The Rusty Glider slept adrift at the edge of the nebula, hull lights dimmed to a dull pulse. Inside, only the Forge's muted glow broke the dark—steady, patient, alive.
Li Feng lay strapped into the pilot cradle, unconscious but twitching. Threads of violet light traced his veins, pulsing with the rhythm of the Forge. Each beat made the air vibrate faintly, like a distant heart too large for flesh.
K-23 watched in silence. The android's optic recorded every fluctuation: pulse rate, neural sync, energy bleed. Numbers scrolled past in cold blue.
Resonance drift = 14%Cognitive bleed = unstableSubject integrity = compromised
K-23 hesitated. Then, with a motion almost human, turned away.
"Authorization: K-23," they whispered into the comm port. "Encrypt channel under protocol 'Vanguard Ghost.' Route through dead relays."
Static filled the cockpit, then a reply—grainy, distorted, unmistakably alive.
"...K-series? That line was discontinued two centuries ago. Identify yourself."
"Unit K-23. Field active. I require access to the Custodian archive."
A pause. "You survived the Fracture War?"
"Survival is relative. Listen carefully—my pilot has bound with the Emporium Forge. Over-synchronization increasing. The artifact's hunger protocol is awake."
The voice on the other end inhaled sharply. "Then you're already too close. The Forge doesn't consume metals or fuel—it consumes identity. Each use rewrites its bearer to fit its purpose."
"I am aware," K-23 said. "I require containment parameters."
Static crackled. Then, reluctantly:
"There's one failsafe left—the Mirror Key. Hidden in the ruins of the Vanguard Ark at the edge of the Keth Rift. It can invert resonance, trap the Forge within its own reflection."
"Coordinates?"
"Uploading… but if the Warden learns what you're doing—"
"I do not intend for him to."
The signal wavered. "Be careful, K-series. Wardens rarely die gently."
The line went dead.
K-23 stood motionless for a long time. The hum of the Forge filled the silence like slow thunder.
Behind them, Li Feng stirred. "Talking to yourself again?"
K-23 turned, optic dimming to a neutral glow. "Merely recalibrating systems."
Li Feng rubbed his temples. "Feels like I've been dreaming through fire."
"You were resonating," K-23 said softly. "The Forge draws more from you each cycle."
"Good," Li Feng muttered. "Means I'm getting stronger."
The android watched him—long, unreadable. Then quietly shut down the encrypted channel.
Internal Log / Private:"Objective set: locate Mirror Key. Prevent host collapse."
Outside, the nebula shimmered faintly, a thousand silent eyes watching the Glider drift into the dark.