Eliot slowly woke up. The deep sleep had helped him. The pain in his body was now just a dull ache, and his strong hunger was a distant memory. He felt… clearer. Not great, but able to function. The air in the warehouse was cold and damp, but he was hidden and, for now, safe.
He pushed the tarp aside, grimacing at the dust on his clothes. The dim light coming through the high windows showed it was late morning. He had slept for hours.
His mind immediately went to the System. He willed it to turn on, and with a familiar, low hum, the see-through screen appeared, floating over the dusty inside of the warehouse.
SYSTEM STATUS:
Host: Eliot Vance
Physical Condition: Getting better (Rest & Basic Food)
Mental Condition: Stable (Strong Stress reaction lessened)
System Integration: Basic (2.5% Connected)
Active Abilities: Basic Telekinesis (Level 1)
Energy Reserves (Host): Recovering (25% Charged)
Energy Reserves (System): Stable
A small feeling of satisfaction went through him. "Recovering (25% Charged)." It wasn't much, but it made him feel like he was making progress. He wasn't completely drained anymore. And "Mental Condition: Stable (Strong Stress reaction lessened)" was a welcome relief. The raw, gut-wrenching despair had lessened, replaced by a more focused, though still worried, determination.
He focused on the GUIDE function. He needed answers. What exactly was this System? And more importantly, what was the "System Signature Detected" that had hunted him?
The guide screen appeared. He scrolled, or rather, willed it to scroll, through the general information about abilities and his status. Then he found a new section under the heading: THREAT ANALYSIS.
THREAT ANALYSIS:
Detected Entity: Unidentified System Host. (Name: Hunter-Alpha)
Signature: Echoes of Protocol X
Capabilities: Improved Body Skills (Speed, Strength), Stealth (Limited Invisibility/Blur), Basic Telekinesis (Level Unknown), Data Stealing.
Objective (Guessed): To stop Unregistered Host (You). Reason Unknown. Possibly: Getting Resources, Making Rules Stronger.
Recommendations: Don't fight directly. Focus on Escaping and Getting Information. Create ways to fight back.
Eliot felt a cold knot tighten in his stomach. "Hunter-Alpha." "Echoes of Protocol X." This wasn't just a random attacker; it was a rival. A competing System, or maybe a different part of the same one. And it was clearly more advanced, with "Improved Body Skills" and "Stealth." He'd been lucky to get away last night. Very lucky.
"To stop Unregistered Host (You)." The words hit him hard. He was an outsider. A mistake. No wonder it was hunting him. But why? "Getting Resources, Making Rules Stronger." What resources? And what rules?
He looked at his hands, the faint memory of the blue glow. He had "Basic Telekinesis (Level 1)." Hunter-Alpha had "Basic Telekinesis (Level Unknown)," which meant it was probably stronger. This was an unfair fight.
He needed to understand Protocol X. He willed the System to explain more, to show him more.
PROTOCOL X (BROKEN DATA):
Main Goal: Making Resources Best and Controlled.
Second Goal: Connecting Compatible Hosts.
Warning: Unregistered Host Difference causes System Problems. Stopping them is a safety measure.
(MORE DATA BLOCKED. HOST CONNECTION TOO LOW.)
"Making Resources Best and Controlled." Eliot's mind spun. It sounded like a company's mission statement, but with terrifying meanings. And "Connecting Compatible Hosts." Was that what he was supposed to be? Was he an "unregistered host" because he wasn't part of their system? And the "System Problems" part… did his very existence threaten them?
He felt a sudden, deep sense of being alone. He wasn't just jobless and heartbroken; he was an unregistered mistake, a glitch in some vast, terrifying digital world. And there were others, like Hunter-Alpha, whose job was to remove glitches.
The reality of his situation hit him with a new weight. His old problems, Sarah, his job, even his parents' disapproval, seemed small, almost unimportant, compared to this. He wasn't just trying to rebuild his life; he was trying to survive a war he didn't even know existed until yesterday.
But among the fear, a new feeling began to stir. Not quite hope, but a growing sense of purpose. He was a target, yes. But he was also a host. He had powers. And if his existence was causing "System Problems," then perhaps that meant he had some power. He was a force to be dealt with, even if he was just starting to understand it. He wouldn't be stopped. He couldn't.
He had to get stronger. He had to understand. He had to fight back. He looked around the dusty, broken-down warehouse. It was a temporary safe place, but it was also his training ground.