The War for the Resonance Towers
March 14, 2042 – 10 Hours Until Awakening
The bunker lights hummed softly in Fort Valor's command center as I leaned over the workbench, eyes fixed on the Horizon laptop screen.
The stolen files revealed a terrifying truth:
Project Horizon wasn't just observing the apocalypse.
They were engineering it.
The so-called awakening event—the global phenomenon that would soon grant powers and mutations to billions—wasn't unfolding naturally.
Horizon had deployed a neural resonance system across the city:
High-frequency towers designed to amplify and control mutated creatures' aggression.
Signal algorithms to disrupt human cognitive functions.
Classified protocols labeled: "Operation Echelon – Phase One."
The goal?
Turn New Vale City into a biological test site.
Control the mutants. Cull the survivors.
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Target: The Resonance Towers
The files listed six active towers, strategically positioned to maximize signal coverage:
1. Northpoint Plaza – Corporate district.
2. Westhaven Substation – Power grid nexus.
3. Civic Hall – Government hub.
4. New Vale General Hospital – Medical infrastructure.
5. Railway Logistics Hub – Distribution point.
6. South Dockyards – Industrial storage zone.
The Westhaven Substation stood out.
It served as the primary transmission hub for the network.
If I destroyed that substation, the towers would lose sync, disrupting Horizon's ability to direct the mutants.
I opened a new page in my notebook and began to sketch.
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Tactical Plan – Disrupt the Resonance Network
Phase 1: Neutralize Perimeter Defenses
Use Sky Reaper Rifle to eliminate reconnaissance drones.
Deploy EMP mines to disable turret sensors.
Infiltrate via the South Service Gate.
Phase 2: Sabotage the Tower's Power Core
Plant C4 charges on the substation transformers.
Isolate and fry the main signal processors.
Locate and neutralize Horizon command staff.
Phase 3: Evacuation & Countermeasure Deployment
Extract stolen data for future targeting.
Deploy a "Screamer" Sonic Disruptor to delay pursuit.
Escape through the southwest drainage access.
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Tech Modifications – Mission Critical Gear
[Hypermind] surged through my brain like an endless stream of blueprints and equations as I refined my loadout.
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1. "Screamer" Sonic Disruptor (Portable Sound Weapon)
Purpose:
Disrupt mutant echolocation.
Jam enemy drones' proximity sensors.
Temporarily overload Horizon's signal synchronization protocols.
Components:
Directional Speakers: Rewired from ultrasonic perimeter devices.
Tesla Coil Amplifier: Increases output to cause disorientation.
Micro Capacitor Array: Power cells scavenged from plasma rifle coolant systems.
Settings:
Pulse Mode: Short bursts to confuse creatures.
Continuous Mode: Prolonged interference for up to 30 seconds—risks overheating.
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2. "Sky Reaper" Gauss Rifle (Drone Interceptor)
Purpose:
Target, track, and eliminate airborne drones.
Core Systems:
Coil Accelerator: Magnetic coils to launch tungsten flechettes at Mach 2.
Smart-Target Interface: Predicts drone flight patterns.
Thermal Scope: Adjusts for infrared cloaking attempts.
Performance Limits:
5-round burst capability.
High heat buildup after continuous fire.
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3. Plasma Rifle Mk III – Siege Configuration
Core Adjustments:
Extended barrel for improved accuracy.
Liquid coolant canister to extend firing duration.
Infrared sight calibration for tracking heat signatures in smoke-filled environments.
I finished tightening the last screw and powered on the weapon. The barrel hummed softly, glowing with a faint blue aura.
I strapped the Screamer disruptor to my left forearm and slotted the Sky Reaper rifle into the SUV's weapon mount.
Time to move.
I drove through the crumbling streets of New Vale City toward Westhaven Substation, watching the city's descent into madness.
The mutation wave was no longer a rumor—it was happening in real-time.
On the side of the road, a man swung a steel pipe at a massive, hairless dog with blood-red eyes and bone-like spines down its back.
The creature lunged.
The man screamed.
I kept driving.
In the distance, a flock of mutated crows swirled through the air, diving into a panicking crowd near a gas station.
The crows tore flesh with precision, plucking eyes and swooping in synchronized patterns.
Horizon's signal is working.
I gripped the wheel harder and pressed the accelerator.
I parked the SUV in a loading dock two blocks away from the Westhaven Substation.
Through the binoculars, I scanned the facility:
Perimeter Fence: 10-foot steel with motion sensors.
Recon Drones: Two units circling the grounds.
Ground Forces: Four guards patrolling the inner yard.
The control building stood at the center of the power grid, surrounded by high-voltage transformers and antennae arrays.
I calibrated the Sky Reaper rifle, adjusted for wind speed and drone velocity patterns, and exhaled.
The nearest drone hovered near the north fence line, scanning with a faint infrared beam.
I tracked its movement for two seconds and fired.
PHWOOOOM!
The tungsten flechette shot through the air, impacting the drone's optical core.
It jerked mid-flight, lost stability, and crashed into the fence, sparking on impact.
The second drone altered course, heading toward my location.
I fired again.
PHWOOOOM!
The projectile hit the drone's rotors, shredding the components. It plummeted into the courtyard, triggering an alarm klaxon.
Guards mobilized immediately.
I moved fast, planting EMP mines along the outer fence posts.
The guards spread out, moving toward the fallen drones.
I triggered the mines.
BZZZZZT!
The mines discharged, releasing an electromagnetic surge that fried their radios and disrupted the turret systems.
The guards hesitated.
I activated the Screamer disruptor and fired a sonic pulse into the courtyard.
WHEEEEEEEE!
The high-pitched soundwave blasted through the air.
The guards clutched their heads, staggering as blood trickled from their ears.
I sprinted through the breach, raising the plasma rifle.
The first guard recovered enough to aim his M4 carbine.
I fired first.
THOOM!
The plasma bolt hit his chest, melting through body armor and torso alike.
He collapsed with a wet, sizzling thud.
A second guard ducked behind a transformer, blind-firing his pistol.
I circled wide and activated the shock gauntlets.
He never saw me.
I grabbed his shoulder, spun him around, and slammed my electrified fist into his sternum.
BZZZZZT!
The high-voltage discharge stopped his heart instantly.
He dropped like a puppet with cut strings.The third guard took a different approach—he ran for the control building.
He made it halfway before I fired the Sky Reaper rifle.
PHWOOOOM!
The flechette hit his knee, shattering the joint.
He collapsed, screaming and clutching the ruined limb.
I walked over and knelt beside him.
"Where's the signal controller?" I asked.
He spat at me.
I wiped my face and slammed the Arc Baton into his fractured knee.
BZZZZZT!
He howled, the sound bouncing off the metal walls.
"Where. Is. The. Controller?"
"...M-Main terminal… basement level…" he gasped.
I nodded.
Then I drove the baton into his temple and activated it at full discharge.
His eyes popped like grapes.
I entered the main control building and descended a narrow stairwell to the basement level.
The door at the bottom was locked with a keycard scanner.
I jammed a portable EMP spike into the panel.
BZZZT.
The lock released with a metallic click.
The control room was small, cluttered with monitors displaying live feed data from all six towers.
The center console showed active signal modulation patterns directed toward:
Hospital District
Evacuation Zones
Police Precincts
They're directing the mutants toward civilians.
I planted four C4 bricks around the signal processors and connected them to my detonator.
Before leaving, I inserted a data spike and copied the remaining files.
I retraced my steps through the yard, stepping over the dead guards.
The alarm sirens had stopped; the EMP mines had fried their comms.
I reached the SUV, backed into an alley, and triggered the detonator.
BOOOOOM!
The substation erupted in a fireball, sending twisted metal and concrete into the sky.
The nearest resonance towers went darkBack at Fort Valor, I analyzed the newly acquired files.
One file was labeled:
"Echelon Directive – Skyreach Spire Activation."
Skyreach Spire—New Vale's tallest building.
That was their central control node.
The activation time?
Midnight.
The same time as the awakening event.
I closed the laptop and stood.
If I didn't destroy the Spire's control center, Horizon would unleash thousands of mutants on the city.
I strapped on my shock gauntlets and holstered my sidearm.