Cyber Chronicles 2: Prime Voyage

Chapter 7: Present

As Lincoln plummeted towards the sprawling city below, the night sky revealed the vibrant and bustling streets of Guardio Seno. He gazed in awe at the intricate web of floating vehicles that filled the cityscape. These vehicles, known as "pods," came in a dazzling array of sizes, shapes, and opulence, gliding effortlessly through the city's luminous thoroughfares.

Lincoln touched down on one of the pods, his feet landing softly on the smooth surface. The city below was a blur of colors and lights, a mesmerizing panorama of towering skyscrapers and neon advertisements. He took a moment to survey his surroundings, the enormity of the cityscape stretching out before him. A faint, desperate cry emanated from within the pod, drawing his attention with a sharp tug. Curiosity piqued, he moved closer to investigate.

To his astonishment, the pod was like nothing he had ever seen on Earth. Its exterior was a sleek pane of tinted glass, with a subtle, reflective sheen that caught the city's lights in a delicate dance of colors. The base was a polished metal, and there were no visible thrusters or propulsion mechanisms—this was a transportation marvel that defied the conventional technology he was accustomed to.

Lincoln's mind raced with possibilities as he hypothesized that this advanced mode of transportation was powered by an electromagnetic field, a concept he had only seen in theoretical designs on Earth. This mode of travel was a profound leap beyond anything he had encountered, and he made a mental note to delve deeper into this technology in the future.

His moment of wonder was abruptly shattered by the sound of breaking glass. Instinctively, Lincoln leaped from the pod and rolled to the side of the road, narrowly avoiding a blue energy shard that zipped past him with a menacing whine. His heart pounded as he attempted to use his powers to seize the shard and redirect it, only to be met with the startling realization that his abilities faltered.

His confusion grew as the shard evaded his grasp, and his attempts to manipulate it had been unsuccessful. His rigorous training had prepared him to master energy weapons and harness various energy forms, but this was something entirely foreign. As he looked around, he spotted a room with a broken window—a likely origin for the attack. Determined to uncover the source of this new threat, Lincoln resolved to investigate and gather the knowledge he would need for future encounters.

With swift and practiced precision, Lincoln teleported into the room, the red energy trails of his movement dissipating into the air. He paused for a moment, appreciating the freedom he had to use his powers in Alvanian, where the supernatural was a common reality and his actions went unchecked. Yet, as an adept energy manipulator, he remained acutely aware of the importance of caution in such an environment.

The room before him was a dimly lit storage space, littered with stacked boxes and cluttered with various forgotten items. In one corner, a functional portal pulsed softly, its glow casting eerie shadows that danced across the walls. Lincoln took cover behind a stack of boxes, the dim light revealing the gleaming edges of the portal. He immediately understood that this portal was the entry point for the attackers.

Questions swirled in Lincoln's mind as he considered the implications. Why was such a critical access point left unguarded? He had always believed that the use of portals was meant to be heavily regulated and controlled. The apparent lapse in security was troubling and hinted at deeper issues. He began to wonder if there was something fundamentally wrong with the way portals were being managed.

Lincoln closed his eyes and activated his second vision, a heightened state of perception that allowed him to see and differentiate all forms of energy. From this vantage point, he observed the world around him in a vibrant spectrum of colors. The familiar light blue and green energies of the streets were present behind him, but what captured his attention was the dark orange energy emanating from the portal. This new color made his own purple energy react in an unfamiliar way, creating a strange but intriguing interplay between the two forces.

As Lincoln focused on the dark orange energy, he attempted to channel it into his own purple energy. The process was remarkably smooth, as if the two energies were meant to interact. The assimilation was effortless, and as the orange energy merged with his own, Lincoln was suddenly overwhelmed by a flood of vivid, disorienting memories. He saw visions of orange energy flowing from his own body, portals opening and closing, and people moving in and out of them. A haunting voice repeatedly whispered the word "storage," and the pain of its echo pounded at his temples.

He fought to clear his mind, grappling with the excruciating pain and the relentless visions. The moment seemed to stretch into infinity, a turbulent sea of images and sensations crashing over him. Gradually, the pain receded, and the flashes of memory began to fade. Breathing heavily, Lincoln opened his eyes, only to find that the portal's light had dimmed to almost nothing. Could his actions have caused this change?

He closed his eyes again, focusing on the energy within him. The purple energy that had been glowing so brightly was now calm and subdued. But the feeling that he was on the verge of discovering something significant lingered, a nagging sense that there was a missing piece to the puzzle he had yet to uncover.

A sudden noise from behind him pulled him back to the present. Instinctively, he spun around, just in time to see an energy shard hurtling through the broken window, piercing his shoulder with a sharp, stinging impact. A robed figure leapt into the room, their movements swift and deliberate. With a powerful kick, they sent Lincoln flying toward the portal frame. As he sailed through the air, additional energy shards struck him, and he collided forcefully with the portal frame. The impact caused his body to disintegrate into tiny, swirling particles of red energy.

The robed figure approached the scattered energy particles, their entire form obscured by the cloak, revealing nothing of their appearance. With a frenzied intensity, they began to destroy the boxes and clutter around them, their actions wild and chaotic.

From his hidden vantage point behind the boxes, Lincoln watched as the figure wreaked havoc. In the midst of this turmoil, he created a clone of himself—a perfect, temporary replica formed from his own energy. As the clone took the brunt of the robed figure's attacks, Lincoln took the opportunity to switch places with it, evading the immediate danger.

He was still bewildered by what had transpired. No conventional energy weapon could perform such an effective and precise assault. Could it be that the attacker also possessed the rare ability to manipulate energy? In the universe, such a power was thought to be unique to only one being at a time. The thought was both alarming and perplexing.

Before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, the robed figure's attention shifted toward him. With a resigned sigh, Lincoln let his body emanate a fierce red energy, preparing himself for the confrontation that was about to begin.

"Looks like it's time for a fight," he muttered under his breath, his resolve steeling as he readied himself for the challenge ahead.