***
Experiment ID: X02-RECAP-FAILSAFE-10
Date: Philos Calendar Year [Redacted]
Recorded By: OTHAN-17642
Objectives:
1. Assess Subject X-02's cognitive and combat response under critical failure conditions.
2. Evaluate the impact of neural suppression mechanisms in high-stress scenarios.
3. Reinforce containment measures to prevent further unexpected deviations.
--Othan Research Bureau Report No. 7706
***
They were so close.
The wasteland stretched ahead, endless and untouched. Caleb's breath was ragged, but he had never felt more alive. The wind whipped past them as they ran, feet pounding against cracked earth. Mira was just ahead of him, her presence the only thing grounding him in this moment of desperation.
Then he saw them—the next wave of ground forces, closing in, cutting off their escape.
Caleb skidded to a stop beside Mira, his chest heaving. "We can fight. We can—"
Mira turned to him, something flickering behind her eyes, something aching. He saw the truth before she even spoke. They could fight, yes. But it wouldn't be enough.
No.
Not like this.
His jaw clenched, and he stepped forward, stubborn. "Mira, we—"
A force slammed into them, unseen yet undeniable. Caleb hit the ground, his body jerking violently against the impact. His exoskeleton groaned under the pressure, but he barely registered the pain. His focus snapped to Mira, his hands already moving—
Nothing.
The force that held him down was absolute. His muscles refused to respond. No—his gravity. He reached for it, the familiar pull, the weight in his core that he had always been able to command.
Nothing.
Remote override. They had locked him out.
His vision blurred, rage searing through him like wildfire. No, no, no. Not like this. Not now.
Figures closed in, armored and faceless. Weapons raised. Shadows swallowing them whole. Mira's body twitched as she fought to move, her system struggling against the shutdown. Static crawled through his vision, but he still saw her—
Her eyes searched for him.
He forced his body to move, to resist, to reach for anything that could break them free.
A spark—just a flicker—gravity bending, warping around him for the briefest moment before it was wrenched away.
And then pain.
A sharp burn through his circuits. His limbs jerked once before falling still. His systems shutting down, overridden completely. A cold numbness spread through him, locking him in place, stealing the last of his control.
Mira was the last thing he saw before darkness took him.
And then, silence.