POV: Time Variance Authority

Professor West was determined to save his daughter, Kate, no matter what. He had no interest in playing the moral judge regarding the possible "stealing" of research. If the manuscript Elias brought him truly turned out to be illicit in origin, he simply didn't care. Time was far too precious, and Kate's life hung in the balance.

So he cleared his mind of distractions and resumed preparing the cryonics fill-liquid per the instructions in the manuscript.

But a problem soon arose.

"No… this chain-reaction formula can't be right."

Outside, dawn had broken, sunlight spilling through the lab's windows. Exhausted and bleary-eyed, West fidgeted with the chemical notation for what felt like forever, but still couldn't make the reaction happen.

He tried skipping ahead to the subsequent steps—again, no luck.

"This is a crucial chain reaction," he muttered, glasses fogging from his own frustrated breath. "But it… it appears flawed."

Yet the manuscript was unquestionably valid—his earlier success with the ice-crystal test proved it. So what was wrong now?

Based on his years of research experience, West deduced two possible explanations:

Firstly, the chain-reaction formula was incomplete—maybe Elias had left out it that way on purpose. Secondly, the formula itself was simply incorrect, possibly copied incorrectly.

"What do I do?"

He paced around the lab, not having slept a wink all night, but still nowhere near tired. Kate could lose her fragile lifeline at any moment; every second was precious.

"Guess I have to find Elias and ask him directly," West decided, exhaling sharply. "I just hope he knows what he's brought me. But I must keep it confidential. Regardless of how he got this data, he was only trying to help."

West realized he had no direct contact info for Elias. He didn't even have Ms. Harrington's phone number for that matter. So he grabbed his coat and drove straight into the city.

***

One Hour Later

MH Cosmetics reception area.

A rumpled, bleary-eyed middle-aged man in a worn lab coat and thick glasses hurried up to the front desk. His breathing was ragged from hurrying.

"Hello," he gasped. "I'm here to see El… Mr. Elias."

The friendly receptionist smiled politely. "Do you have an appointment, sir?"

"Ah? N-no," West stammered. "You can just tell Elias that—"

"Professor West!"

A sharp, almost squeaking male voice from across the lobby cut him off. Heads turned toward the elevator doors, where Mr. Wilson, the Marketing Group Leader, stood slack-jawed in shock.

He broke into a sprint, nearly colliding with West.

Slap!

He clasped West's hands in his own, face aglow with excitement. "P-Professor West, what a surprise! If you had only told us you were coming, we could've greeted you at the door!"

"I'm not here for you," West said bluntly, pulling away.

"I-I see. You must be here for Ms. Harrington, right?" Mr. Wilson flashed a nervous grin. "Let me get you into our VIP lounge. I'll ring Ms. Harrington at once!"

Mr. Wilson had visited West before with Ms. Harrington, so he knew exactly how valuable this reclusive scientist was. Every global cosmetics brand had been fighting tooth and nail for his technology, to no avail. Ms. Harrington herself had announced just days ago that MH would no longer pursue West's compound. Now, out of nowhere, here he was, walking in on his own?

Professor West is our only hope…! Mr. Wilson thought, adrenaline pumping. We have to show him the utmost care.

"Professor, this way, please. I'll bring Ms. Harrington right down," Mr. Wilson insisted, ushering West into a side lounge. West inwardly sighed, anxious to track down Elias, but realized he didn't know which floor or office the young man worked in. Meeting Ms. Harrington would at least be a start.

Mr. Wilson bowed and directed staff to bring tea and refreshments. Then he turned back, gave a tense little grin, and hurried out to the main lobby, frantically dialing Ms. Harrington's direct number.

"Ms. Harrington, come down to the first floor—urgent!"

"What is it?" her voice came through, calm as usual.

"Professor West is here! Ethan West!"

She stood up abruptly, phone still to her ear. "You're sure?!"

"Absolutely certain! This is our chance—he's come in person!"

***

Ding!

Three minutes later, the elevator doors slid open on the first floor. Miranda Harrington strode out purposefully, flanked by her three deputy executives. All wore taut expressions, heading straight for the VIP lounge.

Those deputies—aware that if West were willing to reconsider working with them, it could be a game-changer for their upcoming Rhine product launch—looked almost terrified to say a wrong word.

"Why would Professor West show up unannounced?" Ms. Harrington asked the waiting Mr. Wilson in the hallway.

He shook his head. "No clue, Ms. Harrington. No one saw it coming. Last we heard, he was thoroughly uninterested, and now here he is, without any prior call."

She nodded, turning to the three deputies. "Whatever happens, hold your tongue about buying his compound or licensing it. Don't even hint at it until we know why he's here."

They each nodded in solemn agreement, aware that West's sudden visit surely had a motive. But guessing what that might be was anyone's guess.

"We'll just adapt on the fly," one of them murmured.

***

Stepping inside, Ms. Harrington offered a professional smile to West. "Professor West, I apologize for any lack of proper greeting. We're honored to have you."

West shook his head. "No, no… I'm sorry for dropping by." His tone was firm. "But I'm not here for you, Ms. Harrington. I've come urgently to see Elias Crane—could you take me to him?"

Her face registered mild surprise. Elias?

She certainly hadn't expected West to rush in, exhausted, just to see the young designer. The three deputy execs exchanged alarmed glances. What was going on? Did Elias wield that kind of influence?

Ms. Harrington kept her calm. "We can certainly call him down—"

"No, I'd prefer to speak with him in his office," West interrupted, standing abruptly. "Privately."

All eyes in the room stared in confusion. What in the world was going on? Everyone had pegged Elias as simply a newly promoted IP group leader. Now the Professor West—a man who'd turned down multi-million-dollar pleas from the world's biggest corporations—was demanding to see him personally? And on privare?

What sort of star power did Elias have?!