Location: Eteon Central Command – Undisclosed Underground Complex
The Director stood alone in the observation chamber, hands clasped behind his back.The wall-sized hologram before him displayed Nekrom's final biometric pulse… then flatlined.
Failure.
The first true failure in Eteon's ten-year global operation.
The Director didn't show anger. He didn't raise his voice. He simply watched the data dissolve into static and whispered:
"Terminate the Nekrom division. Archive everything. And begin Protocol Z."
Cold silence answered him. Then dozens of screens came alive.
[INITIATING: ZETA PROGRAM][CLEARANCE LEVEL: OLYMPUS]
A heavy blast door slid open behind him. White light poured into the chamber, revealing a vertical containment tube filled with silver fluid.Inside stood a figure motionless, eyeless, unnaturally still.
A human outline forged from synthetic muscle, liquid-metal mesh, and reinforced bone alloy.Every inch of him designed for integration, impersonation, infiltration, and eradication.
The Director stepped toward the tube.
"Zeta," he said. "Awaken."
The liquid metal receded like water draining from a fountain.The figure opened his eyes perfectly human, perfectly calm, perfectly empty.
"Operational," Zeta said, voice smooth as polished steel.
The Director nodded once.
"Good. Your mission is critical. Nekrom failed… you will not."
He pressed a button, and a hologram of the President of the United States appeared height, weight, gait, voice samples, spinal posture, heartbeat patterns.
Zeta scanned it once.
"Identity copied."
The hologram shifted to a display of orbital weapons enormous tungsten rods suspended in low-Earth orbit, each fitted within controlled missile drop casings.
PROJECT: RODS OF GODStatus:Awaiting Presidential Command AuthorizationPower:Equivalent to multiple megaton impacts without nuclear payload
"These rods," the Director said, "are the most devastating weapons ever conceived. Nuclear-level destruction without violating any atomic treaties."
He zoomed out showing 24 rods positioned above capital cities worldwide.
"With the President's authority, you will activate every satellite in the chain.Once deployed… the world will kneel."
Zeta watched without emotion.
"And if nations resist?" he asked.
"They won't," the Director said. "Not when entire cities can be vaporized from above with zero warning."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"We gave humanity a decade to join us willingly. But now? We force evolution."
Zeta nodded once, then his entire body rippled bones shifting, skin transforming, facial structure molding into perfect human flesh.
In seconds, the President of the United States stood before the Director down to the pores.
Voice identical. Posture identical. Biometric signatures indistinguishable.
"Impersonation complete," Zeta said in the President's voice. "Shall I begin?"
"Immediately," the Director replied. "Depart for Washington. Assume his life. Access the military authorization network. And when all is prepared "
He tapped the hologram of the tungsten rods.
"Drop the first one. Show them what Eteon is."
Zeta turned toward the exit.
"And Devon Shaw?" he asked.
The Director allowed himself a thin smile.
"Devon is a complication. But complications can be… removed."
The lights dimmed. Multiple tactical screens showed Devon's recent victory in Milan, the destruction of Nekrom's data center, Skynet's rebirth under Shaw's command.
"Let him enjoy his vacation," the Director said quietly. "Because when Zeta assumes command of the United States armed forces…"
His eyes sharpened.
"…Devon Shaw won't just be hunted.He'll be outlawed by the entire world."
The door sealed behind Zeta as he left for his infiltration mission.
Above them, the first Rods of God satellite rotated silently in orbitwaiting only for a command that the real President would never see coming.