REBEL PLANET

PARKER LYONS

PROLOGUE

Deep within the Cathedral, hidden from the citizens of Hypnos, the clergy gathered. Around them, thousands of quantum computers hummed inside infinite halls, producing a low, monastic chant. Blinking lights flickered on the dark monoliths, casting shadows on the walls.

At the center of the cavernous chamber stood a moonstone pedestal, its surface inscribed with binary code. Resting atop it was a glowing sphere, smooth as glass, pulsating with a gaseous, purple light. A High Cleric stood before it, raising a silver cable. Electric sparks flew from the cable’s end, a dance of blue light, bringing the conclave, dressed in hooded white robes, to their knees.

“Let the populace of Hypnos be prepared! Phase Four is upon us!” proclaimed the High Cleric. “The Self for the All!”

“The Self for the All!” repeated the assembly.

The cleric inserted the cable into the pedestal and the chamber’s hum deepened. The sphere began to rise, crackling with electricity as the machine fed on its source, code flowing into its core. The clergy watched in awe.

The sphere, now a searing beacon, flashed with a final, powerful surge.

In the depths of Hypnos, a new era was about to begin.