PART 2: PURSUIT
The Hunt Begins
The Chronos Industries research facility dominated the eastern district of Procyon Station, its sleek crystalline architecture rising high above the surrounding structures. Mack had spent three days surveilling the building, studying staff rotations, security measures, and—most importantly—the skip-dampening grid that protected the facility.
Unlike the standard models used by law enforcement, Chronos had proprietary tech that could detect when someone had skipped within fifty meters of their building. According to his sources, they couldn't prevent skips, but they could pinpoint them—which made Mack's usual tactics risky at best.
Today, he was in civilian clothes, seated at a café across from the facility's main entrance. A small scanner disguised as a personal tablet sat on the table, quietly logging everyone who entered and exited.
"Another synth-coffee, sir?" asked the server droid as it hovered near his table.
"Please," Mack replied, not taking his eyes off the entrance. "And I'll take a look at the dessert menu."
The droid departed just as Mack's scanner pinged softly. A woman with a maintenance uniform had entered the building—her face partially matched one of Vex Korba's known aliases. Not enough for confirmation, but enough to follow up.
Abandoning his coffee order, Mack made his way to a service alley behind the facility. His research had revealed that maintenance staff took breaks here, away from the oversight of management.
Two hours later, his patience was rewarded when the same woman emerged, lighting up a synthetic cigarette.
"Maintenance must be rough in there," Mack commented casually, leaning against the wall nearby. "I hear Chronos runs a tight ship."
The woman eyed him suspiciously. "Who's asking?"
"Someone looking for information." Mack held up a credit chip. "About a mutual acquaintance. Vex Korba."
The woman's expression didn't change, but Mack noted the slight tensing of her shoulders.
"Never heard of them," she replied, taking a long drag from her cigarette.
"That's strange, because my scanner says you've met. And I have a feeling you're not actually maintenance staff."
Her eyes narrowed. "Skip-tracer?"
Mack smiled. "Let's just say I'm very motivated to have a conversation with Korba. Two million credits motivated."
The woman laughed, a sharp sound without humor. "You and a dozen others. What makes you different?"
"I don't want to bring her in—yet," Mack lied smoothly. "I want to propose a partnership. These corporates don't pay what someone with her skills is worth."
For a moment, he thought she'd bolt, but instead, she tossed her cigarette and crushed it under her boot.
"Lido's Bar, lower quadrant, 2200 hours," she said. "Ask for Talia. If you're followed, you're dead."
Before Mack could respond, she reentered the facility.
Lido's Bar was everything Mack expected from a lower quadrant establishment—dimly lit, perpetually damp, and filled with individuals who valued privacy above comfort. He arrived early, securing a corner table with a view of both entrances.
"Whiskey, neat," he told the bartender, a hulking four-armed Vespasian who merely grunted in response.
At exactly 2200, a woman entered—not the maintenance worker, but a tall, elegant figure with silver-streaked hair and sharp eyes that scanned the room methodically. She spotted Mack immediately, as though she'd known precisely where he'd be sitting.
"Talia, I presume?" Mack said as she approached.
"No," the woman replied, sitting down. "But I know her. She says you're hunting Vex Korba."
"That's right."
"Why? Besides the obvious bounty."
Mack considered his approach carefully. This woman was clearly connected, possibly part of Korba's network.
"Korba has been stealing tech from Chronos. I want to know why."
The woman smiled thinly. "Perhaps she simply likes shiny things."
"Nobody risks that much heat for trinkets," Mack countered. "She's after something specific. Something worth dying for."
"Or worth killing for," the woman added, studying Mack intently. "Four skip-tracers have already failed to bring her in. One is currently enjoying life as a vegetable. What makes you think you'll fare better?"
Mack leaned forward. "Because I'm not just following orders. I'm curious. And I'm beginning to think Chronos isn't telling the full story about what was stolen."
Something flickered in the woman's eyes—interest, perhaps.
"There's a storage facility in Quadrant 7," she said finally. "Abandoned after the Tannhauser Riots. If you're really curious, you might find something interesting there. Tonight."
She stood to leave.
"How will I recognize Korba?" Mack asked.
The woman's smile was enigmatic. "She'll recognize you, skip-tracer."
First Confrontation
The abandoned storage facility loomed like a metal graveyard in the dim light of Procyon's artificial night cycle. Quadrant 7 had never fully recovered from the Tannhauser Riots three years ago, when workers had protested dangerous conditions in the station's atmospheric processors. Now it stood largely empty, a perfect place for clandestine meetings.
Mack approached cautiously, his sidearm ready but concealed. The facility's main door hung partially open, the security systems long deactivated. Inside, the cavernous space was filled with forgotten shipping containers and dismantled machinery.
A soft blue light glowed from deeper within the facility.
"Not very subtle," Mack muttered to himself, moving carefully between the containers.
In a cleared area at the center, he found the source of the light: a holographic display showing schematics for what appeared to be advanced skip technology. Standing before it was a woman, her back to him as she manipulated the display with precise gestures.
"Vex Korba, I presume?" Mack called out, staying behind cover.
The woman didn't turn. "Mack Reeves. Your reputation precedes you."
Her voice was melodic but with an edge of steel—exactly how he'd imagined it from the reports.
"As does yours," Mack replied, moving to get a better angle. "Multiple skips in a day is quite the parlor trick. Neurologically impossible, according to most experts."
"Most experts work for corporations with limited imagination." She turned finally, and Mack saw her face clearly for the first time.
Vex Korba was striking rather than conventionally beautiful—sharp cheekbones, calculating green eyes, and a scar that ran from her left temple to her jaw. Her dark hair was cropped close on one side, longer on the other.
"Why are you stealing from Chronos?" Mack asked, edging closer.
"Stealing implies they owned it to begin with," Vex replied. "I'm simply reclaiming what they took."
"From whom?"
"From all of us." She gestured to the schematics. "Do you know what this is?"
Mack glanced at the display. "Looks like advanced skip technology."
"Not just advanced," Vex corrected. "Unlimited. Chronos has found a way to remove the daily limitation. To allow multiple skips without the neurological burnout."
Mack frowned. "That would destroy the balance of power. Whoever controlled that technology—"
"Would control everything," Vex finished. "Time, resources, security—nothing would be safe."
She tapped the display, changing the image to show a small device.
"This is the prototype component. I've stolen three of the five pieces needed to complete it."
"Why show me this?" Mack asked, suspicion growing. "I'm here to bring you in."
Vex smiled, a predatory expression. "Are you? Or are you here because you're smart enough to know something doesn't add up? Two million credits is excessive for industrial espionage."
Before Mack could respond, a warning flashed on his wrist display—motion sensors he'd placed outside were triggered. Someone else had arrived.
"We have company," he warned.
Vex's expression hardened. "Chronos security. They followed you."
"Impossible. I checked—"
"They don't need to plant a tracker on you if they can track your skip signature," Vex cut him off. "And you skipped yesterday, didn't you? Near their facility."
Mack cursed silently. She was right—he'd used his skip to avoid a security patrol while scouting the building.
The sound of boots on metal echoed through the facility.
"Time to go," Vex said, reaching for what looked like a standard skip-trigger on her wrist.
"Wait—" Mack started, but she was already activating it.
The familiar blur of a skip began around her, but instead of the standard one-minute displacement, something different happened. She seemed to flicker, her form becoming translucent before solidifying again—barely two meters from her original position.
It wasn't a full minute skip. It was perhaps five seconds, just enough to avoid the incoming weapons fire that suddenly tore through the space where she'd been standing.
Mack dove for cover as Chronos security forces swarmed into the area. Six operatives in tactical gear, armed with military-grade weapons—far more firepower than standard corporate security.
"Reeves!" a voice called out. "Stand down! We're only here for Korba!"
From his position, Mack could see Vex moving swiftly between containers, heading for an exit. The security team was closing in from multiple angles.
He had seconds to decide. His skip was available—he could use it to either capture Vex or escape the security team. But something about this situation felt wrong. Why would Chronos send a heavily armed tactical team for a simple thief?
Making his decision, Mack activated his skip.
The world blurred, and when it resolved, he was still in the facility but one minute forward in time. The security team had advanced, and weapons fire echoed through the space. They weren't just trying to capture Vex—they were trying to kill her.
Mack moved quickly through the chaos, following Vex's likely escape route. Near a side exit, he found her pinned down by two operatives.
Drawing his stunner, Mack took them both out with precision shots before they realized he was there.
Vex looked up in surprise. "Why?"
"Let's just say my curiosity isn't satisfied yet," Mack replied, helping her up. "Can you do that partial skip again?"
She shook her head, wincing. "Not for another few hours. It takes a toll."
More weapons fire peppered the wall near them.
"Then we do this the old-fashioned way," Mack said, pulling her toward the exit. "Run!"
They barely made it to Mack's ship, the Afterthought, with the security team in hot pursuit. As they lifted off from the docking bay, a small object fell from Vex's jacket—a sleek metal cylinder with intricate circuitry visible through its translucent casing.
"That's what they're really after," Vex said, breathing hard. "The temporal core for the multi-skip device."
Mack eyed it as he piloted them away from the station. "That's what lets you perform those partial skips?"
"A prototype," she confirmed. "Not nearly as powerful as what Chronos is building, but enough to demonstrate it's possible."
As they cleared Procyon's traffic control zone, Mack set a course for the asteroid belt—plenty of places to hide there.
"You know they'll brand you a criminal now," Vex observed. "Assaulting corporate security, aiding a fugitive..."
"I was already considering a career change," Mack replied dryly. "Two million credits seems less attractive when it comes with lies."
The Mystery Deepens
The mining outpost on Ceres was the perfect place to lie low—too small for a significant corporate presence but large enough to get lost in the crowd. Mack had connections here from previous bounties, including a mechanic who asked no questions when they docked the Afterthought in a private hangar.
In a rented room above a noisy parts shop, Mack examined the cylinder Vex had stolen.
"It's only part of the system," Vex explained, connecting it to a portable scanner. "The temporal core is what makes the skip possible, but without the stabilizer and the neural interface, it's just an exotic paperweight."
Data scrolled across the scanner's display—complex equations and technical specifications far beyond Mack's understanding.
"So Chronos is building a device that lets people skip multiple times," Mack summarized. "Why is that worth killing over? Skip technology has been public for fifteen years."
"With limitations," Vex countered. "One minute, once per day, with a neural recovery period. Those limitations make it manageable, predictable. Remove them, and you have chaos—or control, depending on who holds the technology."
She tapped the cylinder. "This isn't just about multiple skips. It's about precision. The ability to skip seconds instead of a full minute. To target exactly when and where you want to go."
"And Chronos wants a monopoly," Mack concluded. "That's why the bounty is so high."
Vex's expression darkened. "It's more than that. The tests they've been running... they're dangerous. Temporal displacement at this scale creates ripples, distortions in time that spread outward. The more they experiment, the more unstable it becomes."
Mack frowned. "How do you know all this?"
A moment of hesitation crossed Vex's face before she answered. "Because I helped design it. Before I realized what Chronos intended to use it for."
Before Mack could respond, his secure communicator pinged—Juno was calling.
"I need to take this," he said, stepping into the adjacent room. "But this conversation isn't over."
Juno's holographic image appeared, her expression thunderous. "What the hell happened on Procyon, Reeves? Chronos is saying you helped Korba escape after a direct confrontation!"
"Things got complicated," Mack replied carefully. "Chronos sent a kill team, not a capture team. I needed to know why."
"They're claiming she stole proprietary technology worth billions," Juno said. "They have every right to protect it."
"With military-grade weapons? In an abandoned sector? Without station security authorization?" Mack shook his head. "Something's wrong with this picture, Juno."
Juno's image flickered as she leaned closer. "Listen to me very carefully, Mack. Drop this now. Return to Guild headquarters with or without Korba, and we'll sort it out."
"Since when does the Guild bow to corporate interests?"
"Since they started owning majority shares in our operation," Juno replied, her voice lowered. "Three months ago, Chronos acquired controlling interest in the Skip-Tracer Guild. Most tracers don't know yet."
Mack felt a chill run through him. "Why tell me this?"
Juno's expression softened slightly. "Because you saved my life on Europa, and I still believe that counts for something. But I can't help you if you pursue this. Chronos doesn't just want their tech back—they want Korba eliminated and all evidence of their research contained."
"Research into what, exactly?" Mack pressed.
"I don't know the details," Juno admitted. "But there's a file in the Guild database codenamed 'Möbius.' It's heavily encrypted, but it's connected to Korba's case. That's all I can tell you."
The transmission ended abruptly, leaving Mack staring at empty air.
When he returned to the main room, Vex was waiting expectantly.
"Your handler?" she asked.
"Former handler," Mack corrected. "Apparently, Chronos now owns the Skip-Tracer Guild. We're both on their hit list."
Vex didn't seem surprised. "Their influence has been growing for years. Financial markets, security contracts, tech patents—they've been positioning themselves at every level."
"And now time itself," Mack added. "Does the name 'Möbius' mean anything to you?"
The effect was immediate—Vex's face paled. "Where did you hear that?"
"Juno mentioned it—a file connected to your case."
Vex moved to the window, checking the street below before drawing the blinds.
"Möbius isn't a file," she said quietly. "It's a project. The real reason I left Chronos. They weren't just developing multiple skips—they were attempting to create a closed time loop."
"Meaning what, exactly?"
"A way to skip back to a point where you've already been," Vex explained. "To create a loop where you could potentially change past events."
Mack stared at her in disbelief. "That's—"
"Impossible? That's what I thought," Vex interrupted. "Until I saw the test results. They've achieved micro-loops in laboratory settings. Seconds, not minutes. But they're getting closer."
"The temporal ripples you mentioned," Mack realized. "They're side effects of these experiments?"
Vex nodded grimly. "The more they push the boundaries, the more unstable the local temporal field becomes. I've tracked disturbances across three sectors already. Strange phenomena—objects appearing and disappearing, people experiencing déjà vu on massive scales, isolated incidents of time moving at different speeds."
She pulled up a star chart on her scanner, highlighting several locations.
"Each of these marks a temporal anomaly. Notice the pattern?"
Mack studied the display. The anomalies formed a spiral pattern, expanding outward from a central point.
"Chronos headquarters," he noted. "The epicenter is their main research facility on Titan."
"That's where the remaining components are," Vex confirmed. "And where they're conducting the primary Möbius experiments."
Mack considered their options. They were outgunned, outnumbered, and now officially outlaws. But if what Vex was saying was true, the stakes were far higher than a simple bounty.
"We need to access that Guild file," he decided. "If Juno thought it was important enough to mention, it might give us leverage."
"The Guild headquarters is on Luna," Vex pointed out. "One of the most secure facilities in the solar system."
Mack smiled grimly. "Good thing we have a prototype time-skipper and the best skip-tracer in the sector, then."
As they began planning their next move, neither noticed the small drone hovering outside the window, its camera focused directly on them through a gap in the blinds.
