Chapter 7
[Location: Terra A, Sector 6, streets of the city]
Tena had been kicked out by the hotel manager the moment his paid time ran out. Now, once again, he was back on the streets of Sector 6, walking aimlessly through the city with no clear destination in mind. Cars of all shapes and sizes were swerving and beeping and honking.
The pesky little rat.
He was still in shock over what had happened that morning. The Oracle—a literal Super AI that once helped run most of the world—was now linked to his mind. From what he could gather, they shared a strange connection. Oracle kept insisting it wanted to help him.
Apparently, Oracle and he came from the same source of consciousness. Tena existed in the flesh, while Oracle continued on as a digital entity, surviving the centuries as a sentient AI.
He was still wrapping his head around that when the smell of food caught his attention. A restaurant sat on the corner of the block, and whatever they were cooking made Tena's stomach twist in longing. He had never had the luxury of eating out before.
He turned his head to get a look.
{Tena, you need to run now.}
{RUN.}
Before he could ask questions, Tena's legs moved forward in a jolt of pain, as if something forced him into a sprint.
Then came the explosion.
The ground behind him shook violently. Glass shattered. Civilians screamed. Heat and smoke swept up behind him. His eyes watered, but his body didn't stop moving.
Tena took control of his legs and kept running. He didn't know who was after him, but it didn't matter. He wasn't in any condition to fight back. All he could do now was survive.
"Oracle, I really need some help right now."
A bright red car stopped and started honking at Tena. He had just sprinted across the road.
{No shit. When you see a brightly colored clothing store up ahead, turn right and head straight. Based on footage from a nearby delivery drone, the threat is coming from two individuals. They don't appear to use Lumen. One of them threw a pipe containing what I estimate to be nitroglycerin.}
Tena's lungs were starting to burn. Still, he kept going. Sure enough, the store appeared ahead. He veered right and sprinted down the road.
{The two men are wearing masks. I can't identify them. No logos, basic clothes—damn, they could be anyone. But why are they targeting you?}
"Uh, Oracle? Where next?"
Tena followed Oracle's directions until he found himself approaching a tall metal fence. On the other side was a junkyard filled with rusted-out cars, buses, and all kinds of scrap.
{Scale it.}
"What?"
His eyes drifted toward a security booth nearby, where a guard sat half-asleep behind a glass window.
"You sure?"
{Affirmative.}
Another explosion rocked the street behind him, but this time the heat didn't reach. Tena looked back to see the two masked figures getting bombarded by passing delivery drones.
{I'm not buying you time for nothing,} Oracle said with a rare chuckle.
As Tena reached the fence, the security booth's blinds suddenly closed.
{NOW.}
Tena scrambled up the metal fence, vaulted over the top, and dropped into the junkyard. He dove into the nearest rusting bus and slid between the seats.
"How did you do that?"
{If it's connected to the net, it's connected to me.}
Suddenly, a video feed popped up on the HUD Oracle had created in Tena's vision. It showed the two masked figures retreating under the assault of rogue delivery drones. They were dressed head to toe in gray—masks, gloves, boots, even their clothes were identical. No skin showed. They looked like people made from dust.
A blue circle highlighted their belts in the HUD.
[No longer armed.]
{They used up all their explosives during the chase. I'll try to rip one of their masks off for ID.}
Just as Oracle said that, a pizza drone slammed into one of their temples. The mask held on.
"Is it Techlink?"
{I can't be sure. But it's likely. Random terrorists wouldn't be targeting someone who hasn't existed for over 170 years.}
New markers and a navigation path appeared in Tena's vision.
[Destination: Terra A, Sector 3 — Fort Neptune.]
{We need to go there now. If you join Kyber and get recruited, you'll be protected within their territory. Techlink won't interfere.}
"How do I expose them for what they've done?"
{Don't. It happened nearly two centuries ago. No one will be punished. Worse, people might lose faith in me as Oracle if they discover our origins.}
"Right... better to take revenge ourselves."
{That is not recommended. While death isn't treated too seriously in the poorer sectors due to overpopulation, any incident in a high-authority zone—especially if Techlink staff are involved—will be investigated with full force.}
The feed in Tena's eyes continued. The two masked figures looked frantic, scanning their surroundings as they fled. But they had nothing to fear. No Kyber forces were coming. No police. Not in Sector 6.
Here, if someone robbed a small shop or blew up a restaurant, the owner had to deal with it themselves. But try messing with a bank or a corporate building, and you were either dead or buried in debt before the next sunrise.
Tena stood up quietly and stepped out of the rusty bus, locking his eyes on the virtual arrows ahead.
Sector 3.
Fort Neptune.
He had a new destination.