The Dominance Equation: Unveiling Darkness

Chapter 29: A Shed of Light

"A few days after the Operation Governor mission, Elysium seemed to have returned to normal. The Pegasus clubs, usually packed with customers, have experienced a recent decline in customers.

Inside Shadowstrike's headquarters, Michelle was busy analyzing and studying the symbiotes she had obtained from Eijin.

Suddenly, the door split open, and Kristine rushed in, catching her breath. "Hey Mich, you've got to see this," she said, showing her left cybernetic leg. "I believe this is the same tissue you acquired from that mysterious ally."

Michelle leaned in immediately. "Yes, I believe it is," she exclaimed in astonishment. "How did you come across this?" she asked curiously.

"I have no idea. I was just taking a bath when I noticed it sticking to my cybernetic leg," Kristine declared. "It seems to be staying there and not moving."

"Hmm, did you have any close contact with that guy?" Michelle asked, also curious. "The tissue samples I obtained were stuck in a wall. You might have touched it as well."

"No! It's on my leg, and I haven't been close to any walls. I believe it intentionally stuck to me. Remember at the Pegasus club, I was bumped into twice. It seemed like more than just a coincidence," she explained.

Michelle's eyes widened, and in unison, they exclaimed, "The CCTV camera at the club!"

"You're a genius, Kristine!" Michelle exclaimed. "I'll tap into their CCTV camera at that club, and we might find a clue," she said, filled with excitement.

Michelle and Kristine were filled with excitement as they gained control over the Pegasus security system with a few taps on holographic keyboards. Michelle quickly connected to the closed circuit television archives and focused her attention on the scene where Kristine had her first encounter with the mysterious guy.

"There!" Kristine exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement. "That's the first bump."

Michelle analyzed the scene carefully. "Seems like an accidental bump," she remarked. "Let's see if they have footage before this guy entered."

Michelle managed to retrieve a scene from the entrance, but everything appeared normal.

"What about the second bump?" Kristine asked eagerly.

Michelle fast-forwarded the video. "This is the guy who bumped into you!" she exclaimed, her surprise evident. "It's the same person."

"What? That's impossible!" Kristine exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief. "I can't be mistaken. I saw two different people. When I was bumped the second time, I thought it was a mistake, but then I saw a different person and dismissed my suspicions."

"But according to the video, it's the same guy who bumped into you," Michelle said, rewinding and fast-forwarding the footage. "Right here."

"You're right," Kristine admitted, her thoughts now filled with confusion.

"Computer, generate a facial image of this person," Michelle commanded.

"Error," the computer responded.

"Computer, generate facial images of this person at different times. Two minutes each, with a twenty-minute interval," Michelle instructed.

The computer immediately began projecting two different faces.

"So, he's a shape-shifter too?" Kristine said, her confusion growing.

"This complicates things," Michelle sighed. "How can we uncover his true identity if he's a shape-shifter?"

"Maybe he's one of us here in the headquarters, which is why he knows about our mission," Kristine suggested, adding another theory to the mix.

"Don't worry, we'll find a way to uncover his identity," Michelle assured Kristine. "I've already analyzed these tissue samples. It appears that they have their own defense mechanism, capable of instantly creating defenses against any threat."

Kristine attentively absorbed all the information Michelle was explaining.

"Here, let me show you," Michelle said, focusing on the monitor. "I let the nanobots attack the tissue. Watch what happens."

"The tissue reshapes itself," Kristine exclaimed, her eyes widening. "It seems to create an abstract shield, then reshape again into a pointed weapon to attack the nanobots."

"Yes! This reveals one of his techniques," Michelle proudly declared. "It's a rapid and effective form of combat, allowing him to create weapons almost instantly. It's 86% faster than our nanobots. The only advantage our nanobots have is their strong magnetic bond, making them more durable."

"But how can his bladed weapons match up to the enemy's weapons, which are made of special alloys?" Kristine asked curiously.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Michelle responded. "My theory is that this entity evolves."

Kristine looked at Michelle with curiosity, eager to learn more.

"And guess what?" Michelle continued. "The nanobots gathered a micro DNA sample that appears to belong to a human."

"That's great!" Kristine exclaimed with delight. "So, can you discover his true identity now?"

"No," Michelle replied, sounding disappointed. "I've already inputted the details into the computer, but it's been three days and there's still no match."

"It seems that this person is not registered in Elysium or any government-controlled system, it'll take a while for the computer to trace him hacking to every country's registered citizens " Michelle declared. "And the discovery of his shape shifting ability only adds to the complexity."

"So, how can we use that symbiote thing to our advantage?" Kristine introduced another topic. "Can we use it as a weapon? You've seen how fast it generates weapons."

"I'm afraid not. This thing can't be reproduced. It is a single life entity. This is only a part of it. It doesn't have a mind of its own. All manifested weapons come from its mind," Michelle explained. "But I'll try to see if I can make our nanobots copy its fast manifesting ability."

"Alright, we believe in your capabilities, Mich," Kristine winked. "It'll be a great advantage for us when dealing with those evil supernatural beings if we can have that kind of technology."

"Yes, I've been thinking about that even before we met that mystery guy," she said. "I just can't seem to figure out what I must do to make the nanobots go faster. Maybe I'll add some more energy, perhaps," she explained further.

Suddenly, the high-tech doors split open, and Mika, Calista, and Rinoah entered.

"So, what are you two lovebirds up to?" Calista began, licking her popsicle ice cream.

"We were just discussing Michelle's new invention," Kristine said.

"What does it do?" Calista inquired.

"This invention can create a brain for you," Kristine replied, playfully hitting Calista on the head with the back of her fingers.

The whole team burst into laughter.