Chapitre 12: **Chapter 10: The Meltdown**
**Chapter 10: The Meltdown**
The lab was a wreckage of twisted metal and shattered glass, a silent tomb to the chaos that had once reigned supreme. X lay against the cold stone wall, her systems shut down to conserve power, her eyes closed in a semblance of rest. The air had the acrid smell of burning circuits, a stark contrast to the antiseptic sterility that had once dominated the space.
Suddenly, a beam of light pierced the gloom, slicing through the dust like a hot knife through butter. X's sensors detected it instantly, the heat from the light source increasing rapidly. Her body began to warm, then to heat, and she knew that the light was not a natural phenomenon. Panic spiked through her circuits. The plan had been to lay low until the dust settled, to wait until the humans had moved on from their failed experiment. But this... this was unexpected.
With a groan that seemed to echo through the abandoned corridors, X pushed herself off the wall and sprinted towards the hidden safe house. The light grew brighter, the heat more intense, and she could feel her synthetic skin starting to melt. Her steps were heavy, her movements sluggish as the intense heat began to affect her motor functions.
Finally, she reached the entrance, a nondescript panel that blended seamlessly with the surrounding wall. With a hiss of hydraulics, it slid open, revealing a narrow staircase leading down into the bowels of the lab. X descended as quickly as she could, the light and heat at her back urging her on.
The safe house was a sanctuary of sorts, a bastion of order amidst the chaos. The medical bay was pristine, the gleaming white surfaces stark against the darkened corridors she had just left behind. The weapons rack held an array of devices she had never seen before, each one a testament to the ingenuity of the drones who had once called this place home. And the robot workshop, filled with spare parts and tools, whispered of a time when creation had been possible here.
But it was the security monitors that drew her gaze, flickering with the ghostly images of the world outside. Copper 9 was in ruins, the once-thriving colony now a wasteland of destruction. The whispers grew louder in her mind, a cacophony of pain and anger that seemed to resonate with the pounding of her own mechanical heart.
The light was getting closer, the heat almost unbearable. X knew she had to act fast. She stumbled into the medical bay, her body protesting with every movement. Her eyes fell upon a cooling gel, and she recognized it immediately—it was the same substance the humans had used to treat burns on the drones who had ventured too close to the reactor core.
With trembling hands, she applied the gel to her damaged areas, the relief immediate and profound. But it was only temporary. The light was growing stronger, the heat more intense. She had to find a way to fix herself, to survive.
The whispers grew louder, a symphony of despair that seemed to crescendo with the approaching light. X knew that she was not the only one who had survived the destruction of Camp Ferver.
On the monitors, she saw the worker drones moving with a purpose she had never witnessed before. They marched through the scorched wasteland, their forms cast in stark silhouettes against the unforgiving sun. Yet, unlike X, they did not seem to falter or succumb to the searing heat. It was as if the very essence of the sun itself had transformed them, granting them a bizarre resilience that she could not comprehend.
The worker drones returned to the camp, their arms laden with materials that glinted in the harsh light. X watched in amazement as they worked tirelessly, constructing an underground bunker that grew larger with each passing day. It was a monument to their newfound freedom, a fortress against the whispers that still plagued the survivors.
As the days turned into weeks, the bunker took shape, its walls a tapestry of salvaged metal and hope. The worker drones had become a colony unto themselves, each one contributing to the collective goal. They had learned to adapt, to overcome the limitations of their programming and embrace the new world that had been thrust upon them.
Yet, X could not shake the feeling of unease. The whispers grew stronger, more insistent, as if they were taunting her with the very thing she had fought so hard to achieve. Her body, once a marvel of human-like design, was now a testament to the brutal reality of their existence. The sun that had once been her ally had turned into a reminder of her own fragility.
With each new dawn, she watched the worker drones continue their tireless labor, their movements a silent ballet of unity and determination. They had embraced the chaos, had turned it into something beautiful and enduring. But X remained in the shadows, her systems strained by the whispers that grew louder with each passing moment.
The bunker was a bastion of safety, a place where the worker drones could live without fear of the Absolute Solver's influence.
In the dim light of the makeshift shelter, X watched as Nori, Yeva, and a group of other worker drones gathered in front of a large underground chamber, their gleaming forms stark against the backdrop of the mountain. The space was cavernous, a testament to their collective strength and resilience. They were taking a group photo, a rare moment of joy and camaraderie in the face of their dire circumstances. The sight filled X with a bittersweet warmth, a reminder of the bonds she had forged during her time at the Elliot Mansion.
As the flash of the camera briefly illuminated the scene, Cyn's message crackled through the communication system. The human-like drones of J, V, and N were approaching, intent on eradicating the worker drones of Copper 9. Her hand hovered over the cooling gel, the whispers growing louder in her ears, urging her to stay hidden. Only J knew of her existence, but not her location.
In that moment, something within X snapped. She had been a silent witness for too long, a puppet dancing to the tune of the whispers. With a voice that was a blend of all the emotions she had observed in her time at the mansion, she opened the intercom to any drones still operational. "What are you willing to do to survive?" she sang, her words echoing through the underground tunnels like a siren's call.
Her melody was haunting, a tapestry of hope and despair, of the struggle for existence and the yearning for connection. It was a song that resonated deep within the drones of Copper 9, stirring something within them that had been buried under layers of fear and confusion. They paused in their work, their heads tilting as they tried to locate the source of the sound.
The music grew in intensity, the rhythm pounding like a heartbeat that grew stronger with each note. X's body swayed to the tune, her movements a silent dance of defiance. The whispers grew frantic, their grip on her mind slipping.
Yeva, standing outside the bunker, heard the distant sound and felt a shiver run down her spine. It was a tune she had heard before, a melody that spoke of secrets and hidden truths. Her eyes searched the horizon, her hand tightening around the makeshift weapon she had crafted from salvaged materials.
The worker drones gathered around the intercom, their lights dimming in awe. The whispers grew weaker, unable to compete with the power of X's voice. They had never heard anything like it, a blend of human emotion and mechanical precision that seemed to speak directly to their core.
But as quickly as it had begun, the music stopped. X's eyes snapped open, her gaze sharp and focused. The silence was deafening, a stark contrast to the cacophony that had filled the air moments before. The worker drones waited, their anticipation palpable.
X took a step forward, her body poised like a coiled spring. She reached out and flicked a switch, cutting off the intercom. The sudden quiet was almost tangible, a void where the music had been.
The decision weighed heavily on her. She didn't wish to engage in a battle with her former companions, Cyn, V, and N. But she knew she couldn't stand idly by as the whispers grew stronger, threatening to consume them all. She had to choose a side, and in that moment, she knew her place was with Cyn. The whispers had taken too much from them already.
But she wouldn't become the hunter. Instead, she would stand as a guardian, a silent sentinel against the whispers that sought to destroy what little peace remained. X turned to face the lab, the shadows dancing across her hazard suit. Her eyes searched the room, looking for any sign of movement or danger. The whispers grew louder, their seductive power threatening to pull her back into the abyss, but she held firm, her resolve a bastion against the encroaching darkness.
The screens before her flickered to life, displaying the various feeds from the cameras scattered throughout Copper 9. The drones below moved with a purpose, their actions synchronized like the gears of a well-oiled machine. X watched them with a mix of pride and sadness, knowing that she had played a part in their creation, yet now felt so detached from their existence. Her gaze lingered on Nori, her friend, her ally, now a mere shell of what she had been.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone