Chapter 7: Countdown

Chapter 7: Countdown Jaden stared at the warning blinking in the corner of his system interface. Unauthorized Scan Detected. Sector Origin: NovaCore Satellite Array. Trace Confirmed. Incoming Response Team — ETA: 24 Hours Twenty-four hours. That was all the time they had left. The AI Apartment Block was almost done. Only one floor remained. The walls were standing, the solar panels were working, and the AI systems were coming online. The place was starting to feel real—like a future carved out of rust and hope. But now, the clock was ticking. "They’re sending a team," Jaden told the group that night. They sat in a tight circle around a small camp stove behind the building. The smell of hot noodles filled the air, but no one was eating. "How do you know?" Carl asked. Jaden showed them the system alert. Luke cursed under his breath. "If NovaCore is tracking us, they might not just send a scout drone. They could bring full lockdown units." "They’ll want to shut this down," Sarah added. "And take whatever is powering your system." Emma clenched her jaw. "We’ve come too far to let them erase this." Jaden opened the blueprint again, projecting the glowing structure in front of the group. Project Completion: 89% Time Remaining Before Response Team Arrival: 23:11:22 "We finish this," Jaden said. "We don’t run. We build." Carl gave him a firm nod. "Then we work through the night." The team split into groups. Jaden and Rick reinforced the roof with extra metal beams, securing the water storage units. Sarah led the effort to seal all cooling systems on the third floor, using heat-resistant foam and smart vents Marcus had fixed earlier. Emma climbed the scaffolding to install the last solar glass panels, her hands steady even in the wind. Luke stayed glued to his console, rerouting data flows and preparing the AI core to go live. The system chimed: New Optional Objective: Shield the System Core Room Reward: Core Lockdown Defense Blueprint Jaden accepted without thinking. If NovaCore got their hands on the system core, it was game over. He and Marcus worked in silence to convert one of the lower rooms into a protected server chamber, using carbon plates and jamming nodes. Midnight came. Then 2 a.m. Then 4 a.m. Everyone was tired. But no one stopped. They weren’t just building a structure anymore. They were protecting a dream. By morning, it was done. The sun rose over the skyline, casting golden light across the AI Apartment Block. Jaden opened his system. Main Quest Completed: AI Apartment Block (Basic) Completion: 100% +250 XP +2 Build Tokens +1 System Core Upgrade Module New Title Unlocked: City Seed Architect The building stood tall—four stories of clean energy, AI-guided comfort, and smart design. A rooftop garden sat blooming with early vegetables. The learning hub on the ground floor was already showing lessons on its digital board. People had started gathering near the entrance. Hope had a face now. And just in time. Carl’s voice came through the radio. "They’re here."