So, yeah...

I'm not gonna lie, dropping Markus in the middle of a cult was probably not the best start to the mission. Sorry, not a cult: An emerging religious movement. Anyway, this "Emerging Religious Movement" took in Markus as a herald of their lord and savior. And all without any hesitation.

Which I figured would happen when I dropped soldier boy headfirst into his hometown.

Home Universe? Dimension of Origin? That place.

But now he's with Hector. Not cute Hector. Cute Hector has a bigger brain, a silkier voice, bigger pecs, and longer legs...and is uninterested and married to my old Greek teacher. Nope, Markus is with sweaty Hector.

Sweaty Hector preached and shouted the entire time he dragged Markus back to his "church". It's always savior this, revolution that, and I kiss eldritch ass that. Ok, he only says that to Dad and me. Especially to Dad. And he was in top form when brought Markus to Castle Sombra and contacted us via arcane bullshit.

"Great and Might Zenith!" He always opens with that. And each time he does: his weak ass hair gel splatters everywhere. "I have brought your herald to your most blessed Sanctum!"

Markus was standing by, saying nothing. I could only see a little silhouette looming behind Hector, but anyone there could see that soldier boy was pissed off.

I must've been giggling too loud. Cause Dad snapped his fingers at me, and he only does that when I'm not paying attention. I didn't know why he needed my attention. He was just going to give the usual cryptic briefing to our brave souls on the front lines.

At least, that's what I figured.

"I speak now so that there will be no misunderstanding." Dad put on his serious voice for this. He's never laid hands on me or anything, but even I got scared.

"I shall give no further instructions on this mission. All further direction for our "boots on the ground", shall come from B."

That was enough to bring us all down to earth. Figuratively, I guess. But just as Dad had spoken he disappeared and left me in the most important part of the entire Void. The Mural of Aeons.

I've only ever seen the Mural from the outside. You know all the stars and universes you seem from the Void...it's chaos. It's home and it's beautiful, but you can get lost in it. The mural always seemed like a lone island in a cosmic storm. Now I was actually inside of it.

I saw everything. Every present moment and every past action that leads up to it. I saw every possible future and all the different ways to make'em happen. I had to close my eyes after a minute. I'd never done that before.

It was overwhelming. It was wonderful.

It took me another second, or at least a second for me, until I realized that Hector and Markus weren't talking, moving, or even breathing. I've ported into different timelines and universes more times than anybody could count, but I never looked from outside and seen each and every one of them till now.

I don't know how to describe it...maybe a touch screen for the universe? I could touch a still image of any single moment or a whole sequence of events and see it develop before my eyes. I could let things play out, or talk and mess around with the people in them from behind my own invisible window.

Then I wondered if I could do more. If I could reach in and change everything. To paint the mural however I wanted. That's how Dad thinks of it. That's what he does...But he works so slow though. At least as far as mortals are concerned. Why?

Well, I guess a journal would be a good place to wonder about stuff like that. But at that time, I guess I can call it that, I just wanted to start working. I'd already been told I was heading up the mission, so I guess I finally realized what that meant.

I never thought it would be this serious...Am I scared? No, no way. I've beaten down demons, gods, why would I be scared?

I stepped into where I needed to go. To the moment where Hector and Markus were waiting. Am I the only one besides Dad? Has anyone else ever done this?

Shit, this diary's gotten really serious all of a sudden. It's supposed to be like, relaxing. Right?

What the hell happened next? Oh right: I hopscotched through the time-space continuum and talked with the boys. Markus was wearing his biggest and sulkiest emo face and Hector was still groveling.

As far as they knew, the last thing that happened to any of us was Dad delivering his command of me being in command. I know saying it that way is a mouthful, but screw it. I think it's funny, and it's my diary.

So even though subtlety wasn't an option anymore, I convinced Markus that we could use Hector's "savior" BS to help the mission. News and social media on Terra already knew what happened so we should milk that for every piece of social capital that we could.

Markus would just open up to the general public about what happened to him. The powers that be had sent him into the past and he'd clawed his way back. Hector would take over from there. He'd preach, proselytize, and talk about the natural order being messed over by the government and the rest would take care of itself.

Sure, the US of A's doing hot right now. Future tech and advanced power nonsense are making a lot of people very comfortable these days, but only in major cities. Everywhere else, the smaller suburbs or country places? They're being left in the dust. Big Government spending tax money on sending brave soldiers into the existential boonies and only enriching their favorites has got them pisssed off. Civil War is right around the corner.

And outside the country? Every politician in the first world is beating on Capitol Hill's doors for a piece of the action. Meanwhile, the less fortunate countries have are getting even angrier, now that their rivals are literally keeping universal prosperity from the less fortunate.

With all that pressure, Project Chronos will need to step up security. The best way to do that will be to move to a more secure location. And that's when we'll hit them.

That's my plan at least. I'm pretty good at this. I'm even looking at everything I've written till now and I think I sound very professional. Mostly.

(equivalent) Terran Day 613,507,890,128 (I think).

2nd entry by Soulbinder (B).