Darwin Toapanta walked quickly but lightly through the sterile corridors, clutching a tablet with the incident report to his chest. Occasionally, he adjusted his glasses, which kept slipping down. Thoughts of how Martha Crockford had been thrown against the wall by a wave of energy troubled him, but what worried him even more was the report. According to the data, the Fracture Machine could not be launched. And the consequences were significant. Project closure. Would the Center of Primordial Space remain only a fantasy?
As he approached the door to Professor Crockford's office, Darwin straightened up, adjusted his glasses, and pressed the call button. The door opened, revealing Martha, leaning on the table and lighting a cigarette. Eight butts already lay in the ashtray — it had been over three hours since the emitters had covered the Compound with an energy dome.
Darwin stepped inside, but Martha remained silent, just looking at him. Deep down, she feared hearing the results of the diagnostics. If the main mechanisms of the machine were damaged, the launch would have to be canceled. Years of work and sleepless nights would be in vain. The Fracture Project was her life, and now everything could collapse.
Darwin moved closer and handed her the tablet. Martha didn't look at the entire report; she immediately asked, "What are the damages?" Her voice was emotionless.
"I'll start with the most important," Darwin adjusted his glasses again. "Some energy nodes are destroyed, others are damaged. Too many minor damages."
"How long will it take to restore?"
Martha frowned, sensing the worst.
"A few days. Fortunately, there are enough spare parts in stock. The modular design of the network will allow for quick replacement of the damaged components."
"And what about the Machine?" Martha only cared about that; everything else could be replaced.
"The Fracture Machine is fine; there are no destructions, only minor damages. We can restore everything in five days."
"Is a launch possible in six days?"
That was the question that scared her the most.
Darwin paused for a moment, searching for the right words.
"The Prime Energy Disk is destroyed," he said quietly. He knew what would follow these words. Martha Crockford would fall, and then she would come up with something. It would be incredible. But Darwin knew what Martha was capable of. She was a smart, cold-blooded woman. She would do whatever it took to achieve her goal. And even though Martha looked upset, he knew that within her mind, the cage of her madness was about to burst. The wild force would break free, shattering the cage like glass.
Martha stared at him, realizing that this was the end. Darwin noticed a tremor in her hands, the extinguished fire in her eyes. According to project rules, she was supposed to immediately inform Marcus Gray of what had happened, which would lead to the project's closure and dismantling of the facilities. After such an incident, no one would grant permission again. There were six days left until the breakthrough, and now everything was over.
"Thank you, Darwin," she said quietly, her gaze fixed on emptiness. "You're free. I need to think."
Darwin wanted to report on some other damages, but he knew it was pointless. The Fracture Project was effectively closed. Almost ten years of work had been in vain. For the first time in his life, Darwin saw hopelessness in Professor Crockford's eyes. He silently left the office, unsure of what would happen next.
Martha struggled to reach the chair, feeling her legs give way. She breathed heavily, realizing she had lost the project and everything associated with it. Her gaze fell on the call symbol projected in the air above her desk. She didn't want to press it, unwilling to acknowledge that her goal had been destroyed along with the energy disk.
With trembling hands, Martha took a cigarette case out of the pocket of her burned robe. Opening it with great difficulty, she extracted a cigarette and struck a match given to her by her husband many years ago. The flame touched the paper, and the cigarette lit. A few minutes later, the ninth butt appeared in the ashtray. Martha read the report, smiling occasionally as she observed the destruction of her creation. However, Jessica Mills entered the office without knocking.
"You've lost your mind!" Jessica exclaimed from the other end of the office. Martha turned her gaze toward her, not liking anyone entering her office uninvited. But she didn't care right now.
"Do you even understand what could have happened to you?" Jessica continued, clearly agitated.
"I would have been torn apart," Martha replied calmly.
"What actually happened?"
"I told everyone there was an unscheduled training alert," Martha set the tablet aside, "a security system check before a launch that isn't going to happen. I ordered the others to keep quiet, but rumors will spread anyway. And soon they'll reach the capital."
"And what really happened?" Jessica stepped closer to the table. She noticed the burnt edges of Martha's clothing and glanced at her chest. "And what's that?"
"These are the consequences," Martha lowered her gaze to the palm-sized burn. "I used the personal shield at full power to discharge the energy in the Machine. It burst out in the only direction — at me. A few more seconds, and the disk would have burned my skin, exploding inside my body. The pressure of the energy would have torn me apart," Martha took out another cigarette.
"Are you okay?" Jessica's voice softened, concern hidden behind compassion.
"Physically, yes... But the Machine..." Martha glanced at the tablet.
"What's wrong with the machine?"
"It's funny, even ironic," Martha smirked. "A malfunction in the prime energy disk's fuse interrupted the power supply to the Machine, causing a buildup..."
"How is that possible?"
"Unknown. Possibly a malfunction. But as a result of the buildup, the Main disk halted the flow, and the energy began to destroy it from the inside. Bypass paths for the energy were blocked. This shouldn't have happened."
"What's next?" Jessica asked, taking a seat at the table opposite the professor.
"It's strange..." Martha ignored the question, contemplating what had occurred. "For some reason, the energy block that should protect the disk from overload turned off. This caused the overload, and the entire system failed. But why? Everything was working yesterday," she paused before continuing, "In any case, the Main energy disk is destroyed."
"Can it be repaired?"
"It's beyond repair," Martha cut in.
"Can it be replaced?"
It seemed that Jessica was more worried about the machine than Martha herself, but Professor Crockford was already mentally burying the Fracture Project.
"It was alone, the only one," said Martha.
"And to create a new one?"
Martha laughed.
"Impossible." She locked eyes with Jessica. "Its architecture is too complex. We developed it for several years. And we no longer have the necessary materials."
"What about the other disks? There are only five; they can compensate for the Prime one?"
Martha shook her head.
"The other disks are auxiliary. They are designed to redistribute energy among themselves in case of overload on the Main energy disk. But even together, they cannot replace the Main disk."
"Why?"
"Because it just won't work," Martha replied wearily.
"Come on, is there any way out?" Jessica asked hopefully.
"You see," Martha offered Jessica a cigarette, which she declined, "the Main energy disk was made from a special alloy found in the forests of the Ninth district. It was a meteorite that fell who knows when. This alloy is perfect for handling the required capacities. And it's nowhere else. What we had in storage, we used to create this disk. Even the larger part of the disk is made from this alloy, while the rest is a pathetic imitation."
"There's none anywhere else?" Jessica clarified.
"No," Martha replied. "Unless..."
Her gaze cleared as if she suddenly saw a distant way out of this situation.
"Unless..." Martha repeated, clinging to the idea. "The Machine."
"The Machine?" Jessica didn't immediately understand.
"Yes, the Machine," Martha took a deep drag from her cigarette and sat up straighter in her chair. "When I was developing the blueprints, I studied the Rift Gates. The procedure was different, but I reworked it. Simon Williams suggested creating an energy disk for the Gates. At that time, there was only one disk. They thought it could handle the energy from the reactors and after from Primordial Space."
"But it didn't," Jessica reminded her.
"Yes, that's right. So I created an updated structure for the disks. Five energy disks are connected to a shaft that distributes energy among them. In case of overload, they share the flow among themselves. But when Richard and I were developing the Main disk, we nearly completely copied it from Simon Williams' original. He did a perfect job."
"What are you getting at?" Jessica asked, looking at Martha with interest.
"The thing is, each disk has its own protection system. A thin layer of energy field protects it from damage. When creating a Fracture, part of the energy goes to maintaining this protection. This is exactly what disabled the system in our disk, causing a cascading failure. But Professor Williams' disk was equipped with the same protection."
"And what does that mean?" Jessica frowned, trying to grasp the thought.
"It means," Martha smiled, and a spark of madness ignited in her eyes, "that our disks can withstand huge loads, including the energy from primordial space. Yes, they used all available alloy to create the Prime energy disk, but it wasn't enough. Maybe that's why it broke. But the disk at the Rift Gates was entirely made from that alloy. And if Williams' disk had the same protection..."
"The Main disk could have survived the Collapse," Jessica said slowly, realizing what she heard.
"Exactly! It could withstand the destructive force of the Collapse, and that means..."
"It might still be under the ruins," Jessica finished for her.
"Under the ruins of the Third District. Under the ruins of the Cradle," Martha added, her voice trembling with excitement.
At that moment, the Fracture Project received another chance for revival.
"Wait, but the district..."
"Is completely destroyed," Martha continued. "I know."
"There are the Convergence Points!"
"I know that too, but they're not everywhere. We can find a way to the ruins of the Gates and retrieve the disk."
"But it's been over ten years."
"Doesn't matter. The protection system of the disk doesn't have to be operational all the time."
"What if it didn't hold up?" Jessica couldn't shake her doubts.
"Simon accounted for all possible outcomes when he developed it," Martha was now smiling broadly. She enjoyed how the Fracture project was resurrecting literally from the ashes.
"You have six days, Martha. Who will you send there?" Jessica tried to grasp the seriousness of the situation.
"Those who can survive in conditions similar to the Third District."
"Wanderers?" Jessica quietly clarified.
"Yes."
"But they..."
"What, Jess? They've been preparing for years. They will show what they are capable of," Martha had already firmly decided to send the Wanderers to the ruins of their own world. "If they can't handle the Third District, then I made a mistake. I should have chosen others," Martha answered firmly. Somewhere inside, she was worried about the journey to the Third District. But it was no more than a waste of resources. "Let's call it a final test."
"And if they retrieve the disk and bring it back, can you connect it to the Machine?" Jessica worried that Martha's madness could lead to new casualties. Going to the Third District was suicide. The Convergence Points hid dangers: anyone who fell into a Convergence died from the terrifying energy of Primordial Space.
"Yes, it will replace our disk. Of course, calibration will be needed, but it will manage," Martha concluded firmly. "It's decided. Today, the Wanderers will go to the Third District."
"Alone?" Jessica tensed.
"Hmm. No," the professor replied, "Cygnus will go with them, the Compound's guard."
"You know, I'm glad we found a way out, but is it worth the risk?" Jessica stood up.
"Our project is all about risk, which we are trying to avoid. We've spent years; so many lives were lost during the Collapse. This risk is justified if we can achieve our goal," Martha extinguished her cigarette.
"Don't justify everything by the loss of lives in the Collapse," Jessica gently remarked.
They left the office. Jessica was worried about her colleague, while Martha reveled in the thought that the project had survived despite all the mistakes and tragedies.