Chapter 2 - Into the Underground


    Ethan sat in the dim glow of his workstation, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. His apartment was cluttered with old tech, tangled wires, and obsolete hardware—a relic of his past life as a hacker and game designer. The official reports on Cedric’s death didn’t add up, and if there was one thing Ethan had learned from years of navigating hidden networks, it was that truth rarely aligned with official narratives.


    The GlobalNet had its limitations. It was clean, regulated, and curated—scrubbed of any digital grime that corporations and government agencies deemed unnecessary. Ethan wanted real answers that the media wouldn''t provide him, and so he was going to go beyond that. He needed to break into Cedric’s GlobalNet personal cloud files.


    Cedric had been careful. Very careful. Ethan knew his brother better than anyone—he didn’t trust the privacy of the GlobalNet anymore than he did. But it was worth a shot. In a strange manner it felt like this was all he had left of Cedric, a digital footprint.


    Ethan cracked his knuckles, inhaling deeply before diving in. Cedric’s cloud encryption was formidable, an intrusion prevention system that might as well been a digital fortress. Quantum proof. Breaking this encryption wouldn''t be an easy task. The first few layers fell easily enough, his years of experience navigating illegal networks serving him well. But then—


    ACCESS DENIED.


    A sharp curse slipped from his lips. He adjusted his approach, bypassing a few lower-tier security keys, only to be hit with another lockout.


    WARNING: THREE FAILED LOGIN ATTEMPTS. SYSTEM MONITOR ENGAGED.


    His heart pounded. Had Cedric anticipated this? Had he built an active trap for intruders? If Ethan triggered a failsafe, he could lose access forever. He flexed his fingers, forcing himself to stay calm. Think.


    He traced the security sequence again, isolating a small gap in the failsafe mechanism. It was a backdoor—but why would Cedric have left this here? Did he even know it was here? Had someone been in Cedric''s personal files before him?


    Ethan exploited it anyway, deploying the script''s payload to disguise himself as an authorized user.


    ACCESS GRANTED.


    Relief flooded through him, but it was short-lived. He wasn’t just looking at logs and encrypted notes—Cedric had been tracking something massive. Conversations between CyberWatch agents, unauthorized dive coordinates, flagged anomalies in the Abyss. Why was Cedric hoarding all this data? It must have been important to him. If CyberWatch were to find out that even a portion of this data was here Cedric would have been in deep shit.


    One folder caught his eye: ‘Failsafe.’ Ethan clicked it open, revealing a single text file. The contents were brief but chilling.


    “Kira Volkov.”


    Ethan’s breath hitched. He checked the timestamp of the file creation; it predated his death. This file was left here by Cedric. He had no idea who Kira was, but Cedric had trusted her enough to leave her name behind. Ethan fired up the GlobalNet people-search directory and punched in her name. Kira Volkov. No profile picture. No personal details. Just a secure contact line marked *inactive*.


    He hesitated for only a moment before activating his own private relay and sending a message:


    *Ethan:* I need to talk with you about Cedric.


    Seconds passed. Then a minute. Nothing.


    He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. Maybe she was already gone. Maybe CyberWatch had gotten to her first. Maybe—


    His screen flickered. A message appeared.


    *Kira:* If you value your life, you’ll stop digging.


    Ethan exhaled sharply, his fingers tightening into fists. *Too late.*


    *Ethan:* I’m not stopping. Meet me.


    Another long pause.


    *Kira:* You’re playing a dangerous game, Ethan. You’re not ready for this.


    *Ethan:* Then make me ready.


    Another flicker. Then a single word.


    *Kira:* Tomorrow. The Crossroads Bar. Midnight. Come alone.


    <hr>


    At The Crossroads Bar, the air was thick with the scent of old liquor and something acrid, like burnt circuits. The place was a relic from a time before total digital dominance—flickering neon signs, analog music playing from battered speakers, and walls adorned with physical cash transactions, a defiant nod to an era that had long since passed.


    A low hum filled the space, the sound of aging electrical systems struggling to keep up. The crowd was diverse— off-gird hackers, smugglers, and the occasional drunk corporate burnout looking for a fresh start in the underground. A few people shot wary glances at Ethan as he sat in the dark corner booth alone.


    Ethan nursed a drink, scanning the room for anyone who matched Cedric’s description of Kira—sharp, calculated, and always one step ahead. Then she appeared. A tall, athletic woman slid into the booth across from him. Short, dark hair, eyes that flickered between caution and assessment. She wore civilian clothes, but Ethan could tell she carried herself like someone who had spent years in the field.


    “Kira” Ethan said evenly.


    Kira ignored him, keeping her eyes on him as she slid into the booth. “This place isn’t safe for long conversations,” she murmured.


    Ethan studied her. “Then why meet here?”


    “Because if something happens to me, people will know.” There was a flicker of something in her expression—caution, hesitation, and something deeper. Guilt, maybe. He didn’t press it. Not yet.


    “You and Cedric were close,” he said instead.


    Kira’s grip on her glass tightened. “Yeah. Close enough to know you''re his brother.”


    “Why didn’t he tell me about you?”


    She let out a slow breath, staring down at the amber liquid in her drink. “That was the point. He kept me separate from the people he cared about. Safer that way.”


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    “And now?”


    She hesitated. “Now, I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing by talking to you.”


    Ethan met her gaze. “You don’t owe me anything, Kira. But if Cedric trusted you, then I have to believe you know something worth sharing.”


    Kira exhaled, her fingers drumming against the table. “You don’t want to know.”


    “If that were true, I wouldn’t be here."


    She studied him for a long moment before exhaling sharply. “Cedric didn’t die. Not the way they said.”


    A weight settled over the conversation. Ethan felt the room fade around them, the din of voices and clinking glasses dulling under the gravity of her words.


    “Then where is he?”


    Kira shook her head. “Not where. What.”


    His blood ran cold.


    Ethan frowned. “What do you mean?”


    Kira leaned in, voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know how much you understand about the Abyss,” she continued. “But when people go in too deep, when they push past the limits of what’s supposed to be possible—sometimes, they don’t come back. Not in the way they left."


    Something in her tone shifted, a raw edge laced with something close to grief.


    Ethan’s fingers tightened around his glass. “You’re saying Cedric’s still in there.”


    “I’m saying his body is dead,” Kira clarified, still whispering. “But his mind? His consciousness? There’s a chance it didn’t die with him.”


    The weight of her words settled over him like a vice. If that was true, then Cedric wasn’t just dead—he was trapped.


    “I need to go in,” Ethan said firmly. “I need to find him.”


    Kira scoffed. “That’s suicide.”


    “Not if you help me.”


    She laughed bitterly. “Even if I wanted to, I don’t have access anymore. CyberWatch burned every legal entry point. The only way in now is through the black market.”


    Ethan leaned forward. “Then tell me where to start.”


    She hesitated, glancing around before finally exhaling. “I know someone. Goes by Sledge. If anyone can get you in, it’s him.”


    Ethan nodded. “Where do I find him?”


    Kira’s expression darkened. “Forget it, Sledge would probably kill you on sight.”


    “I’ll take my chances.”


    Kira studied him. “You remind me of Cedric,” she murmured. “That’s not necessarily a good thing.”


    "Please Kira, If Cedric is alive... If there is a chance... I need to find out what happened to him!"


    Kira sighed; she hesitated before she pulled out an old, unregistered comm device. "Fine. I''ll contact Sledge. But you better be ready for what comes next."


    <hr>


    As they waited for Sledge’s response, Kira drained her glass and waved for another. Ethan noticed the tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers twitched slightly when she wasn’t gripping something.


    “You alright?” he asked.


    Kira scoffed. “You’re worried about me?”


    He shrugged. “Just making sure I’m not getting involved with someone who’s about to fall apart on me.”


    She smirked, but there was no real humour in it. “That’s cute.”


    The bartender set another drink in front of her. She downed half of it in one go. When she set the glass down, she caught Ethan watching her, and for the first time that night, her mask slipped.


    For just a second, he saw something raw in her gaze—something unsure, something wounded. Then it was gone.


    “You look too much like him,” she muttered.


    Ethan felt a strange mix of emotions twist in his chest. He wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or bad. Kira, apparently, wasn’t sure either.


    Before either of them could say anything more, her comm device buzzed.


    The line crackled before a deep, gravelly voice answered. "Who the hell is this?"


    It was Sledge.


    "It’s Kira. I need a favour," she said, her tone clipped. "I need a dive interface."


    There was a long pause before Sledge replied. "Have you finally lost it, Kira?"


    "I''ll pay whatever the cost, you know I am good for it!" Kira barked.


    "Ok ok fine, I have an old first gen neural interface I got my hands on. I''m warning you; it''s not going to be cheap" Sledge retorted.


    "I''ll take it, with an exit point" She emphasised. "Crossroads, how soon can you get here?"


    "You think I''m going to be caught dead slinging this tech around? HA! Not a chance" Sledge had an annoyed tone in his voice. "I''ll send Tox to drop it off after you transfer the credits, all ten thousand of them!"


    "Sledge, that is unreasonab...." Kira started, but she stopped as she realised Sledge had disconnected the line.


    "Well, there goes that idea..." Kira started. "Unless you have ten thousand credits laying around..." Kira had a sarcastic tone and a defeated look on her face.


    "I do" Ethan responded, sheepishly.


    "What, since when were you rolling in credits?” Kira asked surprised.


    "The proceeds I made from my last globalNet development contract, it''s all I have but I''m committed to this - Cedric would do the same for me"


    "Isn''t that sweet.. Cedric always spoke so fondly of his little brother, the game developer extraordinaire that all the globalNet publishers wanted to work with!" Kira smirked. "That is a lot of credits to pay just for a chance to risk your life Ethan, you could start fresh away from all of this.. I really do hope you know what you are getting into!"


    "I just hope this lead of yours doesn''t rip us off" Ethan replied, while waving his wrist to accept the transfer of credits to Kira.


    "If he even dared... I would cut off his balls" Kira responded with a menacing grin, as she forwarded on the credits to Sledge with a flick of her wrist.


    The wait for Tox was long and awkward. Ethan sipped his drink, stealing glances at Kira as she absentmindedly traced patterns on the condensation of her glass.


    Ethan leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice. "Kira, you worked with Cedric right, you were on the taskforce as well?"


    Kira matched his whispered volume, "Yes, I was his cognitive integrity analyst..." Kira appeared to be distant, as if she was recalling on memories in front of him.


    Ethan swallowed, his pulse quickening. "And what happened on the day he died?"


    "I can''t say much more Ethan, this is already reckless enough!" Kira snapped back.


    "I''m not reckless Kira; You can trust me!" Ethan replied.


    Kira’s gaze locked onto his, sharp and unyielding. "Aren’t you? You just emptied your entire fortune for a one-way ticket into a digital hellscape, chasing the ghost of a man who might not even be salvageable. If that’s not reckless, what is?"


    Ethan felt his jaw clench. "It’s not reckless. It’s loyalty."


    Kira shook her head, the ghost of a sad smile flickering across her lips. "Cedric said the same thing before he disappeared. It''s loyalty..." She let out a long breath, fingers tightening around her glass. "He kept pushing, even when it was obvious the risks outweighed the reward. I tried to warn him, tried to get him to step back, but he was obsessed. He knew something big was happening inside the Abyss, and he wouldn''t let it go."


    Before Ethan could respond, the bar door swung open, and a towering man with a dark hood strode in. Tox. He took one look at Kira and sneered. "I''ve got a delivery for you, courtesy of Sledge. He says it will probably be your last"


    "And the exit point?" Kira pressed as she pocketed the device quickly so no one could see.


    Tox chuckled and waived his hand initiating the data transfer. "Here''s the coordinates of the exit location. Consider it a farewell gift."


    Tox left without saying another word. Ethan felt Kira''s hand grab him under the table, and place something into his hand.


    Ethan snuck a peak as he pocketed the device, his pulse racing. It was a neural interface, smaller than he thought, a small black cube with wires dancing out of all sides and a plastic foldable plastic rim that appeared to be adjustable.


    "Wow. It''s smaller than I thought" Ethan stated.


    "That is a first-generation interface, holds all the tech and protocols you need to dive into the Abyss, believe it or not they got smaller than that. It''s useless without a compatible dive rig though."


    "Shit... I don''t have one" Ethan panicked, knowing he just spent every credit he had. "And something tells me a public rig is not going to be suitable…"


    "Relax, I have one. At my place. It''s off-grid and the dives are untraceable" Kira exhaled, her resolve firming.


    "You can’t do this alone, and I happen to be the best cognitive integrity analyst you''ll ever meet." Kira allowed herself to let off a faint smile.


    "I don''t know how I''ll ever repay you" Ethan replied, still taking it all in.


    "I''m not doing this to be owed something Ethan, if anything, it''s what I owe Cedric" Kira assured.


    Ethan nodded, grateful. He picked up what was left of his beer "Then a toast, to the best cognitive integrity analyst I''ll ever meet".


    They both laughed.


    Kira raised her glass, and as they clinked glasses, a thought crossed Kira’s mind. Looking at Ethan, she couldn’t deny the pull of familiarity, his resemblance to Cedric was undeniable. A painful ache stirred in her chest. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was something deeper, but for a fleeting moment, she allowed herself to wonder if history was about to repeat itself.