The Thirteenth Anchor: Project Zero

The first rule of the ruins was simple: Never follow a signal that shouldn't exist. Kael Voss had broken that rule three hours ago. Now he was running for his life. “Move!” His boots slammed against the metallic floor as alarms screamed through the underground facility. Red emergency lights flashed across the corridor, turning everything into fragments of shadow. Behind him came the sound of gunfire. Kael ducked. A round struck the wall above his shoulder, spraying sparks across his jacket. “Seriously?” he muttered. “You people couldn't wait until I was somewhere less dramatic?” Another burst of gunfire answered him. Kael grinned despite himself. “Right. Stupid question.” He sprinted toward the security door at the end of the corridor. LOCKED. Of course. He slammed his palm against the control panel. “Come on…” The display flashed: ACCESS DENIED. Kael looked over his shoulder. Four armed soldiers appeared through the smoke. Their uniforms carried the symbol of the Ascendancy—a black circle surrounding a white triangle. Kael's expression hardened. “Those guys again.” The soldiers raised their weapons. Kael punched the control panel. The door exploded open and He dove through. The door slammed shut behind him. For approximately two seconds, there was silence. Kael leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. Then he looked around. His smile disappeared. This wasn't another corridor. It was a massive chamber. Ancient. Impossible. The walls were covered in enormous metallic symbols that seemed to move beneath the surface. Strange blue light pulsed through cracks in the floor. And at the center of the chamber stood a circular platform. Something rested upon it. A black sphere. About the size of a human heart. Kael slowly approached. His military instincts screamed at him to stop. His curiosity ignored them. “What the hell are you?” The sphere answered. Not with words. With a pulse of blue light. THOOM. Kael froze. The chamber shook. His vision blurred. Then— A voice whispered inside his head. ...Finally. Kael staggered backward. “What?” But there was silence He touched his temple. “Who's there?” The soldiers outside began pounding on the sealed door but he ignored them. The sphere floated upward. Blue energy spiraled around it. Images flashed through Kael's mind. Twelve people. Twelve strangers. Different faces. Different ages. Different places. Each one standing before the same sphere. Then— ERROR. The images vanished. Kael's breathing stopped. The sphere began rolling towards him. “No.” It stopped inches from his chest. Kael reached for the pistol at his waist. “Whatever you are…” The sphere suddenly shot forward. CRACK! Blue light consumed the chamber. Kael screamed as something tore through his consciousness. Memories that weren't his, flooded into his mind. A desert beneath two moons. A City, the size of New York floating above an ocean which was red for instance, Civilization burning beneath an unfamiliar sky, Thousands of voices, Millions of years, Then everything disappeared. Kael collapsed, For several seconds, there was nothing. Then his eyes opened. The chamber was silent. The sphere was gone. Kael slowly pushed himself upright. His hands were shaking. “What…” A faint blue symbol appeared across his palm. A circle. With a single vertical line through its center. Then the voice returned, Clearer this time and Calm. Almost human. “Neural synchronization complete.” Kael stared into the darkness. “Who are you?” A pause. Then, “I am ZERO.” The sealed door behind him suddenly turned red. BREACH DETECTED. The Ascendancy soldiers were coming. Kael looked at the glowing symbol on his hand. “ZERO…” “Yes.” “What did you just do to me?” Another pause. This one felt different. Almost like hesitation. “I chose you.” The door exploded inward. Kael turned. Armed soldiers flooded the chamber. Their commander stepped through the smoke. He looked directly at Kael, Then at the glowing symbol. His face went pale. “No…” Kael raised his weapon. “Something wrong?” The commander slowly lowered his rifle. “You're not supposed to be here.” Kael frowned. “Yeah, well, I get that a lot.” The commander whispered four words. “The thirteenth one survived.” Kael's blood ran cold. And somewhere inside his mind… ZERO spoke again. “Kael.” “What?” “Run.” The lights went out.