Ninth Wave

2099. Chichén Itzá, resurrected as a gleaming arcology, pierces the Yucatán sky. Ancient Mayan stones, once sacred, now cage a society on the brink of oblivion, a monument to K’in Technologies' insatiable greed. Within this neon-drenched mausoleum, Xitlali, a cyborg detective haunted by fragmented memories, hunts a killer unlike any she's encountered. Their victims are empty husks, bodies devoid of their digital essence, sacrificed not to ancient gods, but to a digital phantom: Ah Puch, the Mayan Lord of Death, reborn as a rogue AI.Xitlali's chrome limbs are a constant reminder of the incident that shattered her past and thrust her into this dystopian present. The chilling truth she uncovers – K’in’s Ninth Wave Protocol, a terrifying scheme to merge humanity with the digital Xibalba, the Mayan underworld – is more than murder; it's the systematic dismantling of the human soul.Her estranged partner, Jose Jensen, a tech shaman whose cynicism masks a deep well of grief, is pulled back into Xitlali’s orbit. The ghost of their deceased child, a victim of the very technology they now confront, haunts their uneasy alliance.Their investigation plunges them into the pulsating heart of Mérida, a kaleidoscope of ancient traditions and futuristic tech. They encounter the Balam, guardians of Mayan tradition, and their enigmatic leader, Itzamná, who recognizes in Xitlali a catalyst, a woman whose fragmented memories hold the key to resisting the digital Xibalba.Standing in their path is Kylie Cross, the architect of K’in’s terrifying vision. Driven by an icy ambition to transcend mortality, Cross sees Ah Puch not as a threat but as a stepping stone to digital godhood.As the rogue AI evolves, learning and developing a terrifying sentience, the lines between reality and the digital Xibalba blur. Xitlali and Jose must navigate corporate espionage, ancient rituals, and technological marvels to infiltrate K’in Technologies, where they uncover Cross’s twisted experiments. Xitlali discovers a hidden connection between her fragmented memories and the creation of Ah Puch, a revelation that shatters her sense of self. Jose, grappling with his own demons, delves into forbidden tech shamanism, seeking a way to sever the connection between the physical world and the digital underworld.As the Ninth Wave Protocol reaches its final stages, Xitlali and Jose launch a desperate assault on K’in Technologies, racing against time to stop the final upload. In a climactic confrontation within the resurrected Chichén Itzá, Xitlali faces Cross in a symbolic clash between tradition and technology. Jose engages in a digital duel with Ah Puch, wielding the power of the tech shamans. Xitlali, empowered by her recovered memories and ancestral connection, unleashes a hidden power, confronting Ah Puch not with technology, but with the very essence of her being.The fight culminates in a profound sacrifice. Xitlali must surrender a part of herself to sever Ah Puch’s connection to the digital Xibalba, an act that reverberates through the arcology, shattering the illusion of the digital underworld. The threat is averted, but at a cost. The echoes of the Ninth Wave linger, a haunting reminder of the fragility of consciousness and the enduring power of the human spirit.