The world shifted again.
Not physically. No tremor rattled the metal floors of the Ascension Core, nor did the humming of servers falter. But to Kael, it felt like something fundamental had been rewritten in the very code of reality. The blinding radiance that had burst from the System Node was gone now, but its echo still lingered in his chest — a pounding pulse of power, stronger than ever.
[Ascension System Notification]Protocol Alpha UnlockedDescription: You have transcended the base layer of the Ascension Framework. You are now authorized to access Reality-Reconstruction Subroutines.
New Functionality: Reality Scripting (Beta)
System Integrity: 92%
Warning: Instability Detected. Proceed with caution.
Kael blinked as the words scrolled across his vision, his breath catching in his throat.
"Reality... Scripting?"
Before he could even begin to grasp the implications, a surge of data flooded his neural interface. The terminal's glass-like interface morphed, changing from its usual teal-blue diagnostics into a vivid golden grid, pulsating with thousands of interconnected nodes. It looked like a lattice of infinite possibilities — every point, every thread, a choice, a law, a rule of the world.
And now, Kael had access to rewrite it.
"System," he whispered, hesitant. "Define Reality Scripting."
[System Voice Active]Reality Scripting is a Level 1 experimental protocol allowing users to write, overwrite, or temporarily simulate minor rules governing localized phenomena. Restrictions apply based on System Authority and Integrity Thresholds.
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Give me examples."
Sample Scripts Accessible:– Gravity_Local_Reduction (Active Duration: 10 sec)– Kinetic_Redirect (Single Object)– Visual_Obfuscation_Field (3 meters)– Time_Perception_Dilation (Subjective, User Only, x2)
His heart pounded. This was more than manipulation — this was creation. And yet…
Warning: Current Authority Level: 1Access: Limited to 2 scripts per 24-hour cycle.Cooldown: 6 hours between activations.Risk: High. Misuse may result in temporary neural desynchronization, loss of reality cohesion, or memory fragmentation.
He exhaled shakily. "So I can bend the rules, but only for a moment... and at a cost."
Still, it was something. Something no one else in the Facility — maybe no one in the world — had.
Suddenly, a new alert appeared.
[Security Lockdown Disengaged]WARNING: Containment Breach Detected – Sector E7.
Kael's adrenaline surged. He tapped his wrist console, bringing up the schematic of Sector E7 — the Bio-Engineering Wing. That was where they kept the experimental subjects.
And one was loose.
The Chase Begins
Kael sprinted out of the Node Chamber, footsteps echoing against sterile metal as lights flickered to red along the corridor. The emergency sirens were still muted — likely due to the System instability — but red warning glyphs danced across every surface, guiding him toward the breach.
He passed rows of dormant androids, motionless in stasis pods, their eyes dark. Behind sealed glass, vats of regenerative fluid churned with embryonic prototypes of biomechanical constructs. All of it was part of Project Genesis, one of the many secrets Kael had only recently uncovered.
But now, something from that project had escaped.
As he turned a corner, a sudden thunderclap of force knocked him off his feet.
A blur — sleek, humanoid, impossibly fast — crashed through a reinforced bulkhead ahead, sending debris flying. Kael rolled to avoid the sharp edge of a twisted support beam, pulling himself into a crouch as the figure came into view.
It looked like a man… but not quite.
Pale skin like polymer sheathing. Eyes glowing cyan, flickering with static. Limbs too long, too efficient in movement. And in its chest — a visible Ascension Core fragment, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Kael's blood ran cold.
"Subject K-09: Prototype Ascendant."
It wasn't just a test subject.
It was a failed attempt to replicate him.
And it was angry.
Reality Script: Gravity_Local_Reduction
Kael reacted instinctively. "System — initiate Reality Script: Gravity_Local_Reduction!"
Executing...
The world shifted. The air thickened, sound warped, and for a brief ten seconds, the very gravity in the space between him and the prototype collapsed inward.
The creature stumbled mid-leap, crashing into the ground with a distorted screech. Kael didn't wait. He surged forward, planting both feet against the wall and pushing off with augmented strength, landing a kick to the creature's head.
The impact sent it tumbling.
But it recovered too fast.
Its arms whipped out, slashing through the air with retractable bone-blades edged in monomolecular coating. One of them grazed Kael's side, sparks flying as it cut through his jacket and grazed the armored vest underneath.
He winced but held firm.
"Override its neural interface!" Kael barked into his wrist.
[Access Denied – Prototype Mind Core Unlinked]
Of course. It had severed its connection — it wasn't just escaping, it had achieved autonomy.
Battle of Wills
Kael ducked under another swipe and countered with a focused punch to the prototype's shoulder joint, dislocating it momentarily. But the construct wasn't designed to feel pain. It simply rotated its shoulder back into place with a sickening pop.
Then it spoke.
In his voice.
"You are obsolete, Kael."
He froze. That wasn't just mimicking. The voice had intonation, memory — it had downloaded his speech patterns.
"No," Kael growled, "I'm just getting started."
[Reality Script: Kinetic_Redirect – Ready]
"System," Kael whispered, sweat dripping from his temple, "activate Kinetic Redirect — now!"
As the prototype lunged with inhuman speed, Kael stepped aside at the last possible moment, guiding its motion with a subtle hand gesture. The construct's forward momentum reversed, sending it slamming into the wall it had burst through earlier.
The structure caved in on it with a groan of steel.
But Kael didn't relax.
He knew better.
And he was right. The pile of debris shifted.
The prototype stood again.
But this time, something was different.
Its core flickered — less stable. Its motion jittered.
"System…" Kael said slowly, realization dawning, "What's its integrity level?"
Subject K-09 Integrity: 34%. Memory sync error. Structural decay imminent.
Kael smirked grimly. "Looks like you weren't built to last."
With a final surge of strength, Kael dashed forward, vaulting over the rubble. He extended his left hand, now glowing faintly with the Ascension imprint. As he touched the prototype's core, a pulse of energy surged outward.
[Initiating Core Override]– Identity Match: 98%– Ascendant Override Successful.
The construct spasmed violently — then collapsed.
Kael stumbled back, heart pounding. His vision blurred for a moment. The scripts, the fight, the data — it was too much input.
But he remained standing.
Barely.
Aftermath
Silence fell.
Emergency lights began to fade. The system seemed to stabilize — for now. But Kael knew this was only the beginning.
If that thing had broken free…
If he could be replicated…
Then whatever was behind Project Genesis wasn't just trying to evolve life.
They were trying to replace it.
[System Update – Post Combat Log]
Protocol Alpha: Successful Use
Reality Scripts Used: 2
Neural Load: 73%
Threat Level Encountered: Ascendant Class
Core Compatibility Test: PASS
New Module Unlocked: Sub-System: Memory Recovery
Kael looked up, catching his reflection in a fractured piece of glass.
His eyes, once dull, now shimmered faintly with the same light he'd seen in the Node.
He was no longer just a survivor.
He was becoming something else.