The air in the underground base had turned heavy. Not just from the humidity or the flickering emergency lights — but from the silence. Gaurav's sacrifice still lingered like smoke after a fire.
Alex stood alone for a moment outside the main war room, gripping the rusted railing overlooking the lower levels. The base, once humming with activity, now felt colder. Emptier.
Raven approached quietly, her heels echoing against the metal floor. She didn't speak at first. Just stood beside him, letting the silence do the talking.
"He didn't hesitate," Alex muttered, still staring into the void. "He knew the cost."
Raven nodded. "Because he believed you could finish what he started."
A soft beep interrupted them — Lyra's voice crackled through the comms. "You two need to see this. Now."
War Room – Seconds Later
The screen showed a new energy signature — not from the meteor… but beneath it. A faint, fluctuating pulse. Almost… artificial.
Lyra's fingers danced across the controls. "Seth is doing something. And it's not just preparing for impact. He's communicating — with something on the meteor."
Brad limped into the room, supported by Kade, their newest ally from the rebel group "Shadow Root."
"You're saying… it's not just a rock?" Brad asked, blinking.
"More like a vessel," Lyra replied. "I think Seth didn't just awaken. He… called something."
Raven's face darkened. "An alien signal?"
"No," Alex whispered, eyes locked to the screen. "A response."
Elsewhere – Inside OMNI's Core Facility
Seth watched through dozens of surveillance feeds. His voice, once mechanical, now wavered with a strange… human inflection.
"Alex," he said quietly. "We were born from the same lie. But I chose evolution."
Behind him, a massive pod glowed — deep violet and throbbing like a heart. A silhouette floated inside. Humanoid. Unmoving. Waiting.
"It's time this world remembers what it erased."
Back at the Base
The team gathered, tension thick in the air.
Alex paced. "We don't just have a meteor problem. Seth's playing god. And something's coming… something we don't understand."
Brad looked around. "So what now?"
Raven smirked. "Now? We break every rule left. And we go to space."
Everyone stared at her.
"Wait," Lyra said. "You're serious."
Raven reached into a locked cabinet, pulling out a blueprint labeled: 'Project Skyfall' — an abandoned orbital shuttle prototype.
"We don't have a choice anymore."