Episode 11: Into the Core
Blaster fire lit up the dark corridors as the Null operatives advanced. Martins shielded Zahara, returning fire with pinpoint precision. Tunde's voice crackled in their comms, calm even amidst the chaos.
"I need thirty more seconds to unlock the core chamber," Tunde said, fingers flying over his portable interface as sparks flew from an exposed panel beside him.
Sophia and Nyla flanked the hallway, holding off enemies with synchronized efficiency. They moved like phantoms — silent, fast, lethal. Zahara crouched low behind cover, heart pounding, but her hands steady on the sidearm Nyla had given her.
"Ten seconds!" Tunde called.
Martins took a hit to his vest and staggered back with a grunt. Zahara grabbed his arm, helping him regain balance.
"I've got you," she said. Her voice, despite the danger, carried a strange calm — a connection growing deeper between them.
Tunde tapped the final command, and the reinforced vault door at the end of the corridor hissed open with a mechanical groan.
"GO!" he yelled.
The team sprinted forward, dodging laser blasts as they dove into the chamber. Inside was a massive control room — sleek, cold, and pulsing with eerie blue light. At the center of the room, encased in a translucent energy field, was the Core — a massive AI matrix, glowing and humming with power.
Sophia's eyes widened. "That's not just an AI. That's a mind. They've been feeding it psychic energy — Zahara's neural signature included."
Zahara stepped toward the Core, her expression tightening as she felt an invisible pull. Her head throbbed. Her vision flickered with memories not her own — as if the Core was trying to speak to her.
Martins moved in quickly, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. "Zahara, don't let it in."
Tunde, already scanning the main console, looked up sharply. "This thing's learning. Evolving. If we don't shut it down now, it's going to activate every Null drone and override the presidential security network."
Suddenly, the lights flickered. A cold, distorted voice boomed from the Core.
"You are late."
The room went dark for a beat, then bathed in red. Panels opened around the walls, revealing automated guards — advanced sentry units.
"Get ready!" Martins shouted.
Tunde pulled out an EMP grenade. "We get one shot."
He threw the device toward the Core as the drones activated. A flash of blinding light erupted — a burst of static surged through the chamber. Half the sentries collapsed, glitching violently.
Zahara collapsed to her knees, clutching her head.
From the smoke, a figure emerged — part man, part machine. Red eyes glowing. A Null commander. His voice was flat, emotionless.
"Target acquired. The mind is ours."