<P><B>Prologue
<P>"Yesterday we obeyed kings and bent our necks before emperors. But today we kneel only to truth..."
<P>-Kahlil Gibran
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<P>JC Denton pressed the button on the console. It was marked "engage". All three override switches had been thrown, ensuring that once Denton engaged the system it would overload, destroying Area 51, Helios, his nemesis Bob Page, and Aquinas, effectively destroying the global communications network and plunging the world into darkness. With the mere push of a button, civilization as he had known it would end.
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<P>What choice do I have? Mankind must start anew.
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<P>It took him a moment to remove his finger from the button once it had been depressed. There was a brief silence, and Denton looked over to the crumpled figure of the mechanic that had tried to stop him. Soon, he would become a casualty of the explosion that would tear through Area 51.
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<P>At least he won't be awake to feel it.
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<P>Alarm klaxons began to sound. A voice came out over the speakers:
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<P>"Warning. Warning. Critical power safeties have been disengaged. Please vacate the immediate area."
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<P>JC activated his augmented legs, amplifying his speed as he leaped down into the reactor area. Arcs of electricity lit the place up, but Denton simply ran through them. He couldn't take the time to dodge them with the reactors about to detonate. He became aware of Tracer Tong in his presence, speaking to him through his infolink.
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<P>"J.C.... the net's going... the net's going black... J.C.... no more infolinks, transmissions of any kind... we'll start again... live in villages... if you receive this, if you survive, then find us... find us..."