The Case of the Missing Martian MacGuffin

Previously

…Marcus beamed. “I’m on it!” he declared, already picturing a contraption involving a repurposed waffle iron and a very sensitive microphone. As they pushed open the diner door and stepped back into the bustling city streets, the air felt charged with a new kind of possibility. The Cosmic Chronometer was safe, but the universe, in its infinite and often comical wisdom, had already presented them with its next peculiar puzzle. And Mia and Marcus, armed with their unique blend of wit, luck, and an unshakeable appetite for the absurd, were more than ready to dive headfirst into it. The Shifting Sands, whoever they were, had just made a very big mistake.