All Systems Red Novels & Stories

No red hoodie tossed over the chair or the bed’s railing or even balled up in the corner of the room. She had never desired so badly to see something balled up in the corner of the room before. “Aleta isn’t here,” she whispered, and her hair rose, her eyes dilated, her breath hitched. “Of course not, darling. You look unwell. Shall I call the nurse?” “She never made it.” Her skin crawled, blood froze, her heart stood still. They were true. All of the clichés were true. The way her heart pounded, her mouth went dry, her blood boiled, her mind shut down when she saw her second husband hovering over her tiny, little, shivering Aleta so long ago.

Dante's expression fell immediately when he saw a red laser light dot appear on Rose's forehead. She was obviously not aware of what was happening. As a reflex, he snaked his arm through her waist and pulled her away from the spot to his chest. Almost that instant a bullet went off and Rose screamed at the sudden fire. She was surprised at what just happened and looked baffled seeing the bullet that was now stuck in the middle of the same wall she was standing in front of, not seconds ago.

“Because the system is prioritizing principle over dominance.” Elias finally stepped forward again. “And that may destroy it.” Silence hit instantly. Rowan frowned. “You think we should let it escalate?” Elias met his gaze evenly. “I think survival matters.” Cassandra crossed her arms slightly. “At what cost?” Elias didn’t answer immediately. And that hesitation was the answer enough. The system pulsed sharply again. CRITICAL FAILURE PROBABILITY INCREASING. Hospital alerts flashed red across the screen. Lucian’s expression tightened instantly. “They hit emergency routing.”

“Thoughts. Not mine.” A chill slid through the room. Before anyone could respond, a low rumble rolled through the compound—deep, distant, structural. Mia’s head snapped up. “That didn’t come from us.” Damian tapped his comm unit. “Command, report.” Static answered. Then a voice—strained, unfamiliar. “This is perimeter watch. Sir… we’ve got a situation.” “What kind of situation?” Damian demanded. “Every Dominion-linked system worldwide just crashed,” the voice said. “Power grids, private satellites, defense networks. Some governments are calling it the biggest digital blackout in recorded history.”

"Together. We end the cycle." "How?" Alex asks. "We—" BZZZZZT. A sound cuts through the room. Not a beep. A tear. Like the sound of metal shearing. The amber lights die instantly. The wall of monitors flashes a blinding, solid red. "SYS-TEM BREACH," Echo’s voice blares. It’s horrible—distorted, slowed down, demonic. "HAR-LAN PRO-TO-COL AC-TI-VA-TED." "No," Alex gasps, scrambling off the bed.

Just once. But I felt it. The fear. The relief. The love. Everything. "I almost lost you." His voice cracked. The confession broke my heart. I held him tighter. "You didn't." Silence settled around us. Peaceful this time. The void watched quietly. The child pulsed happily. The city survived. The war ended. The system stabilized. For the first time— it felt like the nightmare might finally be over. Then every system screen across the territory suddenly turned red.

It repeated. Again. Again. Again. “STOP—!” I shouted. Silence. Then— I made the choice. “Reactivate.” My voice cracked. “Reactivate!” A beat— Then clarity. Cold. Precise. Controlled. “Code Red.” “Code Red confirmed.” “Alarm systems activated.” “Defense systems activated.” “All systems—green.” I sucked in a sharp breath as the pain vanished instantly. Gone. Replaced with awareness. Too much awareness. “What’s going on, Sam?” I demanded.

On the screen, a bold red message flashes repeatedly: NO SIGNAL DETECTED. Elder Mauritius stepped forward, “What’s happening Hercule?” He asked concernedly. Alpha Hercule clenches his jaw, "Our system is still down. No reinforcements. No backup." He pauses and exhales sharply, "We're on our own.” He uttered in unease as the explosion started in the halls of the manor. A tense silence fills the room as the gravity of their situation settles in.

Then my vision suddenly flashed red. [Rhea Reid—mission failed. Divorce confirmed. Countdown reset to zero.] I never saw that coming. The System still had one last move. I grabbed the courthouse doorframe and dropped to the floor.

Nothing but a wreck. Our wedding photo hung on the wall of the bedroom, a smile radiating with happiness on my face, while his eyes held none of the disdain and disgust that he did now. Since when did things become this way? Burning with hatred and frustration, I stood up slowly and glared at the wedding photo, before throwing the glass of water in my hand at it. The glass shattered, along with any lingering hopes of being together with John for the rest of my life. "How long until I go back, System?"