Chapter 3: Voices in the Abyss
The neural-link rig was a sleek, imposing chair surrounded by a halo of shimmering cables. Kael stared at it with a mixture of apprehension and awe. It had been years since he'd used one, and even then, the tech hadn't been this advanced.
"You'll feel a slight pressure at the base of your skull," Theo explained, holding up the neural connector. "The link will sync your consciousness with the Abyss. Think of it like diving into deep water—you'll feel disoriented at first, but your mind will adjust."
Kael grimaced. "Comforting."
Sera stood nearby, arms crossed. "You don't have to do this, Morrow. We can work with the data we've gathered so far."
Kael glanced at her. "No, you can't. If I'm going to figure this out, I need to see it for myself."
With a deep breath, he sat in the chair. Theo attached the neural connector, the device clicking into place at the base of Kael's skull. A sharp jolt shot through him, followed by a wave of dizziness as his vision blurred.
"Linking now," Theo said, his voice distant.
The world dissolved into darkness.
Kael opened his eyes to find himself standing in the Abyss. It was both alien and familiar—a vast, shimmering expanse of shifting grids and glowing orbs. Data flowed like rivers of light, forming intricate patterns that pulsed with a rhythm almost like a heartbeat.
"Welcome to the Abyss," Theo's voice echoed in Kael's head, a faint overlay that sounded disembodied. "You're in a simulated node. Think of it as the Abyss's mindscape."
Kael took a tentative step, his boots clicking on a surface that wasn't there. The space seemed endless, yet suffocating, as if the entire network was pressing in on him.
Then he heard it—a whisper.
Kael froze, his pulse quickening. The sound was faint, like the rustle of leaves in a distant forest, but unmistakably human.
"Did you hear that?" he asked.
"Hear what?" Theo replied.
Kael didn't answer. He turned toward the source of the sound, his eyes scanning the endless expanse. A faint glow caught his attention, a small orb flickering erratically in the distance.
He moved closer, the whispers growing louder.
"Kael," the voice said, soft and haunting.
He stopped in his tracks.
"Who's there?"
The orb pulsed, and suddenly, a figure began to emerge—a blurry silhouette that flickered like static. Kael's breath caught as the figure sharpened into focus: a little girl in a white dress, her dark hair falling in soft waves around her face.
It couldn't be.
"Ellie?" he whispered, his voice breaking.
The girl tilted her head, her eyes wide and unblinking. "Daddy?"
Kael's legs buckled, and he fell to his knees. His heart pounded as a storm of emotions crashed over him. Ellie. His daughter. The child he had buried five years ago.
"This isn't real," he said, shaking his head. "You're not real."
The girl took a step closer, her movements jerky, as if she were glitching. "Daddy, why did you leave me?"
Tears blurred Kael's vision. He reached out instinctively, his hand trembling, but just as his fingers brushed the girl's, she disintegrated into a swarm of glowing particles.
"No!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the Abyss. "Come back!"
The space around him began to distort, the patterns of light warping chaotically. The whispers grew louder, overlapping until they became an unbearable cacophony.
"Kael!" Theo's voice broke through the noise. "You need to disconnect—now!"
Kael clenched his fists, forcing himself to focus. "Not yet."
"Kael, the node's destabilizing! If you stay in there, you'll—"
The connection cut abruptly.
Kael gasped as he jolted back into his body, the neural-link rig hissing as the cables detached. He slumped forward, his breathing ragged.
"What the hell happened?" Sera demanded, rushing to his side.
Kael waved her off, his mind still reeling. "It wasn't just noise," he said, his voice hoarse. "It was her. My daughter."
Sera and Theo exchanged uneasy glances.
"Kael," Theo said carefully, "the Abyss pulls data from billions of sources. What you saw could've been a projection—memories, fragments of old files—"
"It wasn't a projection," Kael snapped, his voice sharp. "She spoke to me. She knew me."
Sera frowned. "Are you saying these anomalies are…alive?"
Kael didn't answer. His mind was racing, piecing together fragments of what he'd experienced. If the echoes were more than glitches—if they were conscious—then the implications were staggering.
He looked at Sera, his expression grim. "I need to go back in."