The resonant BOOM from somewhere directly above them silenced all conversation in the sub-basement. Dust sifted from the ceiling, and the steady hum of Janet's generator seemed to falter for a heartbeat.
Every eye, from Axel's newly formed Cohort to Janet's established Cooperative, snapped upwards.
"That wasn't the Juggernaut," Janet stated, her voice tight, her previous composure replaced by a grim alertness. "That came from the main observatory levels. Directly above us."
Professor Armitage adjusted his glasses, a frown creasing his brow. "The structural integrity of the main dome is considerable, but that sounded like an internal explosion or a significant impact."
"Great," Axel muttered, a familiar sense of 'here we go again' washing over him. "Just when I was considering putting my feet up and delegating the apocalypse to a sub-committee."
He looked at Janet. "You have people up there? Defenses?"
Janet shook her head. "We secured the sub-basement and the ground-level access points. The main telescope dome and upper research labs… we deemed them too exposed, too hard to defend with our numbers. We barricaded the primary stairwells and elevator shaft from this level. Whatever that was, it's above our secured zone."
Another, slightly less powerful thud reverberated from above, followed by a strange, scraping sound that sent shivers down Axel's spine.
"It can't be Blighted," Kai said, his earlier exhaustion forgotten, his hands already faintly shimmering with kinetic energy. "Not making that kind of noise, unless they've started using siege equipment."
"The 'Grand Awakening' might have diversified their skill set," Axel said dryly.
He turned to Mia. "Your friends – they were aiming for the observatory proper, right? The telescope level for that radio idea?"
Mia nodded, her face pale. "Yes. If they made it… they could be right in the middle of whatever that is."
The thought of her original group, the one she'd gotten separated from before even meeting Kai and the professors, spurred a new urgency.
Axel felt a weight settle on his shoulders. This wasn't just about his small group anymore. He had a de facto alliance with Janet's Cooperative, and Mia's missing friends were a priority.
The 'Acting Chancellor' title, initially a bizarre System joke, suddenly felt uncomfortably real. He had resources – his System, his small Cohort of Awakened – and a responsibility to use them.
He glanced at his System interface, focusing on the new 'Chancellor's Cohort' tab. Mia and Kai were listed, their fatigue levels slowly recovering.
[SYSTEM QUERY: New Threat Detected in Upper Observatory Levels. Proximity: Adjacent Vertical Sector. Nature: Unknown. Recommend immediate investigation to assess threat to current Sanctuary Node (Observatory Sub-Basement). Chancellor Directive available: 'Reconnaissance Protocol Alpha' – Designate a small, skilled team for infiltration and assessment.]
"Janet," Axel said, stepping forward, his voice firmer than he felt. "My System is advising immediate investigation. Whatever's happening up there could compromise this entire location.
I'll lead a small team – Mia, Kai, we're up.
We're fast, and we have… unique skills for this."
Janet looked at him, then at Mia and Kai. There was a flicker of surprise in her eyes at his decisive tone, but also a grudging respect.
"My people know the direct access routes we barricaded. Arthur can show you the safest one. But it's your necks. We can't spare many if things go south up there."
"Understood," Axel said.
"Professor Armitage, Dr. Hanson – perhaps you could liaise with Janet? Your knowledge of university structures and crisis management could be invaluable in fortifying this sub-basement further, or planning evacuation routes if the worst happens".
He was delegating. He was acting like a Chancellor. The thought was both terrifying and weirdly exhilarating.
Professor Armitage nodded gravely. "A sound strategy, Axel. We will assist in any way we can." He then added, a thoughtful look in his eye, "The observatory has always been a… focal point for unusual energy readings, even before recent events. Old university lore speaks of its unique construction, aligning with certain telluric currents. The founders believed it a place of… heightened perception."
Axel's System pinged almost imperceptibly.
[LORE FRAGMENT DETECTED: 'Atheria's Telluric Resonance'. Cross-referencing with 'Sovereign System – Chancellor Protocol Designation'… Correlation probability: 37%. Significance: Unknown. Further data required.]
Telluric currents? Heightened perception? Why does that make my System twitch? Axel filed it away. One mystery at a time. Right now, the mystery was upstairs and making alarming scraping noises.
Arthur, the stout botanist with the gentle green aura, led Axel, Mia, and Kai to a heavily reinforced steel door at the far end of the sub-basement.
"This was the old dumbwaiter shaft access, converted to an emergency stairwell. We blocked it with solid steel plates. Should be clear on the other side, unless something tore through."
It took their combined effort, with Kai using his kinetics to help bow the stubborn plates, to get the access open. A narrow, dark stairwell spiraled upwards.
"Alright, Team 'Probably Gonna Regret This'," Axel said, taking the lead, Maglite cutting through the gloom. "Stealthy and smart. We identify the threat, assess the situation with Mia's friends, and report back.
No heroics unless absolutely necessary. And if it looks like a Juggernaut's angrier older brother, we run. Clear?"
Mia and Kai nodded, their expressions set.
As they ascended, Axel pondered the System's choice of "Chancellor." Why not President, Dean, or Supreme Overlord of Zombie Education? "Chancellor" often implied a foundational role, a guardian of an institution's very essence.
Professor Armitage's words about "telluric currents" and the observatory being a "focal point" echoed in his mind. Was Atheria University more than just a collection of buildings in his System's grand, apocalyptic database? Was he now tied to its fate in a way he couldn't yet comprehend?
The scraping sound from above was louder now, accompanied by a strange, chitinous clicking. They reached another heavy door, this one slightly ajar, faint light spilling through. Axel gestured for quiet, then peered through the crack.
He saw a section of what looked like a research lab, equipment overturned. And then he saw it – the source of the noise. A creature, vaguely insectoid, larger than a man, with multiple barbed limbs, was methodically tearing apart a metal storage cabinet. Its carapace was a sickly, iridescent green, and its multifaceted eyes glowed with a predatory light.
It wasn't Blighted. It was something… else. Something alien. And it wasn't alone. He could hear more clicking sounds from further within the lab.
[SYSTEM ALERT: New Xeno-Biological Threat Detected! Classification: 'Scyther Broodling' (Tier 1 Hunter-Killer). Traits: Chitinous Armor, Barbed Limbs, Venomous Bite, Pack Tactics. WARNING: Multiple signatures detected. Threat to Mia's original group: CRITICAL.]
Axel pulled back, his face grim.
"New plan," he whispered to Mia and Kai.
"Heroics just became absolutely necessary."