Chapter 16: The Solomon Blueprint
The makeshift command tent at the Allied Forward Base felt too small for the secrets Arthur had brought back. Outside, the Ardennes winter continued its relentless assault, but inside, all eyes were on the pulsing blue drive resting on a crate of ammunition.
Decrypting the Void
Arthur sat on a stool, his [Archivist Combat Shroud] flickering as it slowly recalibrated to the local space-time. He held his staff over the data drive, using the Tesseract shard as a key to bypass Thorne's encryption.
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ]
Decrypting: [The Thorne Files]... 100% SUCCESS.
New Data Entry Unlocked: Project Solomon.
Warning: Historical Divergence is reacting to this information.
"What are we looking at, Arthur?" Steve asked, leaning over the table. Even in the dim light, the concern on the Captain's face was etched deep.
"Thorne wasn't just a scientist; he was a 'Watcher' like me, but one who went rogue," Arthur explained, his voice hollow. As he spoke, a holographic map projected from the drive, shimmering in the center of the tent. "He discovered that the Tesseract isn't just a battery—it's a gateway to the 'Source Code' of this reality. Project Solomon is a ritualized weapon. They aren't going to bomb London or Washington."
Arthur pointed to a specific coordinate in the North Atlantic. "They're going to tear a hole in the fabric of time to pull an army from a future where Hydra already won."
The Shadow of the Future
The Howling Commandos went silent. Gabe Jones stopped cleaning his rifle; Montgomery Falsworth gripped his coat tighter.
"An army from the future?" Bucky rasped. "We can barely handle the tanks they have now."
"It's worse than that," Arthur said, the blue light of the hologram reflecting in his eyes. "If they succeed, the timeline we're in will be overwritten. We won't just lose the war; we'll cease to have ever existed."
[ QUEST INITIATED: THE SOLOMON SEAL ]
Objective: Locate and sabotage the Atlantic Rift Generator.
Constraint: Arthur must maintain a 25% Archivist Sync to stabilize the rift.
Reward: 5,000 DP & Evolution of [Kinetic Conductor Staff].
Forging the Counter-Measure
Arthur knew that a standard frontal assault would be suicide. He looked at the gathered heroes—his brothers-in-arms. He needed to upgrade them if they were going to survive a fight against "Future Hydra."
"Dugan, Morita, Gabe—bring me your sidearms and your gear," Arthur commanded, his [Mercury Catalyst] blood beginning to hum with creative energy. "Stark gave you the best tech of 1944. I'm going to give you a taste of the Eternity."
[ CRAFTING INITIATED ]
Target: Commandos' Gear.
Investment: 3,000 DP.
Result: [Void-Tipped Munitions] & [Spatial-Resistant Armor Plating].
As Arthur began to work, the air in the tent warped. He wasn't just a soldier anymore; he was a smith of reality, preparing his team for a war that spanned across time itself.
Current Status:
DP Balance: 1,200 (Post-Upgrade Investment).
Divergence: 22.1% (Rising due to the Rift's activation).
Sync Level: 26%.