Kai scurried deeper into the crawlspace, gasping for breath. Glowing sparks burst from cut cables overhead, filling the air with a strong smell. Boot steps echoed nearer behind him. He raised his pistol, but a voice broke through his fear.
"Move ahead. There is a hatch thirty meters ahead of you."
"Why should I trust you?" Kai scurried quickly.
"Because if you don't, you're already dead."
The enforcers charged blindly down into the shaft. Bullets zipped past the head of Kai. He ground his teeth and crept ahead. The crawlspace opened into a substation with the hum of thrumming generators. The hatch slammed shut behind him as if clapped by unseen hands.
Kai stood frozen.
"Did you—?"
"I locked it. You're welcome."
The air in the room was charged with a neon-blue light. His HUD streamed symbols—alien code coursing quicker than his implants could register. The shard-drive at his hip vibrated.
Kai swore under his breath. "What are you?"
"A ghost in the wires. Name me anything. But if you'd like to understand why Envision murdered your brother, you'd best listen on."
His blood ran cold. No one knew what happened that night. No one.
Before he could call for explanations, alarms wailed. Generators one by one went dark. The voice grew more panicked.
"They've broken my lock. They're entering."
A side door burst open, light spilling in. Armored enforcers stormed in, blasters up.
Kai pulled out his pistol—he was outnumbered and trapped.
His HUD flashed again. A holographic map lit his eyes, tracing an escape route through the sewers.
"Run now, or die here."
Kai had only one breath to choose.