The blazing Nevada sun hammered down on Area 51's military expanse, where Lieutenant Colonel Maddock surveyed the base from the observation deck's steel heights. Below him, geometric roads carved the desert facility into perfect sections, and weathered hangars spread neatly across the complex. Heat waves danced off the asphalt while his aides maintained their positions nearby, all of them surrounded by the endless wasteland that stretched beyond the perimeter—a sea of sand and stone under the relentless sky.

  Maddock scanned the base's research facility with an expressionless mask, his sharp gray eyes locking onto the military installation nestled within the broader complex. A concertina-wire topped fence enclosed the facility, its barbed coils glinting under the unrelenting sun. At its entrance stood a massive concrete sign, bold black letters carved into its surface:

  U.S. Army Fort Mason J. Bogart

  Home of the 1st Strategic Recruitment Battalion

  The lieutenant colonel exhaled slowly. His fingers curled into a loose fist under his tablet, the only sign of the anticipation that churned beneath his disciplined exterior. General Alexander Leonard turned toward him, his uniform creased with military precision, his posture rigid. “Is everyone prepared?” Leonard’s voice carried the weight of command—low and deliberate.

  Maddock, a man at least fifteen years Leonard’s junior, nodded with professional certainty. “All personnel accounted for, sir.” He glanced briefly at the tablet in his gloved hand. “Equipment’s ready. Ammunition, fuel, food and supplies are fully stocked in the underground storage bunkers. Transport is on standby.”

  “Excellent.” Leonard’s gaze remained steady on him. “How about you?”

  Maddock exhaled, his stance shifting slightly. He hesitated for a moment, then let out a dry chuckle. “Truthfully? A mix of excitement and worry.” He glanced toward the horizon, squinting against the heat waves. “On one hand, I’m thrilled to see what 1400 BCE looks like—to stand in the past, to witness history firsthand. To see if the facts line up with the evidence recently discovered in Greece.”

  Leonard’s expression remained unreadable, but Maddock could tell he was listening intently.

  “But that’s also the unnerving part,” he continued, turning back to face the general. “If the evidence lines up… sir, if the centaur and griffin bones found in those ruins are real, then we may not be as prepared as we think.”

  For a long moment, the two men stood in silence. Far ahead of them, the base thrummed with activity—soldiers moving with purpose, technicians making last-minute adjustments, and the distant hum of heavy machinery.

  Leonard finally nodded. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

  The General glanced at Maddock, arching a brow. “A mission unsettling the most decorated Special Forces commander this side of the Mississippi? Now that’s a rarity.”

  Maddock grinned, his voice steady. “To put it mildly, we're facing something unprecedented.”

  The general chuckled, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder. “Come on, Colonel. Even if most of your equipment is not up to date, it should be more than enough to handle whatever the Bronze Age has in store for you.”

  “Of course,” Maddock nodded, expression remaining tense. “Still, there’s another concern—what’s happening back here while we’re gone.”

  “Just five hundred days,” the general said, crossing his arms. “Not much time, but if you return with the recruits we need, it will certainly help in this war.”

  “I still can’t believe it’s come to this, with so much at stake… riding on such a peculiar mission.” Maddock exhaled a long breath.?

  “Of course,” the general agreed, serious again. “I have full confidence in you and Major Chang’s R&D efforts.”

  “Your faith is well placed.”

  Both men turned as Major Chang approached, wearing a pristine white lab coat hanging loosely over his military uniform. His keen, analytical eyes moved between them with the precision of a scientist. The shorter officer gave a slight nod, scanning their expressions.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  General Leonard inclined his head. “Major. Didn’t expect to see you up here.”

  “My apologies for interrupting,” Chang said, his tone cool and measured, “but given the circumstances, I thought it best to oversee the final preparations myself.”

  Maddock exchanged a look with the general before turning his attention to Chang. “Then let’s hope your calculations are as precise as your timing.”

  Chang allowed himself a small smile. “They always are, Colonel. They always are.”

  “So, do you have anything for me?” Leonard asked.

  “Yes, the base has reached its optimal performance level. We can now disconnect from facility power,” Chang replied.

  “Excellent.” Leonard turned to Maddock. “All right, you two. If there’s nothing else, it’s time to get this mission underway. Good luck and Godspeed.”

  “Yes, sir,” Chang and Maddock responded, saluting before leaving the observation post and heading down to the waiting Humvee.

  The driver, Sergeant Veronica Torres, snapped a crisp salute at the approaching officers before sliding into the Humvee with brisk efficiency. The five-foot-five East LA native had arrived just a day prior. With a sturdy build and dark hair cropped just to the collar, she had been a last-minute addition to the mission.

  The Humvee pulled away from the main operational hub, passing scattered buildings before reaching the windowless structure that housed the Time Machine. As they continued toward Fort Bogart's boundary, marked by a concrete sign, the vehicle wove past helicopter pads and hangars until it pulled up in front of the command center. The imposing two-story facility rose above an underground command post, its upper levels bristling with communication arrays and surveillance equipment.

  Sergeant Torres cast a glance at the two officers. “Here we are—home for the next year and about four months,” she said.

  The doors swung open. The officers grabbed their belongings and stepped out.

  “Thank you, Sergeant,” said Maddock as he and Chang turned and headed for the building.

  The command center hummed with controlled chaos. Officers and technicians moved with purpose, manning their stations as they coordinated logistics with personnel in the hangars. At the front of the room, massive display screens cycled through live feeds, offering an ever-changing view of the base and its perimeter. Technicians moved quickly, performing final checks and last-minute adjustments to prepare for the imminent time jump.

  The air was thick with anticipation. This was where the mission would truly begin.

  Colonel Maddock stood behind his console amid the scramble of soldiers. “All right, everyone—are we ready for ancient Greece?”

  “Yes, sir!”

  Technicians worked feverishly at their consoles, verifying data streaming across their screens with bloodshot eyes that struggled not to blink. Junior officers paced the room, issuing orders into their headsets while personnel in the front row signaled instructions to those in the back, each detail delivered with extreme care. There was no room for error now.

  Maddock turned to Major Chang, his expression resolute. “Fort Bogart is ready and standing by for the time jump. Notify the general—we are a go for countdown.”

  “Yes, sir.” Chang’s fingers were already moving over the control panel. “Command acknowledges. Countdown commencing at T-minus fifteen minutes.”

  Overhead, the central display flickered to life, shifting to a live feed of the Time Machine. The countdown timer—bold and unrelenting—ticked with precision toward zero. Around the room, personnel murmured in anticipation, eyes locked onto the screens. Final system checks confirmed all was ready for the jump.

  As the last seconds dwindled away, a deep mechanical hum filled the air, resonating through the base like the prelude to an oncoming storm. The time machine shuddered, its core pulsating with energy straining to be unleashed. Then, in a blinding instant, it erupted—a searing flash of light consuming everything in its radius, followed by a deafening shockwave that sent vibrations rippling through the fabric of reality itself.

  And just like that, Fort Bogart was gone.

  Where once there had been an advanced military installation teeming with personnel and equipment, there was now only a vast, perfectly cut rectangular chasm, stretching hundreds of feet into the earth. Every structure, every vehicle, every living being—erased from the present.

  Inside the command center, however, the transition was instantaneous. The static-laced feeds on the monitors flickered and stabilized, revealing an entirely different world. Gone was the arid Nevada desert. In its place stretched a breathtaking landscape of rolling forests, jagged mountain peaks, and, in the far distance, the shimmering expanse of an unfamiliar ocean. The undisturbed blue sky loomed over a land untouched by modern civilization.

  Fort Bogart successfully made the jump.

  They were no longer in the present.

  “It worked,” Maddock said, surveying the screens. “Welcome to ancient Greece, everyone.”

  The room erupted in applause.

  Maddock didn’t hesitate. His voice cut through the command center like a blade. “I want units deployed without delay. Boots on the ground, eyes in the sky—establish a perimeter. Position all armored vehicles and artillery at key defensive points. We secure this area now.” He took a measured breath, scanning the eager faces around him. “This operation is now underway. We have 499 days to complete our mission—let’s not waste a single second. Move out!”

  A thunderous “Yes, sir!” erupted in unison as the command center snapped into action. Officers relayed orders over their comms, their voices sharp with urgency. The base transformed into a well-oiled machine, shifting seamlessly into high-alert mode.

  Outside, soldiers poured from the barracks and buildings, their boots pounding against the earth as they moved into formation. Infantry squads spread out, sweeping the immediate area with trained precision. Within moments, soldiers maneuvered artillery units into defensive placements, aiming their barrels at potential threats in the unknown landscape.

  Above, rotor blades thundered as helicopters lifted off, slicing through the air with mechanical grace. Pilots guided their aircraft in wide arcs, their sensors sweeping for any sign of movement in this uncharted past.

  As the operation gained momentum, Maddock stepped outside onto the observation deck, watching his forces execute their orders with disciplined efficiency. The weight of history pressed down on him.

  Their mission had begun.