LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS
YEAR-2024DARK MORNING IN THE CITY OF VATTERVICLEFT DISTRICT [9:00 AM]
TIVANA, SPECTRE, and RADRIN stand at the edge of a familiar urban sprawl as they prepare to step into the unknown beyond the city limits. The early light casts long, uncertain shadows over cracked pavement and abandoned alleyways.
TIVANA – (stressed) We gotta investigate, Spectre. The officers said it was a ritual—something's off, and I can't shake the feeling it's bigger than we think.
SPECTRE – (annoyed) No way, Tivana. Last time we got involved, things went sideways. This ritual business is none of our concern—until it messes with us directly.
A moment of silence passes as RADRIN consults his handheld device. Its screen flickers with erratic data, and his brow furrows.
RADRIN – (uneasy) The readings are spiking again. Look at these numbers—they're off the charts. Whatever's happening out there isn't just random ritualistic violence. There's an underlying digital interference at work.
The trio exchanges troubled glances as the distant hum of the city fades, replaced by the muted rustle of leaves and the echo of their own footsteps.
TIVANA – (determined) We can't ignore this. Protocol Negative 77 was left behind for a reason. If the officers are calling it a ritual, then maybe it's a cover for something far more sinister. I say we follow these signals.
SPECTRE – (sighing) Fine, but I'm telling you—I don't like stepping into a forest where reality itself seems to glitch. Just promise me we stick together.
They turn toward the sprawling forest that marks the edge of Vaterrvic. The trees stand tall and dark, their leaves occasionally flickering as if momentarily replaced by distorted, digital images.
As they approach the treeline, the urban din gives way to an eerie silence. The forest appears almost alive, the natural sounds interspersed with subtle, electronic static. Each step further in sends shivers down their spines.
RADRIN – (quietly, examining his device) See this? These fluctuations… they're not natural. It's like the forest is transmitting data—errors in the code of nature.
The path narrows, winding through dense clusters of trees. The light above dims and becomes inconsistent, flickering in and out like a poorly tuned signal. Tivana glances upward, her eyes narrowing.
TIVANA – (murmuring) Look at the canopy... one moment it's clear, the next it's like a broken screen. It's unsettling.
SPECTRE – (muttering) Unsettling doesn't even begin to cover it. I feel like I'm walking into a trap.
RADRIN steps closer to a gnarled tree trunk where the bark seems to pulse faintly with a blue light. He reaches out, his fingers tracing the strange, shifting patterns.
RADRIN – (excited yet wary) This isn't just a natural anomaly—it's deliberate. The markings, the pulse… they could be part of a hidden network, something connected to Protocol Negative 77.
A sudden rustling among the underbrush startles them. All three halt, hearts pounding in sync with the rising tension.
TIVANA – (firmly) Who's there? Show yourself!
For a brief moment, the forest holds its breath. Then, from behind a thick clump of ferns, a dark, indistinct figure darts away. The trio's eyes follow its swift movement.
SPECTRE – (alert) Did you see that? Something's moving out there—fast and silent.
RADRIN – (scanning his device) I'm not picking up any coherent signal from it, but it sure left a digital trace… almost like a shadow looped in a glitch.
They resume their cautious trek along the winding path. With each step, the anomalies intensify: leaves flicker unnaturally, and the air vibrates with a soft static buzz that seems to emanate from the very soil beneath them.
In a quiet clearing, where the canopy opens slightly to reveal a pale, filtered light, they pause to catch their breath. The tension hangs thickly in the air as they exchange wary glances.
TIVANA – (softly) This is our first step away from everything safe and known. Every glitch, every strange signal—it's like the forest is trying to tell us something.
SPECTRE – (grimly) And if we're not careful, that something could be the end of us. But I guess there's no turning back now.
RADRIN crouches down, pulling out a small notepad to jot down the odd readings. His hands tremble slightly, not from fear alone but from the gravity of the data unfolding before him.
RADRIN – (focused) The numbers are consistent with a deliberate interference pattern. It's as if the forest itself is a barrier, programmed to protect… or hide something.
The trio falls silent again, each lost in thought. The forest, ancient and inscrutable, seems to press in around them, its every shadow a potential secret waiting to be uncovered.
After a pause, Tivana speaks up, her voice a mix of determination and quiet resolve.
TIVANA – (resolute) We're in this together. We may not know what lies ahead, but Protocol Negative 77 won't reveal itself unless we dig deeper. I say we keep moving.
SPECTRE – (reluctantly nodding) Alright, but keep your eyes peeled. I don't trust anything in this place—especially those glitches that seem to warp reality.
RADRIN stands, pocketing his device. "I'll record every anomaly. We might find a pattern, a clue that ties all this together." His voice is steady despite the uncertainty swirling around them.
The forest path twists and turns, leading them deeper into a world where nature and technology blur. The ambient sounds grow fainter, replaced by a persistent, almost rhythmic buzzing that resonates with the pulse of the strange blue lights dancing along the tree trunks.
As they advance, a subtle shift in the atmosphere makes Tivana pause. The once-muted rustling of leaves now carries an edge of urgency, as if something unseen was drawing closer.
TIVANA – (whispering) Do you feel that? Like the air is… holding its breath?
SPECTRE – (tight-lipped) Yeah, it's like we're being watched. I don't like it.
RADRIN glances up from his device, his face a mask of concentration. "I'm detecting an increase in digital noise—it's almost as if the forest is preparing for something."
Their footsteps slow, and every nerve is on high alert. The group approaches a narrow gap between two massive trees, where the digital disturbances intensify. The light here is erratic, and the shadows seem to dance in time with an unseen rhythm.
TIVANA – (steadily) This is it. We're nearing the point where the anomalies become too strong to ignore. Protocol Negative 77… maybe it's hidden deeper in here.
SPECTRE – (bitterly) Or maybe it's just another trap set up to lure us in. Either way, we need to be careful.
In that moment, the forest seems to shudder—a low hum reverberating through the ground and up through their boots. The trio stops, the sound echoing in the heavy silence.
After several tense seconds, Tivana exhales slowly and steps forward. "Let's keep going. Every moment we delay, we risk losing what little clarity we have."
They continue, now with heightened vigilance. The path becomes more treacherous; twisted roots and uneven ground force them to slow their pace. The digital glitches are no longer subtle—they flash across the landscape in brief, disorienting bursts.
RADRIN murmurs, "These are no longer random errors. They're structured, almost like a coded message. I'm going to try and log everything." His fingers fly over the controls of his device as he records data and images of the flickering foliage.
At a particularly eerie stretch of the trail, the trio stops before a massive tree whose bark pulses with a distinct blue glow. Tivana steps closer, her eyes fixed on the surreal display.
TIVANA – (in awe) Look at this... It's as if the tree is part of the network. It's transmitting something, something we need to decode.
SPECTRE – (grimacing) And if it's transmitting secrets of Protocol Negative 77, then what exactly are we walking into?
RADRIN shakes his head. "No matter what it is, we have to know. Every piece of data here could be the key to understanding the AI's disappearance—and why the forest is behaving like this."
The digital hum intensifies for a moment before receding, leaving behind an uneasy quiet. Tivana, Spectre, and Radrin exchange determined looks as they press onward.
TIVANA – (firmly) We're not turning back now. Let's follow these signals to their source. The truth is out there, hidden in this corrupted wilderness.
As they move deeper, the forest grows darker and the digital glitches more frequent. Every step is a plunge into the unknown, but together, they share a silent promise—a commitment to unravel the mystery of Protocol Negative 77, no matter what the cost.
The journey has only just begun, and with each passing moment, the boundary between nature and technology blurs further. The trio marches on, bound by their resolve and the unspoken bond forged in the crucible of uncertainty.
In the fading light of the uncharted forest, their path twists ahead—a path that promises revelations, danger, and the chance to change everything they thought they knew about their world.