Time Engineers

Evacuate?

Atlas was invested in his work too much that he did not realise a giant tent was being built around him. Tent was prior to determine the borders of high radioactivity and to hide military activities as well as the incident itself.

"Mountain Wolf 1-1, this is HQ. Do you copy?"

He made sure he was wearing his mask properly before he picked the radio. He coughed to clean his throat:

"HQ, this is Mountain Wolf 1-1."

"Soon, we will send a drone to measure the radioactivity near the crack. How is the lad over there doing?"

He stood up and walked to a red line that was drawn to warn high radioactivity. The line was laying towards the opera house and entire personel was stationed right behind it.

"We've been recording what he was doing but we still have no idea. Some scientists from HQ came to check as well but could not really understand his pattern of work. They think he is fixing something as he looks he is struggling. However, I think as where he comes from and his look, he does not belong here. I believe he might be up to something."

"Elaborate your claim, captain." static voice interrupted.

"I've talked to the police officer who had the first contact of the crack and this person. As we observed his actions on CCTV, we could say that he was acting highly suspicious. As well as that, the last two terrorist attacks in Switzerland was caused by these Middle Easterns. They are here to spread their filthy desires and break our order."

"So you are claiming that he might be trying to detonate a radioactive bomb?"

Squad leader sighed as he turned around to look at other people who are observing the incident and he went back to sit in his chair. A terrorist with a radioactive bomb? What is that?

"That's not exactly I was trying to say. It sounds unrealistic for me to say..."

"Keep your thoughts to yourself and do what we say. As the drone starts approaching him, we will see what is happening closer. I will talk to him through the drone. "

"Yes, sir!"

Atlas kept sweating but not because it was hot. One small mistake can determine the fate of the world; fate of the universe. He believed that. His fingers were inside the crack. He was feeling something that no one could explain. A force was holding his arm as it needs help and he was feeling despair coming from it. Dot by dot, he was turning and fixing stuff that only he knows how. The weird stick tool in his other hand was straightining corners of the crack. He has to do these both work in harmony. Just one little distracti-

"Nachrichtendienst des Bundes, Federal Intelligence Service, demands the person of interest to pronounce their intentions." static voice again appeared behind Atlas.

He gave dead eyes as he was shocked and stopped his moves. It was like he was about to lose the glass full of water in his hands and it could just break on the floor to create a mess.

"What the hell now?" He sounded more confident than before while he was talking to the female police officer.

"As you are in Switzerland, authorities have right to claim explanation over the incident that took place in our country. We would like to determine your will of action." for just a second French accent could be heard by Atlas. But, as the voice kept speaking, the accents mixed and he also thought it could be German.

"Right... It is simple. If i am not here, everything goes boom. If I am here, we hope nothing goes boom." he answered with a voice that sounded mocking. It was not really helping him to be identified as friendly.

"Explain in details, so we can help you. Alright?"

As the uncontrollable power started to leak out from the crack, he started to feel the pressure on his chest. He kept fixing the crack while talking.

"You are probably receiving the numbers about radioactivity, right? I don't know how far you are behind me, though!"

Drone looked like a robot that was used in Mars expeditions. As it came little bit closer to Atlas, alarm of the radioactivity monitoring system went louder and louder.

"It- It is imposibble... How are you not dead or effected over 100.000 rad? You have been here more than 12 hours already."

Radio was struggling to keep up talking as the rad levels are increasing significantly. Simple engines might work under the pressure of this rad levels but not a biological thing or an electronical thing. At least, with an unknown technological level of protection.

However, drone was able to drove back in time to save the vital system to contact with Atlas. Broken voice with intense stuttering was trying to talk from the radio.

"How... How... Do....live... -ple..."

Atlas just laughed and kept continue doing what he was supposed to do from beginning. But, the second drone appeared that looked identical to the other one.

"Are you guys are trying to get on my nerves? Am i interrupting you while you are driving the drone? Do you want me to keep hitting your hand and shout in your ear while doing that? Would you be happy!?"  he shouted without looking at the drone.

"I need an explanation. How could you be a human? You are not supposed to withstand this."

"Yeah, i am not supposed to. I think the rad value should be around a million here but this type of radioactivity is weird one. I could not really explain what it is. Not a normal one but a harmful one. Yet, when i am done; no more rad."

"A-... A normal human health will be affected fatal at 500 rad. And, you will-... Die in a week if you are exposed to 10.000 rad. And, yet you talk about a million rad?!"

Atlas did not answer. He kept his silence while being all serious. Questions were meaningless and time wasting. Only thing he was supposed to do is to get rid off the crack. Otherwise, everything will be for none.

"We are supposed to evacuate the entire city! No- No... not even that. The entire canton..."

Atlas stopped and looked behind to see the drone that was lurking on him. He looked directly into the camera that was pointed at him. As the bright glowing light behind him was making his face in all dark, he spoke:

"Evacuate? You need at least 500 more years to evacuate people into safety."