Hi again! I know it's been longer than I thought to put this one out but that's what happens when one act starts to come to a close. Everything just has to end just right. I hope you enjoy reading it. At the end of the chapter, I've left a bit on how things worked in the chapter and what references it drew from. Minor spoilers, to be sure, but if you don't mind that give it a look. Cheers!
"The Present and Past"
Unknown Planet
Unknown System
2698, December 3rd
Each step further into the swamp was becoming a bigger and bigger problem. The electrical interference was growing and affecting Noughton's mapping systems and cameras. Running diagnostics didn't help either as Rex's OS would run into problems along the way. Something in the swamp was causing interference to Rex's systems.
Looking out at the huge trees that stretched high above him, it was hard to believe anything could be here. Long vines dangled and twisted together, while a thick fog obscured the landscape. According to Rex's instruments (when they did work) said the humidity was high. This planet was getting worse by the minute.
Rex's foot got stuck in the mud just as Noughton's screen fizzed at another energy spike. Noughton tried to maneuve the levers for Rex's movement but no joy. The electrical interference pulsed for another two seconds before it relented allowing Rex to move again.
"You good?" Dom asked.
"No," Newg growled, "interference again."
"I hate this planet." She seethed.
"Seconded."
The sound of ship engines whining overhead drew Noughton's attention. Dom ordered them to grab cover quickly. Noughton moved Rex under a tree, hoping it would obscure his Atlas' profile from view. Another pulse and the sounds of ship engines stopped. The pulses must effect them too, Noughton thought before he caught a glimpse of three Goblins gliding across the sky still maintaining their formation and then kicking on their engines back on.
"Did you see that?" Noughton asked Dom.
"No, what did you see?"
"The IMC are timing their engines with the pulses. That's how they're getting around the pulses."
Dom snorted in disgust. "I'm pissed they know that. You know what means then?"
"That guy out there might know too?"
"Yeah, we need to be extra careful now."
Jack knocked on his hull, "Hey everything okay in there?"
"Yeah, we're good." Noughton said through Rex's outboard speaker.
He got his Titan moving again headed in the direction of the mysterious electrical pulses. In his head, Noughton tried to count the seconds until the next one like he would thunder. Idly, he checked his map and saw that they were making when suddenly, he lurched forward as another pulse hit. Just his luck.
"What was that one? Seventeen seconds?" He asked after the pulse passed.
"Twenty-Two I thought." Dom replied.
"Hey Jack, Cyrene, count those seconds between pulses, okay? We don't want to be frozen out in the open!" Newg called to them via the outboard.
"Yeah! We're on it!" Cyrene shouted from Dom's Titan.
Half a minute later and other pulse hit them. Noughton was mid stride and Rex's leg hesitated before the movement kicked in and rested into the muck. Noughton struggled trying to move the Titan but it was no use. The impact from the interference was strong, Rex was down for six seconds.
"How long was that?"
"Twenty-five seconds I think!" Jack said.
"I had twenty-four," Cyrene added.
"Great," Noughton brought up his wrist-comm and set a twenty-four second timer via the stopwatch app, "let's set out watches for twenty-three seconds then. Just in case."
"Good idea," Dom agreed, "might give us that extra second advantage."
"Yeah, hopefully."
It was slower going now. Besides the pulses, the trees and their roots grew thicker making their trek more difficult. Overhead, they saw glimpses of the IMC fleet overhead. Ships jumping into atmo. At first, Noughton thought they were looking for them but soon enough the ships were amassing into formation above the planet.
"What's going on up there?"
"Nothing good." Dom replied.
"Yeah -" A flash of light engulfed him.
"- shit! Are we hit?" Noughton gasped. The swamp had completely changed around him. A thick mist had rolled in making the entire landscape an eerie gray. He swiveled around observing the abrupt change in the environment. A sudden banging on his hull made him flip Rex's ball cam around to see Jack still on the hull.
"What... in the fuck... just happened?" He cried in disbelief.
"I'm not sure but maybe..." Noughton's vision began to swell in a similar effect to a dropship jump. He was shaking up his fingertips to his chest when the light passed.
Rex took a knee as Noughton found himself back in the familiar swamps. Dom was already yelling at him, asking if he was okay. What had just happened? He'd seen it. Experienced it. Yet, he was at a complete loss to even begin to describe what he just witnessed.
"Noughton talk to me, what the hell just happened!?" Dom demanded.
"I'm... fine, I think." His sinuses were throbbing.
"You disappeared completely! That's not fine!"
"I know but I'm okay. Jack you still there?"
Coughing and sounds of vomiting came in reply. "I think so... I'm not missing any organs am I?"
"I hate this planet."
"Yeah, okay maybe we should rethink..." Dom began but was cut short by the sound of small arms fire. "Shit! We've been made!"
Emerging from the trees and swamps came two squads of Spectres on their flank. Dom, closest to the Spectres, pivoted her Titan and fired off three rounds. Water and muck shot into the air tossing aside parts of ruined Spectres.
"Dom! Grab cover now!" Noughton yelled as the timer on his wrist-comm reached zero.
A pause and then the crackle of interference interrupted Rex's controls. A calm came over the swamp as his Titan stuttered to put another foot down. Noughton held his breath. Finally, after several seconds, the effect dissipated and the Spectres started firing again. Noughton was about to assist when a railgun round smashed into him, sending the off balanced Rex backwards and into another flash of light.
Noughton landed in the strange mud again, this time staring up at a night sky, littered with clouds. High above, bright blue plumes jutted from the back of a strange elongated type of craft. It's hull the color of glossy oil, seemingly mixing with the sky around it. A complex series of interconnected rings formed the center. Even from a long distance, Noughton could see them rotate occasionaly obscuring the bright blue light in the center. He watched mesmerized until he heard Jack splashing and coughing.
"Jack? Jack are you okay? Do you see this shit?" Noughton spun his orb camera around looking for the Landstrom Venture survivor.
"I don't feel very good..." Jack swayed towards his Titan struggling against the swampy tides.
"Come to me!" Noughton said as he tried to right Rex.
His Titan lifted out of the muck. As soon as he upright again, he wheeled Rex around and picked up Jack with one of his Titan's hands.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"No," Jack said coughing, "I feel light headed and my vision's going funny."
Noughton was about to see if Rex could analyze the air when the timer went off. The return "jump" effect from before hadn't happened yet. Noughton had hoped to be launched back by now. Even his compass had changed direction. They were in a north-westerly direction before but now it was saying he was face nearly due-west. Noughton's head was swimming with questions. Somehow he had to get back to Dom.
"It's okay," Newg said to comfort himself and Jack, "we're gonna get out of this."
"Yeah, well, soon would be nice." Jack sputtered and coughed.
He rotated his Titan around and saw where his Titan's prints had started. Cautiously, Noughton approached the spot where Rex's tracks began and stuck one of Rex's fingers out. The very tip of it disappeared into the air. As he did so, his systems began to fritz. Worried, Noughton pulled back the Titan's finger. Thrilled and terrified at the same time that whatever effect had remained in place, Newg braced himself to go back through it again.
"Hold on Jack, we're going through." Noughton said driving his Titan through the spot.
Out of the flash he returned in the midst of the firefight. Bullets pelted the back of Rex and Newg drove straight back into the battle. He squeezed off a few rounds into a Spectre that had advanced from cover. He spotted Dom just ahead behind a large outcropping of rocks.
"Dom!" But before he could finish his sentence another pulse hit. Within the sudden eerie silence a low rumble could be heard building up slowly louder and louder. Noughton tried to force his Titan's levers to move but they wouldn't budge. Suddenly the rumble burst into a crack of thunder. Dom's Ogre was struck by a railgun round blowing out her shields.
Just after, the systems returned and the Spectres began firing again. As soon as he could, Noughton let loose on the Spectres with his XO. In the back of his mind, he was conscious of how low he could be getting on ammo after each engagement. Somehow they had to break away from this fight and keep low. Easier said than done with a Titan.
"Dom!" He started again. "Are you good?"
"No, fuck! Shields are gone! Why do you keeping disappearing?"
"I don't know!" he sprayed another squad of Spectres down. "It just keeps happening!"
"The fuck does that mean?" She grunted as her Titan took on more fire. "There!"
Her Titan released two bursts down range into the trees spraying splinters and foliage. Noughton saw the domed Titan stand up and move to another vantage point. He didn't need to be told what to do, he squeezed off a burst right on top of the enemy Titan. They struck home and in response the Stryder snapped off a railgun round at him.
His cockpit shook but the shields held. Noughton reacquired his target and was leading him until the Stryder dashed behind a huge sandstone outcropping. He moved Rex to the right, away from Dom, trying to find the other side of the outcropping to find him again. That's when his stopwatch beeped.
"Brace!" He shouted with seconds to spare, he quickly powered off Rex.
Noughton counted seconds and switched back on Rex much to his relief the Titan started back right away. The battlefield was quiet while the Spectres remained quiet. Noughton lined up his sights at the end of the outcropping and waited. His patience was rewarded when the enemy Pilot stepped out, railgun aglow.
"Got ya," Newg grinned. He held down the trigger for a good four seconds letting several tracer rounds slam into the Domed Stryder. Yet, in a bizarre fashion, the Pilot reacted with incredible reflexes and quickly ducked his Titan back behind the sandstone. That's when Noughton saw it.
It wasn't a sandstone outcropping – it was a temple! He blinked his eyes making sure he was seeing it right. There it was a stone temple with huge steps towards thick walls draped in vines and bushes. There no was no chance that the IMC had built it, so who had?
A knocking on Rex's hull drew his attention to Jack on the Hull. "Jack?"
"I know this place! This is the heart of the weird shit, Pilot!"
Newg flipped his attention back to the battle. "How do you know?"
"Cuz I did the survey for this area but this was huge lake back then!"
That was strange but it made those huge drainage tunnels make sense now. The IMC must've emptied this area to get to the ruins. Considering that he fell out of time or whatever that was, he could guess the IMC were after the same thing.
"Newg," Dom called him over the comms, "the Spectres have gone weird."
Coming from behind cover, Newg could see that the Spectres were standing factory stiff. He fired off a burst and the Spectre just fell over. Dom pulled up her Titan and ripped one off the ground and crushed it.
"Okay, that's strange as hell." He commented.
Suddenly they resumed their combat routines as a railgun shot rang out nearly right behind him. Newg's Titan rolled forward from the impact. His shields were gone and he briefly saw Jack get thrown clear of his Titan again. The stopwatch beeped. Rex went dead as the pulse hit sending him into complete blackness.
Noughton sat in the dark listening to the dull sounds beyond the hull of Rex. There was no way the railgun Titan could get that close. He was meters away by that temple. How could he have gotten behind them? Styrders were faster than Atlas' or Ogres but not that fast.
When Rex came back online this time, the diagnosis wasn't good. That last shot had slipped the Titan's body shield nearly hitting his reactor. It was too dangerous to keep using Rex now. Any more damage and the retrofitted Titan would soon reach the decay point and detonate. Reluctantly, Newg had to leave his first Titan behind.
"You did a damn good job, Rex." Newg said thumping the top of the Titan as he exited.
Bullets rang off the hull as he crawled into the swamp. Sliding his rifle into his hands, Newg sent a burst at one that had popped up behind a log. It went down but several of it's buddies turned and directed their fire at him.
"Dom did you see where he went?" Newg asked as he took cover behind Rex's chassis.
Her 40mm bursts were still tearing apart the remaining Spectres. She answered when the firing stopped. "No, but Cyrene says he came out of the air behind us – in a swirl of light."
"Ah shit," he said as he took stock of his Sidewinder anti-Titan weapon.
"I'm really starting to hate this guy." Dom answered.
"Yeah, me too. But I've got bad idea."
Despite the situation, he heard Dom laugh. "Let's hear it, Pilot."
"Next time that bastard comes around, drive him toward my Titan. It's almost gone critical, we can use that to nuke him."
"That's gonna draw a lot of attention." She warned.
"Or cover our tracks. Doubt they'll look for us if we're dead."
For a moment, Dom didn't answer. He could hear her Titan's 40 mil blast away at the Spectres before. "Fuck it. It's better than being taken prisoner."
Newg could feel his heartbeat in his ears. Okay, time to not die. Peeling around his Titan's broken chassis, he fired a burst micro missiles into another group of Spectres. Their numbers were beginning to dwindle causing them to reform into smaller and smaller groups. From his time as a Grunt, Noughton had never seen such coordinated actions between Spectres. As he readied himself to fire again, the Spectres suddenly fell silent again. They just stood there in the open. It was a perfect time to blast them and Newg took the opportunity to do so, before it suddenly dawned on him.
"Dom!" He rushed towards the other end of his Titan; Sidewinder at the ready. "Behind you!"
He was too late. As Dom turned to face the IMC Pilot, he was already emerging from a bright sliver in the air, the long barrel of his Railgun precipitating his arrival. To Newg's horror, it was already fully charged. The Railgun cracked loudly as the Spectres resumed firing. Noughton slid next to Rex's leg and fired a series of missiles into the air around the Railgun. The barrel of the Railgun quickly receded back inside the hole in reality.
Yet behind the hole where he had fired, the trees were suddenly shorter. It hurt his head to struggle to understand. He had fired into the hole in the air and now younger branches, thinner and brighter color were sprouting from a cleaved trunk where a large looming tree that had been. There wasn't time for this. Newg collected himself and focused on the battle.
The IMC Pilot wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Newg understood that somehow the Spectres were connected to that Domed Titan. The battlefield quieted again and Newg didn't hear Dom's 40 Mil. Realizing it was another pulse, the IMC Pilot would emerge soon. Believing that Rex's chassis would no longer be good cover, Newg sprinted towards one of the trees.
When he got close enough, he leapt expecting his jumpkit to fire. It would've been comical had the situation not required life or death decisions. He hadn't expected the pulse to kill his jumpkit. Undramatically, he kicked off the tree landing in the muck. His heart stopped. Proceeding towards him was the domed Styrder quickly making it's way across the shallow swamp.
"Fuck! Fuck!" Noughton desperately firing off his Sidewinder into the Stryder's bodyshield. He had never felt so alone and so afraid as the 20 foot behemoth closed the gap on him. This was it...
"Move!" Dom's voice kicked in his ear.
Seeing the pulse was over, Noughton jumped madly with his jumpkit as the Stryder's fist connected into the tree, smashing the old thick trunk. Noughton landed on the Styrder's thin arm awkwardly, slipping off. He grabbed on as the arm retracted from the tree. Using the momentum, he leapt onto the dome behind the Styrder's head. His Sidewinder empty, Noughton unloaded his 101-C into the manifold of the Styrder breaking the cover free.
Alarmed, the IMC Pilot swung violently in an attempt to throw Noughton free. It worked mostly, throwing him around the length of the dome. Noughton caught the far edge with one hand barely as Dom fired her 40 mil danger close into the Stryder. The rippling impacts sent Noughton flying into the swamp.
As he rolled over trying to stablize his vision, he saw the Stryder dash away from Dom as she tried to level it. Newg pulled up his Sidewinder and knocked the empty box out and smacked in a new one. Railgun rounds cut through the air as the Ogre charged after it. It's body shield absorbing the quick shot impacts. Dom was firing the bursts from her 40mm cannon in rapid succession hoping to break down the Stryder's shields. It nearly worked before the Stryder dashed again behind the temple and disappeared again into the air.
Noughton began running across the battlefield trying to catch up to Dom who was also dead set on chasing after the enemy into whatever hole he ran to. He vaulted over fallen logs and pushed off trees trying to make his way as fast as he could. In the distance, Dom and the IMC Stryder would phase in and out of reality. Trees that were standing one second, were rotting fallen logs the next. Somehow, in this awful place, the IMC had found some pocket of time travel or worm hole or he didn't know what the hell it was.
Dom and the IMC finally wrested back into their time and it looked like Dom had finally gotten the upper hand. The Ogre's massive hand had gripped the frail Styrder by one of it's arms and wrenched it free. As Dom lifted the Titan's arm back to slam it back down on top of it, the Styrder stuck the railgun against her Titan's chassis. Noughton pushed off a tree and...
Thick encompassing fog surrounded him again reducing visibility to mere meters. Noughton landed, rolling in the thick muck. Whatever time he was in, he could tell that the two Titans had been battling here. The trees and mud bore the fresh signs of combat. He couldn't stay here, Dom was back in their time. His timer chimed, indicated that there was a pulse, yet in this time no pulse came.
Noughton looked and twisted around looking for a possible way back to his own time. When he couldn't tell where the next hole in reality was he picked a direction and ran until he hit a burst of white light...
As he emerged, he almost was trampled by Dom's Titan. She had broken free but her cockpit hatch had been breached and Newg saw scarring exiting her Titan. As luck would have it, they were right next to Rex's chassis. Quickly, Newg brought up his Titan's controls and thumbed the detonate switch – just in case.
The Stryder had taken serious damage and it was clear that despite how skilled the Pilot was inside, his Titan was nearly defeated. Dom's Ogre, despite it's slowness, had finally worn it down. In an incredible show of quick thinking, the Styrder Pilot tried to use it's own railgun like a bat to smash into Dom. She caught it with one hand and after a struggle, crushed the weapon with her Ogre. When she was finished, she wrenched the weapon from the Styrder pulling it towards her and into her Titan's fist sending the IMC Pilot flying back. The Titan collapsed into the mud, awkwardly propped up by it's dome. Finally their pursuer had been defeated.
"Dom, holy shit you did it." Newg said over their comms.
Dom's breathes came in deep and ragged. "He was a tough son of a bitch."
A metallic sound drew their attention as the hatch of the Styrder was forced open. His breath caught in his throat. From the ruined Styrder was a Spectre. It had Pilot webbing and from one of it's arms it held up a P-2011. It first aimed it at him then at Dom. Newg quickly hoisted up his Sidewinder ready to let loose it's missiles but the Spectre spoke.
"A-A-activating shutdown p-pro-pro-procedures," it's voice harsh and distorted, "interface functions compromised. Organic sys-systems compromised. B-brain death imminent..." The blue glow from it's eye dimmed as it motors died in place, leaving it as still as a statue. With heavy effort, it looked an inch skyward and uttered, "Father..."
Before Newg could begin to process that last word, five Goblins glided into view before kicking on their stabilizers into place. Dom was able to knock out one of the Goblins before the rest had hit her Titan with an arc-missile disabling it. Newg quickly raised his hands but kept his Titan's detonation ative.
Overhead, an IMC ship loomed over blocking out the sun. Ziplines shot out from the Goblins and IMC Marines fast roped down into the muck. Another crack thundered overhead as smoke trail guided itself in. Noughton saw that it was a large red Ogre Titan barreling straight for them. Newg shielded his eyes as the red Ogre smashed into the remains of Rex, burying his one time friend into the muck.
The Ogre stood upright in the crater and the hatch popped open. A blonde haired man in white sleeveless armor stood up. "Site secured." The man declared in a South African accent.
Another strange box like craft soon landed next to him. It's doors slid down and up, revealing an Atlas and a lone human figure surrounded by more IMC Marines. The figure and IMC Marines marched out and rushed towards Newg. He didn't offer any resistance but they still roughly threw him down in the mud and cuffed him. Then they hoisted him up and ripped off his helmet tossing it away into the mud.
"Militia Pilot secured!" One reported into his comms, while another stripped Newg of his equipment handing it to a third Marine.
Newg casted a glance as the Atlas made it's way over to Dom's Titan. The Titan flexed it's fingers before jabbing into the hole by Dom's hatch. Her disabled Titan unable to resist. He jerked towards her Titan and got a rifle butt in the stomach for it. As Newg keeled over, he weakly watched as the Atlas peeled off Dom's hatch. Dom replied firing off her RE-45 straight at the Atlas.
The woman Pilot in the Atlas laughed through her outboard speakers. A small attachment on top of her Titan deployed and fired a charge rifle shot into one of the Ogre's arms. Then another into the main body. A third into one of the leg joints. The Ogre, already damaged from it's fight with the Spectre Pilot, collapsed to one leg and rested precariously forward.
"Second Militia Pilot – secured." The Atlas Pilot announced punching the top of the Ogre.
"Enough, Slone." The South African man said dropping from his Titan into the muck. "That egghead wants them intact."
"Since when do we take orders from Gate Keepers?"
A Marine shoved Newg up straight and ripped open his shirt and began searching around any other items on his person. When they didn't find anything else they wanted the Marine socked him in the gut again. When he recovered, the Atlas Pilot, Slone, was holding up Dom's Titan as another squad of Marines hauled her out. She fared better than he did, able to throw back the first two Marines until another pair could hold her down. Then they were forced to kneel in the mud side by side.
"This is it, huh, Noughton." She said spitting out a slop of blood.
He smiled wryly. She didn't often say his name right, guess it reflected how final their situation was. "Guess so, Dominque." He said using her real name.
She shot him an angry look but then laughed heartily making her shoulders bouncing. "I fucking hate that name."
Another box shaped craft descended by the first and more IMC Marines filled out but these ones were equipped in HAZMAT suits and oxygen tanks. Some were using equipment, pointing them in the air or at the ground. After the readings were taken, they gave a man still inside the craft the thumbs up. He looked down at the mud and reluctantly stepped into the muck. Once he had stepped in it though, his hesitation disappeared and he approached the South African man.
"Commander Blisk, I believe you have received your orders." The man said, he looked like a scientist.
The Pilot in silver sleeveless armor walked up to the scientist and eyed him. "Yeah, Ornov, the scientist is yours. Where's mine?"
So that was Blisk! The man that the Sarge had told them all about. How much of an asshole the IMC could be and why he defected in the first place. If that piece of shit was here then for sure Spyglass was here too. It's too bad they had to be this much into the shit to find that out. Newg gritted his teeth at the thought.
"Bring him up," The scientist named Ornov waved back towards the transport.
Two Marines came forward dragging a Militia Pilot between them. Newg and Dom recognized instantly who it was.
"Sarge!" They called out.
Ramirez turned and saw them both and flicked a grin. He was handcuffed and had been stripped of his armor and gear like they had. The two Marines dropped the Sarge in the mud in front of Blisk. Ramirez's grin disappeared when he saw the IMC Commander. Blisk withdrew his knife and used the tip of it to compel Ramirez's head upwards.
"Thought you'd seen the last of me, eh?"
"Come mierda," Ramirez said defiantly.
Blisk made a wide grin and chuckled. He stuck the his knife quickly under Ramirez's chin before withdrawing it. Sarge made a horrible gurgling noise as he fell over into the mud. Dom stood up and got two steps away before the IMC got her back under control. Newg just sank into the mud. Blisk paid no attention as he wiped his knife clean.
"Slone," he said replacing the knife into it's scabbard.
"Bring her out." the female Pilot said from her outboard speakers and Newg saw the Captain of the Explorer being lead out from the first box-like craft. Sho'ko hesitantly walked over towards Ornov. She furtively glanced at Ramirez then hurried over.
Once Ornov had Sho'ko secured, he returned his focus to Blisk. "Our business is concluded. Spyglass now wants everyone ready for Phoenix."
"So?" Blisk replied disinterested, already returning to his Titan allowing it to hoist him into the cockpit.
Ornov considered him for a moment. Wordlessly, he turned and walked past Dom and Noughton. The Marines pushed Noughton forward and began marching them out of the swamp towards the they were secured, the HAZMAT Marines knocked on the hull of the transport and the doors folded up. The scientist Ornov looked at the two of them. His eyes were bloodshot with deep bags under his eyes like foxholes, his hair was disheveled, like he hadn't slept in weeks.
"Hello," he said politely, in a voice that didn't seem to fit him, "I'm Doctor Ornov of the Science Division here on Athena. I'm truly sorry about your comrade but I assure you his sacrifice will be for the greater good."
"Greater good?" Dom said derisively. "Fuck you!"
Ornov regarded her a moment. "Is that any way the daughter of iNGOT's CMO should act? Dominque Faraday."
"You don't know anything about me." She shot back but her face was flustered.
Ornov raised an eyebrow. "As a psychologist, I do find humor about that, but moving on to the task at hand." He produced a tablet and scrolled over the screen. "You both interacted with the anomaly, which is beneficial to me. Under the Jenkins Protocol, I'm able to extend to you compensation in return for your cooperation."
"Wait, what?" Newg held up his restraints. "Like credits? You'll pay us but still keep us prisoner, while our Sarge dies in the mud?"
"Financial compensation is covered under the protocol, yes. As mercenaries, I'm sure that appeals to you." Ornov answered simply.
"Fuck you! What guarantees do we even have that you won't execute us when you've got what you've wanted anyways?" Dom countered.
Ornov sighed wearily. He removed his glasses and massaged his eyelids. When he had put his glasses back on, he answered. "It's true, you don't. As I said, I am a psychologist, not a soldier. Had I not intervened you would have had the same treatment as your Sargent. At least, when working with me, you'll be treated better than most IMC prisoners."
"So we are prisoners." Newg cocked her head, "Would you let me put a bullet in that asshole Blisk's head as part of my compensation?"
Ornov's eyebrows again shot up amused. "There would those here, who'd like it if you did. But no, that is not covered under the Protocol."
"Shame," Dom slummed back against her seat.
"And you," Ornov coughed turning to address the third prisoner, "Dr. Sho'ko, I am pleased to have a scientist of some renown with us. Your cooperation would be of great benefit to my research."
Sho'ko, who had been sulking near one of the transport's corners turned and looked over at Ornov. "I'm an astrogeologist," She said with complete surprise. "what benefit would I bring to the IMC?"
"Not the IMC, doctor. Think of yourself more as an advocate for all of Science."
"All of science?" She repeated distantly.
"Oh yes," Ornov said emphatically, "the research here, will change the face of the Frontier forever."
**Minor spoilers ahead**
The biggest influence of this chapter was "Effect and Cause," since that level has time travel mechanics in. When Noughton was able to go back the way he came, that was drawn directly from the sky bridge section just before finding Captain Anderson. On that bridge, you can go backwards and trip the time jump as many times as you like. That discovery is important since it means not all of the jumps are temporary but can be fixed points. I tried to write the time jumps clearly so as to not confuse anyone reading the chapter but if there are points that are still confusing, please let me know!