We walked for hours before we reached the first thing that could pass for shelter- what looked like an abandoned research outpost- and all I managed to accomplish during the journey was Coding some snow into a coat for Sparrow. If I were still my teenage self, I would've made winter gear for everyone and some to spare, but I'd forgotten a lot about how the Program worked and my Coding skills were rusty at best. To top that off, it was incredibly hard to think with my numb hands trembling each time I reached forward into the Code, the wind howling into my ears and every other exposed part of my body despite my Aural protection, and Lillae complaining, though even she fell silent about halfway through our tribulation. 

On the bright side, things weren't too bad with Sparrow. She was still far too weak to stand on her own, much less trek across the frozen wilderness, but at least she was conscious. She seemed to look up at me with shame as I carried her in my arms, silently apologizing for having become dead weight, but how could I blame her? She was a child. She wasn't even supposed to be here. But who was to blame? Swan and her gullibility? Nemesis and her nefarious plan?  Lillae and her spoiled indifference, for letting them get away to who knows where in the Module?  Who knew, and who cared? I liked to think that by this point I was beyond the blame game. Pointing fingers is the duty of people like Macie Levyn-Meyer. A royal's job is to find a solution. 

"Everybody, in!" I ordered, Coding open the lock on the shack in front of us. It was hardly our long-awaited safe haven. In fact, it couldn't have been bigger than a trailer, minus the wheels, but it was warmer than the icy terrain outside, and that was all we really needed at the moment. 

Stumbling inside, I found the humble quarters of a slightly disorganized scientist. Lillae and Zaliana quickly laid claim to the finest piece of furniture in the room- a ratty old couch- and I carefully set Swan down in a plastic chair. I was about to take a seat on the floor myself when something unexpected caught my eye. 

I made my way over to a disheveled workstation covered in coffee mug rings and topped with a transparent screen. I frowned, picking up the screen in my frozen hands as I examined it. I had grown up on 21st century earth, and this was not 21st century earth technology. Since its energy source was obviously long exhausted, I infused it with a small burst of Aura from my fingertips, watching as it slowly flickered to life. A message in basic, blocky white text appeared on the screen. 

Welcome, Captain Jeris Taylor. The date is January twenty sixth, 2954. The time is 6:47 P.M. Please swipe right to reveal your most recently accessed project files. Long live the President. Long live the Union. 

"Impossible," I whispered under my breath, scanning the message again to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. While only twenty years had gone by in the real world, over 900 years had passed in the Program. Time had always been warped in the artificial world- it was one of those bugs they never had the time to fix- but it was never this bad. Without Kate Williamson alive to monitor the Program, a small issue like that could easily spiral out of control... 

"Hey," I turned around to face the kids, who reclined in silence on an assortment of couches and chairs. I hated to break the news to them now, while they were enjoying a well-deserved moment of relaxation, but they needed to know the truth. "What do you know about 30th century earth?" A vague enough introductory question, I hoped. 

"Is this really a good time for a history quiz?" Lillae groaned, massaging her feet. 

"Liermann regime," Zaliana chirped, always glad to show off her knowledge. "Cutthroat, and heavily segregated. Almost as bad as the Icehearts." 

"Very good," I nodded. "And you'd better know more than that about the late 2900s, because we happen to be in them." 

"What...I thought the Program was in the twenty first century, before the Human Union was even formed!" Zaliana gasped. "Do you mean to say that we're Lessaenites in the Union at the height of its power? We'll be killed on sight!" 

"Time has been severely distorted here since the first batch of Glitches escaped," I explained. "Have a look at this tablet if you'd like," I held up the device, which still displayed the message. "It obviously belongs to a Unie researcher who, lucky for us, happens to be away. But you must remember that this isn't really the Human Union. It's fake. It's all fake, and we'll always have the upper hand because we know that and they don't. Does that make sense?" 

Zaliana nodded thoughtfully. "I guess you're right. Do you think the ship is still here?" 

"There's only one way to find out," I smiled grimly. "Who's ready for a trip to California- or New California, as it's now called?"

"I am not walking there!" Lillae looked down at her bruised, bluish feet with dismay. "At this rate, I'll never be able to wear sandals in public for the rest of my life! My pedicurist will laugh in my face! Eighteen years of carefully cultivated beauty ruined in a matter of hours by an icy rock!"

"We'll figure something out," I pronounced confidently, though every time I looked out the window I half expected to see a squad of vigilante Lessaenite-hunters march by armed with anti-Aura guns. To be completely honest, I wasn't so sure if we would figure anything out here...