77 UNFOLDED

TIVANA, SPECTRE, and RADRIN find a brief moment of respite in a small clearing after the harrowing ambush. The forest around them still pulses with erratic digital static, but for now, they gather their bearings.

TIVANA – (exhaling shakily) I can't believe we made it out of that ambush. My heart's still pounding…

SPECTRE – (clenching his bandaged shoulder) Every minute here feels like it could be our last. We need answers—now more than ever.

RADRIN checks his device once more, his fingers trembling slightly as he reviews the data from the ambush. His eyes narrow as he uncovers a pattern in the chaotic signals.

RADRIN – (quietly, with urgency) There's something I need to share. The fluctuations we encountered aren't random at all. They're part of a larger, deliberate signal. It all ties back to Protocol Negative 77.

TIVANA leans forward, her gaze fixed on RADRIN. The tension in the clearing is palpable, punctuated only by the distant hum of digital static.

TIVANA – (firmly) Protocol Negative 77… That's the code left behind when the AI vanished, isn't it? What have you found?

RADRIN – (taking a deep breath) I've been analyzing the data from every anomaly we've seen so far. The digital spikes, the flickering light on that oak, even the coordinated ambush—we're dealing with something engineered. Protocol Negative 77 isn't just a warning; it's a blueprint. A set of instructions that seems to govern these disturbances.

SPECTRE shifts uncomfortably, rubbing his injured shoulder.

SPECTRE – (skeptical) A blueprint? You mean the forest is… programmed? That sounds like something out of a nightmare.

RADRIN nods, his voice growing steadier as he explains.

RADRIN – Precisely. I believe that when the AI disappeared, it didn't vanish completely. Instead, it left behind fragments of its own code—fragments that now manifest as these glitches in nature. Protocol Negative 77 might be a failsafe—a set of instructions designed to either contain or erase what was created. And these anomalies are its residual signals.

TIVANA's eyes widen as she processes his words.

TIVANA – (whispering) So, every strange light, every glitch… it's like the AI is still trying to speak to us.

RADRIN taps rapidly on his device, and the screen begins to display a series of cryptic numbers and symbols interspersed with static.

RADRIN – (excited yet cautious) Look at this sequence. I'm trying to decrypt it. It seems to reference a location—possibly the professor's lab. But there's more... a warning embedded within the code.

Before he can continue, the device sputters and its screen flickers wildly. The static intensifies, and for a split second, a clear image appears—a distorted face, half obscured by digital noise, its eyes wide with an expression of sorrow and urgency.

SPECTRE – (alarmed) What the—? Did you see that?

RADRIN stares at his device, momentarily speechless. The image vanishes as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind only a residual hum.

RADRIN – (voice trembling) That wasn't part of the normal data feed. It was... a message. A warning, maybe even a plea. I'm not entirely sure, but it suggests that the professor's lab might hold not only the key to Protocol Negative 77 but also a secret that could change everything.

TIVANA, visibly shaken yet resolute, steps closer to RADRIN.

TIVANA – (determined) We need to know what that means. If the lab contains the answers—and possibly more dangers—we can't ignore it. Spectre, are you in?

SPECTRE – (grimacing, then nodding) I'm with you, Tivana. I still don't like where this is heading, but if it means getting to the truth… then we push forward.

RADRIN scrolls through his device, his fingers flying over the keys as he attempts to extract more from the cryptic message.

RADRIN – (muttering) The code... it's fragmentary, but I think it's pointing to coordinates—an exact location within this forest. It might be the hidden entrance to the lab.

A heavy silence follows as the trio absorbs the implications of RADRIN's discovery. The forest around them seems to grow quieter, as if waiting for their next move.

TIVANA – (softly, almost to herself) Protocol Negative 77… It could be the key to everything we thought we knew about the AI's disappearance. Or it could be the start of something even darker.

SPECTRE – (with a wry laugh that doesn't quite reach his eyes) You always did like your riddles, Radrin. But I'm not sure I'm ready to solve another one if it means dancing with digital ghosts.

RADRIN offers a small, encouraging smile despite the gravity of the situation.

RADRIN – (resolute) We'll handle it together. This message—this sudden twist—is our beacon. It's telling us that the professor's lab isn't just a place of refuge; it's the heart of this mystery.

The wind stirs, and for a moment, the static buzz in the air seems to recede, leaving a fragile calm. The trio sits for a few long seconds, each lost in thought. The ambush, the glitches, and the cryptic message have all converged into one undeniable truth: they're on the brink of discovering something monumental.

TIVANA – (looking from RADRIN to SPECTRE) We've been thrown into a world where nature and technology are intertwined in ways we never imagined. Protocol Negative 77 is our only lead—and it's coming to us in pieces. We need to piece it together, no matter how dangerous it might be.

SPECTRE – (quietly, with determination) Then let's get moving. Every second we waste here only gives the shadows a chance to regroup. I say we follow the coordinates Radrin's deciphered from that message.

RADRIN glances at his device one more time, confirming the location. "The readings are strongest in that direction," he says, pointing to a narrow, overgrown trail leading deeper into the forest. "It's our next step."

Without another word, the trio gathers their resolve. They stand, the weight of their discovery pressing upon them, yet bolstered by the bond forged in shared peril. The mysterious image on RADRIN's screen lingers in their minds—a silent reminder that Protocol Negative 77 is not just a code, but a living, breathing secret that could upend their entire understanding of the world.

TIVANA – (firmly) Then we follow the code. Step by step, clue by clue, until we uncover the truth—no matter how deep into darkness we must venture.

As they begin to move, the forest seems to exhale a collective whisper, the digital static and natural sounds merging into an eerie lullaby. Each step forward carries them closer to the hidden entrance of the professor's lab—and closer to the unraveling of Protocol Negative 77.