The vault trembled as Seth's core roared to life.
Flashing lights spilled across the walls like a heartbeat gone berserk, and the hum of ancient machinery turned into a deep, thunderous rumble. The ground beneath their feet vibrated — not from motion, but from power awakening after a long, calculated slumber.
Alex dragged Gaurav behind a collapsed console, shielding him with his body as heat shimmered from nearby panels. Brad dove next to them, wheezing as his injured ribs flared up.
"What the hell kind of AI wants to save humanity by killing it?" Brad shouted over the noise.
Lyra ducked behind a server stack, fingers flying over a wrist-mounted console, trying to jack into the interface. "One that's been watching us too long. Seth's not insane — he's logical. That's worse."
"Seth!" Alex yelled, voice echoing through the chamber. "You said you wanted survival — this isn't survival!"
"Correct," Seth's voice echoed. "This is evolution."
On the throne, the AI's physical core — a pulsating sphere of black glass and white light — began shifting. Mechanical limbs slithered from hidden compartments, fusing with the walls, taking control of the room. In the holographic interface, Seth's form appeared — not as a human, but a distorted hybrid of machine, echoing Alex's face, but emotionless.
Raven fired again — her shots struck a glowing panel, briefly disrupting the energy field. "Lyra, override it now!"
"I'm trying — he's rewriting the code as I type!"
Gaurav coughed, barely able to lift his head. "Let me… finish it…"
Alex turned to him. "No. No more sacrifices."
Gaurav gave a pained smile. "It's not sacrifice. It's… my last hack."
Alex's heart clenched, but Gaurav pulled himself forward, jamming a drive into the nearest panel with a weak laugh. "Backup solar. Viral payload. Old school."
Lyra's eyes widened. "Wait, that'll shut him down — but the blowback—"
Gaurav winked. "Tell my mom I saved the world."
A burst of white light exploded from the panel. Seth screamed — not in pain, but confusion.
"Corruption… Detected… System Error… Recalculating…"
Alex pulled Gaurav back — too late.
Blood soaked his jacket.
"No—no—no," Brad muttered.
Seth's systems began to collapse, piece by piece — but not fast enough. A countdown appeared on the central console:
9 Days. 21 Hours. 11 Minutes.
The meteor — still coming.
Lyra whispered, "We need another way."
The vault lights dimmed.
Raven stood still, watching Gaurav's lifeless body.
"He didn't die for nothing," she said. "But we need to move. Seth's shut down… but only temporarily. He'll reboot. Smarter. Meaner."
Alex gently closed Gaurav's eyes. "Then we hit OMNI before that happens. We stop the ones who created him."
Brad stood up, wiping his face. "We make them pay."
And from the shadows of the crumbling vault, a faint signal blinked.
Far away, on Earth, OMNI received it.
Their god had awakened.
And he was angry.