Sector 18’s reconstruction schedule was running smoother, but Jaden felt the pressure creeping in from all directions. The food depot fire had left a visible scar — and a ripple of doubt among the residents. He knew it was only a matter of time before sabotage became infiltration.
So, when the system sent a subtle alert that morning, he was already preparing.
System Alert: Potential Threat Vector Detected Area: Labor Pool Registration Logs
Anomaly: Duplicate Identity Tag - Unverified Worker (ID: Ares Kelt)
Jaden’s eyes narrowed. He tapped into the internal logs and cross-referenced the biometric scans. The ID had passed standard checks — but not the system’s enhanced trace protocol.
The humanoid project, officially named Lyra, still stood incomplete, her assembly progress at 59%. After inserting the Core Chip Matrix, Jaden had managed to barter for a damaged neural wire the previous evening, upgrading the unit slightly. She now blinked occasionally and responded to key voice commands, though she couldn’t yet speak.
"Patch the anomaly through to private feed," he instructed.
A flicker of static crossed the screen, revealing a young man helping fix scaffolding on a cooling tower. Nothing about him looked unusual, but that was exactly the problem.
"Emma," Jaden said. "Tail that worker. Quietly."
Meanwhile, in the lower tech bay, Elion was setting up what he called an "engagement funnel."
"We’ve had six thousand new clicks on the shelter campaign page," he grinned. "I floated some teaser designs of the Sector Economy Console. Sponsors are bidding to get naming rights."
Jaden raised a brow. "We haven’t even unlocked the console yet."
Elion winked. "Exactly. They’re buying dreams. Let them."
Jaden chuckled. "Make sure we use that dream money to find the Emotion Matrix Filter. It’s the last key for Lyra’s empathy core."
Humanoid Assembly: 59% Complete
Materials Missing:– 1x Emotion Matrix Filter– 1x Core Shell Armor– 1x Final Neural Wire
Back in the control room, Dani Rivera analyzed grid vulnerabilities. "Someone’s been probing our perimeter," she said. "Ping trails came from Sectors 22 and 23."
Jaden nodded. "Keep the defenses tight. And log every outside signal attempt."
Later that evening, Emma returned with troubling news.
"The guy, Ares Kelt — he’s good. Too good. Speaks like a local, works like a pro. But he’s been mapping out sensitive zones."
System Prompt: Loyalty Detector Blueprint (Beta) Unlocked
Status: 19% Functional. Material Requirements Updated.
The next morning, Jaden and Carl visited a former scrapyard beyond Sector 20. They’d heard a trader named Grimm had rare NovaCore junk, including old armor frames.
Grimm’s scrapyard was filled with wrecked drones, vehicle hulls, and damaged mech parts. A rusted bot with a faded smile greeted them at the gate.
"You’re here for the Core Shell Armor, right?" Grimm said. "Hard to come by. But I like what you’re building. Tell you what — give me a spot in your coming tech expo. Exclusive. And I’ll throw in a neural wire too."
Jaden hesitated, then nodded. "Deal."
Inventory Updated+1 Core Shell Armor+1 Final Neural Wire