A.P.O.L.A.K.I.

/11/ - Someone's Getting Fired

Garret's eyes widened as soon as he stepped off his A.P.O.L.A.K.I. XVI Air Shuttle. Smoke billowed from one of the A.P.O.L.A.K.I. towers. Operatives evacuated the building. Massive fire drones hovered above the bombed structure, attempting to quench the flames. Sirens blared throughout the area. It reminded him of the Maxima Tower explosion he witnessed before!

The pounding in his chest intensified when he saw Lima running towards him. Her face was tense, mirroring the grim atmosphere. Garret stopped in his tracks. Behind the burning tower walls lay the Archive and Records Department—the most restricted area within the axis.

Someone was clearly determined to destroy the axis! But for what reason? And why target the records section?

Garret's knees trembled as Lima halted in front of him. His companion was slightly out of breath and drenched in sweat.

"Nobody's injured," Lima declared between pants. She attempted to stand steady, but her nerves betrayed her. "But the bad news is..."

Garret's eyes narrowed upon hearing Lima's words. He hoped his gut feeling was wrong.

"All records were destroyed," Lima added with a shaky voice, swallowing hard.

"What do you mean all?" Garret's lips trembled. His chest tightened even more.

"The attackers breached the dome and dropped a nuclear bomb precisely to obliterate the ARD."

Garret clenched his jaw. Lima's revelation hit him hard. He didn't want to believe that there were people intent on destroying the axis. But given this string of attacks, he couldn't ignore such a conclusion.

"Someone is really behind this," Lima said, almost certain. "Someone who hold grudges against the axis."

Garret swallowed hard. Truth be told, he didn't know which to focus on now—his newly discovered cloned version of himself? Or the axis' vulnerability? "Didn't Vasquez have the backup database?"

"He does," Lima answered fearfully. "But not all. Also, Balkin notified, minutes before the explosion, that an unidentified malicious malware is trying to corrupt our cloud."

Garret remained silent as he watched the charred tower. A.P.O.L.A.K.I. personnel rushed around, saving lives. The cacophony of screams, sirens, explosions, and inner voices was incomprehensible. Surely, the media would cover this immediately, and it would be beyond his control.

"Whoever is behind this must have already constructed a more massive machinery, I'm afraid more advanced than A.P.O.L.A.K.i.," Lima continued. "These attacks aren't isolated incidents, Garret, they're all connected."

Garret didn't respond. But it seemed like Lima's statements were correct.

"They won't target William Arcache for no reason," the woman persisted. "The Restricted Section contains records from the time when William and your father were still connected with the axis."

Garret blinked. Goosebumps erupted across his body. He suddenly remembered something. That time when Dimitri told him how his father had disappointed the minister before. Could it be...

"Garret, we need to talk to your father," Lima pleaded. "So we can figure out where to start. I know something is wrong with this republic. And your dad might give us a hint on how we can fix this chaotic country." She took a deep breath. "Please..."

Garret gulped, trying to conceal his weakness. He didn't want to show it to the woman, but because of the weight and pain of the events laid out before him, he couldn't help but feel weak. It had been a while since he carried this burden on his shoulders. He thought he was confident enough to manage the axis without his father's guidance, but he was wrong. The truth was, he had failed. "He's not okay, Lima."