STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

***

Where the morning had been light and quiet, the energy now felt more focused. The rebels sat around the table, coffee mugs replaced with maps, data chips, and handwritten notes scattered across the surface.

Lyra stood at the head of the table, sweeping over the group. “We have a chance to expose them. To show the city what AstroSYS and The Order really is. But to do that, we need more than a chip. ”

Her voice carried urgency, laced with determination. She held up the data chip Lucien had brought the night before, letting it catch the light. “This is a start. Proof that the Celestial Order is erasing lives, manipulating alignments to fit their version of harmony. But it’s not enough. We need the full picture— everything. Otherwise, they ’ll bury it, like they’ve buried everything else.”

Harun leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “You’re right. If we can extract more data—something they can’t deny—we might actually have a chance to turn this city against them.”

Corin leaned back, a sharp laugh escaping him. “Yeah, because breaking into the Bureau and stealing their secrets is going to be so easy.”

Lyra’s eyes snapped to him, hard and unyielding. “I didn’t say it would be easy. But it’s necessary.”

She turned to Lucien, her tone softening. “You know the system better than any of us. Is there a way we can access what we need without alerting the Order?”

Lucien hesitated. “It depends on what you’re looking for.”

“Everything. The erased charts. Official memos. Anything that proves this goes deeper than alignment manipulation.”

His mind raced through the Bureau’s security protocols. “There’s a way. The Bureau has redundancy terminals—backups that aren’t directly connected to the mainframe. They ’re used for emergency maintenance, so they’re not as heavily monitored. If we can access one of those, we might be able to download what you need without raising flags.”

Harun frowned. “And where exactly are these terminals?”

Lucien sighed. “There’s one near the Central Spire.”

Silence.

Corin scoffed, shaking his head. “The Spire? Are you serious? You want to take us right into the Celestial Order’s backyard?”

Lucien straightened, his voice steady despite the doubt in the room. “It’s the only redundancy terminal that could be readily accessed. The others are too

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