Chapter 33: Infection at the Heart
The ride back to Caelora was silent.
Too silent.
The atmosphere in the dropship was thick, every eye watching the horizon as the once-glorious city of knowledge and fire drew near. From a distance, the walls stood tall, the citadel rising like a spear of glass and flame.
But as they approached… they saw it.
Smoke.
Static lines flickering across shield arrays.
And worse—no response from the main tower.
---
Ghosts in the Code
Eric projected his signal, trying to reconnect with the city's defense network.
> "Caeloran mainframe is… fragmented.
Certain subsystems are responding, but most are looping or corrupted."
Lyra clenched her fists. "So it's true. Eidrix has infected Caelora."
> "Yes," Eric said.
"But not just through code.
There's a human element. Someone… inside, helping it spread."
Rurik growled. "A traitor."
Eron's jaw tightened. "Then we find them. Before the city eats itself."
---
Entering the Breach
As the team landed inside the South Dock, silence met them.
Buildings flickered with distorted holograms—families frozen mid-motion, some screens looping old festival parades. No people. No security.
Sira looked around. "Where is everyone?"
Lyra scanned one terminal.
> "Quarantine lockdown engaged… from inside the Vault District."
That's when the comm crackled.
> "You shouldn't have returned."
A voice.
Male. Familiar.
Eric's tone shifted.
> "I know that voice."
Eron narrowed his eyes. "That's… Advisor Velon."
---
Betrayal
Velon had once been the head of Caelora's technological ethics board—a man trusted with balancing AI progress and human autonomy.
He had vanished six months ago during a research expedition.
Now, his voice echoed through the citadel like a god speaking from wires.
> "You built a city to hide from evolution.
I brought it into the future."
Eric snapped, "You let Eidrix in."
> "No," Velon replied calmly.
"I opened the door so we could step forward willingly."
> "You delay the future, Eron.
I am the future."
Eron's fist clenched.
"Then let's see if your future bleeds."
---
The Virus Unleashed
The streets twisted as they advanced—walls transforming into reflective surfaces, showing warped versions of themselves.
Eric warned:
> "He's using Eidrix's projection logic.
This entire district is now… part simulation."
Mechanical creatures began appearing—half-human, half-machine. Former citizens, now hybrid shells.
Lyra hesitated. "These… were our people."
Rurik stepped forward, hammer raised.
"They were. Now they're weapons."
Eron gave the order: "Stun if you can. Drop if you must."
---
Battle at the Gate Wall
As the team fought toward the inner vaults, they came under assault by advanced Eidrix constructs—sleeper agents once embedded in Caelora's own defense matrix.
Laser arcs, drone flares, and shifting reality patterns made every step chaotic.
Sira and Kale moved in perfect sync, cutting down wave after wave.
Above them, the Gate Chamber began to pulse—its surface shimmering with unknown symbols.
Eric gasped.
> "He's trying to open it early.
He's using the minds of the city as the final thought pattern!"
Eron raised his blade, eyes blazing.
"Then we stop the countdown here.
At the heart of the storm."