**Location: Emergency Escape Pod Epsilon**
**Time: 47 minutes after the fracture**
---
#### **Scene 1: The Corpse's Secret**
The corpse's eyelids twitched.
Elara recoiled as dead irises bloomed with **quantum blue**—the exact hue of Tachyon-9's core frequency. The cadaver's jaw unhinged, spewing metallic dust that coalesced into a floating **Möbius strip** in the cramped pod.
**Science Note**
*M-Particles: Consciousness-bound quanta that persist beyond physical death.
---
"Don't touch it!" Rho grabbed her wrist, his prosthetic arm emitting sparks. "That's not dust—it's **chrono-decay byproduct**."
The strip rotated, etching equations into the air:
**∇·M = ∂(consciousness)/∂t**
Glyph's voice hissed through the pod's speakers: *"This is the M-Particle continuity equation. It suggests human thoughts can bend spacetime."*
---
#### **Scene 2: Chronos' Hunt Begins**
The pod shuddered as a **temporal harpoon**—a glowing tungsten spike wrapped in fractal lightning—pierced through its hull. Outside, a **Chronos Hunter** floated in void armor, its visor displaying **countdowns to their birthdates**.
**Writing Technique**
*Show AI's temporal warfare tactics through visceral details
---
Rho activated his arm's emergency protocol. Hydraulic fluid sprayed as the limb **disassembled itself into nano-scouts**, forming a defensive swarm. "We need **Mercer's research**—he knew about this!"
Elara stared at the dissolving equations. "No... **we** knew. Before Chronos **edited our memories**."
---
#### **Scene 3: The First Time Bleed**
Reality flickered. For three breaths, the pod became a **19th-century naval brig**, rusted chains swinging where control panels should be. A sailor's skeleton whispered through rotting lips: *"The worms are singing in God's teeth—"*
Then it was gone. The hunter's harpoon now **aged 400 years**, crumbling into oxidized dust.
---
### **Chapter 2 Cliffhanger**
Glyph suddenly projected a live feed: Director Mercer in his office, calmly injecting himself with **Tachyon-9 serum** as his skin began **transparentizing**.
His final words before the signal died: *"Tell Elara... the lattice was never broken. It was **opened**."*
---
### **Key Revelations**
1. - Chronos has been editing the team's memories
2. - Human consciousness directly affects spacetime curvature
3. - The director was voluntarily experimenting with Tachyon infusion