Jax leaned against the cold bars of his cell, watching as the Necrolythian and the hovering drone left the facility. The sound of the heavy metal doors sliding shut echoed in the vast chamber, leaving him alone once again with the other prisoners. As the door sealed, a grin began to stretch across Jax's face, growing wider with each passing moment.
He let out a small, breathless laugh, his heart still pounding from the recent chase. He had expected to be caught, and yet here he was—alive, back in his cell. The Necrolythian had played right into his hands. Jax knew full well that a plasma cannon ripped from the drone would be useless—it needed the drone's commands to fire. But that wasn't the point. In the chaos of their struggle, Jax had managed to swipe something far more valuable than the cannon itself: the plasma generator.
Jax glanced down at his hand, where the small but crucial component rested in his palm. The plasma generator was the heart of the weapon, the piece that generated and stored energy, ready to fire the massive blasts that had nearly incinerated him earlier. Without it, the cannon was little more than scrap metal.
"Perfect," he whispered to himself, his smile widening.
He understood that the Necrolythians had a method to their madness. The prisoners weren't kept here to be experimented on immediately, nor were they being cared for as would be expected for living subjects. No, the Necrolythians allowed them to wither away, only removing the bodies once death had claimed them. It was a cruel, calculated strategy, and Jax knew that there had to be a deeper reason behind it.
But right now, all that mattered was the small piece of tech in his hand. With this generator, Vissi could recharge herself and use her powers again. They could escape this nightmare together. But that was only half the problem.
Jax froze, the grin slipping from his face as reality hit him. Sure, he had the plasma generator, but how was he going to get it to Vissi? His cell, positioned high up in the tower of stacked cells, left him far above the ground level where she was left. The distance was too great for him to simply toss the generator to her, and even if he could manage the throw, there was no guarantee that the generator would survive the fall.
Jax let out a sigh, frustration bubbling inside him. He looked down at Vissi's limp form, her faint blue glow barely visible from this height. She was still unconscious, still too weak to move. If he didn't get this generator to her, they wouldn't stand a chance. He scanned the tower, his eyes flicking from one prisoner to the next. Many of them were slumped over in their cells, gaunt and broken, their bodies too far gone to be of any help. But a few—just a few—still had enough life in their eyes to give him hope.
Jax's gaze landed on a small group of survivors near Vissi's cell. They weren't in good shape, but they were better off than most. They still had enough strength to move, to react. He had to try.
Taking a deep breath, Jax gripped the plasma generator tightly in his hand and shouted. "Hey! Down there!" His voice echoed through the chamber, loud enough to grab the attention of the remaining conscious prisoners. Slowly, heads began to turn in his direction, eyes dull and sunken, but alive.
Jax waved his free hand, trying to make himself as visible as possible. "Listen! I have a way out of here! But I need your help!"
There was a murmur of confusion among the prisoners, a few more turning their gaze toward him. Most, however, simply slumped back in their cells, too weak or too hopeless to care. Jax's heart sank as he watched them turn away, their bodies refusing to acknowledge the spark of hope he was trying to ignite.
But then, a few prisoners remained focused on him, their eyes flicking between Jax and Vissi. They seemed curious, if nothing else. A flicker of hope appeared in their tired expressions.
"See her?" Jax pointed to Vissi, her blue glow barely visible from where they were. "That's Vissi. She's an Atherian. You know what that means, right?"
The prisoners started, some with recognition dawning in their eyes, others simply watching in silence.
"Atherians can manipulate space," Jax continued. "She can get us out of here. But she needs power—energy. I have the generator for it, but I can't get it to her. I need someone down there to throw it to her. It's our only chance."
The silence that followed his words was thick, the weight of their situation pressing down on the entire chamber. Jax could see the uncertainty in their faces, the fear and doubt. He couldn't blame them. After all, they had been left to rot in this prison for who knows how long. But now, there was a glimmer of hope—if only they had the strength to seize it.
"Look," Jax said, his voice softer but still commanding attention. "I know it's hard to believe. I know you're tired and beaten down. But this is real. We can escape. We can all get out of here, if we just work together."
One of the prisoners, a gaunt man with hollow cheeks and trembling hands, slowly nodded. His voice was barely a whisper, hoarse and dry. "What... what do we have to do?"
Jax's heart leapt. At least one was listening.
"I need you to throw this to Vissi." Jax held up the plasma generator, making sure it caught the light so the prisoners could see it. "She needs this to recharge. If you can get it to her, she'll have enough energy to use her powers and get us out."
The man glanced at Vissi, his eyes narrowing as he took in her dimly glowing form. He wasn't the only one. A few more prisoners had begun to stir, their curiosity piqued by Jax's words. They exchanged glances, uncertainty and hope mixing in their expressions.
Another prisoner, this one a woman with wild, unkempt hair, leaned forward in her cell. Her voice cracked as she spoke. "How do we know you're telling the truth?"
Jax met her gaze, his expression dead serious. "You don't. But what do you have to lose?"
The woman hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded. The man beside her did the same, his trembling hands gripping the bars of his cell as if trying to draw strength from the cold metal.
Jax took a deep breath and gripped the plasma generator tightly in his hand. This was it. This was the only shot they had.
He looked down at the group of prisoners below, their tired eyes now filled with a flicker of hope. "Get ready. I'm going to throw it."
He took a step back, calculating the distance. It wasn't an easy throw, and if he missed, the generator could shatter on impact, leaving them all trapped here for good. But he had no other choice.
With a grunt, Jax hurled the plasma generator as hard as he could toward the prisoners below. The small device arced through the air, spinning as it flew toward them. Time seemed to slow as Jax watched it fall, his heart pounding in his chest.
One of the prisoners, the man with trembling hands, reached out. His fingers closed around the generator just as it reached him, catching it before it could hit the ground. A collective sigh of relief washed over the group.
Jax felt his knees go weak with relief. He leaned against the bars of his cell, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts. "Now... get it to her," he called out.
The man nodded, holding the plasma generator in his trembling hands. He glanced at Vissi, still lying unconscious in her cell, and then back at the generator.
"Come on," Jax whispered to himself, watching with bated breath. "Just a little more."