Chapter 14—Xavier

XAVIER'S ENHANCED VISION pierced through the dust and debris as the two women at last emerged from the mine. The moment of relief was short-lived as he detected multiple heat signatures surrounding them. "Amaya, Dr. Vex, stay close."

As if on cue, a dozen elite cyborg troops materialized from the shadows, their weapons trained on the group. Xavier's combat protocols activated automatically, calculating possible escape routes and defensive strategies.

Admiral Zorn stepped forward, his imposing figure cutting through the tense atmosphere. His cybernetic eye glowed an ominous red as he surveyed the scene, revealing he was definitely an enhanced human—though he likely wouldn't volunteer himself for the control chip to be implanted and tested on him.

"What do we have here?" Zorn's voice dripped with contempt. "A band of traitors and their rescued lab rats."

Xavier positioned himself between Zorn and the others, his stance defensive. "Admiral, this doesn't have to end in bloodshed."

Zorn laughed. "Oh, but it does. You've seen and learned too much. I can't let you walk away with that knowledge."

Amaya stepped forward, looking angry and resolved. "We know about Project Guardian, Zorn. We know what you're planning to do with those cyborgs."

The admiral's expression hardened. "Then you understand why I can't let you leave."

Dr. Vex sounded steady despite the tension. "There's still time to stop this madness, Admiral. We can find another way."

Zorn's cybernetic eye flashed. "There is no other way. Humanity has proven time and again that they can't be trusted with power. The cyborgs will bring order to the galaxy."

"At what cost?" asked Xavier. "By turning them, and the humans, into mindless slaves?"

The admiral's patience had clearly worn thin. "Enough talk. Surrender now or face the consequences."

Xavier's combat systems went into overdrive, assessing the situation. They were outnumbered and outgunned, but he refused to give up without a fight. "Amaya," he whispered, "Can you access their weapons systems?"

She nodded, fingers moving across her datapad a second later. "Give me a minute."

Xavier, watching the approaching cyborg guards ready themselves, leaned slightly toward Amaya and whispered, "I'll buy you some time. See if you can disable their systems." He squared his shoulders, his voice calm despite the chaos brewing. "Admiral, I think you owe us an explanation. How long have you been plotting this?"

"Longer than you've been alive, cyborg." Zorn sneered, but Xavier saw the flicker of pride in his eyes. "You really don't get it, do you?" His voice was filled with cold conviction. "When we hit the main facility, it wasn't about controlling the facility, and destabilizing the core wasn't the primary mission. It was merely a test—a field trial for my new personal guard. These enhanced cyborgs aren't bound by your limitations, Xavier. They're stronger, faster, and more obedient."

He gestured to the cyborg soldiers who stood motionless behind him, their expressions blank, eyes cold. "I sent them to the facility as a test of control. It's a test they passed with flying colors."

Xavier's jaw tightened. "You sent them to slaughter innocent people to test their programming?"

"They weren't specifically told to kill anyone, and they weren't forbidden to." Zorn's lips curled in a cruel smile. "Those were acceptable losses in the pursuit of perfection. I needed to see if I could maintain control remotely, and if their enhancements could withstand the rigors of combat while following my commands without question."

Amaya was intent on the device as she worked in the background. He caught her faint murmur of what sounded like delight and hoped she was close. He just needed to keep Zorn talking a little longer.

"These are people, not machines. Even if they're under your control now, it won't last. You can't suppress their humanity forever."

The admiral laughed. "Humanity is exactly the problem. They're weak and unpredictable, but with my enhancements, I've perfected them. And soon, I'll have an entire army that answers only to me. You've already seen what they can do."

Xavier turned to the rescued cyborgs. "Prepare yourselves. This might get ugly."

As if on cue, Zorn raised his hand, signaling his troops to attack. Xavier sprang into action, his cybernetic enhancements giving him superhuman speed and strength, but his opponents had the same advantages.

He engaged the nearest soldier, ducking under a plasma blast and retaliating with a swift uppercut. The impact sent the trooper flying backward, crashing into two of his comrades. Around him, chaos erupted. The rescued cyborgs, though weakened, fought with desperation born of newfound freedom. Dr. Vex wielded a makeshift weapon, her scientific precision translating into surprisingly effective combat moves.

Amaya worked furiously, tapping on her datapad. "Almost there," she muttered.

Xavier deflected another attack, but he couldn't hold off the entire squad indefinitely. A plasma bolt grazed his shoulder, sending a jolt of pain through his system. He stumbled, momentarily vulnerable.

Zorn seized the opportunity, closing in with a sadistic grin. "It's over, Subject 174 ," he said mockingly, revealing his planned fate for Xavier. "You can't win."

Just as the admiral raised his weapon for a killing blow, a series of explosions rocked the battlefield. The elite troops' weapons suddenly powered down, leaving them defenseless.

Amaya's voice rang out triumphantly. "Got it. Their weapons are offline."

The tide of battle shifted instantly. Without their superior firepower, Zorn's troops found themselves outmatched by the determined group of escapees. Their advanced cybernetic enhancements weren't operational without power from their fuel cells.

Cyborgs had built in redundancies to maintain the bare minimum required for survival, including keeping the heart beating and lungs working, which were powered by their own electrical charge in the event of a system failure or power loss, but their organic bodies didn't generate enough power to keep sophisticated weaponry operational, so they were the equivalent of human soldiers again.

Xavier, whose power hadn't been cut by Amaya, capitalized on the chaos, tackling Zorn to the ground. They grappled fiercely in a tangle of flesh and metal locked in mortal combat.

"You're fighting for a lost cause," said Zorn, his cybernetic eye pulsing with rage.

Xavier countered with a swift strike to Zorn's midsection. "No, I'm fighting for our future. A future where cyborgs and humans can coexist."

Their struggle intensified, each blow threatening to tip the balance. Xavier's systems strained under the pressure, pushing his enhancements to their limits.

Nearby, Amaya continued to work her technological magic, disabling more of the enemy's systems. Dr. Vex rallied the rescued cyborgs, coordinating their efforts to subdue the remaining troops.

As the battle raged on, he was locked in a deadly stalemate with Zorn. Both combatants were evenly matched, their cybernetic enhancements canceling out each other's advantages. He was unsurprised to learn that Zorn had his own self-contained power units that weren't reliant on the system's grid he used to control the others.

"You're a fool, Xavier," he said with disdain. "Do you really think humans will ever accept cyborgs as equals? They fear you, or they envy you. They'll become like you as much as they can if it prolongs their lives or makes them stronger, but humans are never going to see cyborgs as anything more than enhanced soldiers. You're a weapon to us. A tool to be used and nothing more."

"You're wron—" Xavier's response was cut short as Zorn landed a powerful blow to his jaw with his enhanced arm. He staggered back, his systems momentarily disoriented.

Zorn pressed his advantage, unleashing a flurry of strikes that forced Xavier on the defensive. "I'm seizing a chance for true power and true freedom for humans and cyborgs. The galaxy will be peaceful when I've united all."

Xavier blocked another attack, his circuits burning with exertion. "At the cost of our free will? That's not freedom. It's enslavement."

Amaya's voice cut through the din, appearing in his head as she accessed his private communication channel. "Xavier. I've accessed Zorn's neural network. There's a weak point in his defense systems."

Hope surged through Xavier's circuits. He redoubled his efforts, searching for an opening in Zorn's defenses.

The admiral, realizing the tide was turning against him, grew increasingly desperate. His attacks became wilder and more erratic. "You can't stop progress, Xavier. The age of weak humans manipulating technology to spread menace and violence throughout the galaxy is over."

Xavier saw his chance. As Zorn overextended on a punch, he ducked under the admiral's guard and struck at a precise point on his neck, following Amaya's directions, whispered in his mind.

Zorn's eyes widened in shock as his systems began to short-circuit. "What have you done?"

"Ended your reign of terror," said Xavier, watching as the admiral's cybernetic enhancements powered down, leaving him just another weak human.

With their leader incapacitated, the remaining enemy troops quickly surrendered. The battlefield fell silent, save for the labored breathing of the combatants.

Amaya rushed to Xavier's side. "Are you all right?" She scanned him, looking at the burn marks marring the synthetic skin on his arm.

Xavier nodded, though the tightness in his jaw betrayed the pain he was suppressing. "I'll be fine. We need to secure the area."

Dr. Vex approached, supporting one of the cyborgs they'd rescued. "We've got some injuries, but nothing life-threatening."

Xavier exhaled deeply, his enhanced vision sweeping over the scene—the rescued cyborgs, the defeated enemy soldiers, and the nearby facility. His mind raced. They had dealt a significant blow to Zorn's operation, but they couldn't afford to relax yet. He knew Zorn well enough to understand that this wasn't the end.

"What's our next move?" asked Amaya, her voice soft but urgent as she took his hand.

He glanced at the group—Dr. Vex, the injured cyborgs, and Amaya, all of them exhausted yet ready for what came next. "We need to destroy the core," he said firmly, meeting their gazes. "Zorn might be incapacitated, but his systems are still active. If we don't shut it all down, he'll recover—and his plans will continue."

Dr. Vex frowned. "The core is deep within the facility. It's heavily protected, but we might have a window while his forces are still regrouping."

Amaya's grip on Xavier tightened. "We need to move now. We can't let Zorn's work survive."

Xavier nodded. "Agreed. We'll hit the core and make sure everything is destroyed."

As they began to organize the group, preparing for the next phase, Xavier's cybernetic systems continued running damage assessments. He caught a glimpse of Amaya's tense face as she worked with Dr. Vex to pull up a map of the facility's lower levels. He was distracted by one of the injured cyborgs shouting, "He's gone."

He snapped up his head, looking around and instinctively knowing the cyborg referred to Zorn. He cursed and scanned the area, not detecting any power signatures from a human or an enhanced human. "No sign of him."

"Sorry," said a young female cyborg. "I was supposed to watch him, but..." She trailed off before sparking and trembling as though seizing. After a moment, she reset and said, "Welcome to Hydarius. I'll be your tour guide."

"She's malfunctioning," said Dr. Vex.

He nodded, having realized she'd reverted to her pre-conversion memories. Zorn had probably been able to walk away without anyone challenging him if she was his guard. He sighed, hoping they'd dealt with Zorn enough that he wouldn't be an impediment to destroying the core and his facility. "It can't be helped now."

"We'll keep an eye open for him," said Amaya, her voice hard, "But the priority is making sure there's nothing left for Zorn to rebuild."

He nodded his agreement. "Let's make sure we finish this."

They quickly regrouped, moving toward and into the facility with silent urgency. The doors were open since Amaya had taken out the troops' and the facility's connection to the core, its power source, and they walked right in, albeit cautiously. Every step through the winding corridors brought them closer to the heart of Zorn's operation—the core. The deeper they ventured, the more Xavier felt the oppressive heat and the faint vibrations of the machinery that powered the entire facility.

They paused at a fork in the corridors, and he turned to the injured cyborgs. "Get to the admiral's personal shuttle. It's the only one in the shuttle bay. Wait for us as long as you can, but get yourselves out of here if we don't make it."

"We can't—" a male cyborg started to protest.

"You can," said Dr. Vex firmly. "You're the only proof of what he's done here if we don't find something more concrete and can't escape to bring it to the world."

Amaya took a datapad from Dr. Vex and linked it to hers, downloading something before handing it to the male cyborg. "This program will get you through the ship's firewalls, so you can fly it."

He took it, clearly reluctant, but Xavier didn't want to see if they followed his directions. He took the fork that would lead to the core room, as Amaya and Dr. Vex followed him. Hearing sets of footsteps leading the other way revealed the injured cyborgs had chosen the only path forward for them. He was pleased.

When they stepped inside the core room moments later, it was loud with the hum of machinery and distant crackling wires filling the space as Xavier and the women moved swiftly to sabotage the facility. Amaya immediately connected to the core, explaining, "I'm piggybacking on the connection I made earlier to interrupt their energy. It shouldn't take long... Got it," she said a moment later. "Downloading all his data now."

Streams of classified information lit up the room, revealing the full scope of Admiral Zorn's plans. Xavier's sharp eyes flicked across the streams of data, drawing in a ragged breath.

"This is worse than we thought," Dr. Vex murmured, her face pale. "He's not just controlling cyborgs or humans..."

Xavier nodded. "Zorn plans to overthrow the entire galactic government. With cyborg armies and his own puppet regime." He shrugged. "He revealed that during our battle, but now, we have proof."

Amaya worked quickly. "I'm sending this to every major news outlet and government agency. They won't be able to hide from this."

As the final streams of data broadcast out into the galactic networks, the door to the core chamber slid open with a sharp hiss. The echo of boots clicked across the floor as Admiral Zorn stepped in. He was dressed in his military uniform, the dark fabric pressed and immaculate despite the chaos unraveling around him. He wore a self-contained power unit on his chest, which meant he had full control of his enhancements again.

"You've caused quite a mess." Zorn's posture was imposing, his enhancements granting him a formidable presence. "It's too late to stop me though. You've barely scratched the surface of what's to come."

Xavier moved between Amaya and Zorn, intent on protecting her. "It's over, Zorn. Your scheme has been exposed. The galaxy knows what you've been planning."

Zorn sneered. "You think a few leaked documents can stop me? By the time anyone acts, my forces will be in place. My control will be absolute."

Dr. Vex frowned. "You haven't even completed a successful trial test yet. You don't know what will happen to humans if you use nanotech to infect them with these chips and try to control them. You could kill them all."

He lifted a shoulder. "An acceptable risk."

Xavier squared his shoulders. "Not if we stop you here."

Zorn's muscles tensed beneath the fabric of his uniform, his cybernetic enhancements giving him strength beyond any normal human, though he lacked the fluidity and precision of a fully integrated cyborg. "You're fighting a battle you can't win. Humanity will always fear what it can't control. That's why I'll be the one to take charge."

The room crackled with energy as the core behind them continued to destabilize. The lights flickered, and the sound of whirring machinery filled the space as Amaya worked furiously to finish the sabotage.

"Almost done," Amaya called out from behind Xavier, her focus on disrupting the core.

Zorn's eyes flashed with fury as he advanced, clearly realizing what Amaya had been doing while Xavier and Dr. Vex kept him distracted. Xavier blocked his way again, and without warning, Zorn lunged at him, swinging his fist with bone-shattering force. Xavier reacted instantly, blocking the strike, but the power behind it made his cybernetic limbs groan under the pressure.

Their clash reverberated through the chamber, Zorn's raw strength bolstered by his own personal supply almost matching Xavier's cybernetic precision. They exchanged blow after blow with the sound of fists connecting with flesh and metal echoing through the room.

"You're strong." Xavier grunted, deflecting another strike. "Not strong enough to win this fight with brute force though."

Zorn smirked, his eyes gleaming with vicious determination. "It's not about strength. It's about conviction."

He ducked under another punch, countering with a strike to Zorn's side that made the admiral stagger. "Your conviction will destroy everything—humans and cyborgs. There's a better way."

"You're deluded." Zorn spat out a mouthful of blood before charging again. "There is no coexistence. There's only control."

As they fought, he caught glimpses of Amaya's fingers moving furiously over her datapad. The core must be moments from being fully sabotaged, but the room was growing increasingly unstable. Explosions erupted from the machinery around them as sparks rained down from above, casting frantic shadows on the walls.

Dr. Vex's voice rose above the chaos. "Zorn, you're finished. The entire galaxy knows about Project Guardian. You won't be able to hide behind your lies anymore."

Zorn's face twisted in rage, his attention snapping to Dr. Vex. "You think anyone will stop me in time? You've always been too idealistic, Zara. Weak."

Xavier took advantage of his distraction, slamming his shoulder into Zorn and driving him back toward the edge of the platform, but Zorn regained his balance, his enhanced strength anchoring him as he surged forward, grabbing Xavier by the throat and squeezing.

"Xavier," shouted Amaya, surging to her feet before looking down at her datapad again. She paused to type one more thing before rushing toward him.

Seeing her rushing toward him, and grasping she intended to join the fight, he found a new surge of strength. He had to protect her. Xavier's cybernetic systems whirred in protest as Zorn's grip tightened, but with a final burst of strength, he pried away the admiral's hands, twisting free and delivering a brutal punch to the admiral's jaw.

The other man stumbled, his face contorting with pain as he wiped blood from his mouth. "You're a fool. You've chosen the losing side."

Xavier's response was calm. "I've chosen the right side."

Before Zorn could strike again, Amaya's voice rang out. "Xavier, now."

The core erupted in a series of violent explosions, the room plunging into chaos as lights flickered, and the floor beneath them trembled. Xavier moved with lightning speed, delivering a final blow to Zorn that sent him reeling backward. The admiral crashed into the rail at the edge of the platform, his hands scrambling for balance as the ground beneath him began to collapse.

Their gazes met for a brief moment. Zorn's was full of shock and disbelief, and Xavier ensured his expression showed only apathy for the fate awaiting the man. With a deafening roar, the platform gave way, sending the admiral plummeting into the fiery abyss below. His scream of rage was swallowed by the roar of destruction as the core continued to detonate.

"Xavier?" Amaya ran to him as the explosions grew louder.

He grasped her hand, and Dr. Vex rushed along behind them as they ran from the core room through the facility as it continued to shake and rumble around them. Pieces fell, threatening to block their path, but his processors kept up, anticipating where damage would happen, and he navigated them into the shuttle bay, to the shuttle on which they had stowed away to reach Helios Minor. Had it really only been yesterday?

As they reached the shuttle, another explosion rocked the platform. He stumbled, nearly losing his footing, but Amaya grabbed his arm and pulled him into the shuttle just as the engines roared to life. The cyborgs must have already seized control of the shuttle using Amaya's program.

"I've got you," she said as she steadied him.

The shuttle lifted of, as flames and smoke engulfed the facility below them. Xavier collapsed into a seat, his systems finally giving in to the strain of the battle. Through the viewport, he watched as the facility erupted into a massive fireball, taking with it the last remnants of Zorn's ambitions.

Amaya knelt beside him with concern. "Are you okay?"

Xavier managed a weak smile. "I'll survive. What matters is we made it out."

Dr. Vex nodded from a nearby seat, her expression grim but relieved. "The data we broadcast is already causing shockwaves throughout the galaxy. Governments are mobilizing. Zorn's plans are done."

Xavier nodded, feeling a flicker of hope despite the enervation spreading through him. "We've given both humans and cyborgs a chance at a better future."

As the shuttle soared away from the destruction, she took his hand, squeezing gently. He looked at her, mesmerized by her face. Everything about Amaya was perfect and precious to him.

"What now?" Amaya asked quietly.

Xavier's gaze drifted back to the stars before looking at her again. "We build our future and let the galaxy take care of itself."

She grinned. "You don't really mean that."

His power levels were fluctuating, and all he wanted to do was regenerate. "Right now, I definitely do." A yawn escaped him. "I might reevaluate that opinion after a nap."