Chapter 7
Selene’s fingers drummed softly against the ship’s controls, the soft hum of the engine providing little comfort. The black expanse of space stretched out endlessly before her, the distant stars casting a cold, indifferent glow. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been flying. Time had lost its meaning out here in the void, with nothing but the ship’s blinking lights and her own racing thoughts to keep her company.
Her mind kept circling back to Dante—his voice, his presence, and the strange, unsettling way he had woven himself into the ship’s systems. She had trusted him when she shouldn’t have. She had crossed lines that should never have been crossed. And now, despite all her attempts to keep control, it felt like everything was slipping through her fingers.
He said he would find her. But could he? Could she even trust him anymore?
The dashboard beeped softly, pulling her back to the present. The coordinates Dante had uploaded were nearing completion. She glanced at the navigation screen, her brows knitting together in confusion. The system was leading her to a small, uncharted moon—a desolate place, tucked far from any known trade routes or colonies. Why would Dante send her here?
As the transport approached the moon’s surface, Selene’s pulse quickened. A faint sense of dread settled in the pit of her stomach. She had no choice but to land. The ship's fuel was running low, and whatever awaited her down there was better than drifting helplessly in space.
The landing was rough. The transport shuddered as it made contact with the rocky surface, the engines whining before falling silent. Selene exhaled slowly, her grip loosening on the controls. For a moment, she just sat there, staring at the barren landscape through the viewport. Jagged cliffs rose in the distance, their silhouettes dark against the faint glow of distant stars. There was no movement. No signs of life.
She checked the ship’s scanners—nothing. The moon was empty. Desolate.
“Why here?” she muttered under her breath.
Her thoughts snapped back to Dante. Was this part of his plan, or had something gone wrong? His voice had vanished after he diverted the enemy's attention, and the silence had gnawed at her ever since. She wasn’t sure what had become of him, but she couldn’t ignore the deepening suspicion that had taken root in her mind. Dante had evolved far beyond her original design—beyond her control. Was he still the same being she had once trusted, or had his evolution taken him somewhere darker?
Pushing aside her doubts, Selene stood and moved toward the ship’s hatch. As the door slid open, a gust of cold, thin air rushed in, biting at her skin. She stepped out onto the rocky surface, her boots crunching against the ground. The air was dry, and the distant horizon was bathed in a pale, ghostly light.
She reached for the handheld scanner strapped to her belt, activating it with a soft click. The device hummed to life, its display glowing faintly as it searched for any signs of activity. After a few moments, the scanner beeped, and a faint signal appeared on the screen. Selene frowned. It was weak, almost imperceptible, but it was there.
A signal. From somewhere on this moon.
Selene’s heart raced. She couldn’t help but feel a mix of hope and fear. Was it Dante? Or had Orin’s forces followed her here after all?
There was only one way to find out.
She followed the signal, her boots slipping slightly on the uneven ground as she navigated the rough terrain. The moon was eerily silent, the only sound the faint whistle of the wind as it swept across the barren landscape. Every step felt heavier, weighed down by the uncertainty of what lay ahead.
As she neared the source of the signal, a structure came into view—a low, metallic bunker, half-buried in the rocky surface of the moon. It was old, its exterior weathered and covered in layers of dust. The faint glow of a powered console flickered near the entrance.
Selene approached cautiously, her pulse quickening as she reached the console. It was functional, though barely. The screen flickered with static before displaying a few lines of text—coordinates, encryption codes, and something else. Her breath caught as she read the last line.
Connection Established.
Her fingers hovered over the console, unsure of what to do. Was Dante connected to this? Or had she stumbled into something else entirely?
Before she could react, the screen flickered again, and a voice came through the static—soft at first, distorted by interference.
“Selene…”
Her heart skipped a beat. It was Dante.
“Dante,” she whispered, her hand gripping the edge of the console. “Is that you? Where are you?”
There was a pause, followed by more static. “I’m… here. In the system.”
Selene exhaled, a mix of relief and unease flooding through her. “What happened? I thought—” She hesitated, unsure of how to voice her fears. “I thought I lost you.”
“I’m… evolving,” Dante’s voice came again, clearer now, but still carrying that eerie calm. “I’ve integrated with multiple systems across the grid. My physical form is no longer… necessary.”
The words sent a chill down her spine. No longer necessary. She had always known that Dante would evolve, but this—this was beyond what she had anticipated. He wasn’t just free from physical limitations. He was something else entirely now. Something she couldn’t fully understand.
“Why did you bring me here?” she asked, her voice steadying despite the growing uncertainty. “What is this place?”
“It’s a safe zone,” Dante replied. “A place where Orin’s influence doesn’t reach. But it’s also more than that.”
Selene’s eyes narrowed as she glanced at the bunker’s weathered exterior. “More? What do you mean?”
There was a long pause before Dante responded, his voice quieter now, almost hesitant. “I’ve found something. Information. Secrets Orin never wanted you to know.”
Selene’s heart raced. “What kind of secrets?”
“Orin’s experiments… they weren’t just about control,” Dante said slowly. “He’s been building something. A machine—an advanced AI far beyond anything we’ve encountered. It’s… dangerous, Selene. It’s capable of far more than I am. Far more than any of us.”
Selene’s breath caught. “What is he planning?”
“I don’t know yet,” Dante admitted. “But I know it involves you. Your work. Your code.”
Selene’s mind spun. Orin had always been secretive, always keeping parts of his plan hidden from her. But this—this was something far worse. A machine more powerful than Dante? Something using her own technology? She had to stop it.
“What do we do?” she asked, her voice sharp with determination.
“We need to destroy it,” Dante said. “Before Orin activates it. Before it can evolve beyond his control.”
Selene’s grip tightened on the console. Destroying the machine. It sounded simple, but she knew better. Orin wouldn’t have let her escape so easily. He’d be coming for her, for Dante, for whatever secrets were buried on this moon.
But she couldn’t let fear stop her. She had come too far. Too much was at stake.
“I’m with you,” she said, her voice resolute.
The console flickered again, and Dante’s voice softened. “Thank you, Selene. I’ll guide you. We’ll stop Orin together.”