The euphoria in the Onyx Bunker faded, replaced by exhaustion. The crew slept.
Hours later, blaring red alarms and a heavy, metallic rumbling shocked them awake.
Mr. Williams was first to his feet. He looked out his viewport to see all the sky-bunkers, including their own, descending rapidly. He rushed to the control room.
Charlene was already there, switching the ignition from manual to automatic.
"What's happening?" he demanded, his voice tight with panic.
"A meteorite," she said, her focus on the controls. "Its trajectory puts it right here in Silicon Canyon. They're lowering the bunkers and evacuating everyone to the Yellow Zone because of the radiation."
Below, masked Cadets swarmed, directing the landing bunkers. They wore full environmental helmets, shielding them from the promised fallout.
The Onyx Bunker's gate was wide open. The Chief of Security, Green, had just arrived in a military-grade tank. He stepped out with a full squad.
These were not just any Cadets. They were from Crew Eight, one of the eleven specialized units authorized for Silicon Canyon. The Chief was their leader.
Every Cadet on the ground stopped and saluted.
"Listen up!" Green's voice boomed. "Forget crew divisions! We operate as one unit. Secure every active bunker. The most high-value target is the Onyx Bunker. Crew Eight will not divide. We safeguard it alone. Resume work!"
The Sewer Roof elevator, with a fifteen-person limit, was swamped. Williams found himself at the back of a long, anxious line.
He stared up at the workers on the transparent dome over the Orange Zone. It had been partially retracted. A strange, rubber-like material was being spread across it, designed to bounce the incoming meteorite.
First a virus, now a meteorite, Williams thought, losing himself in the strangeness of it all. Too many coincidences.
"Charlene, come with us! It's not safe!" Gift's voice pulled him back.
"I have to safeguard Orpheus," Charlene insisted, standing firm at the bunker's entrance.
"That's the operatives' job! The radiation or the impact force will hurt you, that rubber won't hold!" Williams argued.
"That's exactly why I'm staying. The force could destroy Orpheus. And I have the Homo Deus System. I'll be fine." She turned and walked back inside.
"Stubborn as always," Williams muttered.
His eyes then caught a detail—a massive, recent dent in two nearby buildings. He approached a passing Cadet. "What happened there?"
"As soon as Bryce left the Bunker, he snapped. Elara had to contain him. It's all over the streams, check the internet to understand better." The Cadet moved off.
Williams pulled up his B-Wax. He found the video of Bryce's rampage. He groaned as he watched, his heart sinking. The Cadets who died… they were from Crew Eight. Fifteen of them. He was close to them and the Chief; Green was his best friend. Only six are alive now. The six of them must have been expecting my condolences.
He turned, staring at the Cadet's Uniform. They wore helmets so he couldn't tell who was who but their units were written on their Uniforms.
He noticed something_ there were fifteen Cadets wearing crew eight tag.
"How the hell did he replace them so fast? It takes two weeks to replace Silicon Canyon security," he whispered. "How is Crew Eight complete?"
He marched toward Green. "How did you replace Jimmy and the others so fast?"
The reply was swift and cold. "A lot is happening. We can't be sluggish." Green walked away without another word.
Williams froze. That wasn't Green's voice. It was higher. Thinner.
We are all stressed, he tried to tell himself, joining the frantic crowd at the elevator.
The meteorite's approach forced them to abandon precautions. The elevator's speed and capacity were increased. Williams finally descended.
A massive holographic screen displayed the meteorite's descent via WASA's satellite. A countdown timer glowed red.
00:38... It continued going down till it was 00:05…
People scrambled for cover.
00:04... 00:03... 00:02... 00:01...
Everyone braced for the impact.
Silence.
Nothing.
For ten minutes, nothing.
"April Fool!" someone shouted. A few nervous laughs were met with glares.
An officer descended. "WASA's satellite was hacked. The meteorite was an AI-generated fake. A hoax."
Williams rode the elevator back up. As he stepped into the Orange Zone, he saw Green's tank pulling away. He chased it, hoping for a ride home, exhausted in every way. The tank didn't stop. It sped off.
He decided to rest in the bunker first.
"Charlene! I need my payment. I'm leaving. My blood pressure is high. I need to rest." He slumped onto a couch, took a drink. No response. "Charlene!" he shouted.
He stood, irritated, and headed inside.
He gasped. The glass in his hand shattered on the floor.
Charlene was in her Homo Deus Mode, bound head to toe in synaptic chains, a seal clamped over her mouth.
Williams rushed to her, fumbling with the locks fortunately they weren't locked, just tied. "What happened?!"
"Green," she choked out, rubbing her wrists. "He stole Orpheus."
"Shit! I knew it!" Williams sprinted to the security post. "Help! Green stole a prototype from the Onyx Bunker!"
Crews Two and Five sprang into action. Rovers and choppers were deployed. Surveillance turrets locked onto the fleeing tank.
Within twenty minutes, they returned with the vehicle. Green and five operatives were with them.
But Williams had already seen the CCTV footage. The tank had stopped. Fifteen individuals had emerged, removing helmets and sophisticated face masks that had mimicked Green's crew. They'd split into two Cetus Rovers—the fastest on Mars—and vanished. The Cadets turned back, knowing pursuit was useless.
The real Green and his men had been hostages for the past hour. Imposters had stolen the wireless camera.
Defeated, Williams trudged back to the bunker. As he entered, he overheard voices in Bryce's library. Gift and Charlene.
"Should I contact Bryce?" Gift asked.
"Don't worry," Charlene replied. "His B-Wax is programmed to ping on high-level news. He'll already know."
Williams pushed the door open.
Charlene had her back to Gift as she faced the door. She was smiling, a wide, unrestrained grin that showed all her teeth. The moment she saw Williams, her expression vanished, replaced by a mask of grave seriousness.
This is her invention. She should be devastated. In tears. Williams's mind raced, his exhaustion forgotten. So why is she smiling?
Something fishy is going on.