Eliot watched Stella. She was asleep, tightly curled up in a corner of their temporary safe place. The tiredness from trying to control her powers all day had finally overcome her. He, too, felt a deep mental fatigue, a constant hum behind his eyes. His System connection had only slowly increased to 3.2%, a frustratingly slow pace given what was at stake.
He checked his System Status.
SYSTEM STATUS:
* Host: Eliot Vance
* Physical Condition: Recovering (35% Charged)
* Mental Condition: Stable (Resolved)
* System Integration: Basic (3.2% Synced)
* Active Abilities: Basic Telekinesis (Level 1)
* Energy Reserves (Host): Recovering (30% Charged)
* Energy Reserves (System): Stable
The numbers weren't changing much. Practicing was helping Stella control her powers, and it slowly increased his own connection, but it wasn't the fast improvement he desperately wanted. He needed more. More understanding, more power, more influence. The feeling of being a hunted mistake bothered him.
He focused on the GUIDE function again, looking through the limited information. He kept coming back to the broken entries on PROTOCOL X: "Making Resources Best and Controlled," "Connecting Compatible Hosts," and the chilling "Unregistered Host Difference causes System Problems. Stopping them is a safety measure."
If his very existence caused "System Problems," what kind of problems? And why could Hunter-Alpha "Steal Data"? That specific ability bothered his mind. Data stream. What data?
He decided to ask the System something new. "System," he murmured, his voice low in the vast space, "what is a 'data stream' when talking about Protocol X? What kind of data?"
The screen flickered, then showed text:
DATA STREAM: This means the constant flow of digital information within the System's network. It includes environmental watching, Host health checks, assigning resources, and talking between systems.
Eliot's mind raced. "Environmental watching? So, it sees everything? And Host health checks… it knows where we are?" A cold fear crept into him. "Hunter-Alpha intercepts this. Meaning it knows what the System knows."
He continued, pushing his questions further. "How does the System watch its environment?"
MAIN WAY: Network Interception. Local digital networks provide passive data input.
NETWORK INTERCEPTION. The words hit him hard. Of course. The modern city. It was covered in countless networks – phone signals, Wi-Fi, security cameras, and automated systems. The System wasn't just some abstract idea; it was built into everything, feeding off the very fabric of the city.
He looked around the dark, silent factory. It was old, abandoned. Probably no active networks here. That was their protection. But as soon as they stepped out, they were visible again, digitally speaking.
"So, if Hunter-Alpha intercepts data streams, it means it can see what the System sees," Eliot mumbled to himself, "and if the System sees everything through 'local digital networks'..."
A terrifying thought began to form. They weren't just being hunted by a powerful person. They were being hunted by an always-present digital entity, using the very infrastructure of the city against them. Every camera, every connected device, every piece of shared data could be a potential eye or ear for the System and its enforcers.
"How do we hide from Network Interception?" he asked the System, his voice barely a whisper.
RECOMMENDATION: REDUCE DIGITAL FOOTPRINT. AVOID ACTIVE NETWORK USE. FIND 'BLIND SPOTS' OR 'DEAD ZONES' FOR LONG-TERM HIDING.
Reduce digital footprint. It was a harsh instruction in a world that completely relied on digital connections. No phones, no public Wi-Fi, no traceable movements. It meant living in the shadows, cut off from everything familiar.
But more importantly, "Blind Spots" and "Dead Zones." Were there actual places where the digital network simply didn't exist, or where its reach was intentionally blocked?
Eliot leaned back against the cold metal, a new layer of understanding and fear settling over him. They weren't just fighting a super-powered agent. They were fighting an invisible, all-seeing network. This wasn't just about their powers; it was about understanding how the System controlled everything.
He looked at Stella again, sleeping soundly. He couldn't tell her this yet. Not until she was stronger, until she had better control over her own wild powers. But he knew, with chilling certainty, that their survival depended on more than just moving objects with their minds. It depended on becoming ghosts in the machine, on learning to navigate a world that was now, terrifyingly, alive and aware of their every move.