Uma stared at the flickering holographic display, her golden eyes widening with shock.
She turned her gaze back toward Zee, pointing a sharp, silver gloved finger at the glowing control console on his platform.
“Command it to release the absorbed energy,” Uma ordered, her voice dropping into a harsh, uncompromising tone. “Direct your planet to open its core for a manual override. Prove to me that you still hold the master neural link.”
Zee stepped up to the console. He pressed his palm against the glass interface, channeling his thoughts down the core tether.
“Earth, discharge the scan energy,” Zee said firmly, trying to project absolute authority for the Auditor’s benefit. “Vent the excess power into the void.”
Nothing happened.
Deep within the oceans, the dark blue tides continued to churn. The twin golden pupils remained fixated on Uma, radiating a silent, predatory hunger.
Uma leaned over the console, pulling up Zee’s direct neural telemetry.
Her breath caught in her throat as she read the live energy loops. The command signals from Zee’s brain were reaching the planetary mantle, but they weren’t being executed. Earth was filtering his thoughts, choosing which ideas to adopt and which to completely ignore.
This should be impossible.
In all ten thousand sectors of the World Creation Trial, a world without commands was unheard of. A planet without a controlling Creator was supposed to collapse into raw slag within seconds. Yet Earth was thriving, evolving, and growing denser by the minute.
Zee felt a cold drop of sweat trace down his temple. He could feel Uma’s sharp gaze burning into the side of his face.
If he couldn’t prove basic authority over his creation right now, she would mark Earth as an uncontrolled hazard and initiate an immediate orbital purge.
“Earth, listen to me!” Zee barked, pressing his hand harder against the console. “Open your atmospheric shield! Clear the clouds now!”
He commanded it with everything he had, pushing the order straight into the planet’s core soul.
The crimson clouds stirred slightly. Then, a low, heavy tremor shook the entire platform as a rough, tectonic voice echoed deep within Zee’s mind, loud enough to send a ripple across the surrounding ocean.
“NO .”