by VMP comics
Digital
Date of Publication: November 1, 2026
The Fracture Protocol, Issue #2 – Synopsis
On Baridinus-12, Sentinel Marcus Vale (Aether) stopped Jax Harlan after Harlan seized a Baridium mine from a Matriarchal Collective. Harlan, a former fringe operative enhanced by Baridium, had disrupted operations. Baridium stabilizes the world’s dark-matter core.
Twelve years earlier on Baridinus 3, Astra Kepler recruited Jax for Project Watchman. She offered access to raw Baridium to activate latent abilities and money to replace his wife Serena’s mechanical heart. Jax accepted, entered a secret mine, and gained strength, multi-spectrum vision, and tech-disruption powers. He accidentally disrupted Serena’s heart, causing her collapse.
In the present, Harlan (visor, enhanced arms) serves aboard a ship with Stronthius (armored leader), Proteus (blond, green energy), Marcus, and Zorath. Fabricated news claims Sentinels tried to overthrow the Protectorate. A specialized anti-Sentinel mech is activated. The team plans to meet a contact with vital person-to-person intelligence. Astra arrives in her former ship, apologizes for Serena, and is punched by Harlan. She has burned her cover, demands aggressive action, and provides secret coordinates for a new base.
The team sabotages infrastructure across the system to expose the Hurk’s inability to counter powered Sentinels and outliers. Antagonists prepare a population “harvest” by the Noble Horde and locate the rebels’ battleship. Forced pilots engage the team’s ship. Marcus, Proteus, and Stronthius destroy the fighters before battle droids arrive. The team retreats with data but discovers their telemetry was monitored because Astra omitted encryption.
A white-haired figure, Navarro, First Sentinel of Baridinus Prime, observes and transmits that he means no harm and brings glad tidings. He lands, greets the team as “my noble sons” and “my gene progeny,” and states that time has abandoned them and much remains to be done. The issue ends with next-issue teasers.
