Avoria City, Year 2485.
A VSB agent was on his heels, and although his legs moved with agility, the effort was already weighing on him. The streets, crowded with pedestrians and stalls selling all kinds of goods, made his escape harder. In the middle of the chase, his shoulder violently crashed into someone, making him stagger for a moment.
"Watch where you're going, idiot!" a male voice shouted, followed by an obscene middle-finger gesture.
Ryker turned his head toward the man, but before he could focus on him, a sharp tug at the collar of his shirt pulled him backward and sent him crashing onto the pavement.
"Why so aggressive, agent? We've barely met," he said with a mocking smile.
The agent barely opened his mouth to respond when two men at an electronics stall started fighting over a part, tripping and falling right behind him. Ryker didn't waste the opportunity. He used the confusion to slip through the crowd. He turned onto the main street, filled with food stalls, and slowed down, blending into the noise as if nothing had happened.
A few steps later, he stopped in front of a stall and picked up a pack of cigarettes.
"How much for this?" he asked casually.
"140."
"Hey, you!" The agent's deep voice broke his calm act.
Ryker bolted, gripping the pack tightly. He zigzagged through the crowd, dodging bodies and obstacles, then skidded to a stop when he saw two agents blocking his path ahead. He felt fingers brush his shoulder for a split second, but he reacted fast, turning toward a side route before they could grab him.
He rushed into a narrow alley, where the shadows of the buildings offered cover. The agents' hurried footsteps echoed closer and closer. At the end of the alley, he spotted an emergency staircase and began climbing. The metal structure creaked under his weight, but he didn't stop until he reached the roof. From above, Avoria stretched out like a maze of lights and lies, shining on the outside, rotten within.
Adrenaline surged through his veins as he searched for a way down without being detected. His pursuers hadn't reached the roof yet, giving him a few precious seconds to escape.
He slid down a pipe that led to a back courtyard. Once on the ground, he merged with a group of pedestrians leaving a nearby building, blending in until he reached the tunnel. Without a word, he approached the guard at the entrance and handed over his pass. The guard quickly inspected it, made sure everything was in order, and allowed him to continue.
The tunnel wasn't open access. A personal pass was required, processed at checkpoints before entering. On the opposite end, another guard performed the same check for those coming from the underworld.
"Ha. Idiots," Ryker muttered low enough for the guard not to hear, but with just enough venom to satisfy himself.
Unlike the overcrowded city he had left behind, the interior offered a controlled environment. When he reached the other side, he paused for a moment to adjust his clothes, trying to look like an ordinary citizen. As he stepped out of the tunnel, the scenery was a sharp contrast: run-down houses, dirty and disorganized streets, people wandering without purpose. The "dump," as they called it, was a world completely opposite to Avoria's so-called cleanliness.
He walked calmly, making sure to blend in. His destination was a small tech shop hidden in an isolated alley, far from prying eyes. When he entered, he was greeted by a short older man with gray hair and thick glasses, who gave him a slight nod.
"You're late, Ryker," the man muttered without looking away from the device he was repairing.
"Had a small setback. Do you have it?" Ryker asked, stepping closer to the counter.
The man let out a heavy sigh before pulling a tiny data chip from one of the drawers.
"Here it is, but it won't be cheap. Getting this wasn't easy."
"I know. I expected nothing less," Ryker replied, pulling out a stack of bills and placing it on the counter.
The man took the money, counted it quickly, and nodded with a serious expression.
"Hope you know what you're getting into. This kind of information is dangerous, Ryker. Not something to play with."
"I never play," Ryker snapped back as he slid the chip into a hidden pocket inside his jacket.
Without another word, he left the shop and stepped back into the streets, ensuring he didn't draw attention as he moved away. The arteries of the underworld buzzed more than usual, voices rising in arguments and occasional shouts echoing in the distance. He knew that ecosystem like the back of his hand.
He stopped at a corner, quickly scanning his surroundings. No one seemed to be following him, but that didn't guarantee safety. He tightened his jacket around his shoulders and resumed walking, entering a graffiti-covered alley that led to a metal door with no markings. He knocked twice, waited a moment, then knocked a third time harder.
The door opened with a creak, revealing a woman with short hair and tired eyes. She was a well-known Trask in the underworld. She wore a vest packed with pockets and had a headset in her ear. Recognizing Ryker, she sighed and stepped aside to let him in.
"Do you have it?" she asked without preamble, closing the door behind him.
Ryker nodded, pulling the chip from his pocket and showing it to her. She raised an eyebrow and extended her hand impatiently.
"Give it to me. We need to verify it before we proceed."
"Relax, Vala. I didn't cross half the world just for you to snatch it away," Ryker replied, putting the chip back inside his jacket. "Before that, I want to know what's next."
Vala exhaled in frustration and crossed her arms. After a few seconds, she gave a small nod.
"Fine. The team is ready. We just need to confirm the information is authentic. If everything checks out, we start the operation tonight."
Ryker watched her carefully, evaluating her words. He slowly nodded and pulled the chip out again.
"Here. Don't forget, if something goes wrong, there won't be second chances. We're all screwed."
Vala took the chip firmly and looked at him seriously. Then she met his gaze and nodded.
"I know. No one is more aware of that than I am."
She turned and disappeared down a dimly lit hallway without another word. Ryker stayed in the small room, pretending to study the graffiti on the walls. Vala might be a constant nuisance, but he couldn't afford to lose focus. The mission came first. The objective was within reach.
About thirty minutes passed before Vala returned, carrying a backpack and holding her weapon, ready for anything.
"Want to leave a message for the VSB?" she asked while shaking empty food wrappers out of her backpack. That gesture confirmed to Ryker that the information was genuine.
"Of course I do, damn it."
"The team is ready, calm down," she said, giving him a light shove on the shoulder. "We'll leave the director for you. If you want, you can paint his face like a clown."
"Great, now you want me arrested."
"Isn't that your favorite hobby?"
Ryker didn't answer, only frowning in disapproval.
"That's a yes," she muttered, examining the deck projecting the information supplied by the team. "Perfect, the system is configured. Once we insert the memory, we'll get direct access to the VSB main server. But it'll be fast, no more than ten minutes before they detect the intrusion."
"Ten minutes is more than enough," Ryker said confidently from his position. "We only need enough time to extract what we're looking for and leave the message. Nothing more."
"Alright, we move."
Vala adjusted her backpack strap before opening a side door that led to the back of the building.
"Is the team already in position?" Ryker asked, following her outside.
"Yes, they're at the entry point. They're waiting for us to sync up," Vala replied without looking away from the path ahead.
The night outside was freezing, and the wind blew dust and old papers everywhere. In the distance, the city lights shone like a constant reminder of the divide between two worlds. Ryker followed her to the tunnel, and soon they were back inside the city. He just hoped the agents had stopped searching for him.
"How were you so sure the information was legitimate? I mean… you already had the team ready."
"I wasn't. I made a very risky assumption. We've been waiting a long time for an opportunity like this."
"Mmh…"
Silence stretched over the rest of the journey like a heavy blanket. When they reached the VSB sector, they moved carefully, using shadows and blind spots in the security cameras to stay undetected. Finally, they reached a service entrance where one of their team members was already waiting quietly.
"The system will remain disabled for ten minutes. After that, I can't guarantee anything," the technician warned, handing them a small timer that emitted a blue glow.
"We won't waste time," Ryker replied, slipping the device into his pocket.
They continued until they reached a room protected by a sophisticated biometric panel.
"Here we go," Vala murmured, connecting a device to the panel with steady hands.
The door opened with a soft click. Inside, the main server glowed with intense blue light, its constant hum vibrating in the air. Without wasting a second, Vala pulled a memory from her jacket and inserted it into the main port.
"The clock is running," she announced, glancing at her timer.
Ryker began typing with precision born from previous system breaches. He navigated through the security layers carefully, trying not to trigger alarms. Every second felt like an eternity. Sweat formed on his forehead as tension tightened his jaw and sharpened his movements.
"How much time left?" Vala asked, her eyes fixed on the door, weapon ready.
"Two more minutes. It's not easy to steal from the VSB."
A deafening alarm suddenly filled the room with flashing red lights, forcing Ryker to look around.
"They detected us!" Vala shouted, aiming at the entrance. "Fast, Ryker!"
"Don't tell me!" he snapped back. He sped up the process. "One more minute!"
Footsteps echoed closer. Vala positioned herself by the door, ready to block anyone who tried to enter.
"No, damn it! Not now! Stupid system!"
A small coding error swallowed precious seconds. The timer beeped, but everyone ignored it.
"Hurry!"
"Done!" Ryker shouted as he pulled out the memory and stuffed it into his jacket. "We got what we came for!"
"Then let's get out of here!" Vala ordered as agents burst into the room.
"Freeze!" one of them yelled.
Ryker and Vala exchanged a quick look. No time to hesitate.
"Plan B!" Ryker shouted, pulling a small cylinder from his jacket. He activated it with a twist, releasing a thick cloud of black smoke that quickly engulfed the area.
They slipped past the blinded agents through a narrow gap and reached the hallway. Just as they saw the exit light, a cold, heavy voice rose from the shadows.
"Not so fast."
Ryker felt a sudden tug at the collar of his shirt, forcing him to let out a choked sound before strong hands slammed him against the wall. The attacker's force and precision left him breathless. When the smoke cleared, frustration hit him hard as he saw the rest of the team captured too. He tried to break free, but the grip holding him was unyielding.
"Careful. You're wrinkling my shirt."
"Don't try anything stupid. You're surrounded."
Despair spread across the team's faces as the agents escorted them through the corridor maze. Ryker's pulse raced, adrenaline flooding his system, but he knew any escape attempt would be useless.
"Damn it… it's Connor Ashford."