2025-03-24 21:33:49The sterile glow of the holographic display cast flickering shadows across the lab as Dr. Lillian Carter examined Malcolm with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. He could tell she was stalling—measuring his reactions, deciding how much to reveal.
Malcolm didn’t have the patience for mind games.
“You said it’s a key,” he said, stepping forward. “A key to what?”
Carter tapped the floating projection, zooming in on the intricate markings on the device Malcolm had risked his life to steal. The engravings pulsed faintly, forming an unfamiliar but deliberate pattern.
“To a hidden network,” she answered. “One that exists outside of corporate control, beyond the reach of the Syndicate, the government—anyone. It’s called the Aether Grid.”
Malcolm frowned. “Never heard of it.”
Carter smirked. “That’s the point.”
She turned back to the screen. “The Aether Grid isn’t just a network. It’s an unlocked system—a data structure free from surveillance, manipulation, and censorship. It was supposed to be humanity’s last defense against digital enslavement.”
Malcolm’s jaw tightened. “And let me guess—someone wanted it buried.”
Carter nodded. “The Syndicate. The corporations. Even the World Security Coalition. The moment they realized it couldn’t be controlled, they shut it down. But they didn’t destroy it. They couldn’t.”
She pointed to the device in Malcolm’s possession.
“They locked it away—sealed the last access points with encryption so complex, only someone with this key could open it.”
Malcolm exhaled. He’d spent years dodging corrupt cops, mercenaries, and bounty hunters. But this? This was bigger.
It wasn’t just about surviving anymore.
It was about changing the game.
Zeke’s voice crackled over Malcolm’s earpiece.
“Uh, dude? We got a problem.”
Malcolm stiffened. “What kind of problem?”
“The Syndicate’s tracking us. They must’ve caught your trail when you hit the tunnel. I just intercepted a transmission—they’ve sent a team to Sector 12. You need to get out. Now.”
Carter swore under her breath. She moved to a nearby console and began typing rapidly.
“I can erase our presence in the system,” she said. “Buy us a few minutes.”
Malcolm shook his head. “Not enough. We need to be gone before they lock this district down.”
Carter hesitated. “I can’t leave. I still have data stored on the internal servers. If I go now, it’s lost forever.”
Malcolm clenched his jaw. They didn’t have time for this.
Then an idea hit him.
“How much data?”
Carter eyed him warily. “A lot.”
He pulled out a storage drive from his belt. “Enough to fit on this?”
Carter’s eyes widened. “If you compress the core files… maybe.”
“Then do it,” Malcolm said.
Carter hesitated for only a second before her hands flew across the keyboard.
Zeke’s voice came back. “Dude, I don’t wanna rush you, but you have less than five minutes before this place turns into a warzone.”
Malcolm turned to Carter. “You got an exit?”
She grabbed a duffel bag from under a nearby table. “Service tunnel. Two blocks west. Leads to a hidden docking bay.”
Malcolm nodded. “Then let’s move.”
The moment they stepped out of the lab, the entire building shook.
Boom!
The overhead lights flickered. A deep, guttural rumble echoed through the floors.
Zeke swore through the comms. “Yeah… they brought explosives.”
Malcolm’s instincts kicked in. “Move!”
He grabbed Carter’s arm, yanking her behind cover as gunfire erupted from the end of the corridor. Syndicate mercenaries in black combat gear stormed in, weapons blazing.
Malcolm returned fire, ducking behind an overturned medical console.
Carter, surprisingly composed, pulled a compact pulse gun from her bag and fired three precise shots, taking down one of the attackers.
Malcolm raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t take you for the combat type.”
Carter smirked. “I didn’t survive this long by playing scientist.”
They raced down the hall, bullets tearing through glass panels and monitors.
Zeke’s voice came through. “The tunnel’s three doors down, but they’ve got security locks active.”
Malcolm swore. They’d have to override them manually.
Carter skidded to a stop at the control panel and plugged in a decryption tool. The screen flashed red. Access denied.
She gritted her teeth. “They’re blocking remote access. I need to bypass it manually.”
Malcolm turned, seeing more Syndicate soldiers closing in.
He exhaled. Fine.
“Take your time,” he said.
Then he stepped forward and threw himself into the fight.
Malcolm moved like a shadow, weaving between cover, his bullets finding their targets with precision. The corridor became a war zone—smoke, flashing muzzle fire, the sharp tang of burning circuits.
But there were too many of them.
Malcolm ducked behind a wall just as a grenade bounced toward him.
Shit.
He grabbed it, hurled it back just in time.
Boom!
The explosion rocked the hallway. Malcolm pushed forward, cutting through the disoriented mercs.
Carter yelled from the panel. “Almost there!”
Zeke shouted. “Mal, more incoming—north wing!”
Malcolm turned.
Two heavily armored Syndicate enforcers stomped into view, carrying high-powered plasma rifles.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Malcolm muttered.
The first one fired. A searing blue bolt grazed past his shoulder, melting through the metal wall behind him.
Malcolm rolled forward, fired two shots—both bounced harmlessly off their armor.
Yeah, that wasn’t gonna work.
“Zeke!” Malcolm barked. “Ideas?”
Zeke’s frantic typing filled the comms. “You’re not gonna like it.”
“I already don’t like it.”
Zeke sighed. “Power junction in the ceiling. Shoot it.”
Malcolm glanced up. High-voltage energy cables ran along the roof.
He fired.
Sparks exploded.
The two enforcers barely had time to react before a surge of electricity arced through their armor, sending them collapsing in a smoking heap.
Malcolm grinned. “I love it when you come through, Z.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Zeke muttered. “Now get the hell outta there.”
Carter slammed the override switch. The service tunnel doors hissed open.
Malcolm grabbed her hand, pulling her inside.
As the doors sealed shut behind them, the last thing they heard was the furious shouts of the Syndicate mercs as they realized their targets had escaped.
They raced down the tunnel, the sound of pursuit fading behind them.
Malcolm exhaled, adrenaline still pounding in his veins. He glanced at Carter.
“You okay?”
She nodded, though her breathing was ragged. “That was… intense.”
Malcolm smirked. “Welcome to my world.”
Carter checked the storage drive she had loaded with data. “It worked. We got everything.”
Malcolm rolled his shoulders. “Good. Because something tells me… this was just the beginning.
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Chapter 33: The Black Vault
The cave was damp and narrow, lit only by the flicker of a portable lantern. Malcolm stood over Hesperos, breathing heavy, blood trickling down the side of his neck from a grazing shot. Tessa crouched nearby, weapon aimed at the entrance, while Zeke worked furiously to bring their scrambled comms back online.Elektra and Roman stood guard outside, keeping a close watch on the trail in case the mercs doubled back.“You said they want to use the defense grid,” Malcolm said, pacing in tight, frustrated circles. “Which defense grid?”Hesperos rubbed his sore wrists and flexed his shoulder. “Not just one. All of them. The orbital satellite network, the kinetic rods, the EMP net… everything that was shut down after the Collapse.”“That grid was mothballed twenty years ago,” Tessa said, disbelief etched across her face. “The AI that managed it—Aetheris—it was sealed in the Black Vault under three security levels. We buried that threat.”“And now someone’s digging it up,” Hesperos said darkly
Chapter 32: Echoes in the Smoke
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Chapter 31: Fractured Bonds
The forest stood still, the air thick with anticipation. Moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting a silvery glow on the two brothers facing each other after years of separation and misunderstanding.Malcolm’s voice was steady but laced with emotion. “I thought you were dead, Hesperos.”Hesperos smirked, a cold glint in his eyes. “Death would have been easier. Instead, I was left to rot, betrayed by my own blood.”“Betrayed?” Malcolm’s brow furrowed. “I searched for you. I mourned you. If I had known—”“Save your breath,” Hesperos interrupted, his tone sharp. “Your actions spoke louder than any words ever could.”The tension was palpable. Malcolm’s team remained alert, their eyes darting between the brothers and the encroaching enemies. Tessa whispered to Roman, “This isn’t looking good. We need a plan.”Roman nodded subtly. “Stay sharp. If things go south, we extract Malcolm and retreat.”Hesperos took a step forward, his men mirroring his movement. “You always had everything ha
