Deep beneath the Ash Fortress, where even Lucian rarely walked, Raine crouched beside a rusted panel marked: VOID PROTOCOL.
The AI fragment flickered in her neural link.
[Decoding Layer 3/4...]
[Warning: Core Directive Detected – Codename: Absolute Termination Protocol]
"What is it?" she whispered.
It's the last card. If Lucian loses control... he ends everything.
The Protocol
Text streamed before her eyes—horrific in simplicity:
IF [Lucian = Dead OR System Control Lost]
THEN: Trigger Bio-Wipe across all Dominion-controlled zones.
Casualties: 94.2% GlobalEstimated Survivors: <0.1%
She clenched her fists.
"He'd rather burn the world... than lose it."
And the worst part?
The system agreed with him.
[Override Access: Blocked]
[Key Required: LUC-PRIME – Biological Signature Only]
Watched
Elsewhere, Nira watched the monitors.
The Black Fang Lieutenant's eyes narrowed.
Raine had rerouted her patrol patterns again. Entered forbidden sectors twice. No logged orders.
"That's not protocol."
And Nira knew something about Raine others didn't.
They were the same—both had resisted the initial imprinting.
Nira had surrendered.
But what if Raine hadn't?
The Confrontation
Later that night, Raine walked the west rampart when she felt it—a presence.
Nira stepped from the shadows, helmet off.
"Strange," she said. "You don't blink when Lucian says 'kill.' But you flinched when the kid from Cell Block 7 cried."
Raine said nothing.
Nira approached. Close enough to strike.
"You planning something, Raine?"
A long pause.
Then:
"No."
Nira's blade was in her hand in an instant.
So was Raine's.
The two stood still, breathing heavy.
[Threat Assessment: Nira – 72% Match][Recommended Action: Eliminate]
Raine overrode the prompt.
"I'm not your enemy."
But Nira's eyes burned. "Then prove it."
Countdown
Back in her chamber, Raine pulled up the last scan.
The protocol couldn't be broken.
It could only be transferred.
To do that, she needed one thing:
Lucian's blood.