The air outside the chamber was thick, a soup of acrid fog that moved like it had a mind of its own. I stepped out onto what was left of a high fortress, clinging to the edge of the ruined city like a dying limb.
Right in front of me, high above the skyline, stood a colossal statue, dwarfing the fallen towers around it. Carved from dark alloy that stood out in the surrounding rot. Even half-shattered, it dominated the cityscape. One massive arm still reached toward the dome, the hand broken off.
The city sprawled below, a dead giant of twisted metal and transparisteel. Above, the dome that had once shielded it, was a cracked skull, casting broken light and jagged shadows that twisted with the haze. Behind me, a crack in the dome bled a sickly mist. It poured over the fortress, engulfing me, then rolled down the city like it had a grudge.
Descending from the fortress felt like crossing a droid junkyard. Bits of broken machinery littered the stairs, complaining softly with every step.
The walls had given up, exposing the guts of the city. Girders cracked and curled into themselves, black with rot. Holo-ads flickered in the mist, like spirits trying to break through the veil.
I reached a shattered balcony and looked down. The street below greeted me with a nice view: two beasts tearing into something that used to be a citizen. Gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling.
“Careful, master,” Arvie’s voice hummed in my head.
“I see them.” My jaw felt tight, combat-reflexes twitching in a language I didn't remember learning, but I wasn't in the mood to test if I could outrun the lung-rippers. This place was a nightmare of shifting shadows and rusty deathtraps. Every creak, every growl felt personal.
Then I saw it, a neon sign sputtering in a dying rhythm. The glyph was half-obscured by the rusted girders jutting from a crumbling tower, but my eyes flagged it instantly: MEDICAL. In a place like this, even the hint of meds, gear, or a working scanner was enough to pull me in like gravity.
I hit the service ladder, a stubborn vine clinging to the building’s spine. Halfway down, a hiss echoed through the fog. A chittering response followed from the shadows below. Lovely neighborhood. Wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
Near the bottom, I paused and looked around. The street had gone quiet. The beasts had vanished, leaving behind a mural of blood arcs and torn fabric. I dropped the rest of the way down, scanning the fog between the collapsed storefronts. The haze drifted through the street in slow currents. Nothing moved.
Still, the neon blinked, a lone beacon through the rot. I headed for it, keeping low, trying not to imagine what might still be watching from the fog. The building emerged, battered but still standing. Kicking through the wreckage of the door, I stepped inside.
The air hit me hard, sour and thick with the smell of stagnant chemicals and old copper. Broken beds, equipment, and bodies littered the halls. It was a graveyard disguised as a medical facility.
Arvie jolted me out of a stupor. “Keep moving, champ. Sector's not clear yet.”
She didn’t need to say it twice. A wet, heavy thud echoed from the corridor behind me, followed by the click of claws on cracked tile. Whatever had been redecorating the street, had finished its meal and was coming inside for dessert.
Staying light on my feet and clear of anything too squishy, I ghosted deeper into the clinic and slipped through a doorway on the left. The door was heavy, surprisingly functional. I eased it shut behind me just as a low growl rolled past the frosted viewport. The sound alone was enough to convince me that putting a barrier between us was an excellent idea.
Backing away, my shoulder hit the wall. Something clicked in my mind and a holographic interface popped up. The symbols and prompts felt like echoes of a skill I didn’t remember, but I followed the steps anyway.
Finally, with a mental nudge I overrode the security and a locker in the wall clicked open. A satchel inside caught my eye, my hands moved on autopilot as I rifled through it: stim packs, dermal-seals, and neutralizers. Nothing sexy, but they could keep me breathing.
Then I saw the safe. It was deep-set, the surface clean enough to reflect the green glow of the miasma. I stepped closer and the interface bloomed again, complex this time, a kaleidoscope of shifting glyphs and fractal patterns swirling in my mind.
“Interesting. Should I try to open it?” I mused.
A massive silhouette blotted out the hall light through the viewport.
“Oh, definitely. But do it fast. Our friend outside is getting curious.”
The encryption wasn't just data. It felt like a rhythm I’d heard before. I traced a line. Symbols flared, then twisted into a chaotic swirl.
Something scraped against the heavy alloy door, testing the metal.
“Finesse, master.”
“Appreciate the pep talk.” I muttered, sweat stinging my eyes. Adjusting my focus, I imagined a clean slate, forcing the chaotic symbols to align. The colors harmonized, revealing a sequence of flashing glyphs. I followed the rhythm, threading the logic. Confidence flickered, but each puzzle I solved triggered another that laughed in my face.
Thud. The alloy door bowed inward. Another growl tried to break my focus.
“Who designed this?” I gritted my teeth. “A deranged artist?”
“Whatever,” Arvie replied. “You’re close. Don’t rush it.”
I pushed through the static, coaxing harmony from chaos. One final connection and the whole thing clicked, a soft hiss, safe unlocked.
“Success!”
“Nicely done, master. Grab’em.”
I ripped the door open. Inside, a sleek metal container was pulsing with subtle power.
“What’s this?”
“A mutacell box,” Arvie said, reverent. “Elder tech. Master, this could augment you. New abilities… watch out!”
The beast roared, its bulk tearing the door frame apart. The metal buckled, snapping the hinges like dry twigs. It lunged into the room, a nightmare of sinew, bone plates, and teeth.
Instinct took the wheel. I grabbed a heavy gas cylinder from the rack and hurled it. The beast tackled the cylinder, its jaws snapping down on the pressurized valve. High-pressure gas exploded into its mouth, blinding it in a cloud of white frost. It shrieked, a deafening sound of feral rage.
I didn't stick around, shoved the mutacell into the satchel, vaulted over the shattered door, and ran toward the entrance. The satchel’s weight was solid on my shoulder. Promising.
“Ready to continue our grand adventure?” Arvie’s voice went playful again. “Plenty more surprises waiting out there.”
I took one last glance at the graveyard of the ward before stepping into the swirling fog, my skin intact and the relic of the Elders in my bag. I’d call that a win.
ns216.73.216.243da2
and then Add to home screen.