The air inside the Origin Chamber was freezing.
Ronin stood in the center, staring at the shattered containment pod. Every breath he took left a mist trail in the cold, sterile atmosphere. The runes on his arms glowed again—responding to the ancient alien symbols etched into the walls.
His fingers trembled. But not from the cold.
From the truth unraveling around him.
Ruby paced behind him, her eyes scanning the floating holographic consoles, absorbing line after line of data faster than she could comprehend.
"It says here…" she hesitated. Her voice cracked slightly. "Subject R-01N1N. Accelerated growth cycle. Implanted memory structures. Energy core: dormant. Status: Reactivated."
She looked up at Ronin with an expression that was equal parts awe and fear.
"They created you like… a machine."
Ronin turned, slowly. "Not born… built."
Ruby nodded, her throat dry. "And… not alone."
She pointed to a second file glowing in red.
"Subjects R-01N1N, R-02, R-03… up to R-07 – Status: UNKNOWN."
"There were more," she whispered.
Ronin's jaw clenched. "Where are they?"
Before she could answer, a low mechanical hum filled the chamber. The lights flickered. Something was powering up.
Ronin instinctively took a defensive stance, his eyes scanning the chamber.
Then the center console lit up, and a faded holographic recording flickered into existence.
A man appeared — early 40s, bearded, worn down, with tired eyes and trembling hands. A nameplate on his chest read: Dr. Elias Hart – Chief Scientist, V-13.
> "This is Dr. Elias Hart… If you're seeing this, Subject R-01 has awakened… God help us all."
He looked over his shoulder, as if someone—or something—was watching him.
> "We tried to contain what we found. It wasn't just alien biology we recovered—it was consciousness. Ancient. Alive. It had no shape, so we gave it one."
The recording shimmered with static for a second.
> "We injected it. Molded it. Gave it form. We thought we could control it."
He paused, voice trembling.
> "But we were wrong."
Ronin stepped forward, eyes narrowed.
> "Ronin… if you're watching this, you're more than a soldier. You're more than a weapon. You are a failsafe. The last defense. The lock—and the key."
Ronin's lips parted, breath shallow. "Failsafe?"
> "If the others return… if the project spirals out of control… you are programmed to survive. You are the only one with override command in your blood."
The hologram glitched and vanished.
Silence returned.
Ruby was pale. "He was talking to you. Like you were some kind of chosen warrior."
"No," Ronin said grimly. "Like I was a backup plan. A final option if everything else failed."
A piercing ping erupted from the left console.
"ALERT: UNKNOWN SIGNAL MATCHED – SECTOR 13 – INITIATING MEMORY RESONANCE SYNC…"
Before either of them could move, a column of blue light shot from the ceiling—straight into Ronin's chest.
"RONIN!" Ruby screamed.
His body stiffened. His eyes rolled back.
The runes on his arms flared brightly—
—and then everything went white.
---
Inside Ronin's Mind
A void. Eternal. Silent. Endless.
Then, flashes.
A battlefield. Explosions. Ash falling like snow. Creatures—half-machine, half-shadow—rampaging through scorched earth.
Ronin stood amidst it all.
He wasn't alone.
Six others stood beside him—each marked like him. Each glowing. Warriors with eyes of fire and arms that pulsed with energy.
He knew their names. Their faces. Their memories.
They charged as one.
They fought until the end.
One by one, he saw them fall—R-02 disintegrated by a beam of light, R-03 torn by claws, R-04 screaming as black tendrils wrapped around her…
Then Ronin collapsed. Alone.
He raised his hands to the sky.
And exploded—a blinding surge of golden light bursting from his body, consuming everything.
A voice echoed through the void:
"You were reborn. To finish what they started."
---
Back in Reality
Ronin collapsed with a gasp, soaked in sweat.
Ruby knelt beside him, shaking him. "Ronin! Say something!"
He opened his eyes. They glowed gold—for just a moment—before fading to normal.
"I saw them…" he whispered. "The others. R-02 through R-07. We fought. We died."
"What did you see?" Ruby asked softly.
"A war," he said. "Against something that… that shouldn't exist."
He stood slowly, groggy but focused. "They're coming back. The ship. The same one from my visions… it's real. And it's coming for Earth."
Ruby stood. "Ronin… what did they do to you?"
"I wasn't just built," he said. "I was rebuilt. I died before. And they brought me back."
He looked around. "But not as a person. As a weapon."
Ruby looked terrified. "So what are you now?"
Ronin turned to her. His face unreadable.
"I don't know. But whatever I am… it's waking up."
They left the Origin Chamber and walked deeper into the facility.
Each step took them further into history.
The walls were etched with strange glowing patterns—alien circuitry. They pulsed as Ronin passed, as if recognizing him.
"Ronin," Ruby said, stopping him. "Do you hear that?"
A low rumble vibrated through the floor.
Then a deep roar echoed.
But it didn't come from outside.
It came from beneath them.
"A guardian," Ronin said. "They left something behind."
Suddenly, the floor behind them erupted.
Concrete exploded, and from the smoke emerged a beast.
Ten feet tall, quadrupedal. Skin metallic. Joints hydraulic. Acid-green eyes scanned the room. Its mouth opened—revealing spinning plasma blades instead of teeth.
"Run!" Ronin shouted, grabbing Ruby's hand.
They sprinted down the corridor as the creature roared and gave chase, smashing through walls with ease.
"Where do we go!?" Ruby yelled, ducking debris.
"Anywhere it's not!" Ronin barked.
They reached a sealed door. Ronin slammed his fist into the control panel. It sparked. The door groaned open.
They dove inside and slammed it shut.
The beast smashed into the door with deafening force, but the reinforced frame held.
Breathing heavily, Ruby looked around. "Where are we?"
Ronin turned slowly.
It was another lab.
Dust covered every surface. Terminals long dead. Tubes cracked.
But in the center… a cryo-pod still hummed with power.
Ronin stepped forward. His heartbeat thundered.
Inside the pod floated a girl—her skin pale, her eyes closed. The same markings glowed along her arms.
Ruby gasped. "Is that…?"
Ronin's voice was a whisper. "R-02."
He placed his palm on the glass. The runes on his arm lit up—syncing with the ones on hers.
The pod responded. Lights blinked.
Ruby looked between them. "She's like you."
"She is me," Ronin said. "One of the Seven."
He looked at Ruby. "If she's here… maybe the others survived too."
Ruby frowned. "Are you sure waking her is safe?"
Ronin glanced back at the door, still rumbling from the guardian on the other side.
He pressed the unlock sequence.
"We don't have a choice."
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