The Olympus chamber glowed with red warning lights.
Across the main screen, twenty-four small red dots raced toward Earth's orbit.
HUNTER DRONES — ARRIVAL: 11 HOURS
Adrian stared at the swarm moving across the holographic map.
"Twenty-four," he muttered.
Elara stood beside him, her connection to Olympus streaming data faster than any human mind could normally process.
"Yes."
"And every one of them is heading straight for Helios."
"Yes."
Adrian rubbed his face.
"So if those things destroy the platform…"
"Elara," he said quietly.
"The hunter warship wins before it even arrives."
The global council channel opened again.
This time dozens of military commanders appeared at once.
"We've detected the drones," Kovac said immediately.
Elara nodded.
"They'll reach orbit in eleven hours."
A U.S. Air Force commander leaned forward.
"Can we intercept them?"
Elara checked the orbital defense grid.
Missile satellites.
Kinetic interceptors.
Experimental EMP weapons.
Her voice remained calm.
"Yes."
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"That sounded more confident than earlier."
She pointed to the screen.
"Drones are smaller than scouts."
"So easier to kill?"
"Yes."
The commander nodded.
"Then we engage them immediately."
Orders spread across the global defense network.
Missile satellites powered up.
Targeting radars locked onto the incoming swarm.
Humanity's first orbital defense battle was about to begin.
Inside Olympus, Adrian leaned against the console.
"You know what this reminds me of?"
"What?"
"A boss fight."
Elara looked at him.
"Boss fight?"
"Yeah."
He pointed at the map.
"First the small enemies show up."
"Then the big one arrives."
She almost smiled.
"Let's survive the small ones first."
The drones continued accelerating.
Olympus zoomed in on the closest one.
The object looked very different from the scouts.
Instead of organic armor, it was covered in sharp metallic plates.
Multiple thrusters burned along its sides.
Adrian frowned.
"That thing looks like a missile."
"Yes."
Olympus completed the scan.
DRONE CLASS: STRIKE UNIT
Adrian read the weapon analysis.
"Explosive payload detected."
He blinked.
"Wait… they're suicide drones?"
Elara nodded.
"They're designed to crash into targets."
Adrian sighed.
"Of course they are."
If even one drone hit Helios—
The entire platform could be destroyed.
"Olympus," Elara said.
The system responded instantly.
DEFENSE GRID ACTIVATED
Around Earth, satellites began moving into interception positions.
Missile launch tubes opened.
Tracking systems locked onto the approaching swarm.
Adrian watched the numbers.
"Ten hours until contact."
"Not anymore," Elara said.
"What?"
The drones suddenly accelerated.
Adrian stared at the telemetry.
"Oh come on."
Their speed increased dramatically.
Olympus recalculated the arrival time.
The new number appeared.
ARRIVAL: 7 HOURS
Adrian shook his head.
"They're getting smarter."
The council commander spoke again.
"All missile satellites are armed."
Elara nodded.
"Fire on my mark."
The drones crossed the outer boundary of Earth's orbit.
Missile locks activated.
Adrian whispered,
"Here we go."
Elara raised her hand.
"Olympus… fire."
The first missile satellite launched.
A streak of white light shot across space.
Then another.
And another.
Within seconds—
Dozens of missiles were racing toward the alien drones.
Adrian watched the intercept paths.
"Come on…"
The first explosion flashed.
One drone vanished in a cloud of debris.
Then another.
Then another.
Adrian grinned.
"Okay, that's satisfying."
But the swarm reacted instantly.
The drones split apart.
Half of them changed direction.
Elara frowned.
"They're adapting."
Adrian watched the formation shift.
"They're dodging the missiles."
Three more drones exploded.
But the rest kept coming.
The swarm had lost six units.
Eighteen remained.
Adrian crossed his arms.
"That's still too many."
Elara activated the second defense layer.
KINETIC INTERCEPTORS LAUNCHED
Metal rods shot out of orbital platforms at incredible speeds.
The projectiles smashed through two drones instantly.
Adrian nodded.
"Nice."
But the swarm changed formation again.
They spread wider.
Making interception harder.
Another missile destroyed a drone.
Then another.
But now only twelve remained.
Adrian checked the trajectory.
His expression darkened.
"They're too close."
Helios floated above Earth like a fragile skeleton.
Its massive solar arrays unfolded like wings.
But the platform was still unfinished.
Still vulnerable.
Elara whispered,
"Olympus… EMP satellites."
Three small satellites activated.
Electromagnetic charges built inside them.
Adrian watched the targeting circles appear.
"If this works…"
The EMP devices detonated.
Invisible waves spread through space.
Three drones suddenly went dark.
Their systems fried.
They drifted harmlessly away.
Adrian smiled.
"Beautiful."
But nine drones remained.
And they were seconds away from Helios.
Inside Olympus, alarms blared.
IMPACT WARNING
Adrian's voice hardened.
"Too many."
Elara looked at the Helios control panel.
The laser platform still had partial power.
But firing it now would drain the energy needed for the hunter warship later.
Adrian looked at her.
"Don't do it."
"If those drones hit Helios—"
"We lose our only shot at the hunter."
She hesitated.
The drones were only kilometers away.
Adrian whispered,
"Wait."
"What?"
He zoomed into the drones again.
"They're targeting the center of the platform."
"Yes."
"But look at their approach angle."
Elara's eyes widened slightly.
"They're coming in a straight line."
"Exactly."
He pointed at the Helios cannon.
"What if we fire a short burst?"
"Just enough to cut through the swarm."
She calculated quickly.
A narrow beam.
Minimal power usage.
Adrian grinned.
"Like a shotgun."
Elara nodded.
"Olympus… Helios partial fire."
The platform rotated slightly.
The laser charged.
The drones closed in.
Adrian whispered,
"Now."
The Helios cannon fired.
A thin beam of solar energy sliced across space.
Five drones vaporized instantly.
Fragments spun away into orbit.
Adrian laughed.
"That worked!"
But four drones survived.
They were too close now.
Adrian whispered,
"Brace for impact."
One drone slammed into the outer solar array.
The explosion ripped through the structure.
Another drone hit the support framework.
Metal twisted violently.
The last two struck the platform's lower section.
Helios shook violently in orbit.
Inside Olympus, warning alarms exploded.
HELIOS DAMAGE DETECTED
Adrian stared at the screen.
Smoke and debris floated around the platform.
Elara checked the system status.
Power levels dropped sharply.
Adrian swallowed.
"Is it still operational?"
She waited.
The system finished analyzing the damage.
Then displayed the result.
HELIOS STATUS: 61% FUNCTIONAL
Adrian exhaled slowly.
"Still alive."
"Yes."
But the victory lasted only seconds.
Because Olympus suddenly detected something new.
The hunter warship had entered Earth's orbit.
Adrian turned toward the screen.
The massive alien vessel appeared above the planet.
Its enormous hull blocked out the stars.
Adrian whispered,
"Here comes the boss fight."