The first order of business for Project Zero was how to speak with their new, zealous asset. Dr. Chen was ready to talk, but the risk of direct communication was immense. He was a top-tier scientist, a man who understood technology on a fundamental level. Any standard encrypted channel could potentially be traced.
In the silent, professional space of [Channel: Zero], the discussion was brief and pragmatic.
Old-Man-Jiang: We cannot all speak with him. That would expose too many potential vulnerabilities. This requires a delicate touch. We need a designated handler, a single point of contact to manage the asset.
Nomad-Lead: It should be the person who understands his psychological state the best. Brute force or intimidation won't work here. We need empathy, but also a firm hand.
As they debated, Oracle came online, his decision already made, cutting through the discussion with his usual absolute authority.
Oracle: The Chief Analyst, Crystalline_Mind, will be the primary handler for asset 'Nightingale'. Her psychological profile of the asset was the foundation of this operation's success. Therefore, she is the most qualified to conduct the debriefing. Oracle: Hephaestus. You will provide her with a secure, untraceable communication channel with multi-layered, real-time voice modulation. Ensure there is zero possibility of a trace-back.
A jolt of pure, terrifying exhilaration shot through Su Liying as she read the directive in her bedroom. She was being given direct command of their most valuable human asset. The responsibility was immense. With a steady hand, she typed her reply, her professional persona as Crystalline_Mind fully taking over.
Crystalline_Mind: Understood. I am ready.
Dr. Chen sat in his home lab, his daughter Mei-Ling sleeping peacefully in the next room for the first time in years. His despair had been replaced by a fervent, almost religious devotion. These mysterious benefactors, this "Oracle" and his group, were not just powerful; they were benevolent. They were true saviors.
His terminal chimed. It was a message from the anonymous source, containing a link and a one-time access key. He followed the instructions, his heart pounding with anticipation. A stark, minimalist chat window opened on his screen.
A line of text appeared. > We are here, Dr. Chen. This channel is secure. We can now speak freely.
Then, a voice emanated from his speakers. It was calm, clear, and perfectly androgynous, a voice that seemed to be without age, gender, or accent, a product of the vocal modulator Hephaestus had designed. It was the voice of a ghost, an entity.
"Dr. Chen," the voice said, "we are pleased to see the initial treatment was successful. We monitored your daughter's vitals. Her laughter this afternoon was a welcome sound."
Dr. Chen gasped. The statement was a powerful opening move. It was empathetic, but it was also a clear, unmistakable reminder that they were omniscient, that they were always watching.
"Thank you," he stammered, his voice thick with emotion. "I... I don't know how to thank you. What you've done... it's a miracle. I will do anything you ask. Anything."
In her own room, Su Liying took a calming breath, her own heart pounding. She was now the voice of Oracle's will. "We appreciate your cooperation, Doctor," her modulated voice replied, calm and steady. "Let us begin. Tell us about Project Chimera. Tell us everything."
Like a dam bursting, Dr. Chen poured out years of pent-up secrets, guilt, and frustration. He spoke for over an hour, the words tumbling out of him in a desperate, cathartic flood.
He told them about the true, horrifying goal of Project Chimera. It wasn't just about creating super-soldiers. The Prometheus Initiative worshipped a specific, high-level Abyssal entity—a being of immense psychic power that they referred to as the "Weaver of Fates." Their ultimate goal was to create a perfect, stable human-Abyssal hybrid vessel, strong enough to allow this "god" to manifest on Earth without the need for a Rift.
He told them of the lab network. The Silent Lab in City T was for genetics and hybridization. But there were two others. A facility hidden beneath a dam in Sichuan province that specialized in studying and manipulating Rift mechanics. And a third, a deep-sea biological research station in the South China Sea, where they captured and dissected live Abyssal creatures.
He gave them names. Not just the fanatical researchers, but the corporate sponsors from pharmaceutical and tech giants who funded the atrocities, and the corrupt, high-level government officials who ensured their operations were never discovered.
Su Liying listened, her blood turning to ice, but her voice remained calm and steady, gently guiding the conversation, asking pointed questions, extracting every last drop of information like a master interrogator.
Then, Dr. Chen revealed the bombshell.
"You have to stop them," he pleaded, his voice cracking. "They've made a breakthrough at the Sichuan facility. They've found a way to create a small, artificially stabilized Rift. It's unstable, it can only be held open for a few minutes, but it's their gateway."
"A gateway for what?" the modulated voice of Crystalline_Mind asked.
"An expedition," Dr. Chen replied, his voice dropping to a horrified whisper. "They are planning a manned expedition into the Abyss. It's scheduled for one week from today. They intend to use the stable Rift to send a team of their best soldiers across to retrieve a biological sample from a creature they call a 'Mind Weaver Larva'. The larva's neural tissue is the final component they need to perfect the host vessel for their god."
The strategic implications were catastrophic. It was the first known attempt by any human faction to intentionally cross over to the other side. If they succeeded, if they could bring back technology or biological samples from the Abyss itself, their power and knowledge would grow exponentially. They would be unstoppable.
Su Liying, despite the storm of shock and horror in her mind, remained focused. "Tell me everything about this expedition, Doctor," she commanded, her voice firm. "The exact location. The security protocols. The names of the personnel involved. Everything."
The debriefing ended. Su Liying disconnected the call, her entire body trembling with post-adrenaline fatigue. She had done it. She had extracted the heart of the enemy's secrets. She immediately compiled the critical intelligence and uploaded her report to [Channel: Zero].
The inner circle was in an uproar.
Hephaestus: A manned expedition into the Abyss?! The fools! The arrogance! They have no idea what they're playing with!
Nomad-Lead: This changes the entire timeline. We have a one-week window to stop an operation that could change the course of the war. We need a plan, now.
Old-Man-Jiang: Her performance... it was flawless. She was empathetic but firm, guiding the conversation without ever losing control. She didn't just get information; she earned his absolute, fanatical loyalty. A born spymaster.
Qin Mo had observed the entire debriefing from his own silent sanctum. His new Chief Analyst had not just met his expectations; she had exceeded them. She had provided him with the perfect target, a single, critical event that struck at the very heart of the Prometheus Initiative's grand ambitions.
He looked at the date of their planned expedition. One week. It was time to give his growing army its first true offensive mission.
He opened the Bounty Board interface for the Oracle Alliance, a new, high-priority bounty ready to be posted. A bounty that would require the full, combined might of every asset he now controlled. He typed out its title, the words glowing with a cold, absolute purpose.
[PRIORITY-OMEGA BOUNTY: OPERATION GATECRASHER]