Thursday – 9:03 A.M. | Perimeter of Hollow Bridge North Node
A rusted freight tunnel.
A quiet wind.
No guards in sight — too quiet.
Kael adjusted his scanner. "This place should be crawling. Something's off."
Ava linked into a nearby grid. "I'm picking up… strange activity. Artificial silence. It's like the security systems were muted… on purpose."
Rick zipped his jacket. "Then we're being invited in."
9:11 A.M. | Inside the Node
Laser grids flickered briefly before shorting out.
Doors unlocked without resistance.
Security drones powered down as they passed.
Kael whispered, "This isn't infiltration. This is staging."
They reached the server chamber — a massive core of blinking light towers. In the center sat a sealed panel.
Ava moved toward the console, fingers flying across the keyboard.
> SYSTEM ID: HB-CORE-VIOLIN PERMISSION GRANTED: Mara Wynn
Ava paused.
"She opened this for us."
Rick's fists clenched. "Why?"
9:15 A.M. | Core Memory Archive
As the terminal loaded, dozens of video files spilled across the screen.
Training sessions. Failed experiments. Test subjects.
And at the center: Project Phoenix-X footage.
Rick stepped closer.
On the screen, he saw himself at age 5 — hooked to sensors, blinking weakly as his mother stood beside him, pleading.
Alyra:
> "He's not a weapon. He's a boy. If you won't stop this, I will."
Widow's voice (off-screen):
> "You've already made him one."
The camera shifted.
Suddenly, Alyra was screaming — guards grabbed her — and the last thing Rick heard was:
> "Live, Rick. Live beyond them."
The footage cut out.
9:22 A.M. | Alert Triggers
Ava's system began flashing red.
> WARNING: INTERNAL TRACE INITIATED
AGENT ON-SITE
Kael turned sharply.
"We've got company—"
A click echoed through the chamber.
Rick turned slowly.
Widow.
Standing at the top balcony in her matte-black suit, arms crossed.
"Rick Fyer," she said. "The ghost of a failed program."
Confrontation Begins
Rick didn't move.
"You murdered my mother."
Widow tilted her head.
"Your mother murdered herself when she betrayed her oath. You were never meant to feel. That was her mistake."
Ava's voice was icy.
"And Mara?"
Widow walked slowly down the stairs.
"Mara is what Rick should have been. Perfect. Controlled. Devoted to order. But something in his code infected her."
Kael's eyes widened.
"You used Rick's DNA as Mara's neural base."
Widow smiled.
"And now they're psychically linked. The solution... and the infection."
Suddenly – Mara Appears
Out of nowhere, the lights flickered.
Mara stood behind Widow.
"That's enough."
Widow spun.
"You will stand down."
Mara didn't blink.
"I watched the files. I know now who I was made from."
She turned to Rick. "You."
Rick's chest tightened.
"Then help us. Break this."
Mara's eyes flickered — a storm of emotion behind them.
"I can't help you… unless I break free first."
Chaos Ensues
Widow pulled a pulse pistol.
Kael dove across the room, firing a shock round.
Ava activated a timed EMP — slamming the core systems offline.
Rick leapt into action, tackling Widow just as she fired.
The shot missed — hit the ceiling — rubble fell.
Smoke, sparks, screams.
Mara grabbed Rick's shoulder.
"Run. Now. I'll cover you."
"No—"
"I'm not ready to leave yet. But I'm ready to fight."
Escape
Rick, Ava, and Kael dashed through the collapsing server halls, dodging automated blasts and flying debris.
Behind them, Mara turned to Widow.
"He's not the infection," she whispered.
"He's the cure."