The moment they stepped past the giant steel threshold, a bone-chilling cold slammed into them. It wasn't a natural chill, but the stagnant, artificial cold of a climate control system malfunctioning for over 60 years. The smell of stale, trapped air mixed with old engine oil and sharp ozone assaulted their noses.
Whoosh... Whoosh... Whoosh...
The only light in the endless corridor came from rotating "Red Emergency Lights" on the ceiling. Every time the crimson glow swept past, the shadows of steel beams and pipes stretched and retracted like living things.
"Philip... you okay?" Murphy asked softly, his voice echoing in the dead silence.
Philip stumbled slightly, hand clutching his temple. "The noise in my head... it's quieter now, bro. But it's changing into 'data'... I can see the digital structure of this place flooding into my mind."
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Suddenly, the motion sensors on the walls shifted from dormant red to hostile blue. The sound of machinery grinding came from above.
"Look out!!"
Murphy grabbed Philip by the collar and yanked him behind his back. Panels on the ceiling slid open, revealing two "Laser Sentry Turrets" hanging upside down.
Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!
High-intensity heat beams rained down like a storm. With nowhere to hide, Murphy planted his feet firmly, raising his right arm encased in the Titan Gauntlet to shield them.
Hiss—!!!
The lasers slammed into the titanium armor. The immense heat caused the metal to sizzle and smoke. Murphy gritted his teeth. "Shut it down! My arm's gonna melt!"
Philip focused. He could see the "data lines" connecting the turrets to a terminal on the right wall. He bolted from cover, sprinting through the kill zone while Murphy shifted his body, using his arm to intercept every single shot meant for his brother.
Philip slid to a halt in front of the control panel. His fingers flew across the ancient keyboard. His Machine Whisperer ability connected his mind directly to the archaic security system.
"SHUT DOWN! WE ARE NOT THE ENEMY!"
Whir...
The turrets froze instantly. The laser beams vanished. The barrels slowly retracted back into the ceiling. Silence returned.
"Good job..." Murphy shook his arm to disperse the heat. The titanium gauntlet was peppered with scorch marks but remained fully functional.
They walked deeper into the facility until they reached a wide hallway.
The sight before them made Murphy freeze.
The floor was littered with skeletons in white lab coats and military uniforms. Some sat slumped against the walls as if they had been running from something. In the hand of one skeleton, clutched tight in a death grip, was a "Data Tablet".
Murphy crouched and picked up the device with its shattered screen. On the back, an emblem was engraved: "A Star Bound by Chains."
"This symbol..." Murphy frowned. "Looks familiar. Seen it somewhere."
Philip adjusted his glasses and leaned in. His eyes widened.
"Bro, do you remember when you pried 'that thing' out of the underground ruins?" Philip pointed to his own backpack containing The Core. "When you dragged it home... I saw this exact same symbol etched on the bottom of the core."
"Huh? On the reactor?" Murphy raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was just the electric company's brand."
Philip reached out and touched the broken tablet. Residual digital data flowed through his fingertips directly into his brain.
"Murphy... that's not a company brand. And what we've been carrying this whole time isn't a reactor." Philip turned pale as he decoded the data. "I just bypassed a classified file... It's the emblem of 'Project: Starfall'."
"Starfall?"
"It was a top-secret mission from 60 years ago..." Philip looked up at the final door labeled MAIN CONTROL. "And that thing you risked your life to scavenge... is the final key to opening this room