CHAPTER 13: THE SIGNAL IN THE VOID
The mechanical scavenger lunged at Aryan, its heavy metal arms tearing through the sand as it surged forward. But Aryan was no longer the boy trapped inside a simulation. The System Core now resided within his mind. As the robot attacked, code patterns of its entire structure flashed before Aryan's eyes: Weak joints. Energy conduits. Control nodes. Everything was crystal clear.
Aryan gripped the metal rod and lunged to the side. The robot's claw slammed into the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. Instantly, Aryan struck its rear joint.
CLANG!
The rod collided with the joint, causing the robot to stagger. Its sensors flared a menacing bright red. But Aryan struck again—this time, with surgical precision. The joint shattered. The scavenger collapsed with a heavy thud, its core flickering for a few seconds before going dark. Silence returned.
Aryan took a deep breath. The fight was short, but the real question still loomed. He closed his eyes and focused; immediately, the interface flickered into view.
[INCOMING SIGNAL DETECTED]
SOURCE: UNKNOWN
DISTANCE: 120 KM EAST
The signal was weak, yet unmistakable. A human transmission. Aryan's heart hammered against his ribs. "So... I'm not alone."
He looked up at the sky—choked with dust, over a broken world. But now, there was a tiny flicker of hope. Looking around, he realized the capsule was likely part of an old Survival Facility, now reduced to ruins. He scavenged parts from the fallen machine: an energy cell, a sensor module, and a small data chip. As his fingers touched the chip, a map overlay materialized before his eyes: the entire wasteland, shattered cities, radiation zones... and far away, a blinking point.
The Signal Source.
Aryan smirked slightly. "120 kilometers... perhaps my new world begins there." He shouldered his rod and began to walk.
But Aryan didn't know he wasn't truly alone. Far away, in the shadow of a crumbling skyscraper, someone was watching him. A girl. Her eyes glowed with a faint blue light, and a holographic interface floated before her.
Girl: "Impossible... Subject 01... he escaped the simulation."
She quickly typed a command.
[TARGET LOCKED]
[IDENTITY CONFIRMED: ARYAN RAGHAV]
She whispered softly, "So it is you... Iris."
As Aryan pushed forward into the wasteland, the wind intensified, and sandstorms began to swirl. Suddenly, the System Core in his mind flared.
[WARNING: MULTIPLE SIGNALS DETECTED]
[HOSTILE MACHINES APPROACHING]
Aryan stopped dead. Movement stirred behind the sand dunes. Not one. Not two. Ten scavenger robots. Aryan gripped his rod tight. "Fine... is this how you welcome me?"
Suddenly, a streak of brilliant blue light descended from the sky.
BOOM!
One scavenger was blasted into the air. Aryan looked up. Standing amidst the sandstorm was a figure—the same girl. Her eyes were glowing blue.
Iris: "Relax, hero. I didn't come to kill you. I came to save you."
Aryan was stunned. "You... who are you?"
The girl smiled. "Me? I am... the System's greatest mistake."