In 2045, the atmosphere in the Titan Group’s boardroom was as tense as a battlefield.
A massive screen continuously displayed the disastrous footage of Atlas-1 crashing into the moon. The plummeting stock price curve was like an invisible blade, cutting through everyone’s nerves.
Colin Bell was the first to speak, his voice low and heavy: “The failure of the Atlas-1 mission not only destroyed our once-promising plan but also vaporized a $100 billion investment in an instant. Worse still, the public is waiting for our response. We are facing an unprecedented crisis.”
Joseph Landon’s gaze was cold, his tone stern: “We cannot allow this failure to destroy Titan Group. We need to address the shareholders and the market, but more importantly, we must quickly regain control of the situation. Whatever it takes, we need to steer the narrative and make sure the market believes the fault doesn’t lie with us.”
Alex Hopkins adjusted his glasses, frowning deeply: “The issue isn’t just public perception. These quantum minerals far exceed our expectations. The disappearance of Lin Xi’s team might be related to the mysterious phenomena in the moon’s core. Preliminary analysis suggests these minerals might even cause temporal anomalies. We might be dealing with more than just a technical failure—we’re facing a crisis we don’t fully understand.”
The room fell silent. Blake finally broke the brief pause, anxiety lacing his words: “If these minerals are as dangerous as they appear, we need to control the situation immediately. The market can’t take any more negative news; the stock price has dropped 30% in the last 24 hours. We don’t have much time.”
Christine calmly scanned the room, then decisively stated: “We need to pin the blame on Lin Xi’s team. The public will easily believe they made a severe mistake during the mission. We’ll control the media narrative, divert attention, and make Lin Xi’s team the scapegoats.”
Colin considered this for a moment, then nodded in agreement: “Lin Xi’s team has already gone missing, so shifting the blame is an effective tactic. But we need to be careful with the scientists at the lunar base—they know the truth. If any of them speak out…”
Joseph smirked coldly: “Those scientists? We’ll take measures to ensure their silence. Colin, you handle that part.”
Alex frowned slightly: “Even if we manage to cover up this failure, losing the quantum computing project with Atlas-1 doesn’t guarantee we can stabilize the situation. We can’t ignore the Atlas-2 project.”
Joseph nodded: “Atlas-2 is our key to regaining market confidence. That meteorite is part of the same object as Atlas-1; they split when entering the solar system. The minerals they carry complement each other, and this is our last chance to revolutionize quantum computing. Atlas-2 cannot fail.”
Blake added: “Once we’ve stabilized the situation, we can immediately pivot to Atlas-2, redefining the company’s future. We’ve invested too much in both technology and resources to let it all slip away at the last moment.”
Christine nodded: “I’ll launch the media offensive immediately, ensuring the public’s attention shifts to Lin Xi’s ‘mistake.’ We’ll generate enough noise to drown out any dissenting voices.”
Joseph stood slowly, his gaze resolute: “In this crisis, we must remain calm and determined. Titan Group will not fall because of this failure. We’ve seen the potential of these minerals, and we understand the risks. Next, we must act cautiously, using the opportunity with Atlas-2 to regain our footing and turn this crisis into a chance for resurgence.”
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Atlas-2 streaked across the night sky, traversing the space between Earth and the moon. Sunlight glinted off its massive solar panels, making it the brightest point on the lunar surface. Andrew Harrison stood by his lunar rover, adjusting his camera angle, ready to capture a shot of Atlas-2 framed with Earth—a special keepsake for his child.
Just as he was about to press the shutter, Andrew’s gaze froze. At the edge of his lens, a group of figures lay sprawled across the cold lunar surface, lifeless.
Andrew’s breath quickened, his hands beginning to tremble: “Impossible… how could there be people here?”
“This is 2047.” Aria stared at the screen, her voice laced with disbelief. Her fingers lightly brushed the console as data rapidly flashed across the screen, revealing the drastic changes that had taken place on Earth and the moon over the past few years.
Lin Xi stood nearby, everything before her feeling strange and distant. The base’s equipment seemed far more advanced than she remembered, surrounded by devices she had never seen before. Even the air was suffused with a new aura. Her heartbeat quickened, a vague pressure building in her chest, making it increasingly difficult to breathe.
Just as she was contemplating how to confront this sudden change, Aria lowered her head and began sketching a pattern on the console—the shape of the light points they had seen in the cave. Aria’s gaze was focused and determined, as if the entire world had narrowed to just her, the pencil, and those points of light.
“Aria, what are you doing?” Lin Xi couldn’t help but ask, her voice tinged with doubt and a faint, unspoken insecurity.
“I’m trying to unlock the secret of these light points.” Aria glanced at Lin Xi, then continued, “They match my theories uncannily well. This might be the key to returning us to the correct timeline.”
Lin Xi nodded, attempting to appear composed, but deep down, she felt a heavy weight. She wondered if she truly had the capability to lead such an outstanding team out of this crisis.
As the team continued down the lunar tunnel, Michael’s voice came through the headset, filled with his usual lighthearted nostalgia: “You know, this place reminds me of my first cave expedition at Willow Cave when I was 11. Back then, I was young and full of adventurous ideas.”
Lin Xi was taken aback: “You were allowed to explore at 11? I remember my school didn’t even let us go downstairs during recess to avoid accidents.”
“Different worlds, indeed.” Michael chuckled, “But that’s understandable. Different places, different rules.”
Ethan’s voice came from the other end, steady and philosophical: “Exploration happens inch by inch; even in darkness, there’s light to be found.”
“Willow Cave?” Lin Xi’s curiosity piqued, though her inner doubts deepened.
“Yeah, it was one of my favorite places to explore.” Michael continued, “I found a nearly untouched tunnel back then, so narrow I could barely squeeze through. But I knew there was something hidden inside. A few days later, I widened the passage and finally entered a mysterious chamber filled with dozens of cave bear skeletons and even a cave lion’s skull. Seeing those ancient remains was both thrilling and humbling.”
Aria softly chimed in, her usual calmness evident: “That must have been an extraordinary discovery. Uncovering history long buried by time is always awe-inspiring.”
“It was.” Michael’s tone grew slightly more somber, “But the problem is, once those treasures are exposed to the world, they’re no longer safe. Local black market dealers learned of it and stole most of the bones while I was away. In the end, all I could save was a bear’s skull to keep it from being destroyed.”
Listening to their conversation, Lin Xi felt a growing complexity of emotions. She had once believed her decisiveness was enough to lead the team, but now she was starting to waver. She took a deep breath, pushing her unease down, keeping a calm and composed expression on her face.
At Titan Corporation headquarters, the atmosphere in the dimly lit boardroom was suffocating. Joseph Landon surveyed the room, his voice low: “Lin Xi and her team have returned. This is a mortal threat. The truth must be controlled, or everything we’ve built will be lost. The future and the company’s fate hinge on this moment. Failure is not an option.”
The air in the room seemed to solidify. Titan’s executives knew they were already on thin ice—one wrong move, and everything would collapse. Yet Lin Xi and her team remained oblivious, unaware that they were now at the center of a vast conspiracy.