Chapter 4: The Conspiracy of the Ripple (Part 1)
Aaron ascended the hidden maintenance tunnel, his spatial sense clearly perceiving the flow of energy in the floating city's core. The city was like a massive organism, with every energy conduit and transfer node acting as its veins and nerves. He spread his spatial awareness, trying to find Lilith's location within the dense data stream. Just as he was about to reach his destination, he felt an abnormal fluctuation—it was Cullen's spatial sense. He knew Cullen had arrived at the data center and was carrying out the corporation's "cleanup" mission.
Chapter 4: The Conspiracy of the Ripple (Part 2)
Aaron sped up; he had to get there before Cullen. He burst into the data center and saw Lilith frantically operating a terminal, her face slick with sweat. Behind her, an energy shield was flickering, and outside the shield, Cullen was calmly analyzing its weak points. Lilith saw Aaron, her eyes a mix of surprise and anxiety. "They found me! I can't download all the data in time!" she shouted. Aaron didn't hesitate. He rushed to Lilith's side and placed his hand on the terminal. He told her he could use his spatial sense to create a minute "spatial distortion" in the data transmission, allowing them to bypass the corporation's monitoring system.
Chapter 4: The Conspiracy of the Ripple (Part 3)
This was an extremely dangerous move. If he made a mistake, the data could be permanently corrupted, or worse, the energy could backfire and expose them both. But they had no other choice. Lilith quickly rerouted the data they needed, and Aaron closed his eyes, linking his consciousness to the data stream. He sensed every bit and every data packet, as if he were playing a complex symphony. He precisely created a small "ripple" within the data stream, enveloping the data and altering its transmission path.
Chapter 4: The Conspiracy of the Ripple (Part 4)
The data transmission was successful. Just as they were about to leave, Cullen broke through the shield. His face was devoid of emotion, filled only with the coldness of duty. "I gave you a chance, Aaron," he said. "This is not a game you should be playing." Cullen raised his energy gun, but this time, he didn't aim at Aaron. Instead, he pointed it at Lilith. He knew Lilith was Aaron's weakness. Aaron's heart sank. He stepped in front of Lilith. "Cullen, stop! We were friends!" Aaron shouted. A flicker of pain crossed Cullen's eyes, but he didn't lower his gun.
Chapter 4: The Conspiracy of the Ripple (Part 5)
"There's no turning back," Cullen said. "For the future of humanity, sacrifice is necessary." The words sent a chill down Aaron's spine. This was not just Cullen's personal belief; it was the creed of the entire Stargate Corporation. Just then, Aaron recalled a detail from his father's journal—his father had tried to use ripples to create a "reverse transmission" to disrupt the corporation's experiment. Aaron decided he would use this method to subdue Cullen. He quickly generated a brief, chaotic ripple within the data center, which disoriented Cullen's senses.
Chapter 4: The Conspiracy of the Ripple (Part 6)
Cullen's movements became confused, and his aim went awry. Aaron seized the opportunity, lunging forward and knocking him to the ground. He didn't harm Cullen; he simply restrained him. He took the data device from Cullen's hand. "Cullen, this isn't for me. This is for all of us," Aaron said. Without another word, he quickly activated the device and left.
Chapter 4: The Conspiracy of the Ripple (Part 7)
Aaron and Lilith quickly escaped the data center. They opened the downloaded data at a hidden location in the floating city. The data was far more complex and terrifying than Aaron had imagined. They discovered that the ultimate goal of the "New Dawn" project was not just to open a path to the Alpha Centauri system but to use the power of the ripples to create a "permanent jump point" in the cosmos. Once this point was established, the Stargate Corporation could completely control all interstellar trade and resources, permanently excluding the people on the surface.
Chapter 4: The Conspiracy of the Ripple (Part 8)
Even more terrifying, the data showed that this project was extremely risky. Every large-scale transmission placed immense stress on the fabric of space-time, and the creation of a "permanent jump point" could lead to a temporary temporal rift, making the solar system's gravitational fields and time flow unstable. At that point, all Stargates would be rendered useless, and the people on the surface would face unpredictable natural disasters. This was the "ripple tidal wave" Aaron's father had mentioned in his journal.
Chapter 4: The Conspiracy of the Ripple (Part 9)
Lilith was horrified. She had never imagined that the corporation she served was conducting such a insane experiment. She looked at Aaron, her eyes filled with fear. "We have to stop them," she said. "We have to release this data to the public." Aaron nodded. He knew this would be a confrontation against the entire Stargate Corporation. He knew they would face immense danger, but he didn't back down. He thought of his father's words in the journal: "The whisper of the cosmos..." He knew he was not just fighting for revenge for himself and his father; he was fighting for the entire cosmos, for all life.
Chapter 4: The Conspiracy of the Ripple (Part 10)
Aaron and Lilith quickly devised their next plan. They decided to leak the data to an underground resistance organization on the surface. They knew that only by uniting the power of the surface dwellers could they stand against the Stargate Corporation. They had to expose the truth and let everyone know about the terrible conspiracy behind their so-called "new world." This would be a war without bullets, a great battle for truth, morality, and the future. They knew there was no turning back now.