15 Miles: The Heist
Season 2: Shadows Rising
By Rapwizzy Debaron
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Chapter 79: Season 2 – Episode 22
Saros Rising
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The red hue of emergency lights drenched the Archive chamber in a sinister glow. The first being—tall, lithe, and alien in presence—stood calmly before Julian, its starlit eyes unreadable.
Behind him, Eve's voice trembled through the comms. "Julian… readings are spiking. The others are waking up."
Reese checked his weapon's energy levels. "Then we've got maybe two minutes before this place becomes an alien hellscape."
The being tilted its head. "You are afraid."
Julian narrowed his eyes. "You have no idea."
"No," it responded, "but I can learn."
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The Awakening
Across the chamber, containment pods hissed and cracked as more of Saros's kind emerged. Some glided to their feet. Others fell, confused, disoriented—others screamed in frequencies that weren't meant for human ears.
Eve clutched her head. "They're communicating… through sound waves, not speech. My implants are shorting!"
Julian pulled her behind a console, shielding her as Reese raised his rifle at one of the beings approaching too fast.
"Stand down!" Reese barked.
It paused… looked at him with mournful eyes… and collapsed to the floor.
Maya's voice echoed over comms. "That one… didn't survive the stasis. Half of them won't. But the ones that do—Julian, they're not just intelligent. They were soldiers. Weapons."
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A Memory Recovered
As chaos brewed, Julian's visor flickered and suddenly displayed a new feed—his father's logs, hidden deep in the chip.
> "Saros wasn't an enemy when it arrived. It crashed here centuries ago. We were the ones who caged it—out of fear. Out of power-hunger."
> "What we didn't know… was that it wasn't alone."
Julian's hand clenched into a fist.
"Then the Wraiths… Project Zero… they were just pawns in something much bigger."
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The Council of Saros
From the chamber's shadows, five of the surviving beings circled around the first. Unlike the others, they wore fragments of ancient armor — tech-laced, pulsating with unknown energy.
One of them, taller than the rest, finally spoke. The words echoed both aloud and inside Julian's mind:
> "You are the Heir of the Gatekeeper. You have trespassed in the place of Judgment."
Julian stepped forward. "I didn't come to trespass. I came to understand."
Another Saros stepped closer. "Then understand this — the prison you have opened… was sealed for your protection."
Behind Julian, Eve was rapidly analyzing data on her wristpad. "Julian… these beings… they predate recorded history. They've been here longer than we've existed."
The first being touched its temple. "And now that we are free… the ones who hunted us will come."
Julian's heart sank. "There's more?"
The chamber trembled.
Reese's eyes widened. "Tell me that's not what I think it is."
The ceiling above began to crack. Rocks fell. The entire Archive was under seismic stress.
Maya's voice returned. "Julian! Something's inbound from orbit—fast. It's not human!"
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Collapse and Escape
Julian turned to the beings. "If we help you… will you help us fight what's coming?"
A pause.
Then the leader nodded. "One war ends. Another begins."
Julian motioned to the others. "Fall back! Get everyone topside!"
They ran, boots pounding against metal, alarms screaming. Behind them, the newly awakened Saros formed a protective line — preparing for whatever threat now raced toward Earth.
They burst into daylight just as the ground split open behind them. From the sky, a blinding pillar of light struck the Archive ruins… and something began to descend.
Not human.
Not Wraith.
Not Saros.
Something else.
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Later That Night – Resistance HQ
Julian stood over the map table, drenched in sweat and ash.
Reese poured him a drink. "So… we woke up ancient aliens to help us fight newer, meaner aliens."
Eve frowned. "They weren't the enemy. We made them enemies. But now… maybe we've got a chance."
Maya entered, pale. "Julian… we intercepted a signal from the object that just landed."
Julian turned. "What did it say?"
She showed the screen. In pulsating red glyphs, the translation read:
> "We are the Architects. Return what is ours… or perish."
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To be continued…
🔥 The Architects have arrived.
The Saros are awake. The final war begins now. Don't miss Episode 23 of 15 Miles: The Heist – Season 2: Shadows Rising by Rapwizzy Debaron.