*Blink* *Blink* *Blink*
A dim green light flickered from an ancient monitor, the only source of illumination in a cramped, dust-laden room. The air smelled of rust and stale metal, the scent of a ship long abandoned. Scattered across the desk were bits of machinery—old processors, broken neural links, and cables stripped for their raw material.
Plugged into the computer was a biometric pricker, its needle glinting under the faint glow. Once used for medical diagnostics, it had been repurposed into an outdated security measure. Only a fool would use someone else's pricker; infections spread fast in the deep void.
Jewels sat hunched before the screen, her red hair wild and unkempt, as if she had been awake for days. Her green eyes gleamed with anticipation. She barely blinked as she watched lines of code scroll down the screen.
[System Rebooting…]
[Executing Diagnostic Check…]
[Security Override Detected]
[Progress: 99%]
She exhaled, her fingers twitching over the desk. The screen went black, plunging the room into absolute darkness.
Then, the soft hum of the machine returning to life. The green glow returned, washing over Jewels' face.
[User Login Required]
[Insert Biological Signature]
[Y/N]
Jewels scowled as she reached for the pricker. She had almost forgotten what it was like to physically click a screen. Primitive tech. It annoyed her. Moving her arm to interact with something was such an unnecessary effort when neural jacks could do the job instantly.
The pricker hissed as it extracted a drop of her blood.
[Analyzing Genetic Signature…]
[User Confirmed: Jewels L. Voss]
[Access Granted]
Jewels relaxed as a new script unfolded on the screen, the computer processing ancient data stored deep within its decaying hardware.
[Decryption in Progress…]
[Progress: 1%]
Her stomach twisted. It would take time. She pushed back from the desk, rolling her shoulders, trying to fight the creeping anxiety crawling up her spine.
Then—a metallic pop.
Jewels spun toward the entrance. The massive steel door sealing her in had just shifted. The air pressure in the room changed. She barely had time to react before an ear-splitting hiss filled the space.
A burst of white gas exploded from the vents, slamming her against the cold floor. The force pinned her down, stealing the air from her lungs.
Then, the door flew open.
A towering figure burst into the room, a man hauling two duffel bags across his back.
Jewels coughed, struggling to her feet as the gas dissipated. Julio.
He stood over two meters tall, his broad frame casting a shadow over the dimly lit room. His grease-stained shirt clung to his sweat-drenched skin, dark patches covering his tan clothes. His jet-black hair, slicked back with oil, framed a face aged by battle and time. A deep X-shaped scar cut across his chin, marking him as a man who had seen his share of fights.
His dark brown eyes locked onto hers, urgency flashing within them.
"Jewels, move." His voice was a low growl. "The fucking mancers traced you. Their drones are prepped for a warp-in."
Her heart skipped.
She grabbed his outstretched hand, and he yanked her to her feet. She barely had time to register before he shoved a weapon into her palm—a Canik-19990.
She whistled. "Old-school."
She ran a finger along the side, tracing the faded markings. "These relics were used back during the Ascendance War. Wonder if a mancer's scripts can react before a bullet puts a hole in their head."
Julio grunted. "Doubt it, but if they've got auto-scripts running, don't count on getting the first shot."
Jewels flicked off the safety, chambering a round in one smooth motion. Her left hand steadied the weapon as she moved back toward the computer.
"The others?" she asked.
"Max and Quint are already on the ship. Rusty's warmed up. We just need the drive. Fast and quiet."
Jewels cursed. She pulled a thin, multipurpose tool from her hair—a strip of reinforced metal capable of prying open panels, adjusting circuits, and serving as a makeshift screwdriver. She knelt beside the computer, her fingers working swiftly.
The outer casing came apart in seconds, revealing the hard drive within.
Jewels froze.
It was black. Deep, unnatural black, as if it absorbed all light. Silver engravings ran along its surface, shifting—moving.
Pulsing.
With Flux.
Julio stepped forward. "Jewels, what—"
She reached for it.
The moment her fingers brushed against the surface, a wave of heat surged through her body.
A scream ripped from her throat.
Her vision fractured. Her mind split open.
The City Ship, a structure the size of an ancient Earth city, reacted.
Every single emergency light across the derelict vessel flashed red.
A deep, mechanical voice rumbled from the ship's intercom system.
[Critical System Breach Detected]
[Activating Contingency Protocol: Red Wake]
[All Personnel Evacuate Immediately]
The entire ship came to life.
Jewels collapsed onto her knees, gasping.
Julio cursed, grabbing her by the arm. "What the hell just happened?"
She couldn't answer.
Because in that moment, she saw it—the code.
A script running deep within the hard drive. Lines of data scrolling through her neural interface faster than she could comprehend.
[Execution File Detected]
[Command: Override Reality]
[Parameters Unknown]
[Status: ACTIVE]
Jewels sucked in a sharp breath.
This was no ordinary drive.
This was something far beyond what should exist.