The world didn't stay quiet for long.
Six months after the "Open Source" patch, Ibadan had become the shining capital of the Western Region—a sprawl of solar panels, mana-conductive glass, and reclaimed greenery. But Bhy Khay, sitting in his office at the top of the Cocoa House, knew that Earth 2.0 was far larger than the Oyo border.
The digital HUD was gone, replaced by a physical "World Board" that covered his wall. It was a massive map of the globe, hand-drawn by Tomiwa, but pulsing with real-time data from the new satellite network they'd managed to "re-sync" using the Godfather's gravity arrays.
"Boss," Zayn said, kicking open the door. He was wearing a tactical vest over a designer shirt, his [Windforce Bow] folded neatly on his back. "We just got a packet return from the East. A high-bandwidth signal. It's not a glitch, and it's not a survivor asking for food."
"Where from?" Bhy Khay asked, not taking his eyes off the map.
"The Great Wall of China," Zayn replied, dropping a metallic cylinder onto the desk. "It's a physical data-drive, delivered via a supersonic drone. They didn't want to use the satellites. They don't trust the 'Cloud' anymore."
Bhy Khay picked up the cylinder. It was inscribed with shifting gold calligraphy. As his fingers touched it, a holographic projection filled the room.
It wasn't a message. It was a Coordinate.
"The Moon?" Bhy Khay frowned. "The System didn't just patch Earth. It occupied the lunar orbit."
"The signal says there's a Relay Station up there," Zayn explained. "And it's sending a 'Delete' command to the entire Southern Hemisphere. Someone in the East tried to hack the moon, and they accidentally triggered a planetary security protocol."
"Of course they did," Bhy Khay sighed. "Give humans a sandbox, and the first thing they do is try to delete the floor."
THE REUNION
Within the hour, the core team was gathered at the Moniya Spaceport (formerly the train station, now significantly upgraded with salvaged Lagos tech).
The Iron Horse was still there, but it had undergone a metamorphosis. The Godfather, bored with civil engineering, had spent the last three months converting the train into a Sub-Orbital Launch Vehicle.
"It's called the [G-Rail 1.0]," The Godfather said, proudly gesturing to the train, which was now mounted on a massive vertical mag-lev track that pointed directly at the sky. "It uses localized gravity wells to negate atmospheric drag. It's basically a bullet that never stops accelerating."
"Is it safe?" Elara asked, her staff now topped with a crystal that hummed with starlight mana.
"Safety is a legacy feature," The Godfather smirked. "But it's fast. We'll be at the Lunar Node in twenty minutes."
"Wait," Tomiwa said, holding her sketchbook. "We're going to space? I haven't even drawn a spacesuit yet!"
"The System physics are still active," Bhy Khay reminded her. "As long as we have a localized mana field, we can breathe. The vacuum is just a low-density texture."
LIFT OFF
"All passengers, please ensure your tray tables are stowed and your souls are tethered to your bodies," Zayn's voice echoed over the intercom.
Bhy Khay took the conductor's seat. Instead of a throttle, he placed his hand on the [Master Shard].
"Engage Gravity Drive," Bhy Khay commanded.
The world vanished in a blur of white light.
The G-force was nonexistent—the Godfather's magic made the interior of the train feel like a stationary living room—but the view outside the windows was terrifying. The green hills of Ibadan shrank into a blue marble, then into a speck, as they tore through the "Sky Box" of Earth's atmosphere.
"We just hit the ceiling," Elara whispered, watching the stars sharpen. "The textures out here... they're perfect. The System didn't lag in space."
"That's because nobody was here to break it," Bhy Khay said.
[ZONE ENTERED: THE LUNAR SEA]
[GRAVITY: 0.16g]
[WARNING: SYSTEM GUARDIANS ACTIVE]
As they approached the Moon, a massive structure became visible. It wasn't a crater. It was a silver tower, five kilometers tall, protruding from the Sea of Tranquility. It looked like a giant tuning fork, vibrating with purple energy.
"That's the Relay," Bhy Khay pointed. "And look at the base."
Around the tower were hundreds of ships. They weren't from Earth. They were sleek, obsidian vessels, shaped like geometric shards.
"The [Archivists]," Bhy Khay realized. "The System's automated cleanup crew for the entire solar system. They aren't here to patch us. They're here to 'Uninstall' the planet because we're consuming too many resources."
THE LUNAR BATTLE
The Iron Horse didn't slow down. It slammed into the lunar dust, its gravity shields creating a crater of glass.
The doors hissed open.
"Tomiwa, draw me a bridge to the tower!" Bhy Khay shouted. "Zayn, take the snipers on the obsidian ships! Elara, I need a vacuum-sealed blizzard!"
"On it!"
The battle was silent. In the vacuum of the moon, explosions were just expanding spheres of light.
Zayn fired arrows of pure gravity. Because there was no air resistance, his shots traveled at the speed of light. Each bolt hit an obsidian ship, collapsing its hull into a tiny black hole.
POP. POP. POP.
Tomiwa ran across the lunar surface, her [Mercury Ink] floating in the zero-G. She drew massive, silver staircases that solidified as she stepped on them, leading the team toward the silver tower.
"They're deploying [Drones]!" The Godfather yelled, his hands glowing as he crushed a dozen obsidian shards with a flick of his wrist. "Admin! The tower is charging a 'Global Delete' command! We have thirty seconds!"
Bhy Khay sprinted up Tomiwa's stairs. He reached the base of the Silver Tower. There was no door. Just a wall of scrolling light.
He didn't use a key. He used the [Master Shard].
"I am Bhy Khay," he shouted into the void. "Co-Admin of the Western Node! I demand a System Audit!"
The tower hummed. The light slowed down. A door formed.
Inside, the tower was a hollow shaft of data. At the very top, a giant eye—the [Solar Admin]—looked down at him.
[ENTITY: THE ARCHIVIST PRIME]
[QUERY: WHY SHOULD THE SPECIES 'HUMAN' PERSIST?]
[DATA: WAR, POLLUTION, SYSTEM HACKING.]
Bhy Khay stood his ground. "Because we're the only ones who can fix your bugs. You created a perfect world, and it was boring. We made it chaotic, and now it's alive."
The Archivist Prime flickered.
[ANALYZING...]
"If you delete us," Bhy Khay continued, "you delete the only variables you can't predict. Is the System a calculator, or is it an engine of growth?"
The purple energy in the tower began to fade. The obsidian ships outside stopped firing.
[DECISION: OBSERVATION CONTINUED.]
[AMENDMENT: THE MOON IS NOW A NEUTRAL TRADING HUB.]
[STATUS: EARTH SAVED (AGAIN).]
THE NEW FRONTIER
Bhy Khay walked out of the tower, breathing the mana-rich air Elara had conjured. The moon was no longer a silent rock. It was glowing.
He looked back at Earth. It was beautiful, fragile, and full of millions of people who had no idea they were almost deleted three minutes ago.
"So," Zayn said, sitting on a lunar rock, looking at the Earth. "We're space travelers now? Do I get a cool helmet?"
"You get a job," Bhy Khay said, looking at the new waypoint appearing on his HUD.
[NEW DESTINATION: MARS NODE (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)]
"The world isn't just Earth anymore, team," Bhy Khay grinned, looking at the infinite stars. "The System just opened the rest of the server."
The Godfather walked up, holding a piece of lunar glass. "I think I can build a mall here. The low gravity is perfect for luxury shopping."
Bhy Khay laughed. "Let's go home first. I still have a Friday tax-free policy to enforce."
The Iron Horse turned around, its engine roaring with the light of a thousand stars.
[ADVENTURE: THE LUNAR RELAY - COMPLETE]
[STATUS: THE UNIVERSE IS OPEN SOURCE]