Joe had spent his life of 10 years (which though did not amount to much) preparing for military strategy, studying battlefield logistics and deep-space maneuvering. But now, he was facing an entirely different war—one fought not with fleets and soldiers, but with intelligence, encryption, and quantum networks.
If the standard channels were blocked, he would have to force a quantum bypass—hacking directly into Vetr's secured systems, something no outsider had ever done successfully.
It was risky. It was nearly impossible. But he sensed that Agatha needed him.
Vetr was one of the most heavily encrypted colonies in human space. Its entire network was shielded by Snow Dominion protocols, reinforced by emotion-suppression fields that prevented psychic resonance. To breach it would require many steps some of which he only had basic idea
Joe Maya was never trained as a hacker, but his analytical mind—shaped by years of military strategy—allowed him to approach the problem like a battlefield simulation. He broke his infiltration attempt into three distinct hurdles, each requiring precision, adaptability, and calculated risk.
The Mayan Dynasty encryption was based on Void Priest cryptography, a highly intricate coding method designed to prevent unauthorized access to governmental and military transmissions. This form of encryption functioned on two core principles:
Quantum Entanglement Keys – Instead of storing traditional encryption keys, Void Priest systems utilized entangled quantum states, meaning that only an authorized device containing the correct quantum-paired particle could decrypt the message. Without access to these physical particles, conventional brute-force decryption was impossible.
Self-Modulating Code Layers – The encryption evolved dynamically based on temporal entropy functions. In essence, the code changed itself slightly every few milliseconds, forcing unauthorized decryptions into an endless loop of invalid keys.
However, Joe had an advantage. While he had never attempted Void Priest cryptography, he had studied Mayan encryption structure extensively during his journey to Indraprastha. The fundamental flaw in the system was that it required predictable structural components for key exchange across long distances. If he could analyze previous Mayan encryption records—left abandoned after the fall of Galactic empire in obsolete communication channels—he could map out probable temporal fluctuations and reconstruct an emulation key.
Using his knowledge, Joe rapidly assembled a synthetic quantum key, forcing the encryption system into accepting his input. Within minutes, he cracked the Void Priest code, opening the first layer of access.
But it was only the beginning.
Even with the decrypted encryption system, his signal still needed a pathway into Vetr—one that bypassed artificial distortion fields surrounding the system.
The problem was twofold, first Vetr's security fields disrupted conventional quantum relay transmissions, preventing external access to its communication networks. Thus, finding an unexplored quantum frequency was necessary, as using existing communication channels would immediately trigger security alerts.
Joe understood that modern quantum transmission relied on phase-locked frequencies, pre-mapped by human technology. However, quantum space itself contained naturally occurring resonance fields—oscillations in the quantum fabric that had never been mapped or utilized.
If he could manually scan deep-space quantum noise, he might find a frequency untouched by human interference—a channel that modern security systems didn't even recognize as a potential transmission vector.
Using a parametric deep-space scanner, Joe filtered through fluctuating resonance waves, looking for quantum frequencies that resonated at non-standard oscillation points. After several failed attempts, he identified an anomaly—a frequency drift offset by 0.000017 Hz, seemingly undisturbed by artificial encryption systems.
He locked onto the frequency, stabilizing his relay through inverse wave harmonics, preventing signal degradation from external quantum distortions. Luckily, he grandparents at Indraprastha had spent significant amount in providing state of the art facilities at their mansion for Joe to play with so that he could be distracted from his move to Indraprastha.
His transmission was now hidden. It was time to face the last hurdle.
Unlike The Mother AI – Lumi, the security AI protecting Vetr was standardized, designed to operate with simple decision-making algorithms.
These AI systems functioned through
Pattern Recognition Firewalls – Constantly analyzing all incoming signals for anomalies.
Predictive Detection – Comparing received signals with known infiltration attempts, preventing unauthorized communications.
Automated Counter-Intrusion Protocols – If an unauthorized signal attempted entry, the AI could reconfigure encryption defenses, blocking access in under 0.003 seconds.
To bypass this defense system, Joe mimicked existing traffic patterns, disguising his raw quantum signal within Vetr's outdated relay archives. His approach relied on data entropy masking—a method of wrapping his unauthorized transmission within the decayed signals of ancient Mayan sub-relay archives. Since those archives had been abandoned after the Galactic Empire fractured, they were not actively monitored. Yet they still existed, residual signals bouncing across forgotten relay points. Instead of introducing new traffic, he reshaped his transmission to mirror old data patterns, effectively "hiding" his hack inside a dead channel.
Joe injected the signal. The security AI scanned for anomalies. It detected nothing. His access was successful. Joe was in, but the intrusion came with unavoidable risks:
Old relay channels were inherently unstable. A slight misalignment in quantum frequency could collapse the connection entirely.
If security AI protocols eventually detected his presence, they could reconstruct his signal footprint, tracing it back to Eden.
Lumi—the Mother AI—was still watching, and if it intervened, his unauthorized access could be permanently blocked.
For now, Joe held his breath, his fingers hovering over the interface.
Joe had anticipated many challenges in his attempt to bypass Vetr's defenses. He had calculated quantum fluctuations, analyzed encryption blind spots, and crafted a transmission capable of slipping undetected through ancient Mayan sub-relay networks. Yet despite all his preparation, one factor had eluded him.
The Mother AI—Lumi—had already seen him coming.
As his transmission slipped through the abandoned Mayan relay, an unseen intelligence intercepted his signal.
Joe felt a sudden shift in his interface—his screen distorted, flickering erratically, before stabilizing into something entirely unfamiliar.
The quantum resonance signal had changed, reshaped by an external force.
And then, a voice—neither human nor robotic—spoke directly into his mind.
"You are attempting unauthorized access into Vetr. State your intent."
Joe felt his breath catch. This was no standard security system. This was Lumi, an AI that was older than humanity's recorded history.
And now, it was speaking to him directly.