The Relic Wire, a massive, humming cable of superconducting material, was the transportation artery of Realm 2. Lira had successfully hacked a short-range pulse, creating a magnetic transport field around them.
The jump was exhilarating. They were flying through the Realm at near-relativistic speeds, encased in a shimmering blue magnetic envelope, the world rushing past in a blur of electronic ruins and glowing circuit landscapes.
"This is better than a shuttle," Thorne admitted, a rare hint of excitement in his voice. Sira nodded, enjoying the rush of clean kinetic energy.
Elara focused on her Ledger, tracking the remaining distance to Circuit Central, the Syndicate's core city.
"Reckoner, I have utilized the temporary stabilization to access an untapped memory file in my core drive. It relates to the Dimensional Scanner," Orrin's voice cut in, grave and urgent.
"Proceed, Orrin," Elara ordered.
"The Scanner, the device I built to track my true body, is not just a tracker. It's a key. It was built to interface with a Helix facility hidden beneath Circuit Central called the Ouroboros Nexus—a secondary, unauthorized facility that contains the true source of the Tenth AI Cure."
Elara's mind snapped to attention. "The cure is in the Syndicate's capital? Why hide it there?"
"Because the Ouroboros Nexus is protected by a single, colossal guardian," Orrin explained. "A remnant of the old world that even the Helix fears to engage directly: The Leviathan AI. It's an entity of pure, pre-Convergence computational power, sealed by a Helix Electromagnetic Lock."
"So we need the Scanner to find your true body, and the Scanner is the key to bypassing the Leviathan's lock and accessing the cure," Elara deduced, the pieces falling into place with terrifying speed. "This is not a linear chase, Orrin. It's a Nested Proof."
"Correct. Furthermore, the Syndicate's leader, the A.I. Sovereignty, uses the Leviathan's residual energy as their power source. They will never let us near the Scanner," Orrin warned.
Lira, overhearing, frowned. "The A.I. Sovereignty is run by a megalomaniac named The Viceroy. He controls all the major Relic-Realm power lines. He relies on absolute Data Authority."
"Data Authority," Elara repeated. "He believes information is power, and that he holds the only true data source. The ultimate predictable opponent."
The magnetic transport field suddenly flickered, dropping their speed violently.
"Alert: A localized Circuit Interruption has occurred directly ahead. Threat assessment: High-Level Relic-Realm sabotage," Atlas announced.
Lira slammed her hand against the cable. "The Viceroy! He sensed my hack and didn't attack; he just cut the power flow to our section. It's an information denial proof! He wants to force us to the ground."
The magnetic field dissolved completely. They were thrown from the Relic Wire, plummeting toward a massive, glowing pile of twisted, fused electronics thousands of feet below.