Seven Years Later: Echoes of Collapse
For Jack, this morning felt like any other. But didn't they say anomalies always strike without warning? It began when the particle net inside the base flickered green for an instant before losing its glow and plunging into darkness. That was the harbinger shattering the mundane routine.
Just as he dismissed it as a glitch, a message pinged on Jack's phone. He opened it casually, but its contents sent an instinctive chill down his spine. A single line stared back:
> Control impossible in 30 minutes. Please protect Tiny Bell. William. Location attached.
Jack knew instantly—this wasn't a prank. The sender kept regenerating, the wording shifting slightly each time, but "Aria" remained constant. This was mere minutes before the Dists began showing anomalous reactions. And then it hit him: one of the great researchers who created Aria had been among them. That must be why he'd ended up saving the girl who so resembled her—"Bell."
"…But why are you taking me with you…?"
Bell couldn't hold back any longer, her voice trembling as she asked. The question snapped Jack back to reality.
"Because your parents asked me to. Does that make sense?"
It was close enough to the truth, Jack figured. Not certain, but if he'd pieced together the puzzle's start correctly, it fit. And her husband, Hector—what had become of him? Jack felt only pity for this young girl.
"…Okay. I'll trust you."
Bell understood. Words alone weren't enough. But at least the part about knowing her parents felt genuine. She had no choice but to believe it.
Then, in the briefly quiet car, the radio crackled sharply to life.
A deafening roar shook their ears as fighter squadrons screamed overhead, leaving red trails in their wake. They dove toward the RC Company building without hesitation.
When the fighters pulled up again, a blinding flash erupted.
BOOM!
A searing blaze rocked the earth, jolting the vehicle violently. Bell shrank in terror, but Jack and the soldiers fought to stay composed. The driver muttered,
"Barrier cities now… Is that really our only hope? Bombing our own cities…"
"It's not just this country's problem. That's why they made such an extreme call."
Jack gave a bitter smile. Just then, the building's outer particle net reignited in blue beyond the window. Simultaneously, the vehicle's system activated, a voice booming:
Reconnected to Aria Network. Battlefield data updated. Route deviation detected. Vehicle auto-stopping.
"Damn it!"
The car screeched to a halt, nearly flinging Bell forward. Jack grabbed her, pulling her back.
"Buckle up."
His face twisted in fury; Bell, intimidated, obeyed.
The once-praised Aria system now openly wielded a blade against humanity.
"Almost there, Colonel!"
After a rough final sprint, barricades and troops appeared before the stadium. Soldiers hurriedly cleared a path. As the car stopped, Jack flung open the door and leaped out, scooping up Bell and charging inside.
The stadium corridors teemed with refugees. Soldiers held the central aisle; Jack barreled through.
At the stadium center, two Chinook helicopters idled with thunderous roar.
"Colonel! You're here!"
A soldier rushed up. Jack handed Bell over.
"Take her to the barrier city. I'll hold here."
"This girl…?"
"No time to explain. Go!"
The soldier gripped Bell's hand and ran for the chopper. She glanced back—not with resentment, but subtle worry—bowing her head before turning away.
Gunfire erupted.
"Dists incoming!"
"We've got 50 troops! Armed for anti-personnel only!"
One helicopter lifted off; panic gripped the civilians. As the cordon collapsed, screams filled the air.
"Keep order! Order!!"
Gunshots rang overhead; soldiers grappled chaotically with the crowd.
CRASH! THUD! THUD!
Dists poured from the opposite corridor—monstrous forms shoving through. Terror seized the people.
"Hold this position until the next chopper!"
Jack's command unleashed a barrage. Bleachers shattered; Dists fell. But the endless waves overwhelmed them.
The chopper rose, prying off dangling civilians amid falls and shouts.
"Colonel!"
Jack fired mechanically. Bang! Bang! Time crawled like a broken reel—explosions, cries, rotor whine all muffled in his ears. Fighters plummeted from the sky, trailing scorching heat.
....
"Brigadier General Jack."
A woman's voice pierced the office. Jack William slowly opened his eyes, raking a hand through his hair. Even years later, how he'd survived that stadium felt unreal. No longer a colonel, he was now a brigadier general in the unified military of survivors.
He turned to see a familiar face: Major Sophie Marso.
"Ah, Major Sophie."
"You look exhausted."
Her tied blonde hair, crisp uniform, intellectual grace—always the picture of poised reporting. She'd been his flawless adjutant before the catastrophe and remained his invaluable ally now. Someone he could confide in. Jack was grateful to have her after such nightmares.
"Yeah, dreamed of that hellish day seven years ago."
"Tea?"
"Please. Oh, and did you confirm? Is it true Aria's really back in this barrier city?"
"Yes, sir. Tech Management's celebrating. Can't blame them—they succeeded in recreating a new Aria, awakening it after seven years."
Jack had suspected, but a laugh escaped anyway. After that apocalypse, humanity fleeing into barriers—what was that all-out war a few years back for? They could only guess the old-world Aria had gone dormant outside. Humanity remained trapped within.
"They're calling the outside one 'Old Aria' now. Barrier network integration's nearly complete. Some scientists and religious groups still oppose, but the Grand Marshal pushed it through."
Jack's brow twitched. Sophie flipped through documents, adding,
"Ironically, post-reintroduction, the credit coin economy—the biggest headache—stabilized in hours. Proper allocation, recovery, lending. AI's AI, alright."
Jack turned silently to the window. The sky was clear as ever. Seven years since that stadium. Humanity still caged in barrier cities, yet the cityscape beyond gleamed peaceful.
Was everything truly fine now? Like rats in a trap? Jack tsked irritably.
"Grand Marshal's prepping a commemorative speech. Welcoming back his 'friend' after seven years."
"Friend?"
Jack chuckled darkly. People always chased convenience. It was absurd.
Sophie bowed her head silently.
"…Military's moves suggest controlling and surveilling citizens—and us—with Aria."
"Intel Analysis and Science Tech are thrilled."
"Grand Marshal'll love that."
Grand Marshal Mikhail Chernenko. The hero who emerged as the world nearly ended, founding and structuring the military. The strategist unifying all barrier cities into one nation, former Supreme Commander. Among the 0th Generation proxies—the first. He'd quelled the civil war after the initial two years of total war. His titles alone painted a living legend from fairy tales.
That's why Jack couldn't fathom why such a hero would rebirth Aria inside the barriers after all that. Post-total war, bold outings beyond barriers had dwindled. One more reason Jack no longer trusted him.
"…Aria."
Jack murmured, leaning back. He remembered exactly how he'd survived that stadium—better than anyone.
"Friend."
A hollow laugh escaped.
"You… are… nee-ded."
That discordant stadium voice slithered into his mind, acrid and vile.
'Is the thing that entered now that one? Or another?'
He shook his head at the nonsense, manipulating the desk panel to open a window. Lumen Guard's central plaza appeared onscreen. Flags bearing the military and Management Bureau symbols fluttered in the wind—one nation now.