I. Descent into Danger
The elevator roared as it dropped us into the Graphite Mine's depths. Jax's crew was closing in.
Elara grabbed the Geometric Fragment's case and looked at the huge elevator cable—Jax's only way down.
Garth, that cable's super strong. It's too perfect. We need to mess it up where it's stressed the most, Elara said.
The pulley! Garth said, staring at the creaky thing above. That's where all the weight is!
He needed to get closer to mess with the cable above Jax's head.
Anya, raise the counterweight! Garth yelled. Raya, cover the walls! We're going up!
Anya, running on fumes, cranked the counterweight, raising an empty cage. Garth and Elara hopped on top.
Going up was crazy. Jax's elevator was still coming down. We were flying past each other in the dark shaft.
Jax is on the first elevator. His shield is weak 'cause of the cave-in. He's open! Elara said, locked on target.
II. Messing with the Cable
As the counterweight shot up, Garth got to the pulley. The cable was thick and vibrating, screaming under the elevator's weight.
Garth took off some iron piece and slammed his arm into the cable. Pain shot through him like crazy. He ignored it and focused on the cable's structure.
I need a tiny flaw, Elara! Not just chaos—a mistake! Garth yelled.
Do the 'ASYMMETRIC SHEAR' thing. Just a small crack in the steel, Elara said calmly.
Garth forced his weird energy to make a tiny error in the cable—a little crack that wouldn't break it right away but would screw up its strength.
SHHKKK!
Pain shot up Garth's arm. Done. The cable was flawed.
III. Ambush Above
Garth yanked his arm away as Jax's elevator flew past. Inside, Jax—a huge guy in armor—and his goons were packed together, looking down.
They didn't see us. They were looking for trouble below.
Now! Elara yelled.
Elara and Garth threw everything metal they had—rebar, tools, junk—onto the elevator's roof.
Not an attack, but sabotage. The junk screwed with the flawed cable, making it snap.
KRRRRRAAAAASSSSHHHH!
The sound was deafening. Jax and his crew fell down the mine shaft.
The shockwave shook everything. The impact made the whole mine rumble.
Done. Jax is gone. The flaw did it, Elara said as the counterweight reached the top.
IV. Escape
The mine was falling apart. Dust and rocks rained down.
Raya and Valen were waiting. Raya, stunned, helped Garth and Elara out.
The mine's collapsing! Go! Anya yelled from the surface.
We ran to the truck. Anya had it ready to go.
As we jumped in, Jax's backup showed up. They were scared, but wanted revenge.
They're shooting! Valen yelled, as bullets hit the truck.
Anya floored it. We sped away.
The Graphite Mine crumbled behind us, burying everything in rock and dust.
Jax's team and the mine were gone.
V. Next Up
As the truck sped away, Garth looked at the Fragment Tracker. It was going crazy.
Next target, Garth said, arm throbbing. Where to, Elara?
Elara pointed to the Fragment Map. EPSILON-3. The Silicon Smelter. It's next. Their fragment is stronger. It's going to be harder.
We got two fragments and took down Jax, but lost a mine doing it. The last two fragments would be much tougher.
The truck raced towards the Silicon Smelter.