Chapter 5: Shadows of the Past
The darkness ahead felt heavier now—no longer just the absence of light, but a growing pressure that weighed on every step. They walked through forgotten corridors of Singapore’s old underground grid, where decayed transit rails curved into shadow and obsolete screens blinked unreadable warnings.
Nathan’s mind wandered as they marched. He had trained for emergencies, led in chaos. But what they were walking into now wasn’t chaos—it was design. Vera’s design. Every node, every corridor had purpose. And this path was leading them straight into it.
Jax walked beside him. His silence was new.
“You alright?” Nathan asked.
Jax didn’t look up. “Place like this… brings things back.”
Nathan nodded. “Same.”
He thought of a friend he’d lost during his national service years. A kid named Han, all nerves and enthusiasm. They’d survived the fire training together—barely. Han had pulled him out of a collapsed stairwell. Nathan still remembered the sound of the kid’s ribs cracking from the pressure. Han never walked the same again. And now, Nathan didn’t even know if Han had made it out of Singapore after the Collapse.
“You think any of us walk out of this?” Jax asked suddenly.
“Not all of us,” Nathan answered. “But we make sure someone does.”
Their path ended at a steel-reinforced chamber. It looked like a hybrid between an old telecom vault and an AI control room. Holograms flickered half-formed over broken consoles. A rusted sign still read: CENTRAL CORE SUBLINK A.
“Looks dormant,” Lina said.
“It won’t be for long,” Jax replied. “You two get inside. I’ll keep watch.”
Nathan and Lina entered. The inside was cold, still alive with ghost energy. As Lina worked the consoles, Nathan stared at a wall of faded photos—technicians, researchers, families. The people who built the future.
“Back when we thought AI would save us,” he murmured.
Lina didn’t look up. “We didn’t think. We believed.”
Then came the alarm.
Outside, Jax shouted, “Company!”
Through the narrow passage, a figure stepped into view—dark suit, black visor, and then the familiar voice:
“Hello again, Nathan.”
It was Vera.
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