Timestamp: Cycle 4, Month 4 — Solar Season
Location: Arcanum Base – Research & Control Sector / Jade's Lab
I. The Lab
Jade hunched over a holo-console, his fingers flying across the translucent keys. Streams of M.A.N.A. data scrolled past at impossible speeds, the Rift malware signature pulsing in irregular spikes.
"This is… worse than I thought," he muttered, biting his lip. Sparks from overloaded circuits reflected off his glasses. "It's adapting faster than our patches."
Celene leaned over his shoulder. "You mean like a virus that can think?"
"Exactly," Jade snapped, "except it's more than that. It reacts. Predicts. And if we don't code a countermeasure, it's gonna jump into civilian grids next."
Jasmine stepped into the lab, still dusty from the hangar chaos. "So… you're saying it's alive?"
Jade gave a sharp glance. "Not alive… exactly. But it reacts. And if we don't neutralize it, it's gonna hit civilian sectors."
Mateo groaned from the corner. "Yeah, welcome to our Monday. Again."
Dean's voice came through the comm. "Jade, status report. How fast can you neutralize it?"
Jade didn't look up. "Depends on if the system keeps adapting. If it does, I'll need at least—" he paused, frowning at the spike graphs, "maybe four hours. Maybe more."
II. Code in Motion
The lab's ambient hum rose as Jade initiated a simulation run. Holo-wings of energy spiraled around his console, mapping the infected drones' patterns. Every anomaly, every ripple of Rift spore interference, lit up a network of tiny grids.
"I'm designing a counter-algorithm," he said aloud, almost to himself. "It'll hit the malware where it copies, but also create a feedback loop to neutralize the spores' energy signature."
Jasmine leaned against a terminal. "Sounds complicated."
"It is," Jade said, rubbing his eyes. "But it's kinda elegant too. Like… like fighting fire with a pulse of its own rhythm."
Celene chimed in, "Just make sure it doesn't fry any friendly Frames in the process."
Jade scowled, "Yeah yeah, no collateral damage. I'm not insane."
Mateo muttered, "Don't tempt fate…"
A sudden spike jolted the console. Rift malware attempted a counter-manipulation, feeding false signals. Holographic tendrils of blue light licked the edges of the interface, flickering.
"Dammit," Jade hissed. "It's trying to corrupt the counter routine before I even finish coding it."
Jasmine gritted her teeth. "Then let's give it something to think about. Tempest Wing ready to assist?"
Jade's eyes narrowed. "Just don't overheat. You get one pulse at a time."
III. The Test Run
Outside the lab, the infected drones stirred again, though now contained in a secondary grid. Their blue-glowing spore cores pulsed erratically.
"Jade, initiate," Dean's voice ordered.
Jade pressed the final sequence. Light flared across the lab console, and a ripple of energy expanded outward. Tempest Wing hovered by the mainframe, its wings shimmering, ready to channel the feedback pulse.
Jasmine activated the neural link. "Here goes nothing."
A high-pitched resonance filled the lab, vibrating through the walls. Sparks from minor circuits arced as the counter-algorithm began syncing with Tempest Wing's M.A.N.A. conduit.
The drones convulsed as the algorithm hit — some cores flickered, others went dark. The Rift spores' glow diminished rapidly.
Jade's fingers flew. "Redirecting energy to containment grids — now!"
A wave of violet-blue energy rippled through the hangar, and the spore clusters froze midair, inert. For the first time in hours, the lab was quiet — the hum of Arc-Heart reactors steady, unbroken.
IV. Aftermath
The team collapsed onto nearby consoles and chairs, exhausted.
"Did it work?" Jasmine asked, her voice hoarse.
Jade stretched, cracking his fingers. "For now. The countercode neutralized the current infections and locked the feedback loop. But the malware… it's adaptive. It might try again."
Mateo exhaled loudly. "Adaptive, alive, mocking… great, just great."
Celene tapped a few keys. "At least all civilian grids and drones are safe for now. Minimal injuries, no casualties."
Dean's voice finally sounded relieved. "Good work, everyone. Especially you, Jade. That countercode just saved the whole base and civilian sectors."
Jade smiled faintly, tired but satisfied. "Yeah, well… don't make me sound like a hero, Dean. I'm just… coding."
Jasmine grinned, brushing dust off her uniform. "Coding's heroic when it saves everyone."
Mateo muttered again, "Some heroics I can live with, as long as nobody else dies… yet."
The lab lights dimmed as evening settled. Outside, the Solar winds shifted, scattering residual spores harmlessly into the night. The Arc-Heart reactors hummed steadily, but the low-frequency M.A.N.A. ripple reminded everyone: the Abyssal Infection might have been contained — but the threat wasn't gone.
Jade leaned back in his chair, exhaustion evident. "We'll get more code ready. We have to. Because this isn't over… not by far."