Orion The Fallen God Chapter 11: Chapter 10 - The Arcane Program

Read chapter 11 of Orion The Fallen God by AltexTV on NovelPedia.

Back in Arcadia a program that has been in development for decades is now being fast track by orders of the King. A program that could shift the entire war in favor of the Arcadians, this was known as the Arcane Program. The chamber trembled as a low, rhythmic hum pulsed through the reinforced walls, vibrating through the metal like a heartbeat that did not belong to any living thing. Thick conduits ran along the ceiling and floor, glowing faintly as streams of emerald energy surged through them, converging toward a single point at the center of the room. Suspended within a containment field floated a jagged crystal that did not remain still. It's fractured surface shifted in subtle, unnatural ways, as though something beneath it was constantly pressing outward. Light leaked through its cracks in uneven pulses, casting warped reflections across the chamber and distorting the air around it. Arcane energy, raw, unstable and very much alive. Dozens of scientists moved around the containment structure in controlled urgency. Their hands moved rapidly across holographic panels, adjusting values and redirecting flows as fluctuating data scrolled endlessly before them. Despite their training, despite the protocols, there was a tension in the room that none of them could ignore. "Energy output is rising... rapidly!" one of them yelled. "Stabilizers are dropping... seventy percent… sixty-five… sixty—!" another answered back with panic. "Containment field integrity is degrading!" another yelled in fear. The crystal pulsed again, this time more violently and a surge of energy burst outward, slamming into the containment barrier. The transparent field warped under the pressure, rippling like liquid glass as cracks of light spread across its surface. Several scientists instinctively stepped back, their composure beginning to fracture. "Divert the excess energy!" one of them shouted. "We can't... it's exceeding safe thresholds!" answered one of them. "Then reduce intake!" instructed one. "It's not responding... control systems are lagging!" replied another. At the far end of the chamber, mounted on a reinforced platform, stood the prototype weapon. Its design was sleek and angular, built for function rather than form, with veins of emerald energy running along its structure and converging at a central core. Thick conduits fed directly into it, channeling raw energy from the crystal. The weapon began to vibrate under the strain. "Charging sequence is at maximum capacity!" stated one of the scientist. "Containment won't hold much longer... we need to discharge it now!" pleaded one of the scientist. There was a brief moment of hesitation, the kind that comes when logic and instinct begin to conflict. Then, with no better alternative, the order was given. "Fire." ordered the head scientist. The weapon discharged with a violent surge of energy, releasing a concentrated beam of emerald light that tore through the chamber. The air distorted around it as it traveled, bending unnaturally as if reality itself struggled to contain what had just been unleashed. For a moment, everything aligned. The beam stabilized, its structure holding as it carved through space with overwhelming force. The ground beneath it fractured, and the walls trembled as the weapon channeled power far beyond anything Arcadia had previously achieved. Some of the scientists stared in awe while others in fear, because even in that brief success, something felt wrong. The crystal pulsed again and the beam began to collapse. Not outward, not fading, but folding inward, as if being pulled back into itself. The weapon emitted a high-pitched metallic shriek as cracks spread rapidly across its frame, the energy feeding into it becoming wildly unstable. "Shut it down!" yelled the head scientist. "I'm trying... it's not responding!" answered the scientist on the control panel. "The core is overloading... we're losing control!" one of them said with panic. The air twisted violently as gravi