Chapter 2

The air outside feels different now—sharper, like it's finally realized I'm here. The blue light trail has faded, leaving me to navigate this wasteland on my own. I'm still processing what just happened. Someone died in front of me, and I barely flinched. What does that say about who I was before... this?

I walk without direction, stepping over twisted metal and cracked stone. Each footfall sends up little puffs of ash that never quite settle. The horizon hasn't changed—still that same bruised sky, still those same broken buildings stabbing upward like accusatory fingers.

[Genesis Core calibrating to environmental conditions.]

"Thanks for the update," I mutter. "Any other insights you'd like to share? Like who I am? Or what you are?"

No response. Of course.

I kick a piece of debris, watching it skitter across the ground. It hits something solid—not debris, but an intact piece of machinery. Cylindrical, about the size of my fist, with strange markings etched along its surface. When I pick it up, it's warm to the touch.

[Artifact detected: Energy Cell - Depleted. Absorption possible.]

"Absorption?" I say aloud, turning the device over in my hands. "What do you mean—"

The cylinder dissolves. Not melts, not breaks apart—just dissolves into motes of light that flow into my skin like water into sand. The sensation is... pleasant. Like stretching muscles I didn't know I had.

[Energy Cell absorbed. Core capacity increased by 0.3%.]

I stare at my hands. "Okay, that's definitely not normal."

But then again, what is normal anymore? I just watched a man die from whatever's living in my chest, and now I'm apparently consuming technology like some kind of magical vacuum cleaner.

"Right. So I'm some kind of... tech‑eating monster now?" I look around, suddenly seeing the ruins differently. Not just debris—but potential food. "Great career change. Very sustainable."

I keep walking, but now I'm scanning the ground more carefully. The landscape isn't just random destruction—there's a pattern to it. Buildings cluster around what might have been roads. Infrastructure follows logical paths. This was a city once, with purpose and people.

About a half‑mile ahead, a structure stands more intact than the others—a dome, partially collapsed on one side but still recognizable. Something about it pulls at me, a gentle tug from the Core.

[Structural integrity: 62%. Potential resources detected.]

"At least we agree on something," I mutter.

As I approach the dome, I notice strange marks in the dust—not footprints, but scorch marks. Geometric patterns burned into the ground in perfect circles. They're fresh—or at least fresher than everything else around here. Someone else has been here recently.

I pause at the dome's entrance, a gaping hole torn in its side like a giant took a bite out of it. The interior is dark, but I can make out shapes—furniture, maybe? Equipment? Hard to tell from here.

"Hello?" I call out. My voice echoes back hollow and empty.

No response. But as I step inside, the Core pulses again, stronger this time.

[Multiple energy signatures detected. Caution advised.]

The dome's interior is bigger than it looked from outside. Curved walls stretch up into shadows, lined with what might have been workstations. Most are destroyed, but a few still hum with faint power. And scattered across the floor...

More of those cylindrical artifacts. Dozens of them, in various sizes and states of decay. Some are cracked, leaking pale light like blood from a wound. Others pulse steadily, waiting.

My stomach—or whatever passes for hunger in this new existence—growls.

"You've got to be kidding me," I say, but I'm already moving toward the nearest cluster. "This is like finding a buffet in the apocalypse."

[Warning: Simultaneous absorption may cause system overload.]

"Now you tell me." But I'm careful this time, picking up just one device—a smooth, egg‑shaped thing that hums against my palm. When it dissolves, the sensation is stronger. Warmer. Like drinking hot coffee on a cold morning.

[Energy Cell absorbed. Core capacity increased by 0.7%. New function unlocked: Basic Scan.]

"Basic Scan?" I blink, and suddenly the world shifts. Not visually—but informationally. Data overlays appear in my vision, highlighting objects and structures with soft outlines and floating text labels.

[Material: Reinforced Ceramite - Structural]

[Energy Source: Depleted - Salvageable]

[Unknown Organic Residue - Caution]

"Whoa." I turn my head, watching the labels track with my gaze. "This is either really useful or really overwhelming."

I focus on one of the larger artifacts—a crystalline structure about the size of a football, pulsing with deep blue light. The scan reveals it immediately.

[High‑Density Power Core - Active. Absorption Risk: Moderate. Estimated Capacity Increase: 15‑20%.]

My mouth waters. Which is weird, because I shouldn't be hungry for technology. But I am.

I approach the crystal cautiously, like it might bite. Which, to be fair, it might. The "Moderate Risk" warning isn't exactly reassuring, but the potential 20% boost is too tempting to ignore.

"Alright," I mutter, reaching out. "Let's see what happens when I bite off more than I can chew."

My fingers brush the surface—

Pain.

White‑hot lightning shoots up my arm, across my chest, into my skull. I fall to my knees, gasping. The crystal doesn't dissolve gracefully like the others—it fights, pulsing violently as it's drawn into me in jagged, struggling bursts.

[WARNING: POWER SURGE DETECTED]

[System Instability Rising]

[Attempting Regulation]

[Attempting Regulation]

[Attempting Regulation]

…

[Regulation Successful]

The pain cuts out like someone flipped a switch. I'm left gasping on the floor, tasting copper and ozone. My vision clears slowly, and when it does, the world looks... different. Sharper. More detailed. Like someone adjusted the resolution on reality.

[High‑Density Power Core absorbed. Core capacity increased by 18%. New functions unlocked: Enhanced Scan, Energy Manipulation, Basic Reconstruction.]

"Basic... what now?" I push myself to my feet on shaking legs. My whole body feels like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket, but underneath the aftershock, there's something else. Power. Real, tangible power flowing through me like a second circulatory system.

I look at the remaining artifacts scattered around the dome, and now I can see them differently. Not just objects—but components. Pieces of a larger puzzle that my brain is suddenly starting to understand.

"Reconstruction," I say, testing the word. A broken console near the wall catches my attention—half its screen shattered, wires spilling from its guts like electronic intestines. I walk over and place my hands on it.

The knowledge flows through me without conscious thought. I can see the pathways, the connections that need to be remade. Energy flows from my palms, and the console begins to rebuild itself. Wires snake back into place, the screen reforms from scattered fragments, lights flicker to life.

[Basic Reconstruction successful. Energy expenditure: 3%.]

"Holy..." I step back, staring at the now‑functional console. It's not perfect—there are still scorch marks on the casing, and the screen flickers occasionally—but it works. I made it work.

The screen displays a map of the surrounding area, dotted with blinking icons.

My finger hovers over the screen, and the map zooms in. Most of the icons are red—probably dead zones or ruins. But three pulse green, scattered across different quadrants of what looks like a massive crater.

"Survivors?" I wonder aloud.

[Energy signatures suggest active settlements. Distance: 2.3 kilometers northeast, 4.7 kilometers south, 8.1 kilometers west.]

The closest one northeast shows additional detail when I focus on it. The scan reveals structures—crude but functional. Smoke patterns suggest inhabited fires. And something else...

[Warning: Armed presence detected. Technology level: Mixed salvage and makeshift weapons.]

"Armed," I repeat. "Well, that's not ominous at all."

I'm about to investigate the other locations when something moves in my peripheral vision. Not inside the dome—outside. A shadow passing across the entrance.

I freeze. The Core pulses once, sharp and urgent.

The shadow pauses. I can see the silhouette of a head turning, scanning the area. Then it moves again—closer to the entrance.

I duck behind the console, heart hammering. The screen's glow seems blindingly bright now, and I fumble for some kind of off switch. My enhanced scan kicks in automatically, painting the approaching figure in stark detail through the wall.

[Humanoid: Female, approximately 1.7 meters. Cybernetic augmentations detected. Weapon: Plasma rifle - charged. Threat assessment: High.]

Great. My first potential neighbor, and she's packing heat.

Footsteps crunch on debris just outside the entrance. I hold my breath, trying to make myself smaller behind the console. The footsteps stop.

"I know you're in there," a voice calls out. Female, like the scan indicated, but with an odd harmonic quality, like two voices speaking in perfect unison. "The energy signature is unmistakable. Come out now, or I'll have to assume hostile intent."

I weigh my options. Running seems pointless—she's armed and clearly knows the terrain better than I do. Fighting? With what? I've got some fancy new abilities, sure, but I have no idea how to use them in combat. That leaves diplomacy, which has never been anyone's strong suit during first contact scenarios in the apocalypse.

"I'm not hostile," I call back, wincing at how weak my voice sounds. "Just... lost."

A pause. "Stand up slowly. Hands visible."

I comply, rising from behind the console with my palms raised. The woman steps fully into the dome, and my enhanced vision captures every detail. She's tall, lean, with skin that transitions between flesh and translucent synthetic patches.

Her left arm is entirely mechanical—sleek chrome plating with exposed circuitry that pulses with soft blue light. But it's her eyes that catch me off guard. They're completely artificial, glowing with a cold white radiance, and as she looks at me, data streams flicker across their surface like falling rain.

The plasma rifle in her hands hums with barely contained energy, its barrel aimed directly at my chest.

"Genesis signature confirmed," she says, and I realize the harmonic quality comes from her voice being processed through some kind of internal system. "Corruption index... zero percent. Fascinating."

"Is that good or bad?" I ask, keeping my hands up.

"For you? Unprecedented. For me?" She tilts her head, studying me like a particularly interesting specimen. "It presents several computational variables I hadn't accounted for."

"Great. I'm a math problem."

"I'm Nireya Vos," she says, lowering her weapon slightly. "High Scribe of the Remnants of Azure."

The name means nothing to me, but my Core pulses in recognition.

[Entity identified: Nireya Vos. Status: Non‑hostile. Affiliation: Concord of Origin. Probability of valuable data exchange: 87.4%]

"I'd introduce myself," I say, "but I'm working with limited information at the moment."

Her synthetic eyes flicker with what might be amusement. "Memory fragmentation is a common side effect of Core integration. Your neural pathways are being reprioritized."

"You know what this is?" I tap my chest where the warmth pulses. "This... Genesis Core?"

Nireya steps further into the dome, her movements precise and economical. The rifle powers down with a soft whine, though she keeps it ready at her side.

"I know more about what it isn't than what it is," she replies. "The Genesis Core represents a convergence point of technologies we've been tracking for decades."

She moves to the console I just repaired, glancing at the screen with clinical interest. "You fixed this. Impressive adaptation rate."

"Thanks, I think." I lower my hands slowly. "So you're tracking me?"

"Not you specifically. The energy signature." Her fingers dance across the console, pulling up data I can't interpret. "We detected an anomalous surge two hours ago. Most assumed it was another echo from the ruins, but I recognized the pattern."

[Partial database connection established. Information exchange protocols available.]

Nireya's eyes widen slightly. "Your Core is attempting to interface with my systems."

"Sorry, I'm not doing that on purpose," I say quickly, taking a step back. "It just... does things."

"Fascinating," she murmurs, her artificial eyes dimming as she apparently blocks the connection attempt. "Most Genesis echoes are purely destructive by this integration stage. Your Core appears to be seeking collaborative protocols instead of dominance hierarchies."

I blink. "Could you maybe translate that into something that doesn't sound like a technical manual?"

A ghost of a smile crosses her features. "You're not trying to kill everything around you. That's... refreshing."

"Low bar, but I'll take it." I gesture toward the console. "You mentioned tracking the energy signature. Are there others like me?"

Her expression shifts, becoming more guarded. "Define 'like you.'"

"People with these things," I tap my chest again. "Genesis Cores...who aren't corrupted yet."

"That," she says slowly, "is where things become statistically improbable." She turns fully toward me, her mechanical arm whirring softly as she crosses it over her organic one. "In the past century, we've documented forty‑seven Genesis Core manifestations. Forty‑six resulted in complete neural corruption within seventy‑two hours."

"And the forty‑seventh?"

"You're looking at her." She taps her translucent temple. "Though my situation was... uniquely managed."

I stare at her, trying to process this. "So you have one too?"

"Had," she corrects. "A partial fragment. My consciousness was uploaded before full integration could occur. When I chose to return to physical form, I left most of the Core behind."

My mind races with questions, but the Core pulses before I can ask any of them.