[https://i.postimg.cc/6q9LFb4w/The-Girl-who-could-taste-time-2.gif]

[https://i.postimg.cc/zGm19kk2/0315-The-Ava-Incident.png]

Time passed, and no sign of Nona. Eske was sitten on the commander seat controlling each monitor and data the operators were recording before filing in WTL: .245863150-2023 into the archives.

'Anything?; he asked, looking to the team monitoring the gateways of the other continental HQ.

'APAC reported nothing, no GPS signal.'; said one of the operators

'AMERS the same, sir!'; replied another.

'What about the Antarctic? Did anyone check?'; asked Eske, looking to a screen showing the world map but with nothing in sight.

'Negative, sir.'

'Sir, I scanned all timelines on the database, which were negative. No GPS sign.'

Eske nodded grimly at this news. He took his phone and tried once more. The number you have dialled is not available. Please try again later. 'Shit.'; he cursed.

'Sir, your orders?'; asked one of the technicians.

Eske looked up from his phone while placing it back in his pocket. He nervously fidgeted with his wedding ring: 'Send radio signal again.'

The operator nodded: 'Repeating radio signal, sir'; Eske waited tensely until he heard the ping come through on the other end.

'We got a signal!'; he exclaimed excitedly into the headset. Eske listened intently, a consistent beeping. A moment later, there came a response from AMERS HQ via monitor: 'The satellite has located her! We're sending coordinates now...'

Eske broke off when he saw that something was wrong: 'Where the fuck on Earth are those coordinates from?'

A voice from a speaker in front of him: 'Sir, they aren't from Earth.'

For an instant, Eske thought someone had made some kind of joke but soon realised otherwise. It wasn't possible. He turned around slowly, trying to take everything in. His mind raced over possibilities. 'Can you repeat?'

A long pause followed, during which Eske's heart pounded wildly, and sweat poured down his face.

The voice spoke again: 'Sir, the signal is coming from space.'

'Are you certain?' Eske asked incredulously. 'It can't be! Are you fucking serious?'

'Yes, sir'. There was silence again for several moments. Afterwards, there came the reply: 'She's alive. She must be aboard a space station.' Another moment of hesitation, and then the voice continued: 'I think so, sir.'

Eske stared ahead blankly for what seemed like ages. Slowly he began to realise that the unthinkable had happened. The woman he loved most in the world had somehow landed pregnant in a space station that was not supposed to exist.

Eske and Nona didn't build a space program. At least he didn't plan it, did she? Or did she copy the information from another timeline. He had absolutely no idea how to process this sort of incident. What to expect and how to act upon it.

'Call Vihann Gupta, Dr Penelope Relogio, Dr Robert Relogio, and please call Marie Sue as well. I need them all here. Do we have people qualify for ... spacial stuff?'

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

A technician replied: 'I will search in the database, Sir.'

Eske could barely control his thoughts or emotions any longer. What should he do first? Where would they even start their investigations without knowing anything about the situation except that it involved pregnancy and an unknown space station? Why didn't he even think that this would be possible? How stupid could he be?

He knew Nona was from Io, or at least part of her life was spent there. How didn't he think that when we speak about timelines, it is the whole fucking universe?

His hands trembled uncontrollably as he pulled out his cell phone again. He dialled Nona's number and put the phone to his ear. The number you have dialled is not available. Please try again later.

Vihann was the first to arrive, which was not surprising as the server rooms were on the subfloor of the building. When the elevator doors opened and he stepped out onto the floor, he gasped involuntarily at the sight of the scene unfolding before him. He immediately understood why Eske needed everyone present. 'Hey, boss, how's life?'; he asked, taking note of the nervous tension emanating from Eske.

'Not good.'; Eske responded.

They walked together towards Eske's office, where he sat behind his desk, staring at the computer screen. 'Any brilliant idea?'

'Do we know which station she is?'

'How many are there?'

'How many did your wife build?'; asked Vihann.

Eske sighed heavily. 'No. She never told me. I had no idea...'

'We find the space station, we mitigate the conditions and...'

Eske interrupted him: 'Mitigate? What the fuck do we need to mitigate?'

'Mainly if she can breathe, gravity, food, water, is the station stable, Boss, I don't know how old that thing is. It could be all pretty as a fucking resort, or it is a rubble of rusty garbage!'

'Time tastes like pennies and rust. Fuck!'; cursed Eske mumbling to himself: 'Prepare for the worst. It is definitely not a resort.'

Someone knocked on the door.

'Come in!' Eske yelled.

Penny entered the room carrying a folder full of documents, all ready for action, whatever it might be. As far as Eske was concerned, she was the only person who ever really understood him.

'What's that?' Eske asked, pointing at the case.

Penny smiled and placed it on Eske's desk: 'Your instructions.'

'Instructions? For what?'

'Old Space files that the guys in the control room gathered. They asked me to bring them to you, but they sort of bookmarked it. If it helps..., how are you doing, bestie?'

Eske sighed and shook his head: 'My pregnant wife is lost in space. How do you think I'm going?'; he opened a drawer where a pack of cigarettes was hidden and lit it up.

'Don't worry, we'll get you two back together.'; she said, sitting on the chair before him: 'Well, at least you're not breaking things.'

Eske chuckled bitterly: 'Yeah, right.'

'Why do you call me?'

'Because I need you.'; he said, puffing his cigarette: 'I can't lose my shit.'

'You won't.'; she assured him: 'Because Nona needs you.'

Eske's phone rang, and he answered it, putting it on speakers.

'Schrodinger.'

'Sir, we have the exact location and visuals.'

'I'm on my way!' Eske said, hanging up the phone. He stood up quickly and hassled Penny and Vihann: 'Let's go, let's go!'

Eske saw Nona floating in the air above a large display panel when they reached the control room. On it were displayed images of different space stations, some of which had obviously been destroyed by time.

Eske's heart dropped as he watched the monitor screen. There she was, his beautiful wife Nona, floating in the air with no gravity in the space station. But something was wrong. She was unconscious, her body limped and drifting slowly through the air. Eske felt a wave of panic wash over him.

He tried to keep his voice calm as he spoke to the speaker. ‘Nona, Nona, can you hear me?’

There was no response.

Eske's heart was pounding as he watched helplessly through the monitor in the control room of Skylab-84.

[https://i.postimg.cc/T3rXGW7d/2.png]

[https://i.postimg.cc/Nf2cJnRr/3.png]

Now, do you still think I was a drama queen about the Ava Incident? It didn't even start.

[https://i.postimg.cc/6q9LFb4w/The-Girl-who-could-taste-time-2.gif]