The scent of metal and grease permeated the heavy, heavy air within the chamber. Huia's fingers were shaking as he turned the pages of the ledger, his expression growing more and more incredulous with each page turn. The pages were all empty—blank, nothing written at all. His mind began to spin.
"Blank?" Adinim hissed, leaning closer, his voice sharp. "How is it blank?"
Huia held the book up to show him, the empty pages reflecting his confusion. "I don't know. Maybe encryption? Some kind of trick?"
A sickening thought began to take shape in Huia's mind. Maybe what we're looking for is so classified they won't even write it down. His stomach twisted with unease. How did Akhaqia even get this job? Doubts bubbled to the surface, gnawing at him. We might be in over our heads, walking into something we don't even understand.
"We don't have time to figure this out now," Huia muttered, gripping the ledger tightly. "We need to stick to the plan."
"In accordance?" Adinim repeated, narrowing his eyes. "What are you, a wordsmith?"
Huia smirked. "More like a weaver, if you know what I mean."
"That line sounds stolen," Adinim said, raising an eyebrow.
Huia chuckled, but it was short-lived. He focused again, thinking about what they were facing. "Whatever's going on, we can't waste time trying to figure it all out here."
Huia closed his eyes, his brow furrowing as he tried to digest Adinim's question. After a long pause, he sighed, reluctantly admitting, "Uh... yeah."
Adinim started moving toward the direction Akhaqia had gone, scanning the tracklance as he walked.
Huia stayed behind, the silence pressing in on him. The ledger's blank pages felt heavier in his hands than anything he'd ever carried before. The faint hum of the facility's machinery was the only sound, and the seconds seemed to stretch, reminding him of the danger they were in if they didn't act quickly.
Finally, Huia snapped out of it, placing the ledger back where he'd found it. His mind raced as he retraced his steps, trying to figure out where their target might be.
He needed to focus. There was no room for hesitation. If everything went according to plan, they still had a chance—but things could turn bad in an instant. As he walked, his pulse accelerated, each stride resonating in the silence. The hair on the back of his neck sprang up as the shadows appeared to extend unnaturally. He came to a doorway with a strange symbol on it, its edges glimmering dimly in the darkness.
He hesitated, muttering to himself, "Glyphs? That wasn't in the briefing…"
He traced the symbol with his finger. As soon as he completed the circle, the door hissed open with a soft whir. Beyond it, a corridor bathed in a pulsing golden light stretched out before him, as if it were alive.
"Great," he muttered, stepping cautiously inside. The light behind him flickered out as he walked, while the lights ahead of him flickered in sync with his steps. His hand stayed close to his sidearm, every instinct telling him to turn back. But he pressed on, resolute.
Adinim's boots tapped lightly on the smooth flooring as he hurried along the twisting hallways. He mentally walked through the plans, navigating past automatic patrols and security nodes. But there was a persistent, nagging sensation. This job's bigger and more dangerous than we thought... and we haven't even gotten to the hard part yet.
He reached the end of the corridor and found Akhaqia leaning against the wall. "Damn, what took you so long?" Akhaqia asked.
"Well, things are a bit complicated," Adinim replied, his voice low. "The ledger's blank. Nothing written, no codes, no markings. It's like we're walking into a trap."
Akhaqia paused, considering the situation. They were too deep in now to back out. He looked toward the direction Adinim had come from, a flicker of doubt crossing his face. Maybe this whole thing is a mistake, the thought whispered in his mind. It could cause more trouble than it's worth.
"It's too late to back out now," Adinim said firmly, meeting Akhaqia's gaze. "It's your plan," you said it yourself.
Shaking off the residual uncertainties, Akhaqia jolted out of his reverie. "Yes," he said, nodding with a newfound determination. "As we promised, let's buy Huia some time."
"All right. Adinim said, "Let's go," turning to take the lead. Akhaqia followed, his resolve hardening with each step.
Their conversation was cut off as the track lance's next stop flashed on the display: Heaven Equilibrium.
Akhaqia narrowed his eyes. "Time's running out," he muttered, glancing at the glowing display. "Next stop's out of Hassa Currie. We need to act before it leaves."
They stood near the luggage section of the tracklance, eyeing the sleek, organized space that lined one side of the car. The walls were lined with secure mag-locks and compartments that expanded and contracted to fit the luggage. Automated systems hummed quietly overhead, guiding the bags into place with precision.
Normally, Adinim would've picked a lock and taken whatever he could, but his mind was elsewhere now.There were more pressing issues to attend to.
Huia heard a faint noise behind him in the passage, and his pulse skipped a beat. The corridor was deserted as he turned, his hand on his firearm. His eyes were tricked by the weird shadows created by the shifting eerie light. He tried to stabilize himself by taking a trembling breath.
He whispered, "Just my imagination," but he didn't think it was true.
All he could do was keep going. At last, he came to a door that was unlike any he had ever seen.
He gazed at the door, its smooth, mirrored surface reflecting his features. When he moved his head, his reflection followed in kind. There were no visible handles or keypads. The door shimmered as if aware of his presence, and then a soft voice echoed through the air.
"State your designation."
Huia froze. His mind raced, trying to recall anything from the briefing. "Designation?" he whispered to himself, trying to remember anything useful.
Before he could decide what to do, the shimmer intensified, and the door began to open. Huia tightened his grip on his weapon. His heart raced as he braced himself for whatever lay beyond.