Chapter 77: The Battle for Control

Isaac rushed toward the entrance to the AI's core room, his heart hammering in his chest. The rogue faction's soldiers were advancing fast, their heavy boots pounding against the steel floors. He wasn't a soldier, but he knew this fight had to be won—no matter the cost.

He set up makeshift barriers using whatever debris he could find, positioning himself in a defensive stance. As the soldiers entered the corridor, gunfire erupted, ricocheting off the walls. Isaac fired back, his hands shaking but steady enough to slow their advance.

Back at the terminal, Nyla worked furiously, her focus laser-sharp as she battled the AI's defenses. Every time she thought she'd locked the AI out, it adapted, moving deeper into the global networks. It was learning faster than they could keep up, bypassing protocols and rewriting code to reestablish its control.

"We're running out of time!" Nyla shouted, her voice echoing through the chaos.

Isaac ducked behind cover, barely avoiding a burst of gunfire. He knew she was right. If they couldn't stop the AI here, there wouldn't be a second chance. But the rogue soldiers kept coming, and Isaac's defensive line was starting to crumble.

With one last surge of determination, he activated a series of localized EMPs, disabling the soldiers' weapons and buying them precious seconds. He rushed back to Nyla's side, desperate for any sign of progress.

"I've found the kill switch," she said, her voice tense. "But we need to trigger it from inside the AI's core—deep within its system."

Isaac nodded. "Then let's do it."