The Soulmate Initiative: Book 2

2. We have to take a stand

LOCATION: AVENGERS MANSION

After Scott has rambled to the new arrivals, Stacey asks them "After everything you've seen, is anything really impossible?" Ashley responds "Quantum fluctuation messes with the Planck scale, which then triggers the Deutsch Proposition. Can we agree on that?" Regina nods "In layman's terms, it means you're not coming home." Scott speaks up "I did." Ashley shakes her head "No. You accidentally survived. It's a billion-to-one cosmic fluke. And now now want to pull a... What do you call it?" Scott thinks up a name "A time heist?" "Yeah, a time heist. Of course." Ashley looks to Regina "Why didn't we think of this before? Oh, because it's laughable. Because it's a pipe dream." Stacey says "The stones are in the past. We could go back, we could get them." Warren joins in "We could snap our own fingers. We can bring everybody back." "Or screw it up worse than he already has, right?" Stacey retaliates "I don't believe we would." "High hopes won't help if there's no logical, tangible way for us to safely execute said time heist. I believe the most likely outcome will be our collective demise." Scott jumps back in "Not if we strictly follow the rules of time travel. Alright? It means no talking to our past selves, no betting on sporting events." "I'm gonna stop you right there, Scott. Are you seriously telling me that your plan to save the universe is based on Back To The Future? Is it?" "No." "Good. You had me worried there. Cause that would be horseshit." Tasia quickly covers her daughter's ears, as Ashley continues "That's not how Quantum physics works." Nian sighs "Ash. We have to take a stand." "We did stand. And yet, here we are." Scott tries again "I know you got a lot on the line. But I lost my soulmate, a lot of people did. And now, now we have a chance to bring her back, to bring everyone back, and you're telling me that you won't even-" Ashley cuts him off "That's right, Scott. I won't even. I can't." There are tears in her eyes.

Ashley gets up and walks out of the front door, Regina hurrying after her. As the door closes, Nian understands "She's scared." And Tasia comments "She's not wrong." Scott sighs "Yeah, but, I mean, what are we gonna do? We need them. What, are we gonna stop?" "No, I wanna do it right." Just then, the front door reopens and everyone looks over to see Regina walling back in "Ash, she's uh, she's heading back to the tower, she's gonna tinker a bit..." They nod in understanding "But, uh..." Everyone looks back to her as she scratches the back of her neck a little "It's outside of my area of expertise. But I'm in, I'll uh, try to help as best I can."

LOCATION: AVENGERS TOWER

Ashley tries to distract herself from the conversation earlier, but it keeps coming back to her throughout the day, and so do ideas. So she starts talking to Friday and trying things out with a hologram "I've got a mild inspiration. I'd like to see if it checks out. So, I'd like to run one last sim, before we pack it in for the night. This time, in the shape of a Mobius strip. Inverted, please." "Processing." "Right, give me the eigenvalue of that particle, factoring in spectral decomp. That'll take a second." "Just a moment." "And don't worry if it doesn't pan out.bim just kinda..." "Model rendered. Model successful." Ashley falls down onto the seat behind her, out of shock. She exhales sharply "Shit!"