Scene 1: The New Destination
The Aether Wind sailed cautiously, guided by the finally active Navigation Seal . The globe of liquid stars projected a stellar map, pointing to an area known as the Gorge of Oblivion —a place filled with thick nebulae of volcanic dust and asteroids.
"It's not an island," Kaelen Rion observed, her brow furrowing as she consulted her Staff of Knowledge . "It's a construct. A monolithic structure of the Old Civilization , but it's covered by a black crust."
Anya, using the modified telescope, confirmed. "It's an old Aether Mining Station . And guess what? It's active. A beacon signal from the Solus Corporation !"
Jax tightened the helm. "Vane anticipated this. He knew the Seal would reveal the position. It's a trap."
Scene 2: The Silent Infiltration
The entrance to the station, nicknamed the Shadow Fortress by Kaelen, was guarded by a wall of silent drones. Vane had clearly used the Astramaux's combat data: the drones emitted Low Interference Frequencies that rendered the Astramau Pyxis unstable and blocked Circuitry 's Electromagnetic Pulses (EMPs) .
"Our friends are technically neutralized," Anya grumbled. "Vane designed his defenses specifically against our two Astramals!"
“Then we adapt,” Jax replied. “Pyxis and I provide the diversion outside. Kaelen, you, and Anya go in. The Navigation Seal can reveal the location, but you need the Staff of Knowledge to unlock the lock.”
Scene 3: The Encryption Room
Anya and Kaelen infiltrated the station through an old ventilation duct. The interior was dark, lit by flashing red lights. They reached the heart of the station: the Encryption Room , filled with sophisticated machinery. In the center, on a pedestal of dark energy, was the second Remnant.
It was a black metal plate, resembling an old motherboard , named The Network Key .
“Look, Kaelen!” Anya exclaimed. “There’s no physical lock, only a Matrix Lock ten times more complex than Vane’s!”
Kaelen activated his Staff. Glyphs of the Old Civilization began to float. "This is a test of logic, Anya. The Network Key requires a sequential energy exchange . We need Circuits."
Scene 4: Calculated Risk
Anya hesitated. Circuits was out of jamming range here, but if he used his abilities, Vane would scan him again and get more data.
"Circuits, are you ready?" Anya asked. Circuits emitted an affirmative signal. "The jamming is active outside, Anya," Kaelen said. "The risk is on you."
Anya understood. She needed to create a secondary jammer during the activation. She attached Circuits to one of the Solus machines, forcing it to hack into enemy technology to cover its own signal.
“Let’s go, my friend. Let’s show Vane we’re smarter than his machines.”
Scene 5: The Activation (Cliffhanger)
Anya plugged wires from her Modular Wrench into the ancient Solus machine, creating an electrical diversion. Meanwhile, Circuits focused on the Network Key . His ether body connected to the Remnant, and the Network Key began emitting sequences of light.
Suddenly, the ground shook. On the screens in the room, an image appeared: Silas Vane himself.
" I knew you'd come, Engineer Bolt. But I've learned my lesson. This time, I won't settle for data. "
A blast door opened behind them. It wasn't a drone, it was a Solus Elite Commando , armed with energy nets designed to capture Astramals alive.
--- Continued Next Time: The Storming of the Fortress ---
