Chapter 26: The Echo of the Fallen
The air inside Neu-Berlin was unnervingly still, recycled and filtered to a sterile perfection. Unlike the chaotic, muddy trenches of the surface war, this city was a geometric nightmare of white stone and glowing conduits. Every screen on every wall displayed a single, unblinking eye—the digital sigil of the Hive-Link.
The Hive-Minded
As the Howling Commandos stepped out of the submersible, the city's inhabitants emerged from the shadows. They weren't soldiers; they were "Citizens"—captured scientists, high-ranking officials, and kidnapped civilians. Their eyes glowed with a dull orange light, their movements perfectly synchronized.
"They're not attacking," Dugan whispered, his shotgun leveled at a group of men in lab coats. "They're just... staring."
"They're processing," Arthur said, his [Digital Trace] picking up the massive wave of data flowing between the citizens and the central spire. "We're a new variable. They're calculating the most efficient way to neutralize us."
The Corrupted Record
The crowd parted, and a figure stepped forward that made Steve Rogers freeze. It was a man wearing an Allied officer's uniform, his chest decorated with medals of valor. It was Colonel Chester Phillips—or at least, a perfect physical duplicate.
"Steve," the Phillips-construct said, his voice a flawless imitation of the man who had authorized the Super Soldier program. "You look tired. You've been fighting a war that ended the moment we reached the Rhine. Join the Link. There is no more conflict here. Only order."
[ SYSTEM ALERT ]
Target Identified: Neural-Construct — 'The False Commander'.
Type: Chronal/Digital Hybrid.
Note: This is a record of Phillips' memories stolen during a Hydra interrogation and enhanced by Zola.
"That's not him, Steve!" Arthur warned, his staff humming. "It's a puppet made of stolen data."
The Battle for the Mind
The 'Colonel' didn't draw a gun. He raised a hand, and the orange glow in the citizens' eyes flared. Suddenly, the Howling Commandos weren't fighting soldiers; they were fighting a collective consciousness. The citizens moved in a swarm, their actions guided by a singular tactical intelligence that predicted every move.
[ SKILL ACTIVE: RECORD OVERWRITE (Targeted) ]
Arthur realized he couldn't kill these people—they were victims of the Link. He slammed his staff into the ground, sending a pulse of "True" history into the immediate area.
The orange glow in the eyes of the nearest citizens flickered. They stumbled, the "Foreign Data" of Arthur's memories clashing with Zola's programming.
"Bucky, Gabe! Don't shoot to kill!" Arthur shouted. "I'm jamming their signal, but the Spire is reinforcing the link. We have to reach the Central Core!"
The Inquisitor's Shadow
The False Commander's face distorted, the skin rippling like a digital glitch. "You cannot save what has already been archived, Arthur! The Hive is the only future that survives the coming fire!"
The construct lunged, his arm transforming into a blade of orange hard-light. Steve met him shield-to-shield, the impact ringing through the hall.
"Arthur, go!" Steve gritted out, his muscles straining against the digital strength of the construct. "Take Bucky and get to the spire! We'll hold the line here!"
[ NEW OBJECTIVE ]
Current Task: Infiltrate the Spire of Consciousness.
Status: Steve and the Commandos are engaged with the Hive-Swarm.
Sync Level: 50% (A new power is awakening).
Current Status:
DP Balance: 8,200.
Sync Level: 50%.
New Ability Unlocked: [Archivist's Authority] — Can momentarily command digital/neural constructs.