[Confidential Military Report]
Report No.: 7621
Date: Philos Calendar Year [REDACTED]
Issued By: Central Surveillance Division
Incident Summary:
Surveillance drones detected two high-priority subjects, A-01 and X-02, near the ruins of the former Lingshir District. Target recognition confirmed positive IDs, but upon engagement, both entities successfully evaded capture.
Details:
- Time of Detection: [REDACTED]
- Location: Lingshir District, Outer Perimeter
- Drone ID: DS-447A, DS-448A (Lost Signal)
- Pursuit Attempt: Failed due to gravitational interference and unidentified exoskeleton energy spikes
Conclusion:
Targets remain at large. Probability of further encounters remains high. Additional tracking measures have been initiated, and reinforcement protocols are in effect.
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Experiment ID: A01-X02-NJ-04
Date: Philos Calendar Year [REDACTED]
Recorded By: OTHAN-17804
Objectives:
1. The interference control module via feedback signals will adjust the patterns of entangled particles to generate specific quantum states. These will target the neural networks of A-01 and X-02 to disrupt their consciousness.
2. Monitor and document the destructive effects and quantum decoherence when the energy fluctuations of A-01 and X-02 converge.
—Othan Research Bureau Report No. 8932
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[Othan Research Bureau – Internal Discussion Transcript]
"The remote surveillance drones registered their presence but lost tracking before we could execute a containment sequence. Our primary observation feeds are failing, which means they are beyond standard network reach."
"Director, is this really going to work? We've lost control ever since the Central District laboratory was destroyed."
"It will work. We've spent years developing this failsafe. Their exoskeletons are still linked to our network in some capacity, even if the connection is weakened. The moment they enter range, the new interference directive will install automatically."
"That is theoretical. We are relying on a failsafe that has yet to be fully tested in the field. If it fails—"
"Then we pray they never resonate at full capacity," the first scientist muttered. "If A-01's Destructio combines with X-02's gravity, it won't just be them—we could be looking at Philos collapsing in on itself."
"A-01's resonance alone could be catastrophic if the rebels get to her."
"Exactly why we need this manual override. It'll force a reset in their systems the moment they start to converge. If the failsafe deploys successfully, they won't be able to resist. They'll need a manual reset to wake up."
"And if we fail?"
A heavy pause settled over the room before the lead researcher continued. "We have a failsafe. If the interference activates, they'll need a manual reset to wake up. This is our last contingency."
---
[Lingshir District]
The upgrade process was slow, but progress was steady. With Helen's guidance, they found an abandoned spacecraft buried beneath the wreckage of an old hangar. Its structure remained intact, but to achieve interplanetary warp, it needed modifications—engine replacements, recalibrated systems, and a new energy source.
"You're lucky I still know where to look," Helen remarked as she pried open a hidden hatch. "This ship was left behind after the evacuations—it's old, but with the right modifications, it can take you far beyond this wasteland."
Caleb examined the ship with a sharp eye, already making calculations in his head.
After securing the necessary components, she offered them shelter in her old home—an aged but well-kept building standing atop a ruined sector. Large windows framed the decayed cityscape, a contrast to the warmth within. A soft carpet covered the floors, and a single bed remained in the center of the room.
As they settled in, Caleb sat beside Mira, his expression unreadable. "You're thinking about something again."
"My head is filled with things that haven't happened yet. Or maybe... they already have, and I just don't remember." She turned toward him, frustration flickering in her gaze. "I don't know what's causing this, but you should know." She tells him everything she saw, about their capture, about the surveillance drones and the incident that is yet to happen.
Caleb studied her carefully. "Are you scared?"
She exhaled softly. "It's not fear. It's... displacement. Like I belong here, but at the same time, I don't. Like I've been here before, seen all this before, but can't prove it."
His fingers ghosted over her wrist. "Then just think of where you want to go next."
"Don't ever leave me alone."
Caleb's gaze darkened, but he remained silent. Instead, he reached out, covering her eyes gently with his hand. His lips brushed against her forehead in a quiet reassurance.
"We'll go to that blue planet at the far edges of deepspace if you want," he murmured. "When I said this was our last escape... I meant it."
Outside, the wind howled through the ruined city, but inside, there was only silence—the calm before the storm.