Chapter 18: Aftermath: Echoes of What Could Have Been

The Temporal Division headquarters buzzed with a nervous energy in the days following the Core incident. Cleanup crews worked around the clock to repair the physical damage, while teams of chrono-technicians labored to stabilize the lingering temporal anomalies.

Jack found himself in a debriefing room, facing a panel of grim-faced officials. Director Hawthorne, his cybernetic implants still occasionally sparking, led the questioning.

"Detective Thorne," Hawthorne began, his voice weary, "walk us through it one more time. How did you manage to stabilize the Core?"

Jack recounted the events for what felt like the hundredth time, emphasizing Kate's crucial role in talking down her older self. As he spoke, he couldn't help but notice the absence of his partner in the room.

"And Detective Rivera?" one of the officials asked. "Where is she now?"

Hawthorne fielded this one. "Detective Rivera is undergoing a thorough temporal sync procedure. The conflicting memories from the altered timeline are... problematic."

Jack's heart sank. He hadn't seen Kate since the immediate aftermath of the Core stabilization. The thought of her struggling with two sets of memories, two different lives, weighed heavily on him.

As the debriefing concluded, Jack was pulled aside by a scientist he didn't recognize – a tall, lanky man with wild hair and eyes that seemed to look through time itself.

"Detective Thorne," the man said, his voice tinged with barely contained excitement. "I'm Dr. Elias Merrick, head of Temporal Phenomenology. I was hoping I could run a few tests on you and your Temporal Anchor."

Jack hesitated. "I'm not sure that's—"

"It'll help Detective Rivera," Dr. Merrick interjected. "The data could be crucial in helping her reconcile her temporal displacement."

That was all Jack needed to hear. He followed Dr. Merrick to a lab filled with equipment he couldn't even begin to comprehend. As the scientist began his tests, Jack's mind wandered to the glimpses of alternate realities he'd seen during the Core meltdown.

"Fascinating," Dr. Merrick muttered, staring at a holographic readout. "Your chronal signature is unlike anything we've ever seen. It's almost as if you're... temporally fluid."

"Meaning?" Jack asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

Dr. Merrick's eyes lit up. "Meaning, Detective, that you might be able to perceive and even interact with alternate timelines more easily than anyone else. You could be the key to understanding the multiverse!"

Before Jack could process this, an alarm blared through the facility. Dr. Merrick's expression shifted from excitement to concern as he checked a nearby console.

"Oh dear," he muttered. "It seems we have a temporal incursion in progress. Lower Manhattan, 1929."

Jack was already moving. "The stock market crash?"

Dr. Merrick nodded. "If someone's trying to alter that event..."

"The consequences could be catastrophic," Jack finished. He activated his comm link. "Director Hawthorne, I need clearance for an emergency temporal jump. And I need Kate."

There was a moment of silence, then Hawthorne's voice crackled through. "Granted, Thorne. But be careful. Rivera's temporal sync isn't complete. She might not be... entirely herself."

Moments later, Jack was in the jump chamber, relief washing over him as Kate entered. But his relief was short-lived. Her eyes were distant, unfocused, as if she was seeing things that weren't there.

"Kate?" Jack said softly. "You okay?"

She blinked, seeming to come back to herself. "I... I think so. It's just... hard to know what's real sometimes."

Jack took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "This is real. Us, partners, protecting the timeline