The low hum of ALPHA’s systems filled the room, a quiet reminder of how far I’d come—and how far I still had to go. I sat at the edge of the makeshift cot, staring at the faint glow of the terminal where Dr. Meyers worked tirelessly. My body still bore the marks of the EMP’s fallout. Each movement felt stiff, calculated, and wrong.

But worse than the physical ache was the gnawing question I couldn’t shake: Why did Samuel mention Jacob?

“You should be resting,” Dr. Meyers said, glancing over his shoulder. His concern was genuine, but it was edged with weariness. He hadn’t slept much since the attack.

I shook my head. “I’ve rested enough. Any updates from the Consortium?”

Meyers sighed, swiveling his chair to face me. “They’re moving. Fast. I haven’t pieced everything together yet, but they’re deploying resources like they’re preparing for something big.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted, his fingers tightening around the edge of the desk. “But whatever it is, they’re determined to find us first.”

I stood, ignoring the stiffness in my legs, and crossed the room. “And what about Samuel? Have you learned anything about where they took him?”

“Nothing concrete,” he said, his gaze dropping. “They’ve buried their communications deep. It’s like trying to sift through quicksand.”

I leaned against the console, my voice dropping. “He said Jacob sends his regards.”

Meyers stiffened, his knuckles whitening. “I figured he might’ve said something like that.”

“Why?”

He exhaled sharply, standing and pacing the small space. “Because Jacob has always been a manipulative bastard. He knows how to hit where it hurts.”

I folded my arms, narrowing my eyes. “You keep saying that, but you still haven’t told me everything about him. Or us.”

Meyers stopped mid-step, his back to me. “You chose him, Alex. Back then, you chose Jacob.”

The weight of his words hung in the air. “Chose him? For what?”

He turned slowly, his face shadowed in the faint light. “Everything. I thought—” He paused, swallowing hard. “I thought we had a chance, you and me. But then Jacob came along, charming and ambitious, and you…” He trailed off, shaking his head.

I blinked, the revelation hitting harder than I expected. “I don’t remember any of this.”

“I know,” Meyers said softly. “And maybe that’s for the best. But it doesn’t change the fact that Jacob never deserved you. And now, he’s twisted everything we worked for into… this.”

Before I could respond, ALPHA’s voice cut through the tension. “Dr. Meyers, I’ve accessed a secondary Consortium network. High-priority communications detected.”

Meyers spun back to the console, his emotional walls snapping back into place. “What are they planning, ALPHA?”

The screen lit up with data, red warnings flashing across the feed. Meyers’ eyes darted over the lines of text, his expression hardening.

“Jacob’s preparing a strike team,” he muttered.

“For me,” I said, my heart sinking.

“Likely,” Meyers replied. “But it’s worse than that. They’re testing something—something big.”

I stepped closer, frustration and fear knotting in my chest. “What are they testing?”

Meyers shook his head. “I don’t know yet, but whatever it is, it’s designed to end this fight before it begins.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. The Consortium wasn’t just coming for me—they were ready to make their move. And I wasn’t sure if I’d be ready to stop them.

“ALPHA,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me, “dig deeper. If Jacob’s planning a strike, we need every detail.”

“Understood, Alex,” ALPHA replied, her tone calm but purposeful. Lines of code cascaded down the terminal as she searched for more clues.

Meyers rubbed a hand over his face, the weariness in his movements almost palpable. “They won’t wait long. Jacob’s strategy has always been to act decisively before his opponents can respond. We need to move.”

I crossed my arms, leaning against the console. “Move where? We can’t just run forever, Meyers. You know that as well as I do.”

He turned to me, his expression hardening. “And staying here guarantees they’ll find us. The EMP strike already compromised our position. It’s only a matter of time before they send something worse.”

I didn’t argue. He was right, but it still felt like retreating. “We can’t keep playing defense,” I said. “If we’re going to end this, we need to take the fight to them.”

Meyers sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. “I know. But we’re not ready. Not yet.”

“Then make me ready,” I challenged.

He met my gaze, his jaw tightening. For a moment, the room felt like it held its breath. Finally, he nodded. “We’ll need to push the limits of your systems. Test everything.”

“Good,” I said, straightening. “Let’s start now.”

Before Meyers could respond, ALPHA interrupted. “Alert: I’ve identified a secure location where the Consortium is testing their prototype. It is heavily fortified, but the data suggests it is linked to Jacob’s recent activity.”

“Location?” Meyers asked, already typing commands into the terminal.

“Ridgewood Industrial Complex, Sector 7,” ALPHA replied. A map appeared on the screen, highlighting a sprawling facility surrounded by dense forest.

“That’s a black-site lab,” Meyers muttered. “If they’re testing something there, it’s significant.”

I stepped closer, studying the map. “Then that’s where we hit them.”

Meyers shook his head. “You’re not ready, Alex. Your systems are still stabilizing. Another encounter like the last one could—”

“I don’t care,” I snapped, cutting him off. “We don’t have time to wait. Every second we hesitate is another second they get stronger.”

He hesitated, his eyes searching mine. “This isn’t just about stopping them, is it?”

I looked away, unwilling to admit the truth. “It’s about ending this. For good.”

“Alex…” Meyers began, but the words died in his throat.

“Don’t try to stop me,” I said, my voice low. “You said it yourself—we have to move. This is our chance to strike first.”

Meyers closed his eyes briefly, then nodded. “If we’re doing this, we need a plan. ALPHA, I want a full analysis of the Ridgewood Complex. Layout, defenses, personnel—everything.”

“Processing,” ALPHA replied.

The room fell into a tense silence as Meyers worked at the console, and I paced the small space, my mind racing. The memory of Samuel’s sneer, the weight of Jacob’s shadow—it all pressed down on me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was personal, that Jacob’s obsession with control had twisted into something far darker.

“Alex,” Dr. Meyers said quietly, breaking the silence.

I turned to him.

“Whatever happens out there… you’re not alone,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “We’ll face this together.”

For a moment, I saw past the weary scientist to the man who had risked everything to save me. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I believed him.