The explosion wasn't destruction—it was extraction.
Reality tore open. A rift in quantum space that pulled me through dimensions before Elena's device could complete its function. Before I could make the choice. Before anyone could react.
I tumbled through cascading probabilities. Through spaces between spaces. Through quantum foam that existed beyond normal physics. Emerged in location I didn't recognize—vast chamber that felt ancient despite being constructed from technology centuries ahead of current understanding.
And standing in the center was a man I'd never seen. Mid-seventies. White hair. Eyes that held intelligence too vast for human neurology. Wearing simple clothes that somehow commanded more authority than any uniform.
"Welcome, Eva Morrison," he said. "Or should I say—Gene
