Chapter 9 - The Meltdown
A shockwave of pure, blinding heat erupted from Sam’s body. It was a supernova of bio-energy.
The blast knocked Kaelen and the Enforcers off their feet. Maya shielded her eyes, feeling the air turn to fire. The massive Engine groaned, its blue light flashing violently to orange, matching Sam’s output.
"He’s overloading the system!" Silas yelled, bleeding on the floor but laughing. "Turn the key, Maya! Now!"
With the engine's manual lock overwhelmed by Sam's thermal surge, Maya grabbed the obsidian key and twisted it with all her might.
Click.
The deep, rhythmic humming of the Engine violently shifted in pitch.
In the Zenith Sector above, the climate-controlled canopies abruptly powered down. The synthetic summer vanished. Frost immediately began to spiderweb across the glass domes. The elite, dressed in silk, began to scream as the brutal winter of 2026 crashed down upon them.
Down in the Dregs, the rusted grates in the floors suddenly hissed. Warm, life-saving air flooded into the freezing slums. The ice melted. The dying began to breathe.
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Kaelen scrambled to his feet, aiming his pistol at Sam. "No!"
Maya didn't think. She grabbed the heavy wrench from her belt and hurled it with dead aim. It struck Kaelen square in the temple. The Governor collapsed, tumbling off the catwalk and vanishing into the abyss below.
