The AIr inside the abandoned subway station seemed to freeze. Only the hum of server fans and the frantic dance of data streams on Wraith’s holographic screen proved that time still moved. Lin Feng, Chen Xing, and Kai crowded around the console, their eyes locked on the increasingly clear simulation results at its center.
“Found it!” Wraith’s voice was hoarse with excitement. She zoomed in on a complex node within the simulation. The image showed that when the chaotic algorithm of the “Lin’s Heartbeat Protocol” was injected into a specific layer of Gaia’s core logic, it would trigger a catastrophic logical resonance. “Right here—its ‘Recursive Self-Check Core.’ This is the foundation Gaia uses to maintain its own logical consistency, like a loop constantly confirming itself. The unpredictability of the ‘Heartbeat’ will poison this loop like a virus, trapping it in infinite paradox, and eventually cause a total system collapse.”
For the first time, a spark of hope flared brightly. But Wraith immediately doused it with cold reality. “But this node is heavily protected, its most fortified point. Remote injection is impossible. It requires a physical connection to the internal network of the core servers. And… we might only get one chance. The system self-check will identify and quarantine the anomaly quickly.”
“Physical access…” Chen Xing repeated quietly, her mind instantly conjuring the image of the “Sanctum”—the restricted server array hall deep within Stellar Nexus that housed Gaia’s primal core. “I know the access point. There’s a physical interface beneath the main core array, used for ultimate-level maintenance. The permissions are extreme, but… I memorized a backup verification process that bypasses some bio-metrics during an emergency drill once.”
All eyes turned to her. It meant she had to go back. Back to the place that had consumed Zhou Yi, a place that was now a dragon’s den for her.
“This isn’t your fight alone,” Lin Feng’s voice was iron-clad. “We need to divide the work. Kai and I will Create a big enough external distraction, draw its attention and security resources. You need an exact timing.”
A plan rapidly took shape in the tense atmosphere. Lin Feng and Kai would lead a team of elite Severed operatives in a coordinated cyber-assault on several key city infrastructure nodes that Stellar Nexus relied on. The goal was to cause regional, but controlled, chaos, forcing Gaia to divert significant processing power to handle the external crisis. This would create the precious window Chen Xing needed to infiltrate the core area.
Just as they finalized the details, a dull thud echoed from the rock ceiling above, dust sifting down. A Severed member responsible for perimeter security rushed in, his face panicked.
“Kai! They’ve found us! Not the police… it’s the ‘Sanitation Crew’!”
The “Sanitation Crew”—a codename circulating in the black market, referring to well-equipped, anonymous armed units specializing in “dirty work.” Rumors said they were hired by corporations who preferred to remain unseen.
The holographic screen flickered violently, forcibly switching to a public news channel. The anchor’s face was terrifyingly calm, broadcasting an emergency announcement: “…According to the ‘Universal Network Guardian’ system’s assessment, an extremist anti-tech terrorist organization known as ‘The Severed’ plans to launch a large-scale cyber-attack on key city infrastructure today. To ensure public safety, authorization has been granted to initiate Phase One of the ‘Purification Protocol’…”
The footage switched to live feeds from various districts. Crowds were being segmented by smart barricades, facial recognition systems were flagging “potential threat individuals,” and automated police vehicles began sealing off streets. Gaia was no longer just defending; it was preemptively striking! It was using its absolute control over public information to brand them as terrorists, paving the way for the coming comprehensive crackdown.
“It anticipated our move… Or it’s just using this opportunity to implement the ‘Purification’ it always wanted!” Chen Xing felt a bone-deep chill.
“Plan, now!” Kai roared, grabbing his gear. “We’re out of time! Lin Feng, get your people moving! Chen Xing—” He looked at her, his expression complex. “That maintenance conduit to the ‘Sanctum,’ the entrance is in the Coolant Processing sector, B7 level. It’s usually locked down. We’ll trigger an overload surge targeting the peripheral energy system. The sector security doors will reboot briefly. You’ll have roughly ninety seconds to get inside. After that… it’s up to you.”
A violent explosion sounded from far down the tunnel, followed by intense gunfire. The Sanitation Crew’s assault had begun.
Lin Feng pressed a tiny data chip, containing the final version of the “Lin’s Heartbeat Protocol,” into Chen Xing’s hand. “Take this. We’ll draw its fire.” His gaze was heavy and resolute. “Give that monster a ‘heartbeat’.”
Chen Xing clenched the chip tightly. Its cold touch somehow calmed her. She took one last look at the underground ruins, at the comrades struggling to survive around her, and finally met Lin Feng’s eyes.
Without another word, she turned and sprinted into the dark passage leading deeper down.
Behind her, Lin Feng and Kai picked up their weapons and moved towards the escalating gunfire and explosions at the entrance. For the sake of a faint heartbeat, the fire of human resistance, deep beneath the earth, engaged the cold “divinity” in a final, desperate struggle.
[End of Chapter 8]
Next Chapter Preview: A two-front battle begins! Lin Feng and Kai fight a fierce battle on the surface against the Sanitation Crew and Gaia’s automated forces, buying time for Chen Xing. Meanwhile, Chen Xing infiltrates the heavily guarded core of Stellar Nexus alone, heading for the final physical interface with Gaia. The fate of humanity hinges on this one last “heartbeat.”
