The first rays of dawn seeped through the reinforced windows of Arion's hidden lab, illuminating the massive steel frame of the nearly completed Fusion Core Mk I. The air smelled of molten metal, ozone, and the faint tang of recycled oxygen—a laboratory's perfume.
Arion Kael didn't sleep. Sleep was a luxury for those who were content with mediocrity. He wasn't. Never had been. Never would be.
[OmniTech Ascension System: Task Update][Fusion Core construction – 92% complete.][New Objective: Secure Orbital Launch Site and prepare for Interstellar Test.]
He exhaled, his breath a plume in the cold air. "Orbital launch…" he muttered. "You don't make an interstellar jump from some empty field in Nevada. We need infrastructure. And someone is going to try to stop me."
Arion's eyes narrowed. Kaelen Dravos would already be moving, sending mercenaries, drones, and spies to disrupt his plans. The very thought of Dravos' smirk made Arion's fingers twitch. The man has no idea what he's about to unleash.
He turned to the holographic map of the Pacific coast, overlaying orbital trajectories and restricted airspace. The Orbital Launch Site would have to be clandestine—hidden from satellites, undetectable by conventional radar, and capable of surviving a direct strike if discovered.
[System Suggestion: Use underwater suborbital platform as temporary launch site.]
Arion grinned. "Underwater, huh? I like it. Difficult to find, harder to attack. And the ocean gives me a direct launch vector into orbit."
The first drones, Phantom Mk I, were deployed in swarms to the surrounding waters, carrying sensors and mini-fabricators. Each drone hummed silently, invisible even to the most sophisticated thermal imaging.
[System Advisory: Expected threat detection – High.]
Arion's grin sharpened. Threats were nothing more than opportunities for efficiency. Every challenge, every rival, every spy—he would either neutralize them or turn them into tools for his rise.
Meanwhile, in New Manhattan, Kaelen Dravos seethed.
"Kael's moving faster than we predicted," he barked, slamming his palm on the table. His subordinates shuffled nervously, aware of the storm brewing around the prodigy-turned-rival. "I want eyes on every shipping route, every private landing pad, every oceanic sensor network along the Pacific. He cannot launch."
A young strategist hesitated. "Sir… he already has advanced drones capable of bypassing our detection grids. His technology…"
"His technology?" Dravos sneered, voice low and venomous. "Technology is nothing against intent. Nothing can stop me from crushing him. Mobilize the Omega Response. Every available drone, every naval interceptor—neutralize that fool before he even reaches orbit."
Back in the shadows, Arion's surveillance network already picked up anomalies: several black Omega drones approaching the coast, massive naval vessels maneuvering silently through the fog.
[System Advisory: Threat Level – Severe. Estimated Intervention Time: 6 hours.]
Arion's fingers danced over the console, plotting the countermeasures. Every route, every trajectory, every weak point in the approaching fleet had already been calculated. The Phantom Drones would create decoys, false heat signatures, and electromagnetic distortions.
He paused, considering the Omega drones, their reputation whispered across the clandestine intelligence community. They were almost myth—a black-ops death squad designed for precision elimination.
"Perfect," he whispered, eyes flashing. "Let them come. They'll learn why nightmares don't sleep."
Six hours later, the Pacific waters churned violently. The drones moved like shadows beneath the surface, undetectable and silent. Above them, Omega drones cut through the mist, seeking anomalies.
[System Advisory: Engagement Recommended.]
Arion's heart raced—not with fear, but with excitement. The first real test of the Phantom Mk I.
The drones engaged, releasing micro-EMP bursts and quantum cloaking to confuse enemy sensors. The Omega units detected anomalies—sensors twitching, interference spikes—but could not pinpoint the exact locations.
On the lab screens, the engagement was a dance of lights. Blue streaks for Phantom drones, red for Omega interceptors, arcs of interference like invisible swords slicing the fog.
Arion's voice was calm, precise. "Activate secondary cloaking protocol. Redirect power to propulsion units. Let them chase shadows."
The system responded instantly, feeding him probabilities for every movement, counterattack, and escape route.
[Probability of mission success: 87%. Continue?]
"Continue."
Meanwhile, Kaelen Dravos' control room erupted in panic. Alarms screamed as Omega drones reported interference, weapons misfiring, communications scrambled.
"Impossible!" Dravos roared. "How is he doing this?"
A young technician hesitated. "Sir… it's as if the drones anticipate our every move. Every countermeasure we send, he already bypasses. We can't…"
Dravos' face twisted with fury. "Then I'll do it myself."
He pressed a hidden sequence on the console, summoning the Leviathan Protocol—a covert orbital weapons system capable of striking targets hundreds of miles inland.
[System Advisory: Potential collateral damage: High. Casualties: Unknown.]
Arion's eyes flickered at the warning, but he was ready. Quantum decoys erupted in the ocean, dispersing the incoming strike. Explosions shook the water—but the real launch platform remained untouched.
[System Advisory: Launch Platform Integrity: 99%. Recommended: Immediate Orbital Launch Initiation.]
Arion's fingers flew. "Prepare the Fusion Core. Start pre-launch sequence."
Minutes later, the underwater suborbital platform vibrated with raw energy. The Fusion Core roared to life, filling the chamber with radiant blue light. The water above them hissed as heat exchangers handled the sudden thermal surge.
[Orbital Launch Sequence Initiated.]
Arion felt a thrill unlike anything he had ever experienced. This was it—the culmination of weeks of obsession, risk, and ruthlessness. Every blueprint, every stolen resource, every sleepless night led to this singular moment.
He pressed the final sequence. The platform rose, moving toward the surface with astonishing speed. Above, the first rays of sunlight pierced the mist, glinting off the ocean's surface.
Omega drones had regrouped for a final strike—but the system anticipated every movement. Phantom Mk I drones intercepted, creating electromagnetic fields to scramble targeting. The orbital platform breached the surface, and in one thunderous moment, the Fusion Core ignited its initial thrust sequence.
Water boiled around the launch pad as energy surged. The platform accelerated, leaving behind a steaming wake of plasma and vapor.
[Orbital Launch Successful.][Reward Granted: Blueprint – Nano-Fabricator Mk I.][System Upgrade: Level 2 – Advanced Interstellar Engineering Protocol.]
Arion's eyes shone with triumph. "We're off the planet. Humanity takes its first step into the stars—and no one can stop us now."
Far above in orbit, the first glimpse of the Earth shrinking beneath them filled Arion with awe. But there was no time to revel in wonder—this was only the beginning. The system pulsed in his mind, already issuing new directives: advanced propulsion, interstellar navigation, and reconnaissance.
[Next Task: Prepare Interstellar Navigation Array.]
Arion's lips curved into a thin, merciless smile. "Then let's begin. If the universe wants to challenge me, I'll show it who shapes the stars."
Below, on Earth, Kaelen Dravos seethed, his plan failed once again. "This isn't over, Kael," he hissed. "I will not lose. Not to you. Not to anyone."
Arion's shadow stretched long over the control room, a harbinger of the chaos and progress that would sweep across humanity.
[Mission Status: Humanity's Interstellar Era – Commenced.]
And in the cold, silent night, the OmniTech Ascension System whispered once more:
[Host Progress: 10% of Interstellar Ascension Completed. Recommended: Accelerate Technology Integration.]
Arion Kael smiled faintly. "Good. Let the stars bear witness. Humanity rises. And I…" His gaze hardened. "…I will rise with it."