Rena Sol sat in the glass containment cell, the Spire's reactor core shimmering below her. Her arm was broken, but her mind was sharper than the diamond-composite glass around her. Darkford had made a critical miscalculation: his arrogance allowed her to remain alive, and her Alpha-Prime neural implant—the twin of his own—still contained the experimental fail-safe they had installed years ago.
AURA: "Dr. Sol, your physiological readings indicate abnormal stress. Maintenance is available upon request."
"Not yet, AURA," Rena muttered.
She focused her will, activating the latent, high-frequency emitter within her neural implant. Pain surged like white-hot fire through her skull, but she suppressed it. Targeting the glass containment field's locking mechanism, she emitted a unique sonic frequency only her implant and Darkford's could generate.
CRACK.
The glass barrier vaporized in a silent puff of ionized air. Rena stumbled out, gripping her broken arm.
She ignored the direct access routes, knowing they were guarded by Arbiter Droids. Instead, she headed for the service tunnels—dark, cramped maintenance passages built into the Spire's support columns.
Her destination was the Core Reactor Level, the ultimate power junction—the heart of NuCore, the repository of Zero-Point Geothermal energy, and the source of Darkford's absolute control.
As she entered the chamber, the sight overwhelmed her. It was not a sterile control room, but a cathedral of light and sound. The containment field holding the concentrated Rift energy pulsed with a deep, furious violet glow. Massive cooling rods ascended into the ceiling like technological columns, humming with a frequency that set every nerve on edge.
Rena reached the main console. She had no intention of destroying the reactor—that would kill millions in the Undercity instantly. Her goal was surgical: dismantle Darkford's power structure while keeping the critical energy flow intact, stripped of his control.
She began typing override commands with her functioning hand, pouring three years of theoretical physics—and revenge—into the keyboard. She was dueling AURA in code, a silent war of intellect and precision.
AURA: "Dr. Sol, override command recognized. Initiating security lockdown. Please cease interference."
"You only recognize Darkford's security, AURA," Rena retorted. "My code predates his."
She accessed the Global Drone Frequency Regulator, the ultimate control point for all Vipers and Arbiter Droids.