"Nami, you're from the future, aren't you?"
"Yes, Master. I come from the year 2029."
Fenric nodded at her calm reply. "Good. I intend to travel there. You should have a way to send me across, correct?"
In the fifth Terminator film, even a T-800 had managed to construct a crude time machine to send its charges into the future. There was no reason a T-1000, upgraded and now loyal to him, couldn't do the same.
Nami's tone was flat, mechanical. "Yes. If I build a temporal displacement device, that will suffice."
"Perfect." Fenric's lips curved into a faint smile. "How long will it take to build?"
"If the materials are sufficient—within twenty-four hours."
"Excellent. Then let's start gathering what we need."
But Nami quickly added, "Master, I must remind you—this era lacks the technology to control the displacement circuits. A processing core from the future is essential for stability."
Fenric sighed. "I don't understand a word of that. Fine. I'll get you a helper."
With a flick of his wrist, he took out the AllSpark and pressed it against a nearby car.
Buzz—clack—clack—
Metal twisted and reformed, the vehicle standing upright as a Transformer came to life.
"Master, Number Zero reports for duty!" the giant machine rumbled.
Fenric didn't bother naming it. He gestured toward Nami. "Zero, this is Nami. From now on, assist her. Help gather the materials she requires and aid her in constructing the displacement device."
"As you command, Master!"
A week later.
In a rented underground garage, converted into a workshop, Fenric lounged lazily on a sofa, watching television. Across the room, Nami worked tirelessly beside Zero, assembling the temporal displacement device.
The framework was nearly complete, only a few rare components missing.
Acquiring those parts had not been easy. Fenric's hundred-million-credit card was already drained dry. What they couldn't purchase, Zero simply stole. By now, Fenric was officially a wanted man in the American Government.
Not that it bothered him. Compared to the chaos wrought by Samsaras and the Terminators, his trail of destruction was nothing.
On the TV, the news anchor spoke gravely:
"At nine o'clock last night, terrorists attacked the Glenbia Theater in Los Angeles. This marks the seventeenth such attack this month. The White House has ordered the Marine Corps into Los Angeles to suppress the escalating violence…"
Fenric raised a brow. "So the government has joined the fray too, huh?"
Ordinary special forces were nothing against a B-class Samsara. But the U.S. military's arsenal contained weapons even he wouldn't want to test—like nuclear warheads.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "No wonder the system set this dungeon as hell-difficulty. Turns out the government itself is part of the obstacle."
But he wasn't worried. His plan was simple: abandon this era altogether. The future was his true target.
Vrrm!
Outside, the sound of an engine echoed, followed by metallic clanks. The garage door opened, and Zero stepped inside, arms loaded with electronic components.
Nami immediately sorted through them, picking out the useful ones and fitting them into the machine. Their teamwork was efficient, mechanical—no wasted motion.
After another hour, Nami approached Fenric.
"Master, the temporal displacement device is complete."
Fenric rose at once and walked over. The machine looked almost identical to the crude rigs from the films—bulky, ugly, but undeniably powerful.
"That's it?" he asked skeptically. "Nami, if something goes wrong during transmission… what happens to me?"
Nami's tone was flat as ever. "Your body may be shredded by quantum magnetic fields. If you survive by chance, you will drift into temporal turbulence and emerge at an unknown point in history."
Fenric frowned. He had expected danger—but being ripped apart wasn't exactly comforting. "What's the success rate?"
"After calculations, the probability of failure is below fifteen percent."
So, an eighty-five percent chance of survival. A gamble worth taking.
Still cautious, Fenric asked, "What if we test it on someone else first?"
"I do not recommend it, Master," Nami replied. "Each activation consumes enormous energy, burns irreplaceable chips, and collapses much of the city's power grid. The device can only be used once."
"Tch. Figures," Fenric muttered.
"Nami, anything else I should know?"
"Yes. You must not wear clothing or carry metallic objects. Contact with iron during transmission will trigger quantum reactions and destroy the device—likely with catastrophic consequences."
Fenric gave a dry chuckle. "So it's the classic naked time-travel, then." His gaze flicked toward Zero. "Guess you're staying behind."
Nami, with her mimicry of organic skin, could accompany him without issue.
Fenric quickly set his orders. "Zero, once we're gone, destroy this place and hide yourself. Stay dormant until 2029, then come find me."
"Yes, Master."
Without hesitation, Fenric stripped off his clothes, wrapped an arm around Nami's waist, and stepped onto the platform.
"Activate it," he commanded.
Zero pressed the controls.
Vrrrrmmm!
The device roared alive, arcs of electricity crackling like writhing serpents. The air distorted, folding space itself.
In a blinding flash, Fenric and Nami vanished.
Zero stood alone in the fading crackle of static, then methodically smashed the machine into twisted scrap before disappearing into the night.
—--
2029.
The world was ash.
Skyscrapers stood broken and hollow, crumbling under layers of rust and dust. Streets were empty, cars reduced to heaps of corroded metal. The air was thick with drifting grit, choking and gray.
A young girl in tattered rags crept through the ruins, scavenging. Desperate, she dug through a pile of garbage, hoping for the rotting carcass of a rat. Her ribs jutted out; hunger had gnawed her for days.
Then—
Woooosh!
A sudden gale whipped through the street. Blue-white lightning cracked across the ruins, arcs of energy crawling like serpents over the broken pavement.
Space itself warped, spiraling into a glowing vortex.
A wormhole tore open.
From its heart, two figures were hurled into the dead world—
A man and a woman.
----
[Translator's Note: See the difference? If it's five chapters per day, the arc would be finished in just a day or two, and we're already in the next arc preparations. I'm not stingy with chapter updates—but I do need something in return: Power stones. Quite literally, a stone that cost nothing that recharges every day.
#3 = 5 chapters.]