Chapter Seventeen: Into the Unknown

Chapter Seventeen: Into the Unknown

The air in the underground base buzzed with quiet urgency as final preparations for the mission unfolded. The glow of holographic maps lit the faces of those gathered around the central console. Everyone moved with purpose, but the tension was palpable, hanging in the air like an unspoken truth.

Lena stood next to me, her gaze fixed on the detailed layout of Sector 12 projected above the table. "This is where we’ll breach the relay station," she said, pointing to a highlighted section of the map. “It’s heavily guarded, but this access tunnel should get us close without being detected.”

“What about patrols?” I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.

“Minimal in this area,” she replied. “They rely more on automated systems. Once you’re inside, you’ll have a short window to disable external defenses before the alarms trigger.”

Dr. Egan interjected, his tone clinical. “And once the relay is down, you’ll need to move quickly. Drake’s systems will switch to manual overrides, giving us only minutes to infiltrate the main complex.”

“No pressure,” I muttered, earning a faint smile from Lena.

“You’ve got this,” she said, nudging my shoulder lightly. “Just focus on the systems. Let the network guide you like it always does.”

I nodded, the weight of their expectations settling on me like a second skin. The network’s hum was already in the back of my mind, a steady pulse waiting to be called upon. It had become my lifeline, but tonight, it felt heavier—as if it, too, understood the gravity of what was about to happen.

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We moved through the narrow access tunnel in silence, the faint hum of the base replaced by the rhythmic thud of my own heartbeat. The walls around us were damp and uneven, the faint scent of metal and decay filling the air. Lena led the way, her movements precise and deliberate, while Dr. Egan stayed behind to coordinate from the base.

The tunnel opened into a small maintenance alcove, its walls lined with old cables and corroded panels. Beyond it, the relay station loomed, a towering structure of steel and glass, its surface pulsating with faint blue lights. Automated drones hovered around its perimeter, their sensors scanning the surrounding area.

“You’re up,” Lena whispered, handing me the compact interface device. “Once you’re inside, plug this into the main console. It’ll do the rest.”

I swallowed hard, gripping the device tightly. “And you’ll be here?”

“Always,” she said, her voice firm. “I’ll cover you.”

I slipped through the shadows, my footsteps silent against the cold ground. The relay station’s outer defenses hummed faintly, their glow casting eerie patterns across the walls. Reaching the access panel, I took a deep breath and connected the interface device. The network’s pulse surged through me, its rhythm chaotic but familiar.

Accessing…

The world around me faded as the network’s flow consumed my thoughts. I felt the relay station’s systems, their intricate patterns unraveling before me. Energy surged through its conduits, and I began redirecting the flow, bypassing security protocols and disabling automated defenses.

“You’re doing great,” Lena’s voice echoed faintly in my earpiece. “Just a little longer.”

A sharp jolt ripped through my mind, pulling me out of the connection. Alarms blared, their piercing wail echoing through the alcove. My vision swam as I staggered back, the interface device dangling from its connection.

“What happened?” I gasped.

“The system detected the breach,” Dr. Egan’s voice cut in. “You need to finish the override now. They’ll be on you in seconds.”

Before I could respond, the sound of approaching footsteps filled the tunnel. I turned to see Lena raising her weapon, her expression grim. “Go,” she urged. “I’ll hold them off.”

“No, you’ll get—”

“Just go!” she snapped, firing a shot down the corridor. “You’re the mission, 13. Don’t forget that.”

Her words cut through the chaos, and I forced myself to turn back to the console. The network’s hum was erratic now, its pulse faltering as I reconnected. My fingers moved instinctively, navigating the system as the world around me dissolved into chaos.

A distant shout made my heart lurch, followed by the sickening thud of something heavy hitting the ground. The connection severed, and I spun around, my breath catching in my throat.

Lena was gone. The corridor was empty, save for the faint wisps of smoke and the distant echo of footsteps retreating into the darkness.

“Lena?” I called out, my voice trembling. “Lena!”

Silence.

Dr. Egan’s voice crackled through the comm. “You have to move, 13. The defenses are down, but reinforcements are coming. If you stay, you’ll be caught.”

I stood frozen, my mind racing. The emptiness in the tunnel felt suffocating, a void I couldn’t escape. For the first time, the network’s hum felt distant, almost unrecognizable.

“13, go!” Dr. Egan urged, his tone desperate.

Clutching the interface device, I stumbled toward the exit. Each step felt heavier than the last, the weight of what I’d lost pressing down on me. The shadows seemed darker now, and for the first time, I truly felt alone.

As I moved through the tunnel, a thousand questions clawed at my mind. What had happened to Lena? Had she been captured, or… worse? The uncertainty was suffocating, a constant knot tightening in my chest. The network’s hum, once my anchor, now felt cold and distant, as if it had turned its back on me.

I reached the end of the tunnel, emerging into a narrow alley bathed in the faint glow of streetlights. The city loomed above me, its towering structures casting long, menacing shadows. Somewhere in this labyrinth, the next stage of the mission awaited, but I couldn’t bring myself to move forward.

“Lena,” I whispered again, the word a fragile thread in the suffocating silence.

The comm crackled to life. “13, focus,” Dr. Egan said, his tone sharp. “You’re outside the relay. Head to the extraction point. We’ll regroup and plan our next move.”

Regroup. The word felt hollow. There was no regrouping without Lena. But I knew arguing wouldn’t change anything. Numbly, I turned toward the extraction point, my feet moving mechanically. The weight of the mission pressed down harder with each step, the shadows stretching longer as if to swallow me whole.

The hum of the network flickered faintly at the edge of my mind, like a weak heartbeat struggling to sustain itself. I reached for it, hoping for some sense of connection, but it slipped away, leaving only the crushing void of isolation.

For the first time, I wasn’t sure if I could keep going. And for the first time, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to.