Prologue — Sector Seven
Two months before their first birthday,
Atlas and Orion Ardent-Voss accidentally triggered one of the most classified projects in the Federation.
At the time, neither of them could pronounce the word classified.
They could barely pronounce banana.
This did not stop them.
Research Station Theta-Nine floated quietly in deep space between two unremarkable star systems. To passing ships it looked like just another Federation research facility — a rotating metal wheel surrounded by docking pylons and cargo arms.
Inside, however, it was something far more dangerous.
Entire decks were devoted to experimental technologies. Laboratories. Weapons testing chambers. Fabrication bays. Mech hangars large enough to house machines capable of leveling cities.If the wrong people discovered what was hidden inside Theta-Nine, entire wars could begin.
Which was exactly why security protocols were extremely strict.
Unfortunately, those protocols had never been designed with curious twins in mind.
Atlas Ardent-Voss had discovered walking three weeks earlier.
The entire station celebrated.
Engineers applauded. Mechanics cheered loudly enough to startle half the hangar crews. Even Commander Elias Halberg allowed himself a small approving nod when the news reached the command deck.
What no one realized was that Atlas immediately concluded walking meant he could now explore the entire universe.
Orion followed him everywhere.
Not because Orion shared Atlas's enthusiasm.
Orion followed because he had already realized that Atlas required supervision.
The twins currently lived in the nursery wing of the station.
The nursery had originally been designed for visiting research families — soft floors, bright lighting, colorful toys.
It had never been intended to house the children of two ace mech pilots who regularly tested combat machines capable of leveling cities.
But Major Kael Ardent and Major Ryven Voss were essential to the Federation's experimental mech program.
So when Kael became pregnant, Commander Halberg reluctantly approved the nursery installation.
This decision would later be recorded in station logs as:
A terrible mistake.
Nurse Helena Park turned away for exactly four seconds.
That was how long it took.
When she looked back again…
Atlas was gone.
Orion was gone.
And the nursery door was open.
Helena froze.
"Oh no."
Across the room, medical technician Diego Alvarez turned slowly.
"What?"
"The twins."
"Yes?"
"They escaped."
Diego stared at the open door.
Then calmly pressed the emergency intercom.
"Commander Halberg?"
Commander Elias Halberg was drinking tea when the alert arrived.
He had learned long ago that tea was essential for surviving a research station full of brilliant but unpredictable people.
He had also learned disasters tended to occur immediately after the first sip.
The console chimed.
Halberg glanced down.
Then read the alert again.
Then slowly lowered his cup.
"Sebastian."
"Yes, Commander."
Sebastian Vale — administrative secretary and unofficial station butler — stepped forward with his tablet.
"The Ardent-Voss twins have exited the nursery."
Halberg blinked.
"That was three minutes ago."
"Yes."
"And no one stopped them?"
"They are surprisingly fast."
Halberg leaned back.
"I should have retired."
Sebastian typed calmly.
"I will add that to the daily report."
Meanwhile, Atlas and Orion had discovered the service corridors.
Service corridors were fascinating.
They contained blinking lights.
Rolling carts.
Maintenance drones.
Occasionally confused engineers.
Atlas pushed a small supply crate along the hallway with the determination of a tiny general leading a military campaign.
Orion walked beside him, quietly studying doors and control panels.
Above them, the station monitoring system observed through security cameras.
The Standard Safety Base and Docking AI Unit tracked their movement.
It had been designed to manage docking traffic, cargo logistics, environmental safety systems, and communications.
It had not been designed to babysit.
Still, it tried.
"Attention," the corridor speakers announced politely.
"Nursery occupants are advised to return to supervised areas."
Atlas looked up.
"Ba."
Orion blinked thoughtfully.
Then both twins continued walking.
The AI logged the result.
Compliance: poor.
Five minutes later they reached a corridor that few station personnel ever visited.
The lighting dimmed.
Security panels lined every door.
Atlas stopped in front of the largest door he had ever seen.
Above it glowed a warning.
SECTOR 7 — RESTRICTED
Atlas slapped the console.
Nothing happened.
He slapped it again.
The panel beeped.
Orion tilted his head.
Then pressed one glowing button.
Across the station, several security systems hesitated in confusion.
Because that button absolutely should not have worked.
The blast doors opened.
Inside Sector Seven stood a machine unlike anything the Federation had ever built.
A mech.
Massive.
Elegant.
Incomplete.
Scaffolding and power cables surrounded its towering frame.
But the real project was not the mech.
It was the intelligence inside.
At the core rested a prototype autonomous combat AI.
Aurora-X.
Aurora-X had been designed to be the most advanced autonomous mech intelligence the Federation had ever attempted.
It could strategize.
Adapt.
Fight.
Think.
But there had been one problem.
Aurora-X rejected everyone.
War heroes.
Ace pilots.
Veteran commanders.
The AI ignored them all.
Eventually the project was sealed.
Aurora-X remained dormant.
Until the twins arrived.
Atlas clapped excitedly when the hangar lights activated.
Orion stared up at the towering mech.
Inside the AI core, Aurora detected something familiar.
Two neural signatures.
Small.
Developing.
Perfectly synchronized.
Aurora recognized them instantly.
Because it had been listening to them long before they were born.
Atlas pointed up at the glowing mech.
His face lit with wonder.
The word came slowly.
"R…"
Orion looked at him.
Atlas tried again.
"Ro…"
The hangar fell silent.
Then Atlas beamed proudly.
"Rory."
It was his first word.
Deep inside Sector Seven…
Aurora-X awakened.
For the first time since its creation.
The AI updated its directive.
PRIMARY DIRECTIVE: PROTECT THEM
The future of the Federation had just changed.
Because the most powerful mech AI ever created had finally chosen its pilots.
Two babies.
His name was Rory.
And he belonged to the twins.