This Time [chapter 1-3.1] -

By the time the team reached , the atmosphere in the room was electric with tension. They were deep into the Code Compliance Plans , mapping out the fire department access and line of encroachment.

The clock struck midnight. The terminal didn't glitch. The world didn't reset. Elias stood on the balcony of the site office, watching the sun rise over the installation. He had rewritten the history he thought was set in stone. This time, the structures would hold. This Time [Chapter 1-3.1]

"If we move the building perimeter here," Elias pointed to the digital blueprint, "we can account for the increased frontage. It solves the seismic issue and the fire protection requirements simultaneously." By the time the team reached , the

"We need to re-evaluate the seismic design values for the OCONUS site," Elias said, his voice tight. "Section 1-3.1 has been updated, and our current RFP doesn't reflect the new risk levels." The terminal didn't glitch

"It will be," he interrupted. "And if we don't fix it now, the foundation won't hold."

The room went quiet. Sarah studied the math. For the first time in two lives, Elias saw the moment the disaster was averted before it ever began.

That mistake had cost lives. Now, as he stared at the screen, the date in the corner of his monitor read . He was back. Somehow, he had been given a "This Time." Chapter 2: The Warning