The moment the alarms blared, Dr. Koval's face, usually a mask of calm calculation, tightened. A single muscle twitched in her jaw. "Subject 07 has initiated unscheduled exit protocol," she stated, her voice sharp, cutting through the din in the command center. "He's escaping." Her gaze swept across the holographic displays, pinpointing Kiran's rapidly moving blip within the base's intricate layout. A cold fury, rarely seen, flickered in her eyes. "He clearly misunderstands his paramount importance to the Great Eclipse."
She turned to a quiet, armored figure standing at attention beside her. "Deploy them. The first of the new units. Retrieve Code X alive. The Eclipse Codex is secondary, but if it shows, take it without fail."
"Designation?" the figure's voice was a flat, synthesized tone.
"Alpha. Their programming is direct. Their purpose, absolute. They understand his abilities, his nature." Koval's voice was low, almost a purr, as she watched Kiran's movement across the map.
Deep within the facility, distinct doors slid open. Not standard guards, not the hulking Brutes. These were different. Sleek, fast, their armor a dull, dark grey that seemed to absorb light. They moved with an unnerving, synchronized precision, like a single, multi-limbed creature. Their helmets were smooth, featureless, giving them a chilling, inhuman quality. Each one had a single Greek letter, A (Alpha), etched in crimson on their chest plates. They spread out, silent and deadly, their optical sensors glowing a soft, searching blue.
Kiran crashed through a ventilation shaft cover, dropping into a supply room. He spun, ready to move, but then he froze. Standing by the far door, perfectly still, was one of them. An Alpha unit. Its head tilted slightly, as if evaluating him. This wasn't a guard. This was a hunter. Its movements were fluid, too fast, too controlled. Kiran felt a cold dread settle in his stomach. They weren't just chasing him; they were hunting him. The game had just changed.