The Shattered Cipher

commander's neural whip crackled, its electric lash coiling toward her, as holo-screens blazed with Clara's lifeless form in Vault 17, thousands of clone tanks glowing behind her. Jace lunged at the

ir, drones swarming outside. Clara's fading mind-10% viability-fueled Lena's guilt, her failure in Berlin a wound that bled w

ross the floor, his tattoo blazing, syncing him to the Cipher's network. Lena's body jerked, the override forcing her t

eaking the override's grip, and dove for Jace's Glock, firing at the commander. The bullet grazed his armor,

100 meters. "Tower," Lena gasped, ripping free of the whip, her wrist burned. "We climb, signal for help." Clara's rebellion code, stored

ones: her heirs.' A vision slammed Lena-Berlin, 2023, a clone woman, eyes like hers, leading the rebellion, the Cipher burning her mind, screaming, "I am Aria, the first! Vault 17 holds

ir synced minds could unleash it. Guilt surged-Clara's dying mind was a sacrifice to activate Lena, the true h

n grenade, smoke filling the outpost, operatives storming in. Jace wrestled the

oadcast resumed: 'Voss destroys rebellion.' Her voice echoed on holo-screens: "I betray... the clones." The world saw her

arm bleeding. "Find a rebel cell, maybe Aria's survivors." But Jace's tattoo flared,

failsafe." His tattoo pulsed, the Cipher's voice clear: Kill Voss. Secure the vault. His

17, whispering, "My heirs will fight." Clara, wired, her mind feeding Aria's code, a scientist saying, "Lena's sync is Aria's rebi

rackling: "Voss, we hear you. Hold position." But the Cipher roared: Override intensifying. Sync with

he commander rose, whip crackling, his voice cold: "Aria's dead. Your mind births the a

ves falling, but drones swarmed, nets trapping her. The Cipher pulsed: Clara's mind: 0%. Sync complete. A final vision hit-Clara, gone, Aria's voice roaring,