THE BEGINNING
"Are you sure about this, Doctor?"
Dr. Sloan didn't look away from the screen. Lines of data moved slowly across the monitor, steady and calm—for now. "If I wasn't sure," he said, "I wouldn't be standing here."
The technician hesitated near the doorway, hands clasped tight. "Command ordered us to wait. Captain Wolfe wants a full review before anything starts."
Sloan finally turned. His eyes were tired, but sharp. "Reviews don't save people. Results do."
The lab around them hummed softly. Lights glowed white against steel walls. Beyond the thick glass, sealed rooms sat in silence, each holding someone who had nothing left to lose.
"The vial is ready," the technician said. "But once you begin, there's no stopping it."
Sloan faced the containment chamber. A small vial floated in the center, barely moving. It looked fragile. It wasn't.
"That's the problem with this world," Sloan said calmly. "Everyone wants a pause button."
A warning flashed on the console.
Authorization required.
The technician swallowed. "Doctor… if this goes wrong—"
"It already has," Sloan cut in. "Just not here."
He entered the override code.
The warning light turned red.
System risk detected.
Sloan rested his fingers on the console. For a moment, he said nothing. Somewhere above them, in the City of Zektra, people were starting their day. In the Town of Moss, someone was waking up, unaware that everything was about to change.
"Start the sequence," Sloan said.
The technician froze. "You're serious?"
Sloan nodded once. "Do it."
The lights dimmed.
The lab shook, just slightly. Machines grew louder, the hum turning sharp and uneasy. On the monitors, numbers jumped all at once—heart rates climbing, brain signals flaring out of control.
The technician's voice shook. "Doctor… something's wrong."
Dr. Sloan stared at the screens, his reflection shaking in the glass.
"No," he said softly. "Something's begun."