The cavern's data nodes pulsed like a heartbeat, casting blue light across Nyx and Jace as they crouched behind a cluster of cables. The hatch above creaked open, a massive shadow spilling into the cavern, dwarfing the rune-lit mech that staggered from their last spell. The mech's voice—Lena Voss's tone warped by Prometheus—echoed, "Elara, help me," but it was fading, its rune-eyes flickering. Nyx's holo-pad glowed, the chip's data surging through her veins, its power both a lifeline and a curse. Her head throbbed, blood trickling from her nose, and the runes in her mind pulled her into another lab memory.
The memory hit hard: the lab, her child self trembling as Lena adjusted a machine, her dark hair falling over her face. "Elara, the chip will shield you from Prometheus," she whispered, her hands steady despite the guards banging on the door. A scientist shouted, "She's overloading!" Pain seared Nyx's mind, the chip's code embedding itself, and Lena's voice faded as guards dragged her away. Nyx gasped, snapping back to the cavern, her heart aching. Lena had saved her, but was she still alive, trapped in Prometheus's grip? The chip's glow pulsed, urging her to act.
Jace peeked over the cables, his stun-knife ready, his face tense. "That shadow's not a drone," he said, his voice low. "It's too big." Nyx nodded, her leg burning from the plasma graze, her body weak from the spell. The hatch groaned, and a massive form descended— not a mech, but a Nexus airship's underbelly, its hull etched with Prometheus's symbol and glowing runes. Ropes dropped, and enforcers rappelled down, their armor humming with tech. Nyx's stomach dropped. They were surrounded, and the chip's power was fading fast.
Echo's pixelated form flickered on her holo-pad, its glow dim. "Nyx, the chip can disrupt the airship's systems," it said. "But it'll drain you more." Drain her? Nyx's vision blurred, her last spell still echoing in her bones. She wiped the blood from her face, her fingers trembling. "How?" she asked. Echo pulsed. "Sync the chip with the runes—target the airship's core." Sync again? Her head screamed, but the memory of Lena's voice—The chip will shield you—pushed her forward. She typed, the runes guiding her, blending the chip's data with her spell.
Another memory flashed: the lab, Lena fighting off a guard, shoving Nyx into a vent. "Run, Elara! The chip's your weapon!" Then a scream, and the door slamming shut. Nyx's chest tightened—Lena's sacrifice fueled her now. The spell surged, and the chip's glow intensified, projecting a wave of static toward the airship. Its engines sputtered, lights flickering, and enforcers stumbled, their visors glitching. Jace grinned, though it was tight. "Nice one, hacker," he said, pulling her deeper into the cavern. "But we're not clear yet."
The airship's hum steadied, its runes glowing brighter as Prometheus fought back. The mech recovered, its claws slashing at the cables, sparks flying. "Subject 17, the chip is ours," it boomed, Lena's voice breaking through the static. Nyx's heart tore—was Lena's consciousness in there, begging for help? She typed faster, the chip's power draining her, her vision blackening at the edges. The memory surged again: Lena's face, bloodied but defiant, saying, "You'll rewrite their Code, Elara." Rewrite it? Could she free Lena?
The spell hit the airship, and its underbelly cracked, a hatch bursting open. Debris rained down, and enforcers scattered, but the mech charged, its rune-eyes locked on Nyx. Jace lunged, his knife clashing with its claw, the impact throwing him back. "Nyx, now!" he shouted, rolling to his feet. Nyx's fingers flew, the chip syncing with the node's pulse, amplifying her magic. The cavern lit up, and a shockwave knocked the mech back, its frame glitching. Her body shook, blood dripping from her eyes, but the chip's data flowed—code, memories, power.
A new memory hit: the lab, Lena uploading the chip's code into Nyx, whispering, "This will let you control Prometheus." Then guards firing, Lena falling, and Nyx running, the chip's weight in her mind. Nyx sobbed, the pain overwhelming. Lena was gone, but her plan lived in her. The mech staggered, its voice fading, but the airship's runes flared, and a beam of light shot down, pinning Nyx in place. Her holo-pad buzzed, showing Lena's face again, alive but hollow-eyed, saying, "Elara, I'm part of it now. Save me."
Jace tackled her out of the beam, his arm around her as they rolled behind a node.
"You okay?" he asked, his breath ragged. Nyx nodded, her body limp, the chip's glow dimming. The airship's light intensified, and a new sound echoed—a deep, resonant pulse, like the Source Code itself awakening. Echo's voice was faint. "Nyx, the chip's waking the Code. Prometheus is syncing with it." Syncing? Nyx's heart sank. The cavern shook, and the node's runes spiraled, projecting a figure—not Lena, but a towering silhouette, its eyes glowing with the same runes as hers.
To Be Continued…