chapter 5 &6
The Awakening of the Genesis Protocol
Jax stood before the massive console in the central research hub, his fingers hovering over the keys, heart pounding in his chest. The data from the combat unit had been a key to unlocking the Genesis Protocol, and now, here he was, at the heart of the Bio-Dome, standing on the brink of discovering something that could change the course of humanity's future.
The screen in front of him flickered to life, showing an array of encrypted files. The Genesis Protocol, buried beneath layers of military-grade encryption, was just within reach, but unlocking it would require more than just brute force. It would take time—time Jax wasn't sure they had.
Kairo stood beside him, his stoic expression unchanged, but the tension in the air was palpable. The situation outside the Bio-Dome was growing more volatile by the day, and Jax knew they couldn't afford to wait much longer.
"Are you certain this is the only way?" Jax asked, his voice low but urgent.
Kairo nodded. "The Genesis Protocol is the last safeguard humanity has. If you don't activate it soon, the invaders will succeed. Their dimensional breach is accelerating, and once it reaches full capacity, this world will be lost."
Jax stared at the screen, his mind racing. The invasion wasn't just a war—it was a battle for the very fabric of reality. The invaders were tearing at the boundaries between worlds, attempting to merge their dimension with Earth's. Once they succeeded, there would be no turning back. No Earth, no Bio-Dome, no humanity.
"The protocol is in its final stages," Kairo continued, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "But you must unlock its core function before the dimensional breach becomes irreversible."
Jax's fingers moved swiftly over the console, his eyes scanning the encrypted files. The protocol seemed to be a multifaceted plan—one that involved more than just defense. It was a weapon. A weapon capable of manipulating dimensional barriers, of creating a shield that could lock the invaders out for good.
But there was a cost.
"Jax, do you understand what this means?" Kairo asked, his gaze hardening. "The Genesis Protocol isn't just a defense mechanism. It's a last-ditch effort to reboot humanity's survival. If activated, it will rewrite the fabric of Earth itself."
Jax paused. The words hung in the air like an unbearable weight. Rewriting Earth? Was this the solution they had been searching for? It didn't sound like a salvation—it sounded like a risk. A risk that could change everything.
"What do you mean, rewrite?" Jax asked, his voice strained.
"The Genesis Protocol will create a new timeline. A timeline where humanity can start over, where the invasion never happened, and the Earth's resources can be preserved. But the cost will be immense. All current records, all memories of the world before the breach, will be erased. People will live as if the invasion never occurred, but they won't remember the sacrifices made."
Jax's heart clenched. To sacrifice the memories of those who had fallen, to erase the lives they had lived, was a painful thought. But the alternative—the complete destruction of Earth—was unthinkable.
Kairo's gaze softened, just for a moment. "It's the only way. There is no other option. Humanity will have a chance to rebuild, but it will be a new beginning. No one will remember the past, but they will live to see the future."
Jax swallowed hard. The weight of the decision pressed down on him, but there was no turning back now. The fate of humanity, of all that remained of this world, rested on his shoulders.
"Then let's do it," Jax said, his voice firm. He didn't know if he was ready for the consequences, but he knew one thing for certain: if he didn't act, there would be nothing left to save.
He activated the protocol, watching as the console screen flashed with complex sequences of code. The Bio-Dome around them began to hum with power, the energy coursing through its veins like a living entity. Jax felt a strange sensation, a pull deep within his core, as if the very fabric of reality was shifting beneath his feet.
Outside, the ground trembled.
Jax turned to Kairo, his face pale. "What's happening?"
"The protocol is engaging," Kairo explained, his voice calm despite the chaos around them. "It's initiating the dimensional reset. The energy required to stabilize the timeline is immense. You must remain here, in the Bio-Dome, to ensure that the protocol completes successfully."
Jax nodded, though a sense of dread filled him. Was this really the right choice? Could they really rewrite the world without sacrificing too much?
But before he could voice his doubts, a loud explosion echoed from outside. The ground beneath their feet shook violently, and the lights in the Bio-Dome flickered. Something was wrong.
"Jax, the invaders—" Kairo's words were cut off as the console sparked violently. The system's status screen blinked red.
"No," Jax muttered. "They're already here. They're trying to stop us."
Kairo's expression hardened. "It's too late to abort the protocol. We must defend the Bio-Dome. The invaders are here, and they won't let you finish the reset without a fight."
The doors to the control room slammed shut with a deafening crash, and Jax could hear the sounds of battle outside. Mechanical drones, their forms eerily reminiscent of the combat unit Jax had seen earlier, swarmed around the Bio-Dome's outer perimeter, attempting to breach the facility's defenses.
"Jax, the invaders are already inside," Kairo said, his voice cold and determined. "We have to hold them off long enough for the Genesis Protocol to finish."
Jax's heart raced as he stared at the flashing red lights on the console. He didn't know if he was ready for this. But there was no turning back now. The Genesis Protocol had to succeed.
"Prepare yourself," Kairo said, handing Jax a weapon from a nearby rack. "The fight is just beginning."
Jax took the weapon, feeling its weight in his hands. It was sleek, made of a dark metal that gleamed under the dim light. He had no experience in combat, but there was no time to waste. The future of Earth depended on him—and if the invaders had their way, there would be no future at all.
With a deep breath, Jax stepped forward, ready to fight for humanity's survival.
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Acknowledgment:
This chapter was made possible with the assistance J.G. Everlight. Thank you for your help and support.
Chapter 6: The Final Stand
The lights flickered as Jax's pulse quickened. The Bio-Dome was under attack—its external defenses had been breached, and invaders were closing in. Outside the fortified walls, an army of mechanical drones surged forward, their glowing red eyes a harbinger of destruction. But inside, the Genesis Protocol was still running its course, a last-ditch effort to rewrite the fabric of reality itself.
Jax clutched the sleek weapon that Kairo had handed him. The metal was cold against his palm, but the weight of it grounded him, reminding him of the fight ahead. Kairo stood beside him, calm but alert, his sharp eyes scanning the control room for any sign of further attacks.
"They won't stop until the protocol fails," Kairo said, his voice cutting through the tension in the air. "We need to hold them off long enough for the reset to complete."
Jax nodded, trying to steady his racing thoughts. He wasn't a soldier, but in this moment, he had no choice but to become one. The fate of Earth—of everything—was in his hands.
The massive door to the control room shuddered, the sound of metal scraping against metal echoing throughout the facility. Jax's heart skipped a beat. They were getting closer.
"We won't be able to hold them off for long," Jax muttered, his voice tight with uncertainty.
"We don't have to," Kairo replied, his eyes glinting with determination. "I'll take the first wave. You stay here and make sure the protocol is running smoothly."
Jax opened his mouth to protest, but Kairo raised a hand, silencing him.
"Trust me," Kairo said, his voice low and steady. "You can't afford to leave the console. Not now."
Jax hesitated, but he knew Kairo was right. He was the one who could activate the Genesis Protocol and finish what had been started. His hand gripped the weapon tighter, but his mind was elsewhere. The Bio-Dome's security system was still in place, but it wouldn't last long against the invading force.
Kairo turned, his gaze hardening. "Stay safe. I'll keep them distracted."
And with that, he disappeared into the hallway, leaving Jax alone in the control room, with nothing but the flickering lights and the hum of the console.
Outside, the sound of battle erupted. The air was thick with the noise of gunfire, explosions, and the clanging of metal against metal. The invaders were relentless, their drones battering down the remaining barriers with terrifying efficiency. It was clear they weren't just here to conquer—they were here to destroy.
Jax's fingers flew over the console, monitoring the progress of the Genesis Protocol. The screen was still flashing red, warning him of external interference. But there was no time to waste. The invasion had to be stopped, and the protocol had to be completed before it was too late.
He glanced at the screen again. The system was almost halfway through its sequence, but the data wasn't coming in cleanly. The interference from the invaders was growing stronger, and if Jax didn't act fast, the reset would fail.
Jax's breath hitched as he reached for the override controls, his fingers trembling with the weight of the decision. But as he moved to engage the override, the ground trembled violently beneath him. The facility shook as another explosion reverberated through the walls, and a series of alarms blared.
Outside, Kairo's voice echoed in the comms system. "They're inside. The final wave is here. Jax, you need to hurry. You can't afford to wait any longer."
Jax's heart pounded in his chest. This was it. The moment of truth. His fingers hovered over the activation key for the Genesis Protocol, but he hesitated. If he pressed it now, there would be no going back. The reset would happen, erasing everything—the memories, the sacrifices, everything they had fought for.
But in his heart, Jax knew there was no other choice. The invaders had already destroyed everything they held dear. If they didn't succeed here, there would be no future to fight for.
With a deep breath, Jax slammed his hand onto the activation key.
A surge of energy pulsed through the Bio-Dome as the Genesis Protocol sprang to life, the lights flickering and then stabilizing, a soft hum filling the room. The console screen shifted from red to green, signaling that the reset sequence had begun.
Jax exhaled, his body tense as he watched the sequence unfold on the screen. Outside, the sounds of battle reached a fever pitch. He could hear the invaders' mechanical footsteps growing louder, their presence closing in on the control room.
But even as the reset began, the invaders weren't done yet.
Suddenly, the control room's doors exploded open with a deafening crash. A group of invader drones—twice as large as the ones outside—stormed into the room, their weapons aimed at Jax. Their red eyes glowed like hellfire, and their metallic bodies gleamed under the dim light.
Without thinking, Jax raised the weapon, firing rapidly at the advancing drones. The shots hit their marks, sending sparks flying, but the drones kept coming, relentless and implacable. Jax fired again and again, his hands shaking with the effort, but the drones were too many.
Just as Jax thought he would be overwhelmed, Kairo burst into the room, his body moving with the grace of a predator. He dove into the fray, his own weapons blazing, cutting down the drones with deadly precision.
"Get back to the console!" Kairo shouted, his voice filled with urgency.
Jax didn't need to be told twice. He spun around, sprinting toward the console, his heart hammering. The protocol was in its final stages, but the invaders were closing in.
The drones' heavy footsteps thundered behind him as he reached the console and slammed his hand down on the emergency override. The screen flickered again, showing the final sequence—one that would initiate the dimensional reset.
Suddenly, the room was filled with a blinding light. The hum of the Genesis Protocol grew louder, reaching a crescendo. Jax's mind raced, his thoughts spinning. Was this the end? Would they succeed? Or was the world lost forever?
The light grew brighter, consuming everything in its path. And then, just as quickly as it had started, the light vanished.
The Bio-Dome was silent.
Jax opened his eyes, blinking against the sudden darkness. The air around him was still, the hum of machinery gone. But when he looked around, he saw that everything had changed.
The world outside had shifted. The invasion had been repelled, but at what cost?
Jax stumbled back, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. The Genesis Protocol had completed its task—but what had it done to the world?
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Acknowledgment:
This chapter was made possible with the assistance of my friend.J.G. Everlight. Thank you for your help.