Beyond the Celestial Boundaries

The emergency lights flickered as Cynthia, Prometheus, and the others rushed through the dimly lit corridors of AeroGallacianSpace. The entire facility was on lockdown, the main system still unresponsive. The sudden shutdown had plunged them into uncertainty, but one thing was clear—the enemy was making their move.

"We need to get to the main server room," Marcus said, his voice tight with urgency. "If we don't regain control soon, they could wipe everything."

Cynthia nodded, her mind racing. "Let's go. Stay alert. If they're inside, we don't know what we're walking into."

The group moved swiftly, navigating the maze of hallways leading to the heart of AeroGallacianSpace's digital infrastructure. As they approached the secured server room, Marla held up a hand, signaling them to stop. She glanced at the biometric scanner—completely disabled.

"They've locked us out," Marla muttered, pulling out a small electronic device. "Give me a few seconds."

Lena stood anxiously beside Cynthia. "Whoever did this knew exactly how to cripple us."

"Which means they're close," Cynthia said. Her gaze hardened. "And they're not done yet."

Marla's device beeped, and the door released with a hiss. Prometheus took the lead, stepping into the dimly lit room. Towering server racks lined the walls, their blinking LED indicators now frozen in eerie stillness.

Marcus rushed to a terminal, typing rapidly. His expression darkened. "They've overridden our security protocols. The system isn't just locked—it's rewriting itself. If we don't stop it, we could lose everything."

Cynthia clenched her fists. "Can you trace the source?"

Lena scanned the monitors. "Wait… there's an active connection—someone's still in the system, working remotely."

Prometheus leaned over Marcus's screen. "Can you sever their access?"

Marcus hesitated. "I can try, but if I make a mistake, we could trigger a full system purge."

Cynthia exhaled, steadying herself. "Do it. We don't have a choice."

As Marcus worked, Marla moved to a separate console, her fingers flying over the keys. "Whoever this is, they left a backdoor wide open. Sloppy."

"Or intentional," Prometheus mused. "They could be baiting us into thinking we're winning."

Suddenly, a distorted voice crackled through the room's speakers.

"Clever. But not clever enough."

Cynthia froze, recognizing the cold, mocking tone.

Vincent Kane.

Lena's eyes widened. "He's inside the system."

Kane's voice continued, laced with amusement. "You really thought you could stop me? That you could undo what's already in motion?"

Cynthia's jaw tightened. "What do you want, Kane?"

A pause. Then, a low chuckle. "Oh, Cynthia. It's never been about what I want. It's about what you're willing to do. Are you ready to make the hard choices? Because if you hesitate—"

The screens flickered violently, red error codes cascading down.

"—you'll lose everything."

Marcus cursed under his breath. "He's about to trigger a full data wipe!"

Marla didn't hesitate. She yanked a hardline connection from the terminal, isolating the core system. "He's bluffing. Without a direct link, he can't execute the final command."

A moment of silence stretched before Kane spoke again. "Not bad. But it won't be enough."

Then, the line went dead. The room plunged into eerie quiet, the only sound the rapid breathing of the team.

Cynthia turned to Marcus. "Did we stop it?"

Marcus checked the system, his fingers trembling slightly. Then, after a long pause, he exhaled. "We're stable. For now."

Lena collapsed into a chair, running a hand through her hair. "That was too close."

Cynthia didn't relax. She knew this wasn't over. Kane had made his move, but it wasn't his final one.

This was only the beginning.

And next time, he wouldn't be bluffing.