Veronica stepped out through the gates. The mild, warm sunlight of late spring shone upon her shoulders, while a brilliant giant sun hung high in the sky. The sun's crown and the faint wood grain upon its disk formed a magnificent spectacle behind thin clouds. A gentle breeze blew in from afar, passing over Cecil's bustling streets and the lush roadside trees, carrying the fragrance of grass and leaves along with the sounds of traffic.
She took a light breath, as though she wished to deeply imprint the breath of this prosperous world into this body, and only after a long while did she exhale the stale air. She spread her arms slightly beneath the sunlight and narrowed her eyes. Everything perceived by this body was transmitted to the main server matrix in an instant—then she opened her eyes again, and the images, sounds, and sensations captured by 43,672 integrated sensors flooded her thought threads.
A harsh, scorching wind carrying sand and dust battered the watchtowers of the outer defensive perimeter. Damaged armor plates smoked beneath the dim sky, while welding drones raced between weapon stations and shield platforms. High-energy missiles and magical beams from afar cut across the sky like a net, striking the ancient shield above the old imperial capital amid shrieking roars. The translucent Energy Barrier rippled under the bombardment. Beneath its shimmering light, a Great Wave composed of Aberrants and synthetic beasts surged in from the distance. Images of their mutated, twisted limbs and their chaotic, frenzied howls were relayed back to the matrix through sensors spread across the battlefield, setting off waves of rumbling among the data-processing units.
The deep laboratories were shut down. The expansion excavation stations were shut down. Orders for all processing and manufacturing centers were rearranged. All energy and supplies from