Flora tentatively reached out to the rail, her gloved fingers trembling. The moment her gear made contact, a magnetic force snapped her hand to the pole. A mechanical voice chimed directly in her head:
"Gear activation detected... Gear power at fifty-five percent. Please replenish gear energy before further usage to avoid malfunctions from low power unit."
Her heart sank. "Jenkins!" she called out, her voice echoing into the vast darkness. "I think my power unit is drained!"
Jenkins, already several steps below her, glanced back. His face remained calm, though his furrowed brow betrayed some concern. "Just ignore it, kid. I've got thirty percent myself. We just need to move fast—and I know a quicker way down."
Flora's stomach churned. "How? What do we do?"
"We fall," Jenkins said simply, his voice steady and without hesitation.
Flora froze. "We what?"
"It's called a free-fall descent," Jenkins explained, his tone matter-of-fact. "We used it on the orbitals all the time. You let yourself fall freely to conserve energy. Then, reactivate the gear to slow your descent before you hit bottom. Simple."
Her mind struggled to process his words. Free fall? From this height?
Jenkins seemed to sense her hesitation. "Look," he said, his voice softer but firm. "It's not as bad as it sounds. You just deactivate the gear for a moment, let gravity do the work, then switch it back on before things get hairy. You might get banged up, but it's better than running out of power and being stuck here. Just trust the gear—and yourself."
Before she could respond, Jenkins turned away. With practiced ease, he deactivated his gear. His massive frame instantly plunged downward, disappearing into the shadows.
"Jenkins!" Flora shouted after him, panic rising in her chest.
His voice echoed faintly from below. "Your turn, kid! Just don't wait too long, or you'll lose sight of me!"
Taking a shaky breath, Flora steadied herself. She felt the smooth surface of the rail beneath her fingers, its coldness grounding her for just a moment.
You can do this, she thought, though her heart thundered in her chest.
She whispered a quiet prayer, then deactivated the gear.
A rush of wind engulfed her, and her stomach lurched as she plummeted. The sense of weightlessness was both exhilarating and terrifying, her body surrendering completely to gravity. Her heart raced, her breaths shallow as the rail blurred past her.
This must be what skydivers feel, she thought, though they jumped from the troposphere—not through it.
"Okay... okay..." she muttered, fumbling with the neural command to reactivate her gear. The AI voice chimed cheerily in her head:
"Welcome back."
The magnetic force re-engaged with a vengeance. The gloves and boots slammed her to the rail with brutal intensity, her body jerking to a halt. Pain exploded in her ribs and shoulders, knocking the air from her lungs.
"Ow!" she cried out, her voice echoing into the cavernous void.
Above her, Jenkins's voice boomed with a hearty laugh. "Welcome to the life of a construction worker, kid!"
Flora groaned, adjusting her grip on the rail. She glanced down, catching sight of Jenkins below her. "You could've warned me it was gonna hurt this much!"
"Where's the fun in that?" he shouted back, still laughing. "Now, quit complaining and keep moving! We've got a long way to go!"
With her muscles aching and her adrenaline still pumping, Flora gritted her teeth. She adjusted her grip on the rail and began to descend again.
After what felt like an eternity of falls, halts, and bruises, Flora and Jenkins finally reached the base of the rails. The magnetic pull released its grip, and they landed on solid ground, the thud reverberating through their aching bodies. For a moment, Flora slumped against the wall, letting out a deep, relieved breath.
They were safe—for now.
The chaos above in the troposphere seemed distant here at the surface. Neo City, once vibrant and alive, now felt like a ghost town. The streets were eerily deserted, shrouded in an unnatural silence. Neon signs flickered sporadically, casting faint glows onto the cracked asphalt. Trash and debris littered the ground, evidence of the panic that had unfolded.
"This... doesn't feel right," Flora muttered, taking in the desolation.
Jenkins was silent, scanning the empty streets with narrowed eyes.
Then, without warning, a massive hologram blinked to life above them. The static-filled image of the Prime Minister of Defense projected itself into the darkened sky, his voice booming through unseen speakers.
"Citizens of Neo City," the minister began, his tone a forced calm, "please remain in your homes and avoid unnecessary travel. For your safety, all non-essential activity is hereby suspended. If you have encountered individuals exhibiting mutated behavior, flee immediately and report to local authorities."
The word mutated sent a chill down Flora's spine. What exactly had caused this chaos?
"For further instructions," the minister continued, "please proceed to the Neo Tech Center, where you will find safe haven and additional information. Stay vigilant. Stay safe. Neo City is counting on you."
As the hologram faded, Flora turned to speak to Jenkins—but the space where he had been standing moments ago was empty. Her heart sank as her gaze darted around the deserted street.
"Jenkins?" she called out, her voice barely above a whisper.
There was no answer. His gear was gone too, leaving only faint scuff marks on the ground where he had stood. She realized with a pang of guilt that she had been so engrossed in the broadcast that she hadn't noticed him slipping away.
Her mind raced. Did he leave me behind? Why would he do that?
But she didn't have time to dwell on his sudden disappearance. The Prime Minister's message replayed in her mind, and she knew her next move. She had to reach the Neo Tech Center—a towering structure at the heart of the city.
The Neo Tech Center was more than just a workplace for Flora; it was a symbol of humanity's ingenuity and progress. As a lead engineer, she had played a pivotal role in the creation of several of Neo City's technological marvels, including the famed Birds.
The Birds—sleek, high-speed vehicles powered by an experimental engine—had once been a source of pride for her. The blue hue left in their wake, a byproduct of unrefined engine fluids, was initially seen as a flaw. But over time, the public had embraced it, turning the imperfection into a celebrated design feature.
She smiled faintly at the memory of her first successful test flight, but her thoughts quickly returned to the present. The streets around her were far from safe, and if the mutated were truly out there, she couldn't risk lingering.
Gritting her teeth, Flora adjusted her gear, now running dangerously low on power, and began her journey toward the Neo Tech Center.
The silence of the streets was oppressive, broken only by the occasional hum of distant machinery or the faint echo of shouts from far-off corners of the city. Flora couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.