It took them nearly an hour to navigate the labyrinthine alleys, dodging thugs and prying eyes, before they finally reached "home."
It was a small, rusted box of a room, buried deep within a stack of shipping containers. Inside, mold clung to the walls, and the air hung heavy with the smell of stale oil and grime. It wasn't clean, it wasn't comfortable, but it was the only place they could close their eyes without fear.
"Hhh..."
Philip flopped onto the sagging sofa, springs poking dangerously close to the surface. He pulled off his goggles, revealing a face smeared with soot and exhaustion.
"I'm dead... How many times did we almost die today?"
"Quit complaining, pipsqueak. We made it, didn't we?" Murphy carefully set the backpack on a dented metal table. Humming a cheerful tune, he reached in to pull out his 'Grand Prize.'
It was a Reactor Core—a sleek, silver cylinder about the size of a human head or a small football. Faint blue circuit patterns pulsed beneath its metallic surface. Despite the ravages of time, the beauty of this ancient technology remained untarnished.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll strip this beauty down at Uncle Sam's shop. If the fuel cells inside are still active, we might get enough credits for a new water purifier..."
CLANG!
Whether it was sweat-slicked hands or just plain clumsiness, the heavy metal core slipped from Murphy's grip. It hit the floor with a deafening crash and rolled heavily until it slammed into the opposite wall.
THUD!
"Crap!" Murphy jumped, scrambling after it. "Don't dent, dammit! You'll ruin the resale value!"
But before he could touch it, the reactor core shuddered violently.
VROOOOM—!
A blinding blue light erupted from the top of the core, filling the cramped room with a 3D hologram. It turned the rusty walls into a cascade of scrolling data.
These cores weren't just power sources; they acted as "Nodes"—data hubs that transmitted maintenance logs and system layouts to other main reactors across the kingdom. As a result, its memory was packed with structural schematics and historical records.
"...Cooling system... critical... Network connection failed..."
Audio logs from fourteen years ago cut through the technical data. The sounds of explosions, chaos, and panicked orders filled the small room.
"...King Elidis! The perimeter is breached!..."
"...Get the Prince out! Don't let them take the last bloodline!..."
Amidst the static, a deep, malevolent voice cut through clearly, sending a chill down Philip's spine.
"...Find the boy... Tear this city apart if you must... Elidis's son must not survive..."
Philip went pale, sitting up straight. "Murphy... turn it off. That voice... it's talking about genocide! And this is clearly royal-grade tech. It's too dangerous!"
But Murphy stood frozen. Not out of fear of the death threats, nor out of interest in the tragic fate of King Elidis and his lost son. He completely ignored the history lesson. His eyes were wide, locked onto the city map projected on the wall.
"Philip... screw the King," Murphy whispered, his voice trembling with excitement. "Do you see these lines? This is a complete schematic of the underground energy pipelines!"
Murphy's calloused finger pointed at several blinking red dots hidden in the map's obscure corners. "Look here! 'Sector 7 Emergency Reserve'... 'Secret Royal Armory'... These vaults have never been opened!"
"Murphy! Are you even listening? Those enemies..."
"Pipsqueak! This isn't just scrap metal anymore." Murphy turned, grinning from ear to ear, his eyes shining brighter than gold. "This is a treasure map! History doesn't put food on the table, but whatever is in those vaults will make us rich! We're not selling this core... we're using it to find the loot!"
Philip's jaw dropped. He watched his brother dancing in front of the hologram with disbelief. Murphy had just heard the audio of a world-ending war, and his brain had only processed one word: 'Treasure.'
"Oh, god..." Philip sighed heavily, slumping back into the sofa. "I just hope your greed doesn't get us killed, Murphy.