The sound of Drevin's voice echoed in the tense silence, shattering any hope they had of victory. Lucien's fingers tightened around the grip of his weapon, his pulse quickening as Drevin's smug, bloodied face stared back at him.
"You're too late, Lucien," Drevin said again, his voice eerily calm, considering the blood seeping from his shoulder. He took a step forward, ignoring the bloodstain growing beneath him. "Project Phoenix is in motion. There's nothing you can do to stop it now."
Lucien's mind raced. They had disabled the main control system, the fail-safe, and the countdown timer. How could it have still activated? His thoughts churned, but before he could speak, Yuna's voice broke through, sharp and focused.
"What do you mean, 'launched'?" Yuna's voice was ice, fury boiling beneath the surface. "We saw the countdown. We stopped it."
Drevin smirked, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "What you didn't realize, Yuna, is that Project Phoenix wasn't just one system it was a layered architecture, a series of interconnected programs running on separate channels. Disabling the central console wasn't enough to stop it. You cut off one head, but the beast is still breathing."
Lucien's stomach sank. The implications of Drevin's words hit like a physical blow. "You've scattered its components across multiple secure sites, haven't you?" he asked, voice darkening with realization.
Drevin's smile widened, as if savoring Lucien's understanding. "Exactly. A dozen fail-safes, multiple data streams. You think you can take down one facility and think that'll stop the global network? Think again."
It all came together for Lucien in a horrifying flash. Drevin hadn't just built one singular weapon or program to control the world he had distributed the power across the globe. The global elites were already positioned in key locations, waiting for the final phase of Project Phoenix to unfold. And now that it had been triggered, they would mobilize, effectively launching Drevin's "new order" on a global scale.
"We stopped the countdown at the control hub. You can't fool me, Drevin." Lucien's voice was steady, despite the rising panic clawing at the edges of his mind.
Drevin raised a finger, signaling for silence, then walked slowly toward them, his footsteps deliberate and slow. "Ah, but you see, Lucien, you never understood the true depth of Project Phoenix. It wasn't just a code or an AI. It's the key to triggering a whole new global currency a new world economy that will consolidate control in the hands of those who are already in power."
Yuna's eyes flashed with disbelief. "What are you talking about? This isn't just a weapon, is it? It's an economic takeover."
"Precisely," Drevin replied, his voice tinged with admiration for his own plan. "Project Phoenix isn't just a military tool it's a financial engine, designed to control the world's wealth and power. With just one push, global trade will shift, stock markets will be overridden, and the debt-ridden countries will be indebted to me. The whole world will be forced to play by my rules."
Lucien could feel his blood run cold. He had thought that Drevin was simply after global power through violence, terror, or control. But this was something far more insidious. It wasn't just about control, it was about reshaping the entire world economy, using technology as the weapon. The market shifts, the rise of a new financial order it would send shockwaves through every corner of the globe, disrupting everything they knew.
"And those who are left behind?" Lucien asked, his voice strained. "Those who don't conform to your 'new world'?"
"Collateral damage," Drevin said dismissively, his eyes cold. "In the chaos, the strong will survive. The weak will crumble. And when the dust settles, I will stand at the top, unchallenged, the new king of this world."
Yuna stepped forward, her face hard as stone, determination filling her eyes. "You can't seriously believe you can control all of this. People won't just roll over and let you change the entire world order."
Drevin's smirk faltered slightly, but only for a moment. "They already have," he said, as if daring them to deny it. "The global elites, the financial giants, the governments I've been manipulating they're already part of the plan. It's too late to stop it now."
The weight of his words hit Lucien hard. Every move Drevin had made, every manipulation, every piece of technology he had controlled it had all been leading to this moment. The game wasn't just a power struggle between men; it was an all-out war for the future of civilization itself. The stakes had never been higher.
"We'll stop you," Lucien said, his voice low and filled with deadly resolve. "We'll take down every single one of your networks, Drevin. Every last one."
Drevin tilted his head, as if considering Lucien's words. His smile returned, more mocking than before. "You can try. But the world is changing, and you won't be able to stop it. Not in time. The networks are already up and running. The infrastructure is in place."
Lucien's mind raced as Drevin spoke, the weight of the situation bearing down on him. Yuna was right they couldn't just shut down one facility, and they certainly couldn't just stop the entire system in a single strike. The only way to defeat Drevin's global network was to systematically dismantle it, one piece at a time. But with the clock ticking, every second mattered.
Lucien's eyes flicked to the countdown timer. It was still there, glaring at him from the console in the corner. But now, the numbers seemed irrelevant. They weren't fighting against time anymore. They were fighting against a system that had already been set in motion, a system that had been designed to be unstoppable.
"We have to act fast," Yuna said, her voice hard with determination. "We can't let Drevin get away with this."
Lucien nodded, already plotting their next move. They had to locate the other Project Phoenix hubs where they were hidden, and how to destroy them before they could take full effect. They needed allies. And they needed more information than Drevin had given them.
"We'll need help," Lucien said, meeting Yuna's eyes. "We can't do this alone. We need the right team, the right resources. Every second counts."
"I know someone who might be able to help," Yuna replied, her face softening as she took a step closer. "I'll make a call. We need access to global intelligence, Lucien. We need to find those hubs, every last one, and destroy them before the world falls under Drevin's control."
Lucien didn't hesitate. He grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the door.
"We move now."