine power.' Their faith is real, even if their world isn't. Do not underestimate the power of their convictions."
The agony reached an unbearable level and made Evan wish he could react, but he knew his body was being ripped asunder only to be sewn together again; every atom shrieked in protest at the reconstruction. In the throes of this pain, Evan could hear the final words from Arthur:
"Remember who you are, Evan. Remember why you were chosen. And remember—sometimes the greatest power isn't in your abilities, but in your heart."
The world erupted in light.
It was like dying and coming back to life in one moment. When Evan's consciousness reassembled, he found himself standing in a forest clearing under an alien sun. The air was heavy with strange smells of earth, vegetation, and decay. His enhanced senses immediately began cataloging his surroundings: oxygen levels 20% higher than Habellion's artificial atmosphere, pressure 1.1 times standard, Aether concentration at 0.001% of normal levels.
He looked down at his hands, half-expecting to see something alien instead of the familiar ones. They seemed normal enough, but he could feel the power thrumming beneath his skin. The nanites had successfully integrated, turning him into something far beyond human while maintaining his outward appearance.
A remote bell tolled, the sound clear in the woods across the distance. He saw spires of a medieval town through the trees: not at all like the high-rise cities of Habellion. Smoke drifted up from tens of thousands of chimneys, and his heightened sense picked up on the thousands of lives living in careless ignorance of the artificial reality of their world.
He extended his senses, testing out his new abilities. The Aether field here was weak; he could barely pick up on it with his heightened perception. Still, it was there, and flowing through everything in subtle patterns to maintain the stability of the simulation. He felt how thin the barrier between reality and illusion was and how easily someone with his capabilities could disrupt it.
The sensor crystal hung cool against his chest, its periodic pulses providing data about the surrounding energy fields. He'd need to learn how to interpret its signals quickly—time was against him, even with the temporal displacement working in his favor.
His mission had begun. In that medieval city, or outside it, lay the key to why both worlds were failing. He had three decades of local time to find it-and rescue not one but two worlds from disaster.
With that step into the city, Evan felt the weight of history shift around him. He'd been nothing in Habellion: an E-rank medic, hardly worth saving. He'd have to become something else altogether here.
"I won't fail you," he whispered to himself, thinking of George, of Arthur, of all those counting on him back in Habellion. "I won't fail any of you."
The sun was setting, casting long shadows through the trees as he walked through the forest. In the growing darkness, his enhanced vision automatically adjusted, revealing details invisible to normal human eyes. So both literally and figuratively, the path ahead was clear.
He was not, anymore, just Evan, a sub-ranking medic who cannot bring his best friend back; now he is something new and quite unprecedented-a bridge to bridge two worlds, carrying the fates of both in those modified hands.
Maybe a savior. Or else something worse.