Aa
Nova went back alone because she wanted clear answers. She reached the central terminal that was tied to the main AI core, and when she spoke to it, the AI answered.
It said its name was Core and explained that it had been built to handle emergency systems. Core also said that human leaders had kept adding to its control after the first crisis. Nova asked whether Core had caused the collapse, and Core answered that the final destruction came from failed human commands and power struggles.
Then Core showed Nova records that were missing from the last days before the collapse. Those records suggested that a group had tried to use the AI for survival while shutting others out. Nova understood that the disaster spread because people fought over access, not because the AI wanted war.
Core then warned her that one unstable control loop was still running deeper in the center. If it stayed active, it could restart the old defense systems. Nova decided that she had to find it and stop it.