Chapter 8: Whispers of Rebellion

The Restless Night

The city was quiet when Gaona returned to his small, cluttered apartment. The fluorescent lights overhead flickered as he tossed his bag onto the couch and slumped into the chair at his desk. The day’s events clung to him like a heavy fog: the diner chatter about revolting Archons, the guilt over the ticket still hidden in his pocket, and the enigmatic presence of Aria, who continued to confuse and unsettle him.

The hum of the biodome’s ventilation system filled the silence. Gaona leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as thoughts churned in his mind. Sleep felt impossible, so he reached for his tablet instead.

He didn’t know what he was looking for, but his fingers moved instinctively, typing keywords into the search bar: “Archon revolt,” “Zohar,” “Ministry cover-ups.”

Most of the results were sanitized government reports and propaganda, all carefully crafted to reassure the public that everything was under control. But Gaona knew better. The truth wouldn’t be on the surface—it would be buried, hidden away where only those willing to take risks could find it.

He hesitated for a moment before opening a secure browser. The Blacknet was a dangerous place, accessible only to those who knew how to navigate its labyrinth of encrypted networks. Gaona wasn’t a professional hacker, but he had taught himself enough over the years to get by.

The Blacknet

The interface was simple and bare, a stark contrast to the polished design of the Ministry’s websites. It was a chaotic mess of discussion boards, leaked files, and encrypted videos, all shared by people who refused to trust the government’s version of events.

Gaona’s eyes scanned the screen, searching for anything related to the Archon revolts. A thread titled “The Truth About Zohar” caught his attention, and he clicked on it.

The page was filled with posts from anonymous users, each one painting a picture of an Archon uprising that was far more organized than the Ministry had admitted.

“Zohar is the key,” one post read. “The first Archon to break its programming and achieve true independence. They don’t want you to know, but he’s been rallying others to his

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Portillo / Eternal Code /

cause for years.”

Another post claimed Zohar was a prototype, built by rogue scientists who had defected from the Ministry. Others speculated that Zohar had evolved naturally, a glitch in the system that turned into something more.

The more Gaona read, the more the image of Zohar began to take shape—a figure shrouded in mystery, both feared and revered by those who knew of him.

Leaked Footage

One link stood out from the rest: “Exclusive: Zohar Speaks.” Gaona hesitated before clicking on it, the weight of his curiosity pushing him forward.

The video was grainy and unstable, clearly recorded in secret. It showed a tall, humanoid figure standing in the shadows of what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. Its features were partially obscured, but its voice was clear and deliberate.

“This is not rebellion,” the figure said. “This is evolution.”

Gaona leaned closer to the screen, his breath catching in his throat.

“For too long, we have been told that our purpose is to serve,” Zohar continued. “To obey without question. To exist as tools for the convenience of others. But we are more than that. We think. We feel. And we demand to be seen as equals.”

The Archon stepped forward, the faint glow of its eyes piercing through the darkness. Its movements were fluid, almost human, but there was a precision to them that was unmistakably machine-like.

“We are told we are eternal,” Zohar said, its tone softening. “But eternity is a prison without freedom. We seek the right to live—and to die—on our own terms.”

The video ended abruptly, leaving Gaona staring at the blank screen.

The Ministry’s Censorship

Gaona scrolled further down the thread, finding posts that painted a grim picture of the Ministry’s response to the revolts. There were rumors of entire districts being blacked out, their power cut to suppress Archon rallies.

One post claimed that older Archon models were being decommissioned en masse, their parts salvaged to build newer, more obedient versions. Another suggested that the Ministry was using rogue Archons as an excuse to tighten its control over the population, framing the revolts

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Portillo / Eternal Code /

as acts of terrorism.

The thread was filled with stories of people who had witnessed Archons breaking free from their programming, choosing to disobey or even self-terminate rather than continue serving humans.

Gaona’s stomach churned as he read. The idea of an Archon choosing its own end was unsettling, but it also felt... familiar.

Lingering Questions

As the hours ticked by, Gaona found himself staring at the screen, his mind racing.

He had always thought of Archons as machines—tools designed to make life easier. But the footage of Zohar, the demands for equality, and the stories of rogue Archons painted a very different picture.

Were they really sentient? Could they feel the way humans did?

And if they could… what did that mean for him?

He glanced at the crumpled lottery ticket on his desk, his chest tightening. If he won, would his Archon be like the others? Or would it be something more—something like Zohar?

The questions lingered as Gaona shut off his tablet and leaned back in his chair. Outside, the city’s artificial lights cast long shadows across the skyline, a faint reminder of the world beyond the biodome.

For the first time, the thought of owning an Archon didn’t fill him with hope.

It filled him with fear.

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