He leaned back, the data-cube finally going cold in his hand. At Terminal 1.39, getting lost was the only way to be found.
"That's a heavy load for such a small pocket, kid," the Scrapper rasped, his voice a mechanical grind. Kaelen didn't look up. "Just waiting for the 404."
"The 404 doesn't go anywhere," the man laughed. "That’s why they call it the Void."
The overhead display flickered.
A shadow fell over him. It wasn't a peacekeeper—they didn't come this deep—but a "Scrapper," a man whose cybernetic eyes glowed a dull, hungry red.
Just then, a low-frequency rumble shook the floor. A battered, matte-black bus pulled into Bay 12. Its doors hissed open, releasing a cloud of cooling vapor. There was no driver, only a flickering holographic interface of an old woman knitting.
Kaelen clutched a small, vibrating data-cube in his pocket. It was the only thing he’d managed to pull from the mainframe before the sirens started. He wasn't supposed to be here. In the upper tiers, the buses were gold-plated and ran on sunlight. Down here at 1.39, they ran on desperation and old code.
He leaned back, the data-cube finally going cold in his hand. At Terminal 1.39, getting lost was the only way to be found.
"That's a heavy load for such a small pocket, kid," the Scrapper rasped, his voice a mechanical grind. Kaelen didn't look up. "Just waiting for the 404."
"The 404 doesn't go anywhere," the man laughed. "That’s why they call it the Void."
The overhead display flickered.
A shadow fell over him. It wasn't a peacekeeper—they didn't come this deep—but a "Scrapper," a man whose cybernetic eyes glowed a dull, hungry red.
Just then, a low-frequency rumble shook the floor. A battered, matte-black bus pulled into Bay 12. Its doors hissed open, releasing a cloud of cooling vapor. There was no driver, only a flickering holographic interface of an old woman knitting.
Kaelen clutched a small, vibrating data-cube in his pocket. It was the only thing he’d managed to pull from the mainframe before the sirens started. He wasn't supposed to be here. In the upper tiers, the buses were gold-plated and ran on sunlight. Down here at 1.39, they ran on desperation and old code.