A violent gust of wind whipped up clouds of red rust dust, swirling them around the skeletal remains of skyscrapers that pierced the gloom of the gray sky.
Fifty stories above the ground, balanced on a corroded steel beam that looked barely strong enough to support a stray cat, two young men were engaged in a mission with life-or-death stakes—all for the sake of a few meager meals.
"A little to the right... a bit more... That's it! That's the connection point!"
The commanding voice came from a slight figure. A boy with raven-black curly hair that contrasted sharply with his pale, sun-deprived skin. His emerald green eyes, shielded behind a pair of battered goggles, scanned coordinates with precision. His slender fingers tapped frustratedly on the cracked holographic display at his wrist.
"Hurry up, Murphy! The energy levels are dropping. If you're any slower, the security lockdown will engage, and we'll be ground meat inside these ruins!" Philip shouted over the howling wind.
"I know, I know! You sure are bossy, pipsqueak!"
A deep, rugged voice replied from the large young man dangling by a single cable. Murphy, in his early twenties, gritted his teeth. Muscles rippled along his scar-marked arms as he jammed a crowbar into the seam of the ancient security door.
Screech... Clang!
The teeth-grating sound of metal grinding against metal echoed loudly. Murphy braced his foot against the wall. Sweat stung his eyes, but he didn't dare blink.
"Hngh...!"
With one final heave, the heavy steel cover was wrenched free, revealing a faint blue glow pulsing from within—a portable reactor, a lost model.
"Gotcha..." Murphy grinned, scanning the prize. "How about that, Philip? Your big brother's still got it, huh?"
Philip let out a heavy sigh, sliding his goggles up to rest on his forehead, revealing a look that was a mix of exasperation and relief.
"Still as sloppy as ever. Your leverage angle was off by three degrees. You nearly broke the tool, you know?"
Despite his grumbling, Philip's hands were quick to grab a clean cloth to receive the item. As soon as Murphy scrambled back inside the building, the younger brother immediately checked him for injuries.
"Scraped your arm again... How many times have I told you to wear your arm guards?" Philip nagged, brushing dust off Murphy's broad shoulders.
"Come on, for this beauty? It's totally worth it," Murphy laughed, handing the reactor to his brother like he was giving a toy to a child. "Go ahead, inspect it, Mr. Genius Inventor."
Philip accepted the metal block with reverence. His green eyes sparkled as they reflected the artifact's blue light.
To others, it might be dangerous trash... but to Philip, these relics of a bygone era were the only things that made him feel like miracles still existed in this world.
"Integrity at 80%..." Philip murmured, a barely visible smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Selling this to the old man at the black market should fetch a good price... or if I mod it into the water filtration system, we wouldn't have to drink rust-water for another year."
Murphy ruffled his brother's hair into a mess. "Up to you, 'Boss.' My job is to find it. Your job is to make it worth something... That's our rule, remember?