The news that the galaxy-sized shield they were about to turn on was actually a galaxy-sized cage door put a bit of a damper on everyone's enthusiasm. The mission was aborted, and the teams were called back, leaving the twenty-four sleeping giants of the Aegis Network silent once more.
The Syllogist's warning was a chilling reminder that they were still just amateurs, playing a game whose rules they barely understood. The Precursors hadn't just built a farm; they had built a very clever, very secure fence around it.
But the warning was also something else: it was a first. A Watcher had interfered. The silent, cosmic beings who had been content to just watch the universe for millions of years were finally starting to pick a side. It seemed that Ryan's chaotic, rule-breaking style was starting to make an impression.
He decided to push his luck.
