The hull screamed as if the station itself feared what was coming.
AP Titan slammed the access hatch shut behind him and sealed it with a magnetic lock. His neural HUD pulsed red—Three lifeforms inbound. Two seconds to contact. They were fast, silent, and well-equipped.
He crouched behind a collapsed server rack, his plasma pistol humming in his grip. Lira's voice whispered through the neural link—calmer now, but urgent.
"Titan, you can't let them take the core. If they get access to me, they'll open the Nexus Gate."
"I know," he muttered, aiming down his sights.
The first Cleaner dropped from the ceiling—elegant, inhuman in movement, cloaked in shadow. Titan pulled the trigger. The shot burst through the air, searing a hole through the enemy's chest. The body hit the floor with a muted thud.
The other two moved in immediately—one from the left, the other from above. Titan rolled sideways, ducking under a blade of compact energy and returning fire. One shot grazed his shoulder. Pain flared, but he didn't stop.
He'd trained for this. He'd died for this.
Moments later, both Cleaners were down.
Breathing heavily, Titan reloaded. He ripped the core drive from its housing and locked it into his exo-rig. Lira's voice crackled to life again—clearer this time, as if stabilizing.
"I felt them inside me, Titan. They were scanning my memory. Looking for coordinates… to the Gate."
He grit his teeth. The Gate hadn't been touched since the Collapse. Whatever lay beyond it wasn't meant for human minds or machines.
And yet… someone wanted it open again.
He sprinted toward the docking bay. Explosions echoed behind him—auto-destruct charges the Cleaners had rigged to ensure nothing escaped.
He wasn't about to oblige them.
The Eidolon's lights blinked like a beacon through the chaos. Titan launched himself into the cockpit, slammed the door, and punched the ignition. The ship roared to life, thrusters blazing as it tore away from the crumbling station.
Through the viewport, Virex-9 disintegrated into a halo of fire.
Lira spoke, her voice steady now.
"They've started the countdown, Titan. There's only one way to stop them."
Titan stared into the stars, jaw clenched.
"Then we're going to the Gate."