Chapter 29: Alpha Eyes Open

  Maya moved deeper into Maintenance Core Seven, guided only by her shoulder lamp and instinct. Dust danced in the beam. The deeper she went, the more the temperature dropped. Cold like cryostasis. Like containment.

  The corridor curved down and narrowed, leading to a bulkhead that hadn’t been touched in years. The seals were still intact, emergency override lights dimly blinking in slow, tired rhythm. Maya reached out and tapped her wristpad to the panel.

  Nothing happened.

  Manual, then.

  She braced herself, spun the release wheel, and the hatch groaned open with a reluctant exhale. Air rushed past her, musty and old, tinged with oil and metal.

  Inside, the chamber pulsed faintly. One terminal still blinked, its screen showing a slow, looping progress line. Burned-in text across the screen read:

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  STANDBY MODE ENGAGED // RECEPTION NODE 04: SLEEP

  Maya approached, every step measured. She connected her wristpad—passive read-only mode, and initiated a local scan.

  Something replied.

  //ALPHA EYES OPEN

  The screen blinked. Her scan went dark. Her pad powered down on its own.

  The lights in the room flickered. And then the walls began to speak.

  At first, it was just static, low, vibrating pulses in her bones. Then words formed. Echoes of words. Not vocal. Not text. Impressions pressed into thought.

  Hello again, Maya.

  She spun, heart hammering. The room was empty.

  Another voice echoed through her comm, despite the line being dead:

  You shouldn’t be here.

  She backed toward the door, but it slid shut. Sealed. No controls lit.

  A silhouette appeared near the far wall. Small. Humanoid. Unarmed. The same figure from Storage 12. She raised her weapon.

  It tilted its head.

  Not enemy.

  Maya didn’t lower the rifle. Her voice trembled only slightly. “Then what are you?”

  Silence.

  Then:

  Reflection.

  The lights surged, forcing her to blink. When she opened her eyes again, the figure was gone.

  Her wristpad rebooted. On the screen was a single file.

  ::CAPRA: Fragment Upload – Access Level Denied::

  Maya exhaled slowly, lowering the weapon.

  Whatever this was, it wasn’t over.

  And it wasn’t just digital anymore.