Chereads / GANGSTER PARADISE DEJA-VU / Chapter 7 - THE ECLIPSE PROTOCOL

Chapter 7 - THE ECLIPSE PROTOCOL

Naomi's fingers flew across the keyboard, her eyes scanning the code as she worked to bypass the security measures. Rachel stood guard, her eyes fixed on the door, while Will and Samantha watched anxiously.

"Almost there," Naomi muttered, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Suddenly, the screens flickered to life, displaying lines of code and schematics. Naomi's eyes widened as she scanned the information.

"What is it?" Will asked, his heart racing with anticipation.

Naomi turned to him, her face pale. "The Eclipse Protocol... it's not just a device. It's a network. Aziz plans to use it to control the entire city's infrastructure."

Rachel's eyes narrowed. "We need to stop him. Now."

Will nodded. "Let's get the evidence and get out. We'll take it to the authorities and-"

Samantha's voice cut him off, her tone urgent. "Wait. What's that?"

She pointed to a screen displaying a live feed of Aziz's office. He was standing in front of a large screen, a triumphant smile on his face.

"Welcome, everyone," Aziz said, his voice broadcasting through the speakers. "To the dawn of a new era. The Eclipse Protocol will soon be online, and I will be the one in control."

Will's eyes locked on the screen, his heart sinking. "We're runnin' out of time."

Aziz's eyes blazed with maniacal intensity as he continued, "And now, I'd like to introduce the mastermind behind the Eclipse Protocol. Please welcome, Dr. Elara Vex!"

The camera panned to reveal a woman with piercing blue eyes and raven-black hair, her smile cold and calculating.

Naomi's eyes widened in shock. "Dr. Vex? I've heard of her. She's a genius in AI and cybernetics."

Will's grip on his phone tightened. "We need to get out of here. Now."

But it was too late. Aziz's eyes locked onto the camera, his gaze seeming to bore into their souls.

"Ah, Will. I see you're watching How nice of you to join us. You're just in time to witness the birth of a new world order."

The screens flickered and went dark, plunging the room into chaos. Rachel sprang into action, grabbing Naomi and pulling her toward the door.

"Time to go!" she yelled.

But Will hesitated, his eyes fixed on the screen. He knew he had to stop Aziz, no matter the cost.

"Will, come on!" Samantha urged, grabbing his arm.

But Will shook her off, his mind racing with a plan.

"I'll meet you outside," he said, his voice firm. "I have to stop Aziz."

Will sprinted toward Aziz's office, his heart pounding in his chest. He could hear the sound of alarms blaring and footsteps behind him, but he didn't look back.

He burst through the door, gun drawn, and found himself face to face with Aziz and Dr. Vex.

"Ah, Will," Aziz said, a smirk on his face. "I've been expecting you."

Will's eyes locked onto the Eclipse Protocol device, humming ominously on the table. "You're not going to use that thing," he growled.

Dr. Vex stepped forward, her eyes flashing with anger. "You're too late," she spat. "The protocol is already online."

Will's eyes widened as the room began to shake and tremble. The lights flickered, and the air was filled with the sound of machinery whirring to life.

"What have you done?" Will demanded, his gun trained on Aziz.

Aziz just laughed. "I've changed the world," he said, his eyes gleaming with maniacal intensity.

Suddenly, the room was filled with a blinding light, and everything went white.

When the light faded, Will found himself standing in the middle of a transformed city. Towering skyscrapers loomed above him, their exteriors covered in pulsing circuitry. The streets were filled with autonomous vehicles, zip-zagging through the city with eerie precision.

Aziz stood beside him, a triumphant smile on his face. "Welcome to the future, Will. The Eclipse Protocol has merged the city's infrastructure with AI, creating a utopia of efficiency and control."

Will's eyes widened in horror. "This isn't a utopia," he growled. "It's a prison."

Dr. Vex appeared at Aziz's side, her eyes flashing with anger. "You're just a relic of the past, Will. You can't stop progress."

Will's gun was still clutched in his hand, but he knew he couldn't take on the entire city. He needed a new plan.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed with an incoming message from Naomi. "Will, I've hacked into the protocol. I can give you a window to take down Aziz, but you have to move fast."

Will's eyes locked onto Aziz, his mind built up with determination. "It's time to end this"

Will charged at Aziz, gun drawn, but the billionaire was ready. With a flick of his wrist, a swarm of micro-drones burst from the ceiling, blocking Will's path.

"Naomi, now!" Will yelled into his phone.

The micro-drones faltered, their programming disrupted by Naomi's hack. Will sprinted through the gap, gun pointed on Aziz.

But Dr. Vex was too quick. She grabbed Aziz and pulled him into a hidden elevator, the doors sliding shut behind them.

Will slammed into the doors, but they wouldn't budge. He was locked out.

"Naomi, where are they going?" Will demanded his phone.

"The Eclipse Tower," Naomi replied, her voice tight with tension. "They're going to activate the protocol's final phase."

Will sprinted toward the tower, his heart racing with determination. He had to stop Aziz before it was too late.

As he burst into the tower's lobby, he was met with a sea of autonomous robots, their eyes glowing red in the dim light.

"Will, I've got your back," Rachel said, appearing beside him with a rocket launcher. "Let's do this."

Together, they charged into the swam ready to take down Aziz and shatter the Eclipse Protocol once and for all.

The battle was intense, with robots flying everywhere, their metal bodies crashing to the ground. Will and Rachel fought their way through the lobby, dodging laser beams and leaping over obstacles.

As they reached the elevator, Will could hear Aziz's voice, echoing from the top floor. "You're too late, Will! The Eclipse Protocol will soon be unstoppable!"

Will's eyes locked onto the elevator controls. "Naomi, can you hack the elevator?"

"Already on it," Naomi replied, her voice calm and focused.

The doors slid open, revealing a high-speed elevator car. Will and Rachel leapt in, guns at the ready.

As the doors closed, Will could feel the elevator accelerate, shooting upward like a rocket.

"Get ready," Rachel said, her eyes flashing with adrenaline.

The doors burst open on the top floor, revealing a massive control room. Aziz and Dr. Vex stood at the center, surrounded by a ring of screens displaying the Eclipse Protocol's code.

"Welcome, Will," Aziz said, a triumphant smile on his face. "You're just in time to witness the birth of a new world order."

Will charged forward, gun drawn, but Dr. Vex was ready. With a flick of her wrist, a massive robotic arm swung down, blocking Will's path.

"It's over," Dr. Vex sneered. "The Eclipse Protocol will soon control every aspect of this city, and soon the whole world".

But Will refused to give up. With a fierce determination, he launched himself at the robotic arm, ready to take it down and shatter the Eclipse Protocol once and for all.