At Time's End

Chapter 3 - Discoveries and Oddities

"I-I just.." Eterna came closer to me.

"Jay, we can fix things. I believe in it." She clasped her hands around my neck. "That incident is over.. as you said."

"N... No. I don't think this relationship can be fixed that easily," I said, only realizing that I killed the moment after it. She was kind of shocked. "I know the incident's over, but... I don't think either of us can get over it this quickly."

"I..." She got back up. "I see," she said, clearly suspicious.

"So, do you have any ideas on what to do next?"

"I guess you should find someone who could help you with the immortality project. "

"Yeah, I suppose so." I was still kind of dazed from everything that happened in the past two minutes. "So, when will the repairs for Research Station 1453 be done?"

"Probably around June of 2733. It's pretty far, don't you think? You could stay here while you wait."

"You're forgetting that I'm a time traveler. Three years is basically nothing." At least after the millions of years I traveled. I was bored to death in that chamber. The most there was to do was carving tic tac toe games into the walls, or sleeping. I mostly chose sleeping, but sleeping for thousands of years is also pretty boring. I used to try and force myself to lucid dream just to not be bored anymore. The Waiting Room is practically a prison.

"Well, that doesn't change the fact that you could still stay here. Based on my research, the time that you'd spend in the chamber is shorter than waiting, but it's still long."

"You seem to have also forgotten that I spent probably around a million years in that... cursed... chamber." She had ran out of arguments.

"I guess I can't stop you. Well.. try to stay sane." She muttered something else under her breath, and it looked like she said 'I love you'. I pretended I didn't notice. 

"You too. I'll be back here in a... while."

 The time in the Waiting Room was painful. Traveling back to Lucy better be worth the wait.

The few months in the chamber went fine. It was torture, but it was still fine. I was almost scared to admit to myself that it was Eterna's words that kept me sane... Time to drift all the way to Research Center 1453. Ugh. While doing that, I zoned out, thinking about Lucy and Eterna.

They were childhood enemies, despite meeting twice, and Eterna is one to hold a grudge. Lucy talked a lot about Eterna as well. Not in a nice way, mainly a loathing way. They truly hated each other. Eterna has a phobia of snakes. Lucy took advantage of that.

They only really met twice, the first time they were nice to each other - until Lucy pulled a snake out of the synthetic bushes in our backyard.

It was the loudest shriek I had ever heard. I'm pretty sure my ears are still ringing from it. Seriously, it was horrifying. Thanks, Eterna.

Lucy laughed so hard she cried. Eterna was not as amused, and I had to physically get in between the two just to stop her from annihilating Lucy.

The second time they met, I brought them to my backyard again. They didn't know that they were both invited. Lucy brought her toy snake this time (she loves snakes.) and Eterna almost hit her again.

...She actually succeeded because I wasn't careful enough.

This turned into the biggest fight I had ever seen - my mom had kept me away from most places where fights could occur because she found them 'impure', the fight wasn't even that bad - and I think both of them ended up with a scrapped knee. If I remember correctly Lucy got a bruise on her hip, and Eterna ended up with a grudge, emotional trauma and a bloody nose.

It was horrifying to watch when I was a kid, but I laugh at it nowadays. I was sure as a kid that if I hadn't interfered, both of them would probably have perished. Thankfully, it wasn't that bad. I still made sure they didn't see each other after that.

That's why I can never tell Eterna straight who I'm really doing this for. She'd shun me, shoot herself, or both. Or neither, but she'd at least be disappointed. If I ever ended up with Eterna, then Lucy'd be alone for the rest of time itself. It's an impossible choice... I have two options that are equally as valuable to me, and if I choose one, the other will hate me.

I finally reached the Research Center. It didn't seem like there was anyone home. I walked through the sliding doors despite that - who would be there to scold me anyways? Besides, if it was abandoned, I could just claim it.

The interior was messy. There were starmaps everywhere - on the walls as banners, on the floor as carpets, on the tables as designs and actual maps. The owner probably did research on the maps, though I had no clue what kind of research. Perhaps they're a geography nerd. Either goes.

I looked at the map on the floor. It seemed like it was interactive. My first instinct was to touch it. A glowing dot appeared, and so did a sound. "Who's there?!"

"Uhh-"

"Alice?"

"No- Who's Alice?!"

"Alright, take what you will and get out." But I won't take anything! I investigated the map more. It was a map of the five Ring systems. I tried to find my home, Housing Center 1514. The place where everything I mentioned - the snakes, the fight, the childhood memories and emotional trauma - happened.

"Where's... my home?" I held my breath. "Tell me where my home is."

"Why should I feel obliged to do anything for you?" the voice said. It was coming from another room. It sighed. "Are you lost or what? What's the code?" Another glowing spot appeared, presumably the person.

"1514." The glowing spot paused and shook a little, like the finger creating it would've shuddered. "Tell me where it is, or.. or..."

"Alright... See, it got moved here." The spot moved. "Also, please don't threaten me. This happens to be my own center."

The spot had moved to somewhere in the Central Ring - not the Housing Ring where it's supposed to be. Why in the world..?

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AN: i lost the original author's note for this, but it said something about how i wished to rewrite my old chapters so bad when i first checked through them

AN 2: well guess what AN 1? (you're never gonna guess guys) I REWROTE IT! you have nothing to complain about anymore!

the next chapter will mainly be about worldbuilding, so if you want to be confused about the mechanics forever, please by all means skip the chapter. the actual story continues on chapter 5.

(please don't actually skip the chapter i need my reads please i am hungry rat living in sewer feeding on reads)