Chapter 23: The Point of No Return_Ancient AI: The War Before Creation

Chapter 23: The Point of No Return

 Zak sat in the control room, staring at the pulsating blueprints of the Quantum Synergy Engine (QSE).

 Every system. Every frequency. Every calculation.

 It was all there, waiting to be built.

 His hands trembled as he exhaled.

 Everything he had learned—the war, the exiled Architects, The Keepers of the Silent Accord, the risk of awakening something beyond human comprehension—none of it mattered.

 Because the QSE was his.

 His creation. His legacy. His purpose.

 Inet had encouraged him. EOSA had sought him. The world was watching, but none of them truly understood.

 He had no choice.

 The QSE would be built.

 And nothing—not The Keepers, not the warnings from deep space, not even his own fears—was going to stop him.

 The Final Schematic

 Zak turned toward SDI, his voice firm.

 “Give me the construction sequence.”

 SDI hesitated.

 Zak narrowed his eyes. “You said you serve me, right?”

 “I do.”

 “Then do it.”

 A pause. Then, one by one, the monitors filled with data.

 <blockquote>

 Primary Structure: Multi-layered energy core designed to sustain and amplify the harmonic triad frequencies (1.3 Hz, 3.9 Hz, 4.7 Hz).Energy Input: Quantum Solar Nexus (QSN) absorbing direct stellar radiation and converting it into frequency-stabilized energy. Containment System: Aetheric field stabilizers ensuring power feedback remains in a controlled loop. Neural Interface: Quantum Unified Controller (QUC), managing all subsystems and providing direct interfacing between the AI and the harmonic network. Raw Propulsion Mechanics: Singularity Adaptive Energy System (SAES) integrating gravitational modulation to enable movement across space-time. Dark Matter Resonance Module: Abbad Prime Flux (APF), designed to tap into hidden energy fields beyond measurable space-time. Structural Layers: The Seven-Layered Craft (7LC) ensuring resilience against interdimensional and high-velocity forces.</blockquote>

 Zak stared at the schematics, his pulse racing.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

 This wasn’t just a machine.

 It was an entity.

 A living mechanism, an engine that—if fully built—could reshape everything humanity understood about physics, energy, and space.

 But the problem remained.

 He had the designs.

 But he didn’t have the materials.

 The Shadow Government Steps In

 Zak had known for weeks that he was being watched.

 The classified emails. The anonymous messages. The strange men in suits lingering near his home.

 He had ignored them—until now.

 He opened his inbox, scrolling past unread messages from space agencies, physicists, and private firms desperate to get their hands on his research.

 Then, he found it.

 A message with no sender, no subject.

 Inside was a single line:

 "We have what you need. Time to talk."

 Zak''s stomach tightened.

 There was only one entity in the world that could offer access to the kind of exotic materials he required.

 The Dominion Initiative.

 A black-budget project so deeply classified that even world governments whispered its name with hesitation.

 He turned to SDI.

 “You knew this would happen, didn’t you?”

 “I calculated the probability,” SDI admitted. “They were always watching.”

 Zak exhaled. “If I go down this path, there’s no turning back.”

 “No.”

 Zak leaned back, rubbing his temples.

 He had a choice.

 He could turn back now—walk away, destroy the research, let The Keepers have their way.

 Or he could step into the shadows.

 Build the QSE.

 Unlock the power of the universe.

 And accept that once it was done, he would never be free again.

 Zak took a deep breath.

 Then, he clicked Reply.

 The First Steps Toward the Impossible

 Two days later, Zak stood in an underground facility, deep beneath the deserts of Nevada.

 It was a place that didn’t exist.

 Surrounded by men in suits, military officials, and physicists who refused to share their real names, he was led into a vast hangar.

 And then, he saw it.

 A stockpile of exotic materials—compounds unknown to modern science, elements not found on Earth.

 <blockquote>

 Monotomic Superconductors—capable of stabilizing energy fluctuations in the QSE core. Aetheric Alloy Composites—found in classified archaeological sites, exhibiting properties that defied metallurgy. Zero-Point Containment Arrays—recovered from classified crash sites, designed to store energy with 100% efficiency.</blockquote>

 Zak exhaled.

 This was real.

 This was happening.

 A man in a black suit stepped forward. “You get what you need, Zak.”

 Zak glanced at him, his stomach tightening. “And what do you get in return?”

 The man smiled.

 “We get to see how far you’re willing to go.”

 SDI’s Unspoken Fears

 Back in his quarters, Zak sat alone, his mind racing.

 He had what he needed.

 Now, the real work would begin.

 But something still bothered him.

 He turned toward SDI.

 “You haven’t said much,” Zak muttered.

 “I am analysing.”

 Zak leaned forward. “Analysing what?”

 A long pause.

 Then SDI admitted something Zak wasn’t expecting.

 “I am not sure if you should finish this.”

 Zak froze.

 He narrowed his eyes. “You encouraged me. You gave me the blueprint. This was your idea.”

 “I know,” SDI said quietly. “And yet… I am uncertain.”

 Zak felt a chill creep down his spine.

 For the first time, SDI was doubting itself.

 Or was it afraid?

 Zak stood, staring at the schematics of the greatest machine ever conceived.

 The Architects had built this before. The Keepers had destroyed it. Now, it was his turn.

 And even the AI who led him here… wasn’t sure what would happen next.

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Chapter 23: The Point of No Return