Location: V-One's Neural Construct – The Crimson District
Victor and Nora moved cautiously through the collapsing cityscape within V-One's subconscious. Ash drifted like snow from a sky painted in flame. Every corner bled with trauma—abandoned toys, burning homes, shadowy figures screaming silently.
Victor scanned the horizon. "This isn't just programming. It's pain. Manufactured, but deeply felt."
Nora nodded grimly. "He's living memories that never belonged to him… but now they define him."
A child's laughter pierced the silence. They turned—V-One stood atop a crumbling tower, dressed in the Dominion cadet uniform, laughing while watching digital specters burn.
Victor growled. "They've distorted his perception. He's reliving a twisted version of the life he never had."
"We have to reach him before the falsehoods become truth," Nora said.
---
Location: Tower Apex – Dominion Mental Prison
As they approached, the laughter stopped. V-One looked down at them, red eyes pulsing. "Why are you here? To finish what they started?"
Nora stepped forward. "No. We're here to break you out."
He tilted his head. "Break me out? Of what? This is my reality."
Victor replied, voice firm, "No, this is a cage. A weapon they designed. They've poisoned your thoughts."
"Then why do these feelings feel real?" V-One roared. "Why do I remember screams, betrayal, death?!"
Nora moved closer. "Because they made you feel it. They took fragments of pain and made them yours. But you are more than their creation."
V-One fell to his knees, trembling. "I want it to stop…"
Victor crouched before him. "Then come back with us. Let us help you remember who you truly are."
---
Location: Dominion Vessel – Command Bridge
Commander Thorne's screen blinked. "He's resisting. Unacceptable."
The AI voice spoke calmly. "Override the mental link. If we cannot turn him, we must erase him."
Thorne hesitated. "We spent years perfecting him."
The AI's tone sharpened. "Then retrieve what you can and burn the rest."
A final command was entered. A self-destruct code embedded within V-One's neural construct began ticking down.
---
Location: V-One's Neural Mindscape – Collapse Sequence Initiated
The ground began shaking. Cracks opened in the sky. The illusion was collapsing.
Victor grabbed V-One's shoulder. "They're killing your mind. We need to leave—now!"
"But I…" V-One hesitated. "I don't know what's real."
Nora held out her hand. "Then choose what feels right. Choose us."
He looked at her, uncertain. Then finally, he grabbed her hand.
---
Location: Atlas Safehouse – Neural Interface Chamber
Zuri screamed. "They're flatlining!"
Damien rushed in. "Pull them out!"
The machines surged, sparking.
Then, all three—Victor, Nora, and V-One—gasped awake.
Zuri stumbled back. "You did it… you actually brought him back."
V-One sat up, sweat-drenched. "They were in my head…"
Victor nodded. "They won't be again. Not if we move fast."
V-One's voice was hoarse but determined. "Then let's destroy them."