SWNOVELXO Chapter 9: The Containment Unit
As Master Clockmaker led Alex through the large door, he felt a shiver run down his spine. The air inside was thick with an otherworldly energy that seemed to vibrate through every cell of his body.
"Welcome to the Containment Unit," Master Clockmaker said, his voice echoing off the metallic walls. "This is where we store anomalies like yourself."
Alex's eyes adjusted to the dim light as he took in the sight before him. Rows upon rows of large containers stood stacked like metal blocks, each one pulsing with a soft blue glow.
"What are these?" Alex asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Master Clockmaker gestured to a container nearby. "These are temporal capsules – containers that store anomalies and stabilize their temporal frequencies."
Alex's mind reeled as he realized the implications of such technology.
"But what happens when you want to... release someone from one of these capsules?" Alex asked, his heart racing with anticipation.
Master Clockmaker's expression turned grim. "When an anomaly is too great for us to handle, or poses an unacceptable risk to the timeline, we isolate them in a capsule and store it here."
As they walked further into the Containment Unit, Alex spotted something that made his blood run cold – a container marked with his own name.
"No," Alex whispered, his eyes fixed on the container. "That's me."
Master Clockmaker's expression turned apologetic. "I'm afraid so, Alex. We've been trying to stabilize your temporal frequency for some time now, but... it seems you're more of an anomaly than we initially thought."
Alex felt a sense of panic rising up within him as he realized that his own existence might be considered too great a risk to the timeline.
"What does this mean?" Alex asked, his voice shaking with fear.
Master Clockmaker's expression turned grave. "It means that you're in danger of destabilizing the entire timeline – and we can't allow that to happen."
As Master Clockmaker reached out to take Alex's arm, a sudden realization struck him.
"Wait," Alex said, pulling back from the Containment Unit. "You mean I'm not just an anomaly... but also a threat?"
Master Clockmaker nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid so, Alex. And that means you're in grave danger of being trapped here – forever."
Alex's heart sank as he realized that his existence was a ticking time bomb, waiting to unleash chaos upon the timeline...