Chairman Hughes shot a sharp look at the man before her, torn between hearing him out or having him dragged out in cuffs. Her gaze flicked to Russ Carlin, then to Jeff, then to Dr. Hopewell. They all seemed interested. Finally, she turned to Sackett.

  "You asked my permission to have Dr. Chambers here, Professor. Have you heard this plan of his?"

  Sackett shook his head. "No, I haven’t. But Walt Chambers isn’t a crank. I suggest you let him speak. If you still think he’s insane afterward, that’s your call. I vouched for him before, and I’d do it again."

  Hughes considered that, then nodded. "Very well, Dr. Chambers. Let’s hear it. I hope it merits the respect Professor Sackett gives you."

  "Thank you, Madam Chairman." Chambers straightened. "I wouldn’t have called on my old mentor if it didn’t. Over the past three days, our computers have been combing through ADAM’s systems, analyzing everything. We now have access to all of Deneb’s science and a great deal of the Shapers’ technology. But there’s one thing ADAM hasn’t been able to tell us—the secret behind the Shapers' ability to clone their warriors so quickly, and how they attain their combat skills with such speed.

  "If we had that knowledge, Madam Chairman, we could do exactly what you suggested today. Using time displacement, we could travel back, collect genetic material that the Shapers don’t have access to, and grow our own armies. We wouldn’t just defeat the Shaper Empire—we would wipe it from existence. At the same time, we could repopulate the liberated worlds with human diversity, giving those who fight for us a new home and a future. This would prevent another warrior race from rising to fill the power vacuum.

  "Our species would become the most numerous and prosperous in the universe. Committed to peace, yes—but armed and ready when war comes knocking."

  A heavy silence followed. Then Dr. Hopewell leaned forward. "And what exactly do you mean by ‘genetic material from our past’?"

  "The best and bravest," Chambers said simply. "Our greatest heroes. Generals, kings, soldiers, knights—warriors from long-extinct civilizations, men who knew battle like second nature. Right now, we have nearly twelve million men stranded on Mars, most of them with no combat experience. They won’t stand a chance against the Shapers. Sure, we could bombard them from orbit, but the first casualties would be the Deneb slaves—the very allies we need. That’s why I support Captain Carlin’s gas attack suggestion. But to make this work, I need ADAM to provide the missing data."

  Hughes exhaled sharply. "What you're proposing, Chambers, isn't much better than the Shapers’ own methods."

  "It’s survival," Chambers countered. "If you can convince ADAM, I’ll do what I can to get this off the ground."

  Chambers turned to the AI resting on the table before Dr. Hopewell. "ADAM, you’ve been aboard their ship for four hundred years. You’ve seen the Shapers murder, abduct, and dissect your creators. You’ve reviewed their entire history. If they can be destroyed, do you believe this plan will work?"

  A long pause followed. Almost a full minute passed before ADAM finally responded.

  "After reviewing Earth’s historical record and assessing the cunning, brutality, and resilience of your predecessors in warfare," the AI said, "I agree with Dr. Chambers. His plan is viable."

  Hughes set her hands on the table and nodded slowly. "Then, Dr. Chambers—what do you call your project?"

  Chambers glanced at Sackett, then back to her. "The RACE Alternative, Chairman. Resurrected Ancestral Clones Enhanced."

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  Hughes raised an eyebrow. "Enhanced how, exactly?"

  "Any way we can to ensure their victory over the Shapers," Chambers said. "But no monsters, I promise you that."

  Hughes stood, smoothing the front of her jacket. "That explains why Professor Sackett authorized all those new specialists in the old Sac-NORAD base," she mused. "Now I don’t need to ask. Emmet always was a maverick."

  She exhaled, the weight of her decision settling over her. "Until further notice, ADAM will assist you, Dr. Chambers. Commander Calan, Captain Carlin—your ships will also be at his disposal until the attack. Hopefully, with your time jump system, this will move quickly. This meeting is adjourned. ADAM."

  As Hughes strode down the corridor toward her quarters, a gnawing unease crept into her chest. If history remembered her at all, it might be as Earth’s most immoral leader. But if history survived beyond her, that would be her victory—and her justification.

  Berthed in the hangar bay of the old Sac-Norad Base—now headquarters for the RACE program—Russ Carlin’s Avenger and Jeff Calan’s Defender were being prepared for a journey unlike any other: time travel. Their mission? To track humanity’s history of warfare, from the first organized conflicts to the last war fought with chemical explosives. Combat beyond World War III had been deemed too reliant on push-button technology to warrant study.

  To ensure they had all the time needed, Jeff and Russ first transported ADAM and a team of metallurgists to reinforce the mountain itself with a metallic time net. This net would enable Chambers to accelerate the maturation of his forces, growing an army in days instead of decades. Instead of jumping back in time to leave embryos and retrieving them years later—like the Shapers had once done—ADAM proposed a more efficient solution. With access to unlimited fusion power, a sustainable time field could be maintained, allowing embryos to mature at an accelerated rate. Chambers agreed.

  Inside the field, every minute equaled a full day outside. In just five days and ten minutes, an embryo would grow to full adulthood, emerging from the mountain compound at twenty years old—intelligent, capable, and ravenous for knowledge. Chambers had taken ADAM’s advice again, setting up automated systems to sustain the embryos. For workers inside the field, specialized regressor suits countered the accelerated aging, ensuring their survival. Without them, a person would age to death within hours.

  On the day Jeff, Russ, and two hundred volunteer operatives prepared to depart, the two stood over a holographic map in the command center, reviewing the research team’s findings.

  Jeff leaned against the console, arms crossed. “Three months of hiding in a mountain, and they’ve put together quite the list. Most of history’s greatest battlefield moments, from the first Bronze Age skirmishes to the trenches of Verdun.” He tapped on one of the glowing markers. “This one—Battle of Kadesh. 1274 BC. First recorded military engagement with detailed tactics.”

  Russ nodded. “And here—Hastings, 1066. The Norman cavalry’s maneuvers could teach us a thing or two.”

  Dr. Hopewell, standing nearby, chimed in. “They also found strategic points where observing firsthand could fill the gaps in our understanding—like the exact troop movements in Cannae. The Romans never saw Hannibal’s encirclement coming. We would.”

  Russ smirked. “The Romans should’ve had a time-traveling army.”

  Jeff chuckled. “Too bad for them.” He turned to ADAM’s projection, a shifting mass of geometric light. “Your communicator—how reliable is it? We need constant contact between our ships and Chambers.”

  ADAM’s synthesized voice responded evenly, “The dimensional communicator operates outside temporal constraints. Barring significant interference, communication will remain stable. Adjustments can be made mid-mission if necessary.”

  “Good,” Russ said. “We’re not just going back to observe—we’re refining tactics, seeing what works, and bringing that knowledge forward.”

  Jeff clapped a hand on Russ’s shoulder. “Then let’s get to it. Two hundred people, two ships, and one hell of a history lesson.”

  Russ grinned. “And when we get back? Chambers is going to have the best-trained force the world has ever seen.”

  With final checks completed, the teams boarded their ships. Engines roared to life, the hum of temporal energy building as coordinates were locked in. The mission was no longer just theory—it was happening.

  With each ship now carrying one hundred eighty crew members, they were fully manned and ready to begin the hunt.