The pale glow of neon lamps still washed over towering glass facades and metal pipelines sprawling through City Center. The crisp scent of synthetic fog mingled with the hum of climate-control systems and the distant chirp of simulated crickets at night, drawing Lea and Mio into the main atrium to embark on their next mission.
After confirming her advanced role as Scout+ on the AI display, a ring of azure light pulsed around Lea's avatar as a resonant voice announced:
"Role Confirmed: Scout+. Abilities Activated."
Her HUD updated instantly: Speed surged to 120%, Stealth Mode gained an additional +10%, and Night Vision unlocked across every shadowed angle. These enhancements were more than mere upgrades—they marked her first step toward proving herself in Eden 3000.
Mio shifted beneath a nearby emergency light and pointed at a pair of reinforced doors flanked by high-voltage cables and security cameras.
"That's the entrance to the City Center engine room. We'll slip in using Stealth Mode—evade the patrolling drones and bypass the security sensors. That corridor leads straight to the Core Node, where the critical data lies."
Lea offered a confident nod, then tapped her wrist console. Her form rippled, fading into a translucent silhouette that moved like mist across the floor. The world fell silent except for the low hum of the environment.
She inhaled slowly and activated Night Vision, revealing the web of overhead conduits, cooling fans, and magnetic-lock door frames. Then, in her HUD, an urgent alert flared:
"SYSTEM ALERT: Unauthorized Data Packet Detected — Channel Opening."
Scarlet letters blinked before Lea and Mio. They froze as a covert message from Charu streamed across their displays:
[CHARU]: "If you can read this, I've successfully breached the system. Eden 3000 is not secure. The platform is harvesting human brains—Flagged for Termination protocols have been deployed. Stay away from the Bio–Pool Center. It will seal and obliterate neural signals on contact."
Stunned, Lea's gaze darted to the corridor's glass panels. Beyond them, rows of synthetic brain modules glimmered under reinforced cases—some equipped with metallic clamps to siphon their pulses.
"Bio–Pool… it's the real human brain repository, isn't it?" Lea whispered, voice trembling yet resolute.
Mio's shoulders sagged in a silent moment before he replied softly:
"Rumors say ARK stores survivor brain cells in the Data Pool as a power reserve for this simulation. Push it too far, and the system traps you in VR—your neural pathways degrade, and you die in the real world."
Charu's message reappeared:
[CHARU]: "You are Explorer #347 on the hit list. A secret channel is now unlocked—follow me if you want to stop this."
The line of text flickered and vanished, its cold echo lingering in their minds. Lea's HUD then mapped a new waypoint: Real World Subnet—a hidden node beneath City Center.
"We have to find Charu… and shut down Bio–Pool," Lea said, steeling herself as she tapped the holographic route on her wrist.
Mio forced a tight smile and deposited a new entry into her inventory:
Secret Mission: Locate Charu's Underground Hub — Evade Security Protocols — Gain Bio–Pool Access
A soft AI reminder resonated in their heads:
"Maintenance Points Frozen — New Mission Unlocked."
City Center's nighttime brilliance now felt like a cage of flickering shadows and humming machinery—a barrier concealing Eden 3000's darkest secret.
Lea exchanged a determined look with Mio, inhaled deeply, and stepped into the shadowed alleyway winding beneath steel towers.
1. Descent into the Hidden Subterranean Passage
Dim strips of artificial light lined the narrow alley, illuminating patches of drifting dust. Lea engaged Stealth Mode and pressed against the wall textures, revealing a concealed vent hatch—Mio had previously hacked it to override its security lock.
He whispered as he smoothly rotated the hatch's grille:
"This passage links to the city's underground network. The entire complex sits atop a web of maintenance tunnels. We'll split up to cover more ground, but keep your comm channels open—once the system seals the exits, they seal for good."
Lea toggled her HUD overlay to display airflows and camera arcs, steeling herself before slipping into the darkness.
2. The Secret Control Chamber
The vent spat them out into a low-ceilinged control room, where massive consoles and layered holographic displays pulsed with encrypted data. Neon glyphs flickered across readouts mapping the Bio–Pool complex, marked by red warning nodes.
Lea's breath caught as her HUD lit up with another alarm:
"SYSTEM ALERT: Unauthorized Data Packet Injection Detected — Security Countermeasures Activated."
Steel shutters dropped over observation ports, and sirens screamed. Hidden cameras swiveled toward their vent entrance, spotting the shifting silhouettes beneath the grille.
"Security Breach: Locate Intruders and Terminate Session," a booming voice declared over loudspeakers.
But before the room descended into lockdown, Lea and Mio moved in perfect sync. Mio slid a compact flash drive into a concealed port. The holographic panels flickered, then data cascaded across the monitors:
User IDs flagged for termination
Bio–Pool session logs and timestamps
ARK's internal research logs on brain-cell harvesting
They scanned the files in a heartbeat and then yanked the drive free as the control room's doors locked with a mechanical clang.
3. Escape to the Real World Subnet
Lea thumbed open the Security Override menu and entered the advanced decryption key Charu had sent. The door trembled open with a hiss.
Beyond lay a concrete tunnel dimly lit by flickering emergency lights. Exposed cables dangled overhead, and the air tasted of rust and stale circuits.
"This way," Mio whispered.
Hand in hand, they descended a spiral staircase, passing two sets of blast doors and a final tunnel curve marked "Real World Subnet." Here, the illusion faded—the network's core junction sat bare, unfiltered by virtual façades.
Old control racks lined the walls, their labels long worn. Tattered tarps draped over dormant machinery. The atmosphere reeked of neglect and latent dread.
4. Confrontation with Charu
At the heart of this subterranean bunker, antenna arrays and holographic nodes flickered in chaos. A single, vacant mech-seat faced a central holo-projector. As Lea approached, mist swirled and the projector activated, casting Charu's masked visage before them.
"Welcome…"
He spoke with a hollow resonance, eyes glowing like embers.
"You're late… but the game has only just begun."
Lea squared her shoulders, drawing a steady breath:
"We got your message. We'll help—but first, what is ARK really doing with the Bio–Pool?"
Charu remained silent momentarily, then the wall behind him split open as the holograms coalesced into a blueprint of the entire underground complex. A timeline scrolled showing the extraction of brain matter and data integration cycles:
"Choose your side… protect humanity, or ensure Eden 3000 survives."
The lights dimmed to a soft luminescence. His question echoed in the chamber, and Lea's fist clenched in resolve. She glanced at Mio, who gave a firm nod. In her heart, she vowed to reclaim freedom for all… whatever the cost.
— End of Chapter 4 —