This Time [chapter 1-3.1] Apr 2026

Elias didn't waste a second. He knew the structural integrity of the base would fail during the upcoming tremors if the seismic coefficients weren't updated immediately. He bypassed his supervisor and went straight to the lead engineer, Sarah.

"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."

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 This Time [Chapter 1-3.1]

Sarah looked up, skeptical. "Elias, that update isn't even official yet. How do you—"

"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." Elias didn't waste a second

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

The terminal blinked with a steady, rhythmic pulse. of the Structural Code was open on Elias’s screen—the section on seismic design values that he had ignored three years ago. Back then, he had signed off on the OCONUS installation project without double-checking the UFC 1-200-01 standards. "We need to re-evaluate the seismic design values

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.