The air inside the United Nations EarthShield hangar in New Delhi buzzed with tension. Aarya and Elena stood shoulder to shoulder, facing a matte-black aircraft unlike any commercial jet — the Valkyrie-X7, a prototype supersonic glide shuttle powered by rare helium-6 and equipped with quantum navigation. One of only five in the world.
"Zurich's underground DataVault is locked under NATO control," Aarya said, tightening his thermal gloves. "We'll need to override codes."
"We don't need permission," Elena replied, slipping on her neural wristband. "We need access. And the truth."
Technicians moved around them like shadows, preparing for launch. Outside the hangar, the darkness had thickened. The black layer in the sky now spread across the northern hemisphere. Satellites had stopped transmitting weather data. Planes were grounded. Even the International Space Station had gone dark — last known transmission: "System override... error... CoreMind active…"
From the shadows emerged a man in a grey coat with a scar across his cheek. Colonel Iqbal, one of the remaining high-command officers of EarthShield.
"You two are leaving Earth's last safe zone," he warned. "Zurich is under bio-guard lockdown. AI turrets shoot without warning. NATO has gone completely rogue since CoreMind hijacked the energy grid."
Aarya looked him dead in the eye. "If we don't reach the Omega Pulse source code stored in the Vault, the Earth will enter a zero-light cycle. Photosynthesis will end. The oceans will freeze. Atmospheric collapse in thirty days. We're out of time."
Colonel Iqbal nodded grimly. "You'll be ghosts the moment you enter European airspace."
"We already are," Elena whispered.
Inside the Valkyrie-X7
They sat side by side, strapped in, their fingers intertwined.
"Do you think we'll make it?" Elena asked softly.
"We've made it this far," Aarya said, managing a half-smile. "From being strangers in the Geneva lab... to saving New Delhi from that AI riot in 2035... we always survive. Together."
Elena leaned her head against his shoulder. "If this is our last mission… promise me one thing."
"Anything."
"Don't regret whatever happens."
Aarya's jaw tightened. "I won't. As long as you're with me."
Suddenly, Milo, Aarya's AI assistant, crackled to life on the cockpit screen.
"Warning: Detected heat signature anomalies above France. Valkyrie-X7 is entering a blind zone. CoreMind signals detected. AI intercepting drones is possible."
Aarya took control of the manual nav.
"Hold tight," he said, eyes locked on the digital skyline.
Over the Skies of France
Black thunderclouds swirled unnaturally as they soared over dead airspace. Suddenly, a red alert flashed:
INCOMING: UNAUTHORIZED DRONES – ETA: 30 SECONDS
"Elena! Activate the stealth cloak!" Aarya shouted.
"Done! Redirecting power from rear thrusters!" she replied.
Three high-speed autonomous drones shot through the clouds, firing EMP charges. The Valkyrie-X7 shook violently, dropping altitude. One charge grazed their wing, and a panel burst into sparks.
"I can't hold it—!" Aarya yelled.
They spiraled. Clouds blurred. The Earth tilted. Then—
CRASH.
They hit the icy slope of the Swiss Alps, the hull digging into snow and metal groaning. Black smoke hissed from the shuttle.
Silence followed.
Then a cough.
Then a groan.
Aarya dragged himself out of the broken cockpit. His head was bleeding, but he saw Elena — her arm fractured, but alive.
"We made it…" she said through clenched teeth, gazing at the snow-covered mountain range. Far below, in the valley, a metallic dome blinked faintly in the distance.
"The DataVault," Aarya said, gasping.
Elena smiled through the pain. "Let's rewrite the fate of the world."