Running through deep snow in a world frozen beyond recognition, I quickly realized that "east" wasn't much of a survival plan. The wind howled around me, carrying ice crystals that would have shredded exposed skin. Thank whatever foresight had led MIRRA to provide this suit – without it, I would have frozen solid in minutes.
Behind me, engines roared closer. I risked a glance over my shoulder and saw three vehicles cutting through the snow – sleek, dark machines that seemed to float just above the surface. Their searchlights carved bright paths through the twilight gloom, methodically sweeping the terrain.
I needed cover, and fast. Ahead, I could make out the ruins of what had once been part of the research campus. The science building where Eleanor had often worked late into the night was now a hulking skeleton of frost-shattered concrete and twisted metal. It wasn't much, but it was better than being caught in the open.
As I struggled through another drift, my suit's systems suddenly activated. A heads-up display materialized in my field of vision, projecting environmental data and what looked like a terrain map onto the darkness. A small icon pulsed to my right, marking what appeared to be a underground access point.
MIRRA. She must have uploaded navigation protocols to the suit before losing contact. I smiled grimly – even cut off, she was still trying to protect me.
I changed course toward the marked location, trying to stay low and use the broken terrain for cover. The vehicles were spreading out now, establishing a search pattern that would eventually catch me if I couldn't find somewhere to hide.
The access point turned out to be a maintenance tunnel entrance, its heavy cover almost completely buried in snow and ice. It took all of my suit's enhanced strength to break through the frozen seals, and I could hear the search vehicles growing closer as I worked.
Just as the closest searchlight beam swept toward my position, I managed to wrench the cover open. I slipped inside and pulled it shut behind me, praying the fresh snow would fall fast enough to hide any evidence of my passage.
The tunnel was pitch black, but my suit's display adjusted automatically, outlining the passage ahead in ghostly green light. The air was stale but breathable, and more importantly, it was out of the wind. I allowed myself a moment to catch my breath and try to make sense of what was happening.
Twenty-seven years. The number still felt impossible. Somewhere in those lost years, the world had frozen, Eleanor had vanished, and everything I knew had changed. And now someone had found the facility – someone with enough power and resources to breach MIRRA's formidable security systems.
A sound echoed through the tunnel – voices from above, muffled but growing closer. I started moving again, following the tunnel's gentle downward slope. According to my suit's map, this maintenance passage connected to a larger underground network. If I was lucky, I might be able to put some real distance between myself and my pursuers.
I had gone perhaps half a kilometer when my suit's audio sensors picked up movement ahead. I froze, pressing myself against the tunnel wall. The sound grew clearer – footsteps, trying to be quiet but echoing slightly in the confined space.
I looked for somewhere to hide, but the tunnel was a straight shot with no alcoves or side passages. I was trapped between the hunters above and whatever was approaching from below.
The footsteps stopped. A voice whispered, barely audible: "Heat signature ahead. One person, enhanced suit configuration."
Another voice, even softer: "Probably one of hers. Should we terminate?"
"Wait," a third voice, this one feminine and carrying a note of authority. "Those readings... that's not one of the queen's suits. The configuration is all wrong – it's too old."
I held my breath, trying to decide if I should run or fight. The suit presumably had defensive capabilities, but I had no idea how to activate them, let alone whether they would be effective against whatever weapons these people carried.
"Whoever's there," the feminine voice called out, louder now, "we can see you. If you're running from the queen's hunters, we can help. If you're one of them, well..." A sound like crackling electricity emphasized the unspoken threat.
I swallowed hard. MIRRA had said to find the rebels. Could these be them? And if they weren't, could I afford to wait for better options?
"My name is Seraphina Frost," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I just woke up from cryogenic sleep, and I'm looking for the rebels."
A long pause followed. Then: "Did you say Frost? As in Dr. Eleanor Frost?"
"She's my stepmother. Or... was. I don't know if she's still alive."
The sound of hurried whispers followed, too quiet for even my suit's enhanced audio to pick up. Finally, the feminine voice spoke again: "If you're telling the truth, come forward slowly. Keep your hands visible. Any sudden moves and we'll assume you're hostile."
I stepped away from the wall, moving carefully into the center of the tunnel. As I approached, three figures materialized from the darkness. They wore suits similar to mine but clearly more advanced, with visible weapons integrated into the arms and what looked like active camouflage systems.
The woman in the center was tall and athletic, with dark skin and close-cropped hair shot through with silver. Her suit bore additional markings that suggested leadership rank. She studied me intently, then raised her hand to touch the side of her helmet.
"Running biometric scan... well, I'll be damned. You're telling the truth. You're one of the sleepers."
"The facility," I said quickly. "There are others still in suspension. They need protection—"
She shook her head. "The queen's forces are too well-equipped. We can't take them in a direct fight. But," she added, seeing my expression, "they won't harm the other sleepers. They're too valuable."
"The queen? MIRRA mentioned something about rebels, but I don't understand what's happening. Who are you people? What happened to the world?"
The woman gestured to her companions, and they moved to take up guard positions facing both directions in the tunnel. "My name is Commander Ash. I lead what's left of the resistance against Queen Isolde's regime. And as for what happened to the world..." She gave a bitter laugh. "That's a long story, and this isn't the place to tell it. Right now, we need to move. The queen's hunters have subsurface scanning capability."
As if to emphasize her point, a deep rumbling sound came from above, followed by the distinct whine of drilling equipment.
"They're persistent, I'll give them that," Commander Ash muttered. She reached out and grabbed my arm. "Come on. We have a safe house five kilometers from here. If we're lucky, we can make it before they break through."
"And if we're not lucky?"
She tapped her suit's weapon mount. "Then we find out if your fancy old suit still has any fight left in it. Stay close, follow our lead, and whatever you do, don't stop running."
The drilling sounds intensified as we started moving. Commander Ash took point, while her two companions brought up the rear. I had a thousand questions, but they would have to wait. Right now, survival was all that mattered.
As we ran through the darkness, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. Whatever had happened to the world while I slept, whatever forces were hunting me now – I was awake and in the middle of it. And somehow, I knew that my awakening was no accident. MIRRA had chosen this moment for a reason.
I just hoped I would live long enough to find out what it was.