YEAR – 2024PATH TO COORDINATES | DEAD ZONE OUTSKIRTS[3:06 PM]
The terrain grew more volatile with every step—ashen soil cracked under their boots, and towering obsidian spires jutted from the earth like the bones of some buried giant.
TIVANA – (adjusting her thermal visor)The further we go, the more this place feels... wrong. Like the air's watching us.
SPECTRE – (gruff)Keep moving. If we stop now, that thing from earlier won't be the last surprise.
RADRIN – (tapping his tablet)I isolated the encrypted segment. There's something big up ahead. Some kind of sub-level. Possibly buried tech—military-grade.
They approached a cracked hillside. Hidden behind a veil of dust and vines was a narrow hatch, rusted but humming faintly.
TIVANA –This it?
RADRIN –Yeah. Hidden underneath the topsoil readings. Almost like they didn't want satellites picking it up.
SPECTRE – (drawing his blade cautiously)Get ready.
Radrin touched the panel beside the hatch. With a deep groan, it slid open, revealing a metal staircase spiraling into darkness.
SPECTRE –I'll take point.
The descent was tight, steep, and pitch-black. Their steps echoed with each cautious movement. At the bottom, the corridor opened into a large chamber.
It was quiet. Too quiet.
Holograms flickered along the walls—blueprints, data logs, surveillance footage from over two decades ago.
TIVANA – (stepping closer to one of the projections)These are… human trials?
RADRIN – (voice low)No. They're merging AI consciousness with human neuro-matter. This is… hybrid experimentation.
A whisper echoed faintly.
Not through sound. Through their heads.
"Return to us. You are part of the Waking."
TIVANA – (spinning)What the hell was that?
SPECTRE –Not auditory. Psychic imprint. I've heard of zones doing this… but this feels intentional.
A flicker of movement caught their attention. One of the data pods was still active.
Inside, suspended in a clear liquid, was a figure.
Pale. Mechanical veins ran through their skin. Eyes closed. Peaceful. Too peaceful.
RADRIN –Wait… this person matches the encrypted tag. Project Aurora isn't a weapon…
He looked between Tivana and Spectre.
RADRIN –It's a person.
Suddenly, alarms began to blare. The holograms distorted into red fractals. Words blinked across the room:
"UNSEALING INITIATED. YOU CANNOT STOP THE WAKING."
SPECTRE – (snarling)They locked us in.
TIVANA –What do we do?
RADRIN – (urgent)There's a backup panel by the pod. If I reroute the system, I might slow the process.
He ran toward it, fingers flying over the interface. Sparks flew as the chamber started vibrating.
The figure inside the pod twitched.
Their eyes opened.
TIVANA – (whispers)She's awake.
FADE OUT.