Testing the Limits of Time

Chapter 15: Racing against time

Skylar, with her eyes narrowed in concentration, dashed her fingers over her keyboard. The hidden message she had stumbled upon in the Revisionist propaganda was proving to be more complex than she had anticipated.
Each line of code unraveled a new layer of their plan, and the deeper she dug, the more alarming it became. When she finally decoded the last piece, her breath caught in her throat.
Skylar leaned back in her chair, staring at the screen in disbelief. This changed everything. She had to tell the others—immediately.
***
The team gathered in the main room of their base. Skylar paced the room, clutching the decoded message in her hand.
"I've figured out what the Revisionists are up to," she said. "They're planning to sabotage vaccine development. If they succeed, the pandemic could drag on for years."
The room observed a silence as the gravity of her words sank in.
Tyler, who had been leaning against the wall, pushed himself upright. "That's... massive. Do you have any idea how they're planning to do it?"
Skylar nodded, passing the paper to Tyler. "They've been infiltrating pharmaceutical companies. Key scientists have been replaced by people with suspicious backgrounds. They're trying to derail the research from the inside."
Jamie frowned, glancing at the others. "So, what do we do? How do we stop them?"
Skylar knew they couldn't afford to waste any more time. "We need to act fast. We need to figure out which companies have been compromised and stop them before they can do any real damage."
"Okay, but how?" Jamie asked, still processing the information.
Tyler, who had been skimming through the decoded message, looked up with some optimism in his eyes. "I can hack into the databases of the major pharmaceutical companies. If I can find out which scientists have been replaced, we can target those labs and investigate."
Skylar nodded. "Exactly. We'll split up and hit multiple locations at once. It's the only way we'll be able to cover enough ground before the Revisionists can strike."
"Divide and conquer," Kody said, a hint of a grin on his lips. "I like it."
Jamie, ever the voice of reason, raised an eyebrow. "This is risky. We're not exactly experts in undercover work."
"We don't have a choice," Skylar replied, leaving no room for argument. "If we don't act now, it could set us back years. We have to stop them, no matter what it takes."
Tyler's fingers flew over his laptop keyboard as he began hacking into the pharmaceutical companies' databases. It didn't take long for him to find what they were looking for.
"I've got something," he said, turning the screen so the others could see. "These are the companies leading the vaccine research. Look at the names of the scientists who've been brought in recently."
The team crowded around the laptop, scanning the list of names. Each name was accompanied by a photo, and it didn't take long to spot the anomalies. Several of the scientists had no verifiable background information, and others had ties to organizations with known Revisionist sympathies.
"This is it," Skylar said, her voice tinged with both fear and resolve. "These are the labs we need to hit."
Tyler pulled up a map, marking the locations of the labs. "There are three main ones: one in Boston, one in San Francisco, and one in Chicago. We'll have to split up."
Skylar quickly made the assignments. "Jamie, you're with me. We'll take the lab in Boston. Kody, you're going to San Francisco. Tyler, you stay here and coordinate. We'll need you to keep us connected and help us navigate the facilities."
Kody glanced at the map and then back at Skylar. "How are we supposed to get into these labs? We can't just walk in."
Skylar gave him a reassuring smile. "Tyler's got that covered. He'll make us some fake IDs. We'll pose as FDA inspectors—routine check-up. It'll give us access to most areas, and we can improvise from there."
Jamie let out a slow breath, nodding as she mentally prepared herself. "Alright, let's do this. We can't let them win."
***
A few hours later, Skylar and Jamie stood in front of the Boston lab, their fake IDs in hand. The building loomed before them, sleek and modern, with a heavy security presence that made Skylar's heart skip a beat. She exchanged a glance with Jamie, who gave her a nod of encouragement.
"Ready?" Skylar asked in a steady voice despite the nerves bubbling beneath the surface.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Jamie replied with a smile. "Let's make this quick."
They approached the entrance, flashing their IDs at the security guard. He barely glanced at them before waving them through, more interested in his phone than in verifying their credentials.
Once inside, Skylar knew the real challenge was just beginning. They needed to navigate the facility, find any evidence of Revisionist interference, and get out without drawing too much attention.
The facility was a maze of sterile hallways and locked doors. Skylar and Jamie kept their movements casual, making their way toward the restricted areas where they were most likely to find what they were looking for.
As they turned a corner, they came face to face with a scientist in a white lab coat. He looked them over, suspicion flickering in his eyes. "Can I help you?" he asked, his tone polite but guarded.
Skylar forced a smile, holding up her ID. "FDA. Routine inspection. We won't take up too much of your time."
The scientist hesitated, clearly not expecting an inspection. "I wasn't informed of any inspection today."
Jamie stepped in, her voice smooth and confident. "It's a surprise check. We're just here to make sure everything's up to standard."
The scientist seemed to buy it, nodding slowly. "Alright. Just let me know if you need anything."
As he walked away, Skylar let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "That was close!"
"Too close," Jamie muttered, looking around. "We need to be quick. Where do you think they're hiding the Revisionist agents?"
Skylar checked the map on her phone, courtesy of Tyler's hacking skills. "If I had to guess, they'd be in the most secure area—where they're working on the vaccine itself. Let's head that way."
They made their way deeper into the facility, avoiding contact with as many people as possible. Finally, they reached a door marked with a security code. Skylar typed in the code Tyler had given them, and the door clicked open.
Inside, the room buzzed with activity. Scientists in lab coats moved between stations, working diligently on what Skylar assumed was the vaccine. Her eyes scanned the room, searching for anything that seemed out of place.
"There," Jamie whispered, nodding toward a group of scientists huddled around a computer. "That's where we need to be."
They approached the group, trying to blend in as they observed what was happening. It didn't take long to spot the problem. One of the scientists, a woman with dark hair pulled back in a bun, was subtly altering the data on the computer screen.
It was clear she was trying to disrupt the research, but she was doing it so carefully that most wouldn't notice.
Skylar's mind raced. They couldn't blow their cover, but they couldn't let the Revisionist agent continue her sabotage, either. She caught Jamie's eye, and without needing to speak, they formulated a plan.
Jamie walked up to the scientist; her tone casual. "Excuse me, we need to see the latest results on the vaccine trials."
The scientist looked up, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Why? We're still in the middle of the tests."
"It's protocol," Skylar added, stepping in smoothly. "We need to review the data as part of our inspection."
The scientist hesitated, clearly not wanting to comply, but under the scrutiny of the others, she had no choice. Reluctantly, she stepped aside, allowing Skylar and Jamie to access the computer.
As Jamie engaged the other scientists in conversation, keeping their attention away from Skylar, Skylar quickly went through the data.
It was worse than she'd thought. The agent had planted a virus in the system, designed to corrupt the vaccine formula and render it ineffective.
Skylar was flabbergasted as she quickly deleted the virus, restoring the original data. But she knew it was only a temporary fix. The Revisionist agent would try again, and they didn't have time to keep playing this game.
She glanced at Jamie, who gave a subtle nod. It was time to go.
"Thank you for your cooperation," Jamie said smoothly, as they backed away from the computer. "We'll be in touch with our findings."
They left the room, trying to maintain a calm exterior despite the adrenaline surging through their veins. Once they were out of sight, they quickened their pace, making a beeline for the exit.
"We need to warn the others," Skylar whispered as they reached the door. "This is bigger than we thought."
***
Skylar and Jamie hurried through the sterile hallways of the Boston lab, the tension between them almost palpable. The mission had taken a dangerous turn, and every step they took felt like they were walking deeper into enemy territory.
As they turned a corner, they heard a group of scientists speaking in hushed volumes near a storage room.
"We need to make sure the special batch is ready for testing by tomorrow," one of the scientists said, his voice low but firm.
Skylar's ears perked up. "Special batch?" she mouthed to Jamie, who nodded in understanding. This had to be the altered vaccine that the Revisionists were planning to introduce. It was their chance to stop the sabotage before it could take root.
Jamie motioned for Skylar to follow her, and they quietly crept closer to the group, careful to stay out of sight. The scientists were oblivious to their presence, too focused on their discussion to notice the two women eavesdropping.
"This batch is key," the lead scientist continued. "If everything goes according to plan, no one will realize the difference until it's too late."
Skylar exchanged a glance with Jamie, their expressions a mix of dread and determination. They couldn't let this happen. They had to stop the Revisionists from releasing the tainted vaccine.
"We need to get our hands on that batch," Jamie whispered, her voice barely audible.
Skylar nodded in agreement. "But how? We can't just walk in there and take it."
Jamie glanced around, her mind racing. "We'll have to improvise. Let's wait for them to leave, then we'll figure out a way to get inside."
They waited patiently, concealed in the shadows until the scientists finally finished their conversation and left the area. Once the coast was clear, Skylar and Jamie made their move.
They slipped into the storage room, their hearts pounding in their chests. Inside, rows of refrigerated containers lined the walls, each one labeled with codes and numbers.
Skylar scanned the labels, searching for anything that indicated the "special batch." She finally spotted a container marked with an unfamiliar code and a bright red label. "This has to be it," she said, pointing to the container.
Jamie nodded, her eyes narrowing with determination. "Let's grab it and get out of here before anyone notices."
They carefully lifted the container and made their way back toward the exit, trying to maintain their composure despite the urgency of their mission. But as they approached the exit, Skylar's phone buzzed with a message from Tyler:
Security breach detected. Your cover's about to be blown. Get out now!
Skylar showed the message to Jamie, her heart racing. "We've been made. We need to move, now."
Jamie didn't hesitate. "Let's go."
They broke into a run, heading for the nearest exit with the stolen vaccine samples in hand. As they rounded a corner, they heard shouts and the pounding of footsteps behind them.
Security forces were already on their tail, and it wasn't just the lab's guards. Skylar caught a glimpse of men in plain clothes, their eyes cold and calculating. Revisionist agents.
"Stay close to me!" Jamie shouted, as they sprinted down a narrow corridor, the sound of their pursuers growing louder.
They burst out of the building and into the streets of Boston, the cold night air hitting them like a wall. But there was no time to stop. They had to keep moving, keep running, or they would lose everything.
"Over here!" Skylar called out, leading Jamie toward an old alleyway she remembered from her time exploring the city. They had a chance if they could just reach the entrance.
The alley led them to a dead-end wall, but Skylar knew better. She quickly pushed against a loose brick, revealing a narrow passage that led underground. "In here!"
Jamie didn't ask questions. They squeezed into the passage just as the security forces rounded the corner, their shouts echoing through the alley. Once inside, Skylar sealed the passage behind them, cutting off their pursuers.
They moved quickly through the dark, damp tunnel, the sound of water dripping from the ceiling the only noise accompanying their ragged breaths. Skylar's heart pounded as adrenaline surging through her veins.
They couldn't afford to slow down, not when they were so close.
***
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Kody found himself in a precarious situation. The San Francisco lab was far less accommodating than he had anticipated, but he had managed to gain access to a computer terminal, thanks to Tyler's hacking skills. He sifted through files and emails, his unease growing with every click.
Finally, he stumbled upon what they had been dreading: a detailed plan outlining the Revisionists' strategy to introduce a delayed--onset flaw in the vaccine. It was a subtle alteration, something that would only become apparent months after the distribution began. By then, it would be too late to stop the damage.
Kody's blood ran cold. He had to get this information back to the team. But before he could move, he felt a presence behind him, a chill crawling up his spine.
"Kody," a familiar but eerie voice called out.
He turned slowly, his breath catching in his throat. Standing before him was the alternate version of himself—the one he had encountered not long ago.
The other Kody looked almost the same, but there was something off in his eyes, something that sent a shiver down Kody's spine.
"Surprised to see me?" the alternate Kody asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
Kody forced himself to stay calm. "What do you want?"
"To talk," the alternate Kody replied, stepping closer. "We're not so different, you and I. We want the same things."
Kody didn't move, didn't speak. He knew this was a dangerous game, one that could end badly if he wasn't careful.
"You've seen the files," the alternate Kody continued. "You know what's at stake. Why fight it? Join us, and we can make a real difference. We can shape the future."
Kody's mind tore between the fear of what could happen if he made the wrong move and the resolve to stay true to his mission. But deep down, he knew he couldn't be swayed, couldn't let himself fall into the trap that the Revisionists had set.
"I'm not like you," Kody finally said, his voice steady. "I won't be part of this."
The alternate Kody's smirk faded, replaced by a look of disappointment. "Pity. I had hoped you would see reason."
Kody braced himself as the alternate Kody took a step closer, tension crackling in the air between them. But before anything could happen, alarms blared through the lab. Kody's phone buzzed with a message from Tyler:
Abort mission. Security breach detected.
The alternate Kody's eyes narrowed. "Seems your time is up."
Without another word, Kody turned and bolted for the exit, leaving his alternate self behind. The lab was in chaos, security forces scrambling to locate the intruder. But Kody knew the building's layout well enough to avoid capture. He slipped through the hallways, keeping to the shadows until he reached the exit.
Once outside, he didn't stop running until he was a safe distance away. His mind was reeling from the encounter, but there was no time to process it now. He had to regroup with the others.
***
Back in Boston, Skylar and Jamie finally emerged from the underground tunnels, gasping for breath. They had managed to lose their pursuers, but they knew the danger wasn't over yet. Skylar clutched the stolen vaccine samples tightly, the weight of their mission pressing down on her.
"We need to get back to the base," Skylar said, her voice shaky but determined.
Jamie nodded with a grim expression. "Yeah. We can't let these samples fall into the wrong hands."
As they made their way through the quiet streets, Skylar's phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen, her eyes widening in shock.
From Kody: "The Revisionists' plan is worse than we thought. I found files indicating a delayed-onset flaw in the vaccine. We have to stop them."
Skylar stared at the message, her mind spinning with the implications. If the Revisionists succeeded in their plan, the pandemic would be prolonged, and countless lives would be lost. But before she could respond, another message came through, this time from Tyler.
Security compromised. We need to regroup immediately. Kody's been compromised too.
Skylar's heart skipped a beat. Compromised? What did that mean? And what had Kody discovered in San Francisco?
As they hurried back to the base, Skylar couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time. The Revisionists were one step ahead of them, and their plan was far more insidious than they had realized.
And as they reached the base, they were met with a sight that made Skylar's blood run cold.
The door to their base had been forced open, and the inside was a mess. Papers and equipment were strewn everywhere, and the screens showed signs of a recent breach.
But it wasn't the disarray that caught Skylar's attention—it was the message scrawled in red on the wall.
"You can't stop what's already begun."
Skylar's heart pounded in her chest as the weight of those words sank in. The Revisionists weren't just planning to sabotage the vaccine—they were playing a much bigger game.
***
Skylar and Jamie moved quickly through the streets of Boston; the stolen vaccine samples clutched tightly in their hands. The city was quiet, the usual hustle subdued under the weight of the ongoing pandemic, but their minds were anything but calm. Tyler's messages had been clear—Kody was compromised, and their base was no longer safe.
But just as panic began to creep into their thoughts, Skylar's phone buzzed with an incoming call. It was from an unknown number.
"Skylar, Jamie," came a voice they recognized immediately. "This is Dr. Chen."
Skylar exchanged a surprised glance with Jamie before responding, "Dr. Chen? How did you—"
"There's no time to explain. You're in danger, but I can help. I've secured a safe location nearby. I'll send you the coordinates. Trust me, it's the only way you'll get out of this alive."
Before they could ask any more questions, the call ended, and a location ping appeared on Skylar's phone. Jamie raised an eyebrow, skepticism etched on her face.
"Do we trust him?" Jamie asked.
Skylar hesitated but then nodded. "He's helped us before. Right now, we don't have much of a choice."
Following Dr. Chen's instructions, they navigated the deserted streets and found themselves at an unassuming brownstone in a quieter part of the city. The windows were dark, and there was no sign of life inside. Skylar knocked twice, and the door opened almost immediately.
Dr. Chen stood there with a worried look on his face. "Get in, quickly."
Once inside, he locked the door behind them and led them to a basement area that had been converted into a secure lab. It was a far cry from the sophistication of their Time Street base, but it would suffice for now.
"Thank you," Skylar said, finally allowing herself to breathe a little easier. "We've got the vaccine samples, but—"
"I know," Dr. Chen interrupted, his eyes scanning the samples they carried. "You have no idea how important these are. The Revisionists have made subtle changes, changes that could lead to catastrophic failure once the vaccine is distributed. But the real danger lies in how those failures would unfold—slowly, insidiously, causing more harm than the virus itself."
Jamie looked at the older man seriously, "How do we stop it?"
Dr. Chen sighed; his face heavy with the weight of the situation. "You don't. Not directly, at least. If you interfere too much with the research, you risk causing even more damage to the timeline. What you need to do is ensure the right people are in the right place, and that the correct version of the vaccine is developed."
Skylar felt a chill run down her spine. "So, we have to rely on others to fix this?"
"Yes," Dr. Chen confirmed, his voice steady. "But I'll do what I can to help you. For now, we need to secure these samples. They're the key to ensuring the right vaccine is produced."
***
Back at the Time Street base, Tyler was a flurry of activity. His fingers danced over the keyboard; eyes glued to the multiple monitors in front of him. The breach at their base had thrown a wrench in their plans, but he wasn't about to let that stop him.
He was coordinating an extraction plan, guiding Kody through the labyrinth of San Francisco's back streets while ensuring Skylar and Jamie were safely hidden in Boston.
"Kody, I need you to double back. There's a safe house two blocks east of your location," Tyler instructed through the earpiece.
"I'm on it," Kody replied, his breath heavy from running. He hadn't fully processed his encounter with his alternate self, but there was no time to dwell on it now. The priority was regrouping and securing the vaccine samples.
Tyler glanced at another monitor, where Skylar's location was displayed. "Skylar, Jamie, hold tight. I'm getting a team to you as soon as possible. Dr. Chen will keep you safe until then."
"Got it," Skylar responded. The tension in her voice was palpable, but there was also a hint of relief knowing Tyler was on top of things.
Minutes turned into what felt like hours as Tyler juggled the extraction operations, but finally, the team was on the move. Skylar, Jamie, and Kody, all on different sides of the country, were converging back to the one place they knew could protect them: Time Street.
***
The journey back to their base was nerve-wracking, with every turn feeling like a potential ambush. But Tyler's careful planning paid off. Skylar and Jamie made it back first, the adrenaline still pumping through their veins as they rushed inside, securing the stolen samples in a protected vault.
Not long after, Kody burst through the door, drenched in sweat but otherwise unharmed. The team was finally together again, though the tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.
"We made it," Kody said, panting. "But that was way too close."
Skylar nodded; her eyes still wide with the intensity of the last few hours. "Dr. Chen helped us out. These vaccine samples—if the Revisionists' plan had gone through, it would've been disastrous."
Tyler took a deep breath, finally stepping away from the computer. "We need to examine those samples and figure out exactly what they changed. Then we'll need to ensure the correct version gets into the right hands, without them knowing we were involved."
Jamie crossed her arms, her mind already racing with possibilities. "And how do we do that without getting directly involved?"
"That's the tricky part," Tyler admitted. "We'll need to be subtle, influencing things from the shadows. It'll be like walking a tightrope. One wrong move, and we could alter history even more."
They gathered around the samples; the room filled with a tense silence. Tyler carefully opened the containers and connected the samples to the lab equipment. The screens came to life, displaying detailed chemical breakdowns and molecular structures.
Skylar watched as the data began to unfold, her heart pounding in her chest. "What do you see?"
Tyler's eyes narrowed as he studied the results. "The changes are so minor, but they're insidious. The vaccine would work initially, but after several months, the flaw would trigger an autoimmune response in a percentage of the population. It's a ticking time bomb."
Jamie let out a slow breath, her eyes hardening with resolve. "We can't let that happen. We have to find a way to make sure the right vaccine is developed."
Tyler nodded, his fingers already flying over the keyboard. "I'm working on it. But it's going to take time."
The tension in the room didn't dissipate, but it shifted into a shared determination. They had a mission now, one that was more critical than anything they had faced before.
***
Hours later, as the adrenaline began to wear off, the team gathered in the main room of the base, each of them exhausted but resolute. The samples were secured, and Tyler had already started working on a plan to ensure the right vaccine reached the public.
Skylar sank into a chair, rubbing her temples. "We're doing everything we can, right?"
"Yes," Tyler replied, his voice firm. "But we have to be patient. We've done what we can for now."
As they settled into an uneasy silence, the large screen on the wall flickered to life, displaying a breaking news report. The team watched in tense anticipation as the anchor announced:
"In a major breakthrough, scientists working on the COVID-19 vaccine have announced significant progress, with early trials showing promising results. Experts are optimistic that a safe and effective vaccine could be available to the public within months."
A collective sigh of relief filled the room, but it was tinged with caution. They had succeeded in keeping history on track—for now. But they all knew the fight was far from over.
Skylar looked at her team, the people who had become her family. "We did good today. But this isn't the end."
Kody nodded, a weary smile on his face. "No, it's not. But it's a start."
They all knew there were more challenges ahead, more battles to fight. But for tonight, they allowed themselves a moment of victory, knowing that they had made a difference, however small.
As they turned their attention back to the work that still needed to be done, one thought echoed in each of their minds: The Revisionists had failed this time, but the war for the future was only just getting more intense.