A Looming Threat

In the mountainous suburb of Ersa, northeast of the capital of Altair state, Himalia, turmoil was brewing in a research facility in the middle of the night.

“What was that?” A middle-aged scientist named Dr. Alexander Blanchett who just came out of a room asked the younger man who happened to pass by.

“Chief, the outer wall was destroyed,” the young man responded while catching his breath.

Right in the middle of the young man’s speaking, a broadcast was heard all over the place:

—Emergency Alert. [UNKNOWN] has been detected within the laboratory’s premises.

“An intruder?!”

The alarmed Dr. Blanchett, a.k.a Chief, dashed toward the control room to observe the situation. It was a mess. Annoying blinking red alarm light plus the mix of loud sirens and other indistinct noises.

A female subordinate approached him with an uncomfortable face. “Chief, bad news! The security cameras were all hacked by [UNKNOWN].”

Dr. Blanchett couldn't keep his cool in such a predicament. “Who the hell is that [UNKNOWN]?!”

“Unfortunately Chief, Altair Gen couldn't identify him.”

“Even Altair Gen, our city’s famed biometric database system?!”

“Yessir, but we managed to capture a photo of him thanks to a roaming security drone.”

Chief looked at the screen showing the photo of a cloaked person hiding his face in the darkness.

“Order our armed forces to intercept him. Everyone here, unveil his identity.”

Chief then headed for an exit while saying, “Also, continue retrieving back the ones he hacked. No one can destroy Himalia’s first-class laboratory.”

Several broadcasts followed as he walked through the corridor leading back to his room.

—Emergency Alert. Alpha Barrier is forcibly unlocked.

—Emergency Alert. Beta Barrier is —.

—Gamma Barrier is forcibly unlocked.

The Chief was shocked. He began to dismiss his thought that they were dealing with a mere cocky trespasser.

That piece of…! The security barrier of this facility is formidable, but he broke through it. Who is he?

He pulled a device from the pocket of his lab coat and pressed the button. After that, a gun appeared out of nowhere.

Meanwhile, the cloaked person who had just hacked his way through the first three barriers attempted to open the fourth one, Delta Barrier. But he was intercepted by a mob of armed personnel and robot hounds.

“Intruder, be a lamb, and remove your cover!”

The intruder raised both his hands, but they were all just pointing their weapons against him and wouldn’t take the initiative to restrain him.

“Didn’t you hear us? Remove your cover!”

The intruder turned around, facing them. But everyone was surprised by what they saw.

“Look! His eyes…”

“They’re glowing.”

After that, the eyes of the robot hounds changed from yellow to red, and attacked the armed personnel instead. There was a lot of screaming, and during that, the mysterious intruder suddenly disappeared from his position, leaving a streak of purplish-white light that faded a few seconds later.

—Emergency Alert. Delta Barrier is forcibly unlocked.

It was supposed to be the research facility’s last and most formidable security barrier, but the unidentified intruder broke through it. That barrier protects the heart of the facility, the Data Vault, which houses a vital piece of research data.

It was the target of the intruder. While attempting to open the Data Vault, he received a sarcastic welcome from the facility’s head.

“Nice to meet you, [UNKNOWN]!” Standing behind him was Dr. Blanchett, who seemed to be waiting for him.

The Chief continued, “What brings you here?”

Instead of talking, he responded through his eyes as they glow even brighter.

“You’re not gonna answer, huh? But I believe that you only have a single target. The Data Vault, right? Sorry to say, but I’m not allowing you to even set foot inside the Vault.”

The Chief fired his gun against the intruder. But he disappeared just when the bullets were about to hit him.

So fast! Where did he go?

The Chief looked around, but the intruder was nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, hiding behind a column, the intruder mumbled in a robotic voice, “INITIATING SEQUENCE...”

Suddenly, the Chief’s gun disappeared, much to his shock.

It can’t be.

He picked up the device he used to equip the gun and pushed the button, but the weapon wasn’t reappearing no matter how many times he did it.

A self-destruct code? But how? Is it UNKNOWN’s doing? But when did he?

Really, who’s that monster?

The intruder stepped out from hiding. “How sad! Himalia has fallen into the depths of ignorance.”

Dr. Blanchett responded, “What are you talking about?”

“This city built on the foundation of fraud shall crumble before we know it. Allow me to educate this generation on what true knowledge is and rebuild this city.”

The intruder lowered his hands. “Those words aren’t mine but by my creator. I’m not allowed to speak any further. I have a mission to accomplish.”

“W-wait?!”

“INITIATING SEQUENCE…”

Those words from the intruder were followed by an overload on the electrical system of the lab, creating an explosion. Tremors brought about by that reached the area where the researchers and the one who encountered him earlier were. The Chief’s face was dripping with blood, and his arms were scathed. It’s uncertain whether he’s still alive or not.

Meanwhile, the intruder flew to a safe distance and opened the room labeled “Data Vault”. Inside, a glass-like podium was at its center, and a glowing tablet floated over it while a faint spherical ball of light surrounded it.

He touched the seal, and his eyes glowed once more. The seal vanished, leaving the tablet in the open. He grabbed the tablet, and it dissipated.

“MISSION ACCOMPLISHED,” he said in a low tone.

“Now, then…Argh!”

His eyes were throbbing and gradually lost their glow like used LED lights. At last, he felt the effects of consuming much of his energy. He must have been exhausted the most from creating that explosion.

The people who confronted him earlier entered the scene and tried to capture him while he was weakened and retrieved the stolen data tablet. But he used his remaining strength to escape the facility. He vanished in thin air.

Then, he was seen appearing from one spot to another above the city as if he was teleporting. He headed southward, but his destination was unclear.