As they moved, Bucky kept a sharp eye on their surroundings, and noticed something unusual up ahead. "There's something over there," he said, pointing to a large plaza at the end of the street. "Looks like some kind of memorial or monument. Might be worth checking out."
Steve nodded, leading the group toward the plaza. As they approached, they could see that the monument was a large statue, now weathered and partially damaged. It depicted a group of figures—scientists, soldiers, and civilians—standing together in a pose of unity, as if facing some great threat. At the base of the statue, an inscription was barely visible, worn down by time and the elements.
However, it wasn't that which drew their attention, but instead the depiction of a robot, no doubt the result of all their hard work. It seemed likely that they had faced some kind of threat, and in response had worked hard to build robots to fight it, only for something to go very wrong indeed.
Steve ran his fingers along the worn inscription, trying to make out the faded words. "It looks like they were proud of what they'd created," he said thoughtfully. "This robot wasn't just a tool; it was a symbol of their fight, their attempt to protect themselves from whatever threat they were facing."
Peggy studied the robot's depiction closely, her mind racing with possibilities. "If these robots were meant to be their saviors, then something must have gone horribly wrong for the city to end up like this."
Lena couldn't help but speak up at this point. "This is why the Foundation is against Artificial intelligence, far too much can go wrong. Plenty of intelligent beings out there who hate humans or see us as food, no need to add more potential threats to the mix."
Bruce, who had been silently contemplating the scene, nodded in agreement with Lena. "AI can be unpredictable. Even with the best intentions, once something like this is set in motion, it's almost impossible to control. It's like opening Pandora's box."
Bucky, ever the skeptic, kept his eyes on the surroundings, scanning for any signs of movement. "If they built these robots to protect themselves, then what were they fighting against? And why did it all go so wrong?"
The Captain, still standing back with his arms crossed, finally spoke up. "It's possible that the threat they were trying to fight off was just as dangerous as what they created. They might have underestimated the risks, or maybe the robots developed beyond their control."
Peggy frowned as she continued to examine the statue. "Whatever happened, it's clear that they were desperate. This monument was meant to honor their efforts, but it's become a symbol of their downfall instead."
Steve stepped back from the inscription, his expression thoughtful. "We need to find out more about what happened here. If we can understand their mistakes, we might be able to prevent something similar from happening in our world."
After taking scans of the statue and the inscription so that the Foundation could try and figure out what it had meant, they moved on again.
The small group continued to investigate the city, finding signs of battle here and there from the Foundation's efforts to clear out the robot threat but found little more of importance. Their every move is closely monitored by the three members of Alpha-1.
As they looked around on the ruined city, cats and other animals walking around while nature started to claim this place, Steve couldn't help but ask. "How long do you think this place has been abandoned?"
Lena glanced around at the overgrown vegetation and the signs of nature reclaiming the city, her mind working through the possibilities. "Judging by the state of the buildings and the extent of the plant growth, I'd estimate it's been just a few years, maybe a little longer. The environment here is more aggressive than in most places, likely due to the lack of human interference. It's allowed nature to take over much more quickly."
Peggy nodded, her eyes scanning the crumbling structures around them. "It doesn't take long for nature to reclaim what was once hers. Without maintenance or human presence, cities like this can fall into disrepair surprisingly fast."
Bruce, examining some of the more intact structures, added, "The decay is more advanced than I would have expected in just a few years. Whatever happened here must have been abrupt, leaving no time for preservation or even basic cleanup."
Bucky, who had been keeping an eye on their surroundings, spoke up again. "If it's only been a few years, then there might still be some functioning systems—maybe even some active threats. We shouldn't let our guard down."
Steve was honestly surprised that it likely hadn't been longer; looking around at the devastation and the way nature claimed its way back in, he would have expected decades to have gone by, but apparently, he was wrong.
"We need to stay sharp," Steve said, his voice firm. "If this place fell so quickly, there's no telling what kind of residual dangers might still be lurking around."
Peggy agreed, her gaze drifting to the horizon where more dilapidated buildings loomed. "And if the Foundation hasn't fully cleared this area yet, we could still encounter remnants of whatever caused this destruction. We should proceed with caution."
They continued to move around in the city and the only distraction proved to be the Captain, who would tell them not to go down some streets, he didn't really explain why, only that it was a waste of time. Which made everyone assume that the Foundation had already cleared those areas out and deemed them useless.
The group then spent the next three days under Steve's lead as they continued to investigate the place, and even with that time, they barely covered any around at all. Though they did learn a few things, firstly the place they where in was called America, and they even got the name of the city they were in as well.
Colorado Springs, Colorado.
As soon as they confirmed this, the Captain also confirmed that this was indeed a nearly identical version of that city, with only minor details being different. And that he was disappointed it had taken them that long to figure that out.
Something that made Steve decide that he didn't like this person at all. It was important to support your team and to keep important information from them wasn't something he could agree with at all.
Steve clenched his jaw at the Captain's dismissive tone, the frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. It wasn't just the secrecy that bothered him; it was the lack of trust. Trust was the cornerstone of any team, and without it, everything could fall apart.
Peggy noticed the tension in Steve's posture and placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "Let it go, Steve. We've got bigger things to worry about."
Steve nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being kept in the dark about something crucial. He didn't appreciate being led into a situation with incomplete information, especially when the stakes were so high.
Lena, who had been quietly absorbing the information, spoke up. "If this is Colorado Springs—or something very close to it—then we need to start thinking about the geographical layout. There might be resources or locations we can use to our advantage."
Bruce agreed. "We know the general layout of the city now, which gives us an edge. If we can find any remaining records or data, we might be able to piece together what exactly went wrong here."
Bucky, ever vigilant, kept scanning their surroundings as they walked. "Let's hope we can find what we need before running into any trouble."
The group continued to explore the city, each of them feeling the weight of the unknown pressing down on them. They moved carefully, aware that they were walking through what was once a bustling, living city—a city now reduced to a ghostly shell of its former self.
After a while, they reached a large building that seemed relatively intact compared to the others. It had once been an important facility, judging by its size and the remnants of security measures around it. The faded letters above the entrance were barely legible, but Lena managed to make out the words: Cheyenne Mountain Complex.
"This was a military installation," Peggy said, recognizing the name. "In our world, it was used for NORAD. If this facility served a similar purpose, there might be valuable information inside."
Steve nodded. "Let's check it out. It could give us some answers."
They approached the entrance cautiously, with Bucky and Steve taking the lead. The heavy doors creaked as they pushed them open, revealing a dark and musty interior. The air was thick with dust, and the silence was almost oppressive.
The team moved inside, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridors. The facility had clearly been abandoned in a hurry—papers were strewn across the floor, and several monitors were still flickering faintly, though they displayed nothing but static.
Bruce moved to one of the consoles, brushing off the dust and trying to power it up. "If we can get this system online, we might be able to access the facility's data and figure out what happened."
Lena joined him, pulling out her tools to assist. "Let's see if there's anything salvageable here."
As they worked, Steve, Peggy, and Bucky kept a watchful eye on the surroundings, knowing that danger could be lurking anywhere.
After a few tense minutes, the console flickered to life, and a low hum filled the room as the system rebooted.
"We're in," Bruce said, a mix of relief and determination in his voice. "Let's see what secrets this place holds."