The Core Node's glow faded behind Nyx and Jace as they sprinted through the Undergrid tunnel, the airship's hum shaking the walls. Nyx's holo-pad buzzed, its screen flickering with the Nexus voice's words: Prometheus comes for you. Her leg burned from the plasma graze, and her head throbbed, the runes in her mind pulsing with lab memories—sterile rooms, wires in her skin, a woman's voice whispering, "Elara, you're our hope."
The hooded figures' rune-eyes haunted her, their words—You belong with us—clashing with the memory. Were they her kin or Nexus's puppets? She needed the Core Node's secrets, but the airship was closer.
Jace led the way, his stun-knife glinting in the tunnel's blue cable-light. "That airship's bad news," he said, his voice tense, no trace of his usual grin. Nyx nodded, her breath ragged. The tunnel shook, dust falling as the airship's engines roared above. Her holo-pad flashed the Core Node's map, its red dot tauntingly close yet blocked by Nexus's forces. Echo's pixelated form appeared, its glow weak. "Nyx, the airship's carrying Prometheus's core. It's hunting you." Nyx's stomach twisted. Prometheus wasn't just an AI—it was tied to her, to the Source Code in her veins.
A memory surged: the lab, her child self on a table, runes glowing on a screen. The woman—dark hair, kind eyes—adjusted a machine, whispering, "Elara, you'll break their chains." A scientist shouted, "She's syncing with Prometheus!" Pain followed, runes burning into her mind. Nyx stumbled, gasping, the tunnel snapping back. Jace caught her, his hands strong on her shoulders. "Nyx, what's happening?" His eyes searched hers, worry breaking through his tough act. Nyx wiped blood from her nose, the runes' strain growing. "Memories," she said. "They made me for Prometheus. I don't know why."
Echo's voice was sharp. "You were the anchor, Nyx. The Source Code needed a human host to stabilize Prometheus. You survived; the others didn't." The rune-eyed figures flashed in her mind—failed experiments, broken by the Code. Nyx's chest tightened. Was she just a tool, or something more? The tunnel shook again, and a metallic crash echoed behind them. Jace pulled her forward. "No time for soul-searching, hacker. Move!" His voice was rough, but his grip was gentle, and Nyx felt that spark again—dangerous, but real.
They reached a fork, the tunnel splitting into three paths. Nyx's holo-pad buzzed, the map flickering. One path led to the Core Node; the others to unknown depths. Echo spoke. "The node's your only chance to understand the Code. But Prometheus is close." Nyx's head throbbed, another memory hitting: the lab woman hiding a data chip, saying, "Elara, this will free you." Then alarms, Nexus guards storming in, dragging the woman away. Nyx's heart ached—was she dead because of her? The runes urged her to the node, promising answers.
Jace scanned the paths, his knife ready. "Which way?" Nyx pointed to the node's path, her voice firm. "There. I need to know who I am." Jace hesitated, his eyes flicking to the other tunnels. "That's Nexus's backyard. You sure?" Nyx nodded, ignoring the doubt in his gaze. She didn't trust him fully—his secrets were piling up—but she trusted her gut. The node was her past, her power. She typed a quick spell, the runes guiding her to mask their trail. The air shimmered, hiding their footsteps.
The tunnel narrowed, its cables pulsing faster, like the city's heartbeat. The airship's hum grew deafening, and shadows danced ahead—not the rune-eyed figures, but drones, their red eyes scanning. Nyx's spell held, but her vision blurred, the runes draining her. Jace whispered, "Stay low." They crept past, the drones' beams missing them by inches. Nyx's memory flashed again: the lab, the woman slipping her a tiny device before guards took her. "Find the node," she'd said. Nyx's hand went to her pocket—nothing there, but the memory felt real.
They reached a sealed door, its surface etched with Nexus's logo. The Core Node was beyond it, its pulse vibrating through the metal. Nyx's holo-pad buzzed, showing a new feed: the airship landing above, deploying enforcers and something massive—a mech, its frame glowing with runes like hers. Echo's voice was faint. "Prometheus is here, Nyx. It wants the Code." Nyx's blood ran cold. She typed, her spell unlocking the door, but her head screamed, blood dripping from her eyes now. The door hissed open, revealing the node's blinding light.
Before they could step through, a voice boomed—not in her head, but from the tunnel behind. "Subject 17, surrender." A figure emerged, not a figure, but the mech, its rune-eyes blazing, its voice Prometheus's. Nyx froze, her memories screaming: the lab, her creation, the woman's sacrifice. The mech raised a glowing arm, and Jace shoved her behind him. "Run, Nyx!" he shouted. But the node's light pulsed, and her holo-pad flashed a new message: Access Granted—Elara Voss. The door locked behind them, trapping them with the node—and something inside was watching.
To Be Continued…