Giovanni sat on the edge of his bed, a faint beam of light spilling through the cracked blinds. His Perception Field displayed flickers of data: clone efficiency stats, remaining energy levels, and potential economic opportunities. Each notification chipped at his patience.
[USER ECONOMIC OUTPUT BELOW TARGET THRESHOLD. STRATEGIC REALIGNMENT RECOMMENDED.]
The System's monotone message irritated him. "Strategic realignment? How about just giving me something that works?" Giovanni muttered.
Kaori's sewing machine whirred faintly from the next room, grounding him for a brief moment. He took a deep breath and flicked through the interface, looking for solutions. The Clone Customization Module had been a mixed blessing. It allowed minor alterations to appearance and behavior, but limitations meant they couldn't blend into Velmont's already tense underground unnoticed.
"Next mission is going to have to pay off," Giovanni thought, frustration laced through his tone.
In the dimly lit marketplace, Giovanni's newly customized clone moved with precise intent. Its features were average, forgettable—a face designed to slip into the crowd. The plan was simple: smuggle a few valuable but low-risk goods from Velmont's industrial outskirts and sell them to small-time traders. Nothing major, just enough to test whether this tactic could be scaled.
[CLONE ENGAGED. TASK INITIATED.]
Through his Perception Field, Giovanni watched the clone deftly maneuver through the streets. Its gait was purposeful but slightly off—just enough to make one trader pause and stare for a beat too long. The hairs on Giovanni's neck rose.
The clone hesitated. Noticing the attention, Giovanni issued a quick mental command: "Abort route. Disengage." It turned into an alleyway, waiting for recalibration.
The System chimed.
[ERROR: CLONE BEHAVIOR DEVIATION DETECTED. EFFICIENCY COMPROMISED. RECOMMENDED ACTION: DECOMMISSION.]
Giovanni clenched his fists. "It's not broken," he hissed. "It just needs adjustments."
Ignoring the System's suggestion, he pulled the clone back to his location. As the energy dissipated upon recall, Giovanni felt the strain in his chest—the effort it took to maintain operations was growing, and his failures felt heavier with each attempt.
Back at his desk, Giovanni scribbled notes about the operation, thinking of tweaks for the next deployment. He paused mid-sentence, frowning at the paper.
"What was I just doing?" he muttered, staring at his handwriting. The words blurred, almost as if he'd forgotten what he was trying to write. His head throbbed faintly, and a cold sweat formed on his brow.
"Gio?" Kaori's voice cut through the haze. She stood at the door, her sharp eyes catching the tension in his body. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Giovanni said quickly, forcing a smile. "Just tired."
Kaori hesitated but nodded, retreating to the living room. Giovanni watched her go, a pit of unease forming in his stomach.
"It's nothing," he told himself. But the System's silence in response to his thoughts felt heavier than any reprimand.
Across the city, Sector 12's surveillance efforts were ramping up. Small drones flitted through the streets, scanning Rings and individuals for anomalies. The Confederation's presence wasn't new, but it was growing more intrusive, their patrols tightening around certain districts.
Inside the sector headquarters, a Confederation operative sat in front of a terminal, watching red dots flicker across a map of Velmont.
"Unregistered Ring activity detected," the operative murmured, zooming in on the industrial zone where Giovanni's clone had been. "Another anomaly."
Their superior, a stern woman with gray streaks in her hair, leaned over their shoulder. "Is it consistent with the Lab C-28 breach?"
"Hard to tell," the operative replied. "But there's enough overlap to warrant deeper investigation."
The woman's lips thinned. "Keep it quiet. We can't afford to spook the locals."
Later that night, Giovanni sat in his room, staring at the System's interface. New features had unlocked after his last mission, but their utility felt questionable.
[RESOURCE EFFICIENCY MODULE ACTIVATED.]
[ENERGY MANAGEMENT MODULE ACTIVATED.]
[RECOMMENDATION: STREAMLINE CLONE OPERATIONS FOR MAXIMUM OUTPUT.]
The Energy Management Module displayed a swirling graph of Giovanni's energy reserves. Each clone and duplicated item consumed a portion of it, and the System's cold suggestions for "optimizing" usage sent a chill down his spine.
"Terminate low-value clones for resource reallocation."
"Prioritize high-yield duplications. Risk mitigation irrelevant."
Giovanni scowled. "Risk mitigation irrelevant?" he repeated. "Are you trying to get me killed?"
The System's response was immediate but detached.
[USER MISUNDERSTANDING DETECTED. SYSTEM OBJECTIVES ALIGN WITH USER SUCCESS.]
"Success, huh?" Giovanni muttered, scrolling through the upgrades. He selected Enhanced Perception Field, hoping it would give him an edge in Sector 9.
As Giovanni fine-tuned his clones and prepared for the next mission, the Confederation operative in Sector 12 made their move. A plainclothes agent was dispatched to Velmont, tasked with investigating unregistered Rings and anomalies linked to the Lab C-28 breach.
The agent blended seamlessly into the city's bustling marketplace, their sharp eyes scanning for irregularities. They didn't know Giovanni's name, but their instructions were clear: track the source of the disturbances, no matter how small.
That night, Giovanni dreamed. The voice was faint, almost distant, but its presence sent shivers down his spine.
"Still struggling, little mortal?" the voice cooed. "So much effort for so little reward. Do you even know what you're chasing?"
Giovanni woke with a start, his chest heaving. The System chimed softly:
[USER VITALS STABILIZING.]
He rubbed his eyes, pushing the dream to the back of his mind. But the unease lingered, a dark cloud that refused to dissipate.
Giovanni crouched near the edge of his small desk, the faint hum of the Perception Field hovering in his vision. He toggled between several overlays—schematics of Velmont's nearby sectors, energy efficiency reports for his clones, and a rough map of the Confederation's patrol patterns.
"Come on," he muttered, flicking through the data. His mind felt like a tangled mess of details, none of them adding up to a plan he trusted.
The System chimed.
[RESOURCE ALLOCATION: 12% BELOW OPTIMAL LEVELS.]
[RECOMMENDATION: PROCEED WITH STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.]
"Yeah, I'm sure that's what you want," Giovanni replied, his voice laced with irritation.
The Perception Field was his most used tool, but even now, its constant presence was wearing on him. A faint grid overlayed his surroundings, marking points of interest with glowing icons. Every time he glanced at a target, the Field expanded the data: guard patrols, potential blind spots, energy consumption calculations.
"Every tool comes at a cost," he muttered to himself, recalling the System's detached explanation.
Beyond Velmont, the world was still reeling from the Stellar Flare Event and its sudden activation of the Rings. While most Rings had stabilized, whispers of anomalies persisted—sometimes true, but often the result of fear and paranoia.
In a small village across the ocean, an old woman sat trembling in the center of a Confederation outpost. Her Ring pulsed faintly, its glow irregular. She clutched her hands together, pleading with the guards stationed around her.
"It's cursed!" she cried. "The Ring… it whispers at night. I can hear it…"
The officer in charge exchanged a glance with his subordinate. "Another one," he muttered under his breath. "Take her."
"But I'm not lying!" the woman screamed as two armored guards dragged her from the room.
Moments later, she was thrown into a transport vehicle alongside others with similar stories. Some sobbed quietly; others stared blankly at the walls. They were taken to a remote facility—one of the Confederation's infamous "Containment Zones." Few ever returned.
In the depths of these facilities, the Confederation conducted experiments with brutal efficiency. Their goal was simple: identify potential threats to Ring stability and eliminate them. But to the Confederation, "elimination" was often the easiest answer.
In Velmont, the aftermath of the Rings' stabilization had created new dynamics. Some viewed the Rings as blessings, tools for a brighter future. Others feared them, believing they heralded the end times.
Giovanni moved carefully through the crowded streets, watching as vendors hawked Ring-inspired trinkets and talismans. A holographic news feed flickered overhead, showing footage of Confederation officials addressing the global audience.
"We assure you," a poised spokesperson said, "that the Confederation is working tirelessly to stabilize all Rings and ensure their safe use. Citizens are advised to report any irregularities immediately."
Giovanni scoffed, slipping into a side alley. "Yeah, sure. Report it, so they can disappear you."
He glanced at the Energy Management Module in his Perception Field, assessing his resources. His latest experiments with clones had drained more energy than expected, forcing him to ration carefully. The System's constant suggestions to "optimize" his strategies felt more like demands than advice.
[RECOMMENDATION: TERMINATE INEFFICIENT OPERATIONS.]
Giovanni shook his head. "You're relentless."
Back at his workspace, Giovanni activated the Clone Customization Module again. The interface expanded, displaying an array of sliders and toggles. He adjusted the next clone's build to make it smaller and faster, prioritizing agility over strength.
"Let's see if this one can handle recon without blowing its cover," he muttered.
When the clone materialized, Giovanni studied it closely. Its movements were smoother, less mechanical. The System had implemented the adjustments effectively.
[CLONE DEPLOYED.]
[RESOURCE COST: 8%. PROJECTED DURATION: 6 HOURS.]
Through the Perception Field, Giovanni watched the clone as it entered Velmont's industrial zone. Its objective was simple: gather information on drone patrols near Sector 9 without drawing attention.
For now, the clone performed well. It blended into the crowd, its presence unremarkable. But Giovanni couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him. The last clone had faltered, and the memory of its glitch lingered in his mind.
"Don't mess this up," he whispered, more to himself than the clone.
In a darkened room within Velmont's Sector 12 headquarters, the Confederation operative reviewed a series of reports. The anomalies in Ring activity were minor, but even minor anomalies couldn't be ignored.
"Deploy a secondary sweep," the operative ordered. "Use the drones. If there's a source, I want it found."
The Confederation had already detained several individuals from Velmont, most of whom were innocent. But their philosophy was clear: better to eliminate a hundred harmless anomalies than let one potential threat slip through.
Their methods were efficient—and brutal. Reports of disappearances were whispered among Velmont's citizens, fueling tension and fear.
Giovanni watched as the clone transmitted live feed from the industrial zone. The Perception Field marked key entry points and drone patrols, giving him a clearer picture of Sector 9's defenses. Still, he felt far from ready.
The System chimed again:
[MISSION TIMER: 63 HOURS, 8 MINUTES REMAINING.]
Giovanni exhaled sharply. "I need more time."
He toggled through the interface, studying the details of the Enhanced Perception Field. Its upgrades had increased his range and precision, but they came at a cost—both in energy and in mental strain. Prolonged use left him drained, as if the field itself fed on his focus.
"I can't afford mistakes," he said aloud, steeling himself.
Far from Giovanni's safe haven, the Confederation operative moved through Velmont's marketplace with purpose. Their target wasn't clear yet, but they knew the signs to watch for—subtle irregularities, glitches in behavior, flickers in Ring activity.
Their communicator buzzed softly. A new directive appeared:
[PRIORITY: INVESTIGATE UNREGISTERED RING USER IN SECTOR 9.]
The operative's lips curved into a thin smile. "Let's see what we find."