Chapter Thirteen: The Network Within

 

Chapter Thirteen: The Network Within

The past few weeks had been a blur. The sirens, the core—it all seemed distant now, like a faint memory from another life. Since that chaotic night, I’d spent most of my time connecting with the systems everyone here relied on. What they saw as simple interfaces—buttons, commands, inputs—felt entirely different to me.

To them, it was a tool. To me, it was alive.

Sitting in the dimly lit operations room, I reached out to the terminal in front of me. My fingers hovered just above the holographic keys, but I didn’t need to press them. The moment I focused, I felt the system respond, a subtle pulse rippling through my mind like a second heartbeat. Each connection was like a neural pathway, branching and linking with infinite possibilities. It wasn’t just data—it was communication.

Lena watched from across the room, her arms crossed. “You’ve gotten faster,” she said. “More precise.”

“It’s not hard,” I replied, my voice distant. “It’s like… feeling my own thoughts. The systems, the networks, they’re not separate. They’re part of me.”

Her expression softened, but there was something guarded in her eyes. “Does it feel… overwhelming?”

I hesitated, considering her question. At first, it had been. The sheer volume of information, the endless streams of data flowing into my mind, had been like standing in a storm. But now, it felt natural. Each system had its own rhythm, its own unique identity, and I could move through them as easily as walking through a familiar room.

“Not anymore,” I said. “It’s like learning a new language. At first, everything feels foreign, but then… it just clicks.”

Lena nodded, though her gaze lingered on me. “Dr. Egan wants to run more tests. He thinks we can push the integration further.”

I frowned, the faint pulse of the system still humming in the back of my mind. “Further how?”

“He wants to see if you can control more complex systems,” she said. “City infrastructure, power grids, environmental controls… things no one’s been able to fully automate before.”

I leaned back in my chair, my fingers brushing the edge of the console. The thought of diving deeper into the network both intrigued and unsettled me. “What if something goes wrong?”

“That’s why we’re testing,” Lena said with a faint smile. “You’re not alone in this, 13. We’re here to help.”

The words were meant to reassure me, but they only reminded me of the weight I carried. This underground city, its systems, its people—all of it depended on me. And the more I connected with the network, the more I felt its fragility.

Every glitch, every fluctuation, was like a tiny crack in an otherwise seamless structure. But unlike the others, I could feel those cracks, anticipate them, and—in some cases—mend them before they became problems. It wasn’t just about keeping the city running; it was about keeping it alive.

“What about the others?” I asked suddenly, turning to Lena.

She tilted her head. “Others?”

“The other cities,” I clarified. “If this place has a network like this, do they?”

Her smile faded, replaced by something heavier. “Some do,” she said. “Not all. The corporations prioritized key locations, places they considered… essential. But there are smaller settlements, disconnected ones, that don’t have the same infrastructure. They’re on their own.”

The thought unsettled me. “What happens to them?”

Lena’s silence was answer enough.

I looked back at the console, the network’s pulse still steady in my mind. “Maybe we can change that,” I said quietly.

“Maybe,” she agreed, though her tone was cautious. “But we need to focus on keeping this place stable first.”

I nodded, but the thought lingered. The network wasn’t just a tool—it was a lifeline. And if I could extend it, strengthen it, maybe those other places wouldn’t have to be on their own anymore.

The operations room’s dim light cast long shadows as I turned back to the console. My fingers brushed against the holographic keys, but I didn’t need to touch them. The network pulsed softly, waiting. I let my thoughts drift, wondering what it would feel like to expand beyond this city, to reach those smaller, disconnected settlements.

“Let’s run the tests,” I said finally, standing from the chair. “If there’s more I can do, I want to know.”

Lena’s smile returned, though it was tinged with something I couldn’t quite place. “I’ll let Dr. Egan know."

As she left the room, I stayed behind, staring at the console. The faint hum of the network resonated in my mind, its rhythm both soothing and demanding. I reached out again, this time diving deeper, testing the edges of the connection. I could feel the city’s systems stretching outward like a web, each thread waiting for me to pull.

A sudden thought struck me: what if this was how Zack had felt when he made his choice? What if, in some small way, he’d known this would be my path?

The network pulsed again, almost as if it were answering. I closed my eyes, letting the rhythm guide me. It wasn’t overwhelming. It wasn’t frightening. It was familiar.

It felt like home.