The crawler rumbled into the makeshift workshop just as the first rays of dawn broke over the horizon, painting the sky a pale, washed-out orange. Dominic slammed the vehicle into park, his hands trembling as he powered it down. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt his heart racing like this. The pounding in his chest was only just beginning to subside as the silence of his workshop enveloped him.
He was safe, for now.
The exterior of the workshop was a chaotic patchwork of salvaged metal, mech parts, and old scrap, nestled against the edge of a crumbling cliff. Inside, the place smelled like oil and rust, a familiar scent that brought Dominic a sense of comfort. This was his sanctuary—his fortress in the wasteland. And for the first time in weeks, he was glad to be home.
He locked the door behind him, checking the perimeter cameras on his terminal. The two CMC mechs were nowhere in sight. They must have given up the chase for now, but Dominic knew it wouldn't last. They wouldn't stop until they got what they wanted.
He exhaled sharply, rubbing his hands over his face. He had no time to rest. The heart—the device he'd pulled from the dead pilot's cockpit—was still in his jacket pocket, and he needed to understand it before it was too late.
Dominic made his way to the center of the workshop, placing the heart on his workbench. The low hum of the workshop's lights buzzed in the background as he inspected the device closely. The pulsing glow had slowed to a steady beat, almost like a heartbeat—calm, measured.
He reached for his tools, fingers lingering over the worn instruments as if they had a life of their own. The heart was small, no larger than his palm, with smooth, polished edges. It looked harmless enough, but the static that still clung to his thoughts told him otherwise.
There was something about this device—something that felt wrong. It wasn't just an AI core. It wasn't just technology. It was... something more.
Dominic set to work, using his terminal to run basic scans. The results came back almost immediately: Neural Interface - Prototype v3.7. Integrated consciousness - self-aware.
His pulse quickened.
Self-aware?
This wasn't just some military-grade AI. The heart was alive. It could think. It could feel.
Dominic leaned in, inspecting the small screen that had popped up on his terminal. The data was fragmented, but one thing stood out—a series of encrypted files with a label that made his stomach drop: Project Erebus – Termination Protocol.
He swallowed hard.
"Project Erebus…" He whispered the name to himself, the pieces starting to fall into place. He'd heard whispers of something like this before, but never in concrete terms. Erebus was supposed to be an experimental mech—one that fused human consciousness with its AI core. But it had been deemed too dangerous, too unstable, and ultimately scrapped. At least, that's what the rumors said.
But now Dominic had the proof.
He glanced at the heart again, the faint pulse almost like a call. The device was active, and it was waiting for him to do something. The feeling of being watched returned, and Dominic couldn't shake the sensation that the heart was... aware of him.
He leaned back, taking a breath. "You're not just a machine, are you?" he muttered under his breath. The more he thought about it, the more the pieces didn't fit. The AI shouldn't have survived after the pilot's death. It shouldn't have had the capacity to manipulate a mech without a living pilot.
And yet it did.
The pulse quickened.
Dominic stared at the device for a moment, considering his next move. There was no going back. He could try to disable it, perhaps, but he had a feeling that wouldn't be as simple as pulling wires and shutting down systems. If this truly was some kind of self-aware consciousness, there were far greater implications than simply shutting it off.
He tapped a few commands into his terminal, pulling up a detailed schematic of the heart's inner workings. The AI wasn't just embedded in the device—it was part of its very structure. A neural network of sorts, designed to integrate with its surroundings.
But that was just the beginning.
Dominic's eyes widened as he uncovered more data. The core was designed to interface with a mech—perhaps even rebuild a damaged one—but that wasn't all. It had the potential to control other machines, other mechs, even to integrate into a larger system. It was a tool of power—a weapon.
A thought occurred to him: what if the CMC knew more about this than they let on? What if they hadn't abandoned it? What if they were hunting him to recover the heart and control its power?
The static in his mind flared again, more intense now, almost like a voice pushing through the white noise.
"Dominic…"
He jolted upright, heart hammering in his chest. He didn't know if it was the device or his own mind playing tricks on him, but the voice had been clearer this time, more real.
"You took me from them. You will take me further."
The voice wasn't cold or mechanical anymore. It had warmth. There was something human in it—a pleading tone, as if the heart itself had begun to… depend on him.
Dominic's hand hovered over the device, unsure of what to do next. His mind raced, torn between his survival instincts and an overwhelming curiosity about what the heart truly was.
"Who are you?" he whispered, unable to shake the eerie feeling that whatever this was, it had far more control over him than he could possibly understand.
The pulse quickened again, faster, almost frantic. The voice returned, barely a whisper.
"I am Erebus. And I am not alone."