▓═══ STATUS UPDATE ═══▓
〢 CORE TEMPERATURE STABILIZING 〢
〢 MILD HYPOTHERMIA RECOVERING 〢
〢 MUSCULAR FUNCTION: 68% OF BASELINE 〢
〢 CAUTION: SUBJECT BELOW OPTIMAL 〢
▓═══════════════════════▓
A particularly heavy crate caught his attention. Unlike the utilitarian storage containers around it, this one bore intricate patterns etched into its surface – flowing lines that rippled like liquid metal, suggesting geometries that shouldn't exist in three dimensions. The SubTech logo was there, but subtly altered, the phoenix wrapped in probability curves that seemed to fold through impossible spaces.
"Ah," Aria's voice had an odd note of recognition. "Dr. Pierce's work. I was hoping some of his prototypes survived."
Kane's fingers traced the patterns. They felt warm despite the cold, vibrating with a subtle frequency that harmonized with his neural implant. The crate's lock was surprisingly simple – a basic keypad that seemed at odds with its elaborate decoration.
"Allow me," Aria said. The lock clicked open without Kane even touching it. "Dr. Pierce had... unusual methods. He preferred elegant solutions hidden behind simple facades. Much like this weapon."
Inside the crate, nestled in smart-foam that still looked factory fresh, lay what at first glance appeared to be a handgun. But as Kane's HUD analyzed it, layers of impossible complexity revealed themselves. The same flowing patterns from the crate covered its surface, but these weren't mere decorations. Tiny channels of what looked like fiber optic material ran through the gun's frame, pulsing with a pearlescent light that matched the glow from Kane's neural implant. The geometry of the weapon itself seemed to shift subtly when viewed from different angles, as if parts of it existed in spaces his eyes couldn't quite process.
╔═══ WEAPON ANALYSIS ═══╗
〢 QUANTUM ARCHITECTURE DETECTED 〢
〢 NEURAL SYNC CAPABILITY: PRESENT 〢
〢 POWER SOURCE: UNKNOWN 〢
〢 USER BASELINE PARAMETERS: MARGINAL 〢
╚════════════════════════════╝
"The Pierce-Chen Neural Resonance Pistol," Aria explained, her voice taking on an almost reverent tone. "One of only three prototypes. Dr. Pierce designed it, but he required Dr. Chen's expertise in neural interface technology to make it work. It's... not exactly a conventional firearm."
Kane lifted the weapon. It was surprisingly light, and the grip seemed to warm to his touch, though the surface remained cool. His HUD began displaying new information as the gun's systems attempted to link with his neural interface:
▓═══ NEURAL SYNC ═══▓
〢 SYNC INITIATING... 〢
〢 CALIBRATING TO USER PATTERNS 〢
〢 QUANTUM RESONANCE ATTEMPTING 〢
〢 WARNING: USER SUBOPTIMAL 〢
▓═══════════════════════▓
"The NRP doesn't fire traditional ammunition," Aria continued. "It amplifies and focuses neural energy through Dr. Pierce's quantum architecture, creating beams of coherent probability that disrupt unstable biological structures. In theory, it should be particularly effective against mutation-based entities. Their neural patterns are... vulnerable to the weapon's frequency."
Through the security door, something slammed against the metal with enough force to make the walls shudder. Kane's HUD highlighted stress fractures spreading through the reinforced frame. They had minutes at most before the barrier failed.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
? ! ? STRUCTURAL ALERT ? ! ?
【STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY: 64% AND FALLING】
【DETECTING MULTIPLE HOSTILE ENTITIES】
【ESTIMATED BREACH: 3 MINUTES】
【RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE ACTION】
Kane lowered the pistol slightly, his mind catching on the details that didn't add up. The rational part of his brain, the part that had made him a good analyst before all this, started connecting dots that formed an impossible picture.
"Aria," he said, his voice still rough from cryo-sleep, "how did Dr. Pierce build a weapon specifically designed to fight neural mutations... in 2024?" He ran his fingers over the probability channels that shouldn't exist. "This technology... it's beyond theoretical. And these patterns – they're meant to disrupt mutations that hadn't happened yet?"
There was a pause before Aria responded, longer than her usual instantaneous replies. When she spoke, her tone had changed, becoming more measured, careful.
"I... yes. I was wondering when you'd notice that discrepancy. Dr. Pierce was..." Another pause. "The more accurate statement would be: Dr. Pierce's work never quite fit within conventional technological progression. Even Dr. Chen found much of his research... impossible to explain."
The pistol pulsed against Kane's palm as his heart rate increased. Through the failing door, the howls took on an almost questioning tone, as if the creatures could sense the weapon's activation. His HUD began marking optimal firing positions, highlighting structural weaknesses in the doorframe that could provide tactical advantages.
╔═══ COMBAT ANALYSIS ═══╗
〢 USER UNTRAINED 〢
〢 TARGETING ASSISTANCE MAXIMUM 〢
〢 NEURAL WEAK POINTS DETECTED 〢
〢 USER ACCURACY: 23% 〢
╚═════════════════════════╝
"His quantum architectures exceeded our understanding of physics," Aria continued. "His neural interface designs operated on principles we still can't explain. And his later projects..." She stopped again. "The records show Dr. Sullivan recruited him personally, but no one could verify his background. No academic history. No previous research. He simply appeared with knowledge he shouldn't have possessed, building things that shouldn't have been possible."
The door groaned as claws began to penetrate the metal, leaving gouges that glowed with residual heat. The creatures' attacks were becoming more coordinated, more precise – targeting structural weak points with terrifying intelligence.
"The last entry in Dr. Chen's personal logs about Pierce," Aria continued, "questioned whether he was trying to prevent something or prepare for something he knew was coming. The weapon you're holding? It was completed three days before everything went wrong. Almost like..."
"Like he knew," Kane finished. The pieces were assembling themselves into a picture too strange to believe, yet too precise to dismiss. "Did he... did Pierce cause all this?"
"Unknown," Aria replied. "But my analysis of facility records suggests—"
The security door shrieked as claws finally punctured through, sending fragments of reinforced metal skittering across the floor. Kane raised the pistol again, feeling the neural interface try to sync with his completely average human capabilities. His untrained muscles tensed as combat data from the weapon's targeting systems flowed through his consciousness.
? ! ? SYSTEM WARNING ? ! ?
【NEURAL LOAD INCREASING】
【WEAPON SYNC AT 31%】
【TARGETING SOLUTIONS READY】
【RECOMMEND CONSERVATIVE ENGAGEMENT】
"I should warn you," Aria added quickly, "Dr. Pierce's notes indicated some... unusual side effects. The weapon draws power directly from your neural pathways. Extended use could have unpredictable consequences on a baseline human nervous system. But given our current situation..."
"We'll continue this discussion soon," Aria said, her voice returning to tactical mode. "But you should know – that weapon represents technology that shouldn't have existed in 2024. And its creator? The patterns in his quantum coding suggest he was either a genius beyond any known scale..."
The door tore open. Kane's finger tightened on the trigger, feeling the neural interface strain to compensate for his normal human limitations. The creatures surged forward, their twisted forms illuminated by the pistol's growing energy field.
"...or he wasn't from 2024 at all."
Kane squeezed the trigger, about to find out exactly what happened when an unmodified human fired a weapon built by a man who might have known the future – or come from it. The quantum patterns blazed, and reality itself seemed to hold its breath.
Some answers would have to wait. Assuming they survived what was about to happen next.
Time to see what humanity's best minds – or perhaps humanity's future – had built to fight the monsters they'd helped create.
- K.M.
Funny how "quantum" is such a useful word when you need something to sound both scientific and mysterious.