Chapter 8: The Industrial Hive
The industrial district of New Raven was a graveyard of rusted warehouses and abandoned factories. It was the perfect place for a synthetic invasion to hide.
Stanley moved through the shadows, the Void Relic hummed against his chest. He could feel his Qi—still physical and raw—pulsing through his tempered muscles. Beside him, Amara moved with a surprising, fluid grace, holding a high-frequency scanner.
"The signature is coming from the old water treatment plant," she whispered.
"Stay back," Stanley commanded.
"I'm a Vanguard officer, Major. Don't treat me like your construction site friends," she snapped, though her voice lacked its usual bite.
They entered the plant. The air inside didn't smell like stagnant water; it smelled like ozone and burning silicone. In the center of the vast, hollowed-out room sat a machine that looked like a jagged, metallic spider. It was pulsing with a violet light, sending ripples of energy into the ground.
Surrounding the machine were three figures. They looked like men, but they stood too still. Their eyes were vacant, replaced by glowing red lenses.
"Supporters," Amara hissed. "They've given up their humanity to become vessels for the synthetic consciousness."
One of the Supporters turned, its neck snapping at a 180-degree angle to face them. "The Major... has returned. The Harvest... must be completed."
The three Supporters moved at once. They didn't use guns. Their fingers elongated into jagged blades, and they moved with the speed of a computer-calculated strike.