Chapter 8: Beneath the SurfaceConfederation Tensions
The room was quiet except for the low hum of holographic displays. Confederation officials sat in a half-circle, their faces illuminated by the faint blue glow of a projection: a Stellar Flare Event simulation replayed in endless loops. Streams of data surrounded the image, numbers and equations scrolling too quickly for any unaugmented human to comprehend.
General Isha Kovan leaned forward, her hands clasped tightly on the table. "The Flare wasn't natural," she said, her voice sharp and unyielding. "And the Rings didn't fix themselves. They adapted."
A balding man in a crisp suit, Dr. Kira Tamel, adjusted his glasses and gestured to a chart. "Energy fluctuations during the Flare exhibit a pattern we've never encountered before. They're not random—they're systemic. The Rings responded as if... communicating with something."
"Enough conjecture," barked another official. "This isn't a research symposium. We need actionable intelligence."
Dr. Tamel hesitated but pressed on. "Project Helix is making progress. The anomalous Rings we've collected exhibit energy signatures far beyond their original parameters. But we're encountering resistance. Some of the Rings... fight back."
The room fell silent.
General Kovan broke the tension. "We need to control this. If the Rings are evolving, it could destabilize everything—our economy, our defenses, our colonies. Project Helix will have full access to resources. No limitations."
Kira nodded reluctantly, his mind already racing with calculations. As the meeting adjourned, a faint smile crossed his lips. "Control, you say," he muttered to himself. "We'll see who controls whom."
The streets of Velmont grew darker as Giovanni approached the borders of Sector 12. It wasn't just the absence of light—there was a weight in the air, a heaviness that pressed against his skin. The Confederation presence here was palpable, with drones scanning the streets and checkpoints manned by armored officers.
The System chimed softly:
[MISSION PROGRESS: THIRD CONTACT IDENTIFIED.]
[LOCATION: CONFEDERATION OUTPOST IN SECTOR 12.]
Giovanni adjusted his hood, keeping his face obscured. The whispers of traders and citizens reached his ears as he passed:
"They're saying the Flare wasn't natural. Confederation's hiding something."
"Hide? They're experimenting on Rings! My cousin's went haywire last week."
The voices faded as Giovanni focused on the mission. Sector 12 wasn't a place for lingering.
The first hurdle came in the form of a heavily guarded checkpoint at Sector 12's entrance. Two drones hovered above, their red lenses scanning the crowd for anomalies. A pair of Confederation officers stood rigid, their eyes sharp and unyielding.
The System chimed:
[SUGGESTION: DEPLOY DUPLICATES TO CREATE DISTRACTION.]
Giovanni slipped into an alley and activated the Duplication Tab. A shimmering duplicate emerged, its appearance randomized—a wiry figure with short hair and a faint scar across its cheek.
"You're up," Giovanni muttered. "Head to the checkpoint and make a scene. Draw them away."
The duplicate nodded, its movements unnervingly smooth. Giovanni watched as it strode toward the checkpoint, weaving through the crowd.
Seconds later, the commotion began. The duplicate stumbled into the officers, mumbling incoherently. One officer raised his weapon, barking orders, while the drones descended to scan the figure.
Giovanni used the chaos to slip past the checkpoint, his heart pounding in his ears.
The Confederation outpost in Sector 12 was a relic from an older era—a crumbling industrial site repurposed with high-tech surveillance. Giovanni followed the System's guidance through the maze-like corridors until he reached a dimly lit chamber.
A man stood in the center, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp. He wore a Confederation uniform, though the insignia was faded, and his stance carried an air of casual defiance.
"You're Giovanni," the man said, his voice low and steady. "I'm Darius Vale. Heard a lot about you."
Giovanni didn't respond immediately. The room felt too still, too charged. "And who are you supposed to be?"
"Let's call me... a middleman," Darius said, smirking. "Confederation on paper, but I don't play by their rules. You want to survive in this game? You need to know who's really pulling the strings."
The System chimed:
[CONTACT TRUST LEVEL: 0%. STATUS: ASSESSING.]
"I don't need cryptic speeches," Giovanni said. "What do you want?"
Darius gestured to a data pad on the table. "The Confederation's been locking away artifacts from the Flare. One of them's in this sector—a piece of tech that doesn't belong in their hands. You get it, I'll make sure you're connected. Trust goes both ways."
The System flickered:
[NEW SUB-MISSION: RETRIEVE CLASSIFIED ARTIFACT FROM LAB 17. REWARD: THIRD CONTACT TRUST ESTABLISHED.]
As Giovanni left the chamber, the Corruption Meter pulsed faintly in his vision:
[CORRUPTION LEVEL: 10%. STATUS: MINOR DEVIATION.]
"What's your game, System?" he muttered.
The System's response was immediate:
[CORRUPTION LEVEL REPRESENTS USER'S RELIANCE ON UNSTABLE POWER SOURCES. INCREASED LEVELS ENHANCE PERFORMANCE AT UNFORESEEN COSTS.]
Giovanni scowled. "Unforeseen costs always sound great."
Lab 17 was buried deep within Sector 12, its exterior guarded by automated turrets and patrolling drones. Giovanni scoped the area, formulating a plan.
He activated the Customization Tab, creating two duplicates with randomized appearances. One duplicate carried a crate, pretending to be a worker, while the other approached the lab's security gate.
"Distraction and infiltration," Giovanni muttered.
The duplicates performed perfectly, drawing guards and drones away while Giovanni slipped into the lab. Inside, the halls were lined with glowing containment units, each housing fragments of strange, otherworldly materials.
The artifact Darius wanted was secured in a reinforced vault. The System chimed:
[CORRUPTION BOOST AVAILABLE. ENGAGE TO BYPASS SECURITY.]
Giovanni hesitated, then activated the boost. The Corruption Meter surged:
[CORRUPTION LEVEL: 18%. STATUS: NOTICEABLE DEVIATION.]
A surge of energy flooded his senses, sharpening his reflexes and focus. He bypassed the vault's defenses with precision, grabbing the artifact—a sleek, pulsating device covered in glowing symbols.
Back at the outpost, Giovanni handed the artifact to Darius. The spy examined it closely, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"You did good, kid," Darius said. "Too good."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Giovanni asked, his tone wary.
"It means you're dangerous," Darius replied. "And dangerous people don't stay unnoticed for long."
Before Giovanni could respond, Darius disappeared into the shadows, leaving him with more questions than answers.
The System chimed as Giovanni left, its tone colder than usual:
[MISSION COMPLETE: THIRD CONTACT TRUST ESTABLISHED.]
[WARNING: CORRUPTION LEVEL AT 18%. SIDE EFFECTS IMMINENT.]
Meanwhile, in a high-security Confederation lab, Dr. Kira Tamel stared at a glowing Ring fragment, her expression grim.
"It's not adapting," she muttered. "It's... growing."