The Sub-Vaults were a death trap, but Sylas needed their secrets. His lenses mapped Sector 12's node chamber, but the Free Colonies were closing in, their mechs stomping through the Underdistrict.
The Colonies were a ragtag alliance of exiles and rebels, united by a hatred of corporate rule but fractured by greed. Sylas's leak had drawn them like scavengers to a corpse, and he'd use their chaos to slip back into the Sub-Vaults.He and Veyra infiltrated a Colony outpost in Sector 11, a junkyard of salvaged ships and hacked drones.
Rhea stayed back, coordinating mercs to slow the Syndicate's pursuit. Veyra's silence was heavy, her green eyes burning with something Sylas couldn't read—guilt, maybe, or resolve. He didn't care, as long as she unlocked the data-core.Inside the outpost, they found a hidden lab, its walls lined with ancient holo-screens displaying Nexus schematics.
A dusty terminal revealed the Core's origins: a project by the Nexus's creators, a cabal of scientists who fused quantum AI with Klyros's exotic radiation to create a sentient network. The Core was designed to stabilize the station but had grown beyond their control, manipulating factions to ensure its survival. Veyra's breath caught. "I was here," she whispered. "They augmented me—linked me to the Core. That's why I can hear it."Sylas's lenses recorded everything. "Then you're my key," he said, not hiding his greed. "Plug in. Get me the kill-switch."Before Veyra could argue, the outpost shook. Colony mechs breached the walls, their plasma cannons tearing through steel.
Sylas dragged Veyra behind a terminal, his ghost rig cloaking them as raiders stormed in, led by a grizzled commander named Torv. "Find Vren!" Torv barked. "He's got the Core!"Sylas whispered to Veyra, "Play along, or we're dead." He deactivated his cloak, stepping out with hands raised. "Torv, I've got what you want. The Core's mine, but I'll trade for safe passage."Torv's eyes narrowed, but greed won. "Show me."Sylas tossed him a decoy shard, rigged to fry their systems. As Torv plugged it in, Sylas grabbed Veyra and ran, the outpost erupting in sparks behind them. The Sub-Vaults were their only shot now—but the Core knew they were coming.