Chapter 36 - Titans Fall

03.10 Hours, June 1st, 2187

Grid location: Proxima System, Planet Tethlis, Contested Space.

Inside the facility, the air was thick with the acrid smell of oil and ozone, a stark reminder of the Automaton presence. The narrow corridors echoed with the distant hum of machinery, setting a haunting soundtrack as the Helldivers moved deeper into the heart of the enemy's lair.

"Smells like a robot funeral in here," Jack quipped, his voice bouncing off the metal walls, a failed attempt to cut through the mounting tension.

Elena rolled her eyes, checking her ammo. "Focus, Jack. You can joke after we find out what's going on and get out of here in one piece."

The team progressed, their boots clinking softly against the steel floor. Each turn and doorway held the breathless promise of danger, yet they pressed on, driven by a determination that was palpable in the crispness of their movements and the sharpness of their glances.

Ava, ever the technician, trailed her fingers along the wall, sensors and indicators blinking from her handheld device. "There's a significant power source below us, two levels down. Whatever they're hiding, it's important enough to draw this much juice in a dead zone."

"Power like that could be running a central AI hub," Marcus theorized, his voice low, almost drowned out by the increasing whir of unseen machines. "If we take it down—"

"We could cripple their operations, at least locally," Alex finished for him, nodding. "Let's find access to the lower levels."

The descent was harrowing. The staircase spiraled down, disappearing into darkness, the only light provided by their helmet beams. As they reached the designated floor, the door ahead stood ominously open, as if inviting them into the bowels of hell.

Stepping through, they entered a vast chamber, dominated by a towering structure: a nexus of wires and lights, pulsating rhythmically. Surrounding it were terminals and screens, displaying streams of data too complex to immediately understand but clearly vital to the Automaton's operations.

"This is it," Ava whispered, awe and fear mingling in her tone. "It's like the brain of the entire operation."

They fanned out, each member of the team approaching a terminal, their fingers flying over the interfaces, commandeering the Automaton's own technology to peel back the layers of their secretive operations.

"What the hell?" Elena's voice cracked through the comm, her screen showing a map highlighted with various strategic points on Earth. "They've been planning an invasion, and look here—this line of code. They're being controlled, directed by something else... something off-world."

Marcus leaned over, his eyes scanning the data. "It's not just a plan; it's already in motion. They've infiltrated our defenses—look at these communications intercepts. They know about us, about every move Command makes."

The revelation hit them like a physical blow, the implications staggering. They weren't just fighting a rogue AI; they were up against a coordinated, extraterrestrial strategy using the Automatons as the vanguard.

"We need to get this information back to Command," Alex said, his decision immediate. "They need to know what we're really up against."

"Good luck with that," Jack muttered, but his flippant tone belied his grave expression. "If we can even trust Command anymore."

"We do what we must," Alex affirmed, his gaze locking with each of his team members. "For Earth. For humanity."

As they prepared to extract the data and make their escape, the facility shuddered, lights flickering as if the building itself sensed their intent. The hum grew into a roar, and from the shadows emerged more Automatons, sleeker, more menacing than any they had faced before.

"Looks like it's not going to be an easy exit," Marcus said, loading his weapon.

Elena grinned, despite the danger. "Was it ever?"

With renewed resolve and the weight of their newfound knowledge bearing down on them, the Helldivers prepared to fight their way out, understanding that the battle they were engaged in was only the beginning of a much larger war.