The Boost Striker roared across a broken highway, slicing through the remnants of what once was New Jersey. Rusted wreckage of long-abandoned cars lay strewn across crumbled roads, devoured by creeping vegetation and time.
In the distance, a sprawling megastructure rose beyond the mist—a city surrounded by fortified walls, glowing blue sentry lights, and heavy automated defense turrets that tracked every movement. But it wasn't the city that stopped Ace's breath.
It was the tower beyond it.
Jet-black and impossibly tall, it pierced the sky like a spear through the heavens. Its surface pulsed faintly with red energy veins that slithered up its body like living circuits. The clouds above it swirled unnaturally—no sunlight touched the structure.
Ace's teal eyes widened inside her helmet. "What… is that?"
Cynthia, riding steady at the front, didn't hesitate. "That's why the world became what it is."
Ace furrowed her brow. "That thing showed up… after I went into the pod?"
Cynthia nodded solemnly. "Yes. The first tower appeared the day you entered cryostasis. One in every major region across the world. Fifteen in total. No warning. No explanation. We still don't know who—or what—built them."
The bike slowed as they approached a checkpoint on the outskirts of the fortified city. Cynthia continued speaking, her tone grave.
"The Towers each contain 150 floors. Every ten floors is a different biome—each one more hostile than the last. It's believed that conquering all floors might restore the world… or at least stop it from collapsing completely."
Ace blinked. "And how many have they cleared?"
"Only twenty." Cynthia says in what sounds in disappointment. "In thirty-two years… humanity has only made it to Floor 21 of the North American Tower. The first teams either died or turned into monsters."
They reached the reinforced gates of New Haven City. Armed guards flanked the checkpoint—clad in black armored exo-suits, rifles at the ready. A large automated scanner lowered itself in front of them.
Cynthia slowed to a stop, gracefully stepping off the bike. She pulled out two transparent ID data chips and held them to the scanner.
"ID Verification: Cynthia Unit 09 and Ace Ukiyo – Clearance Level: Legacy Alpha."
The system processed it with a few blinks of red, then shifted to green.
"Access Granted. Welcome to New Haven."
The gates opened slowly, groaning under the weight of years. Inside, clean skyscrapers powered by neon energy next to slums made of salvaged tech. Drones flew overhead, and LED ads flickered on weather-stained screens.
Ace looked around in awe. It was like she was in another world.
Cynthia mounted the Boost Striker again. "Your father's estate is waiting, just past the Upper Ring. Once we're inside, I'll show you everything he left behind."
As the Boost Striker coasted through the inner sectors of New Haven City, neon lights bathed the streets in hues of violet and blue. The air was cleaner than Ace expected, though the ever-present hum of drones, reinforced patrols, and advertisement screens.
Cynthia signaled to turn toward the residential district, but Ace gently tapped her shoulder.
"Wait," she said. "Before we go to my father's estate… can we explore the city a bit first? I want to see how much has changed. And… I'm starving."
Cynthia looked back, briefly surprised. "Of course, Master Ace. As you wish."
They detoured down a side street toward a glowing neon sign that read FLAME GRILL-X—a modernized burger joint wrapped in retro chrome plating and augmented windows. Its logo flickered slightly, but the smell wafting from inside was unmistakable: grilled meat, seasoned fries, and that same spicy tang Ace hadn't smelled in over three decades.
She blinked as the memory hit her like a punch to the chest. "No way…"
The Boost Striker pulled to a stop just outside, and Ace climbed off slowly, eyes wide.
"This… this used to be my hangout spot," she whispered, her gaze drifting across the entrance. "Me and my friends came here all the time after school. I can't believe it's still here… and looking even cooler than before."
Ace slid into a booth by the window while Cynthia ordered at the counter.
Moments later, Cynthia returned with two trays. One held a double-stack spicy burger, fries dusted in pepper salt, and a fizzy neon-orange soda. Ace's eyes lit up like a child's.
"The spicy burgers…" she whispered, hands trembling slightly as she picked it up. "They're really good… I missed these so much."
She took a bite—and the moment she tasted the blend of heat, meat, and smoky cheese, something in her cracked. Her eyes watered as she chewed slowly, lips quivering.
"It still tastes the same…" she whispered, voice catching as a tear slipped down her cheek.
Cynthia watched silently, hands folded in her lap, her golden eyes softer than usual. "Your father preserved a surprising number of places he knew you loved. He believed that… even a ruined world needs familiar comforts."
Cynthia watched with a rare, soft smile as Ace devoured her burger, eyes still shimmering with nostalgic tears.
"I used to waste so much of my allowance here," Ace chuckled between bites, dipping a fry into spicy sauce. "Like, every week. I wouldn't buy clothes or save a single coin—just burgers. Every time."
"You invested wisely then," Cynthia replied, tilting her head with playful curiosity. "The taste seems to have endured time itself."
Ace grinned. "Yeah, no regrets."
"Ace…?"
The voice was quiet, hesitant, laced with disbelief. Feminine and familiar.
Ace paused mid-bite. Her eyes slowly turned toward the source.
Standing just outside the booth, frozen in place, was a woman in her late 40s—but she looked barely over thirty thanks to age-preserving tech. Her short brown hair was tucked behind one ear, and her green eyes were wide with emotion. She held a grocery bag in her hands.
Tears were welling up in her eyes. "Is that really you?"
Ace's heart skipped. Her body froze.
"…Amy?!"
She stood up so fast her drink nearly toppled.
Amy nodded, setting her bag down as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Oh my god… it really is you…"
Ace stepped around the booth, feet moving before her brain caught up. "I—I thought you… You'd be old. Or gone, or—"
Amy rushed forward and pulled her into a hug, arms wrapping tightly around Ace's larger frame. She held her as if afraid to let go, sobbing quietly into her shoulder.
"You're really here…" Amy whispered. "You're alive…"
Ace hugged her back, stunned. "I don't understand… How are you—how are you still so young?"
Amy pulled back just enough to look at her. "Government-preserved citizens. A small number of us were cryogenically frozen after the Collapse when we volunteered for long-term survival programs. I… I didn't know you were one of them."
Ace's eyes widened. "I wasn't. My dad froze me in secret, before it all started."
Amy blinked, laughing softly through her tears. "Of course he did."
Behind them, Cynthia stood silently by the booth, watching the reunion.
Amy touched Ace's cheek. "Everyone thought you were dead. Me and the rest of our friends mourned you. We moved on… but I never forgot. I always hoped, even if it was impossible, that you'd come back one day."