NXY-0

CHAPTER 10

Dawn came slowly.

The sky shifted from deep gray to pale orange, and the rusted landscape emerged from the darkness. I sat up, my body stiff and aching. My mechanical arm hummed softly, ready.

Dr. REN-9 was already awake, packing her bag. She moved quietly, efficiently, like someone who had done this a thousand times.

"We need to move," she said. "The Red Bazaar is a long walk."

I stood up. My ribs protested, but the pain was manageable. I flexed my mechanical fingers and watched them respond instantly.

Nyx-0 appeared at the entrance of the structure. Its wolf form was solid and strong.

"There are patrols in the distance," it said. "They're searching the area."

"How far?"

"Two miles. Moving away from us. They don't know we're here."

"Good," Dr. REN-9 said. "Let's keep it that way."

We moved out, walking quickly across the rusted terrain. The Bone Yard stretched endlessly in every direction, a graveyard of metal and memory.

"Tell me about the Red Bazaar," I said.

"It's a black market," Dr. REN-9 said. "People trade Cores, information, and parts there. The District knows it exists, but they let it operate. It's useful to them."

"Useful how?"

"It keeps people busy. Gives them hope. Makes them think they have control over their lives."

I thought about that. About the District's control. About the timers. About the lie.

"And our contact?"

"She calls herself Echo. She used to work for the District. She left when she discovered the truth."

"What truth?"

"Same thing you're chasing. The timers. The lies. The erased history."

"Does she have proof?"

"She has access to records. Old ones. From before the war."

I felt something shift in my chest. A spark of something I hadn't felt in a long time.

---

We walked for hours. The sun climbed higher, baking the rusted landscape. My arm grew warm, and I could feel the metal expanding slightly in the heat.

"Your arm," Nyx-0 said. "Is it functioning properly?"

"Mostly. It gets hot in the sun."

"That's normal. The metal expands."

"I know. It's just weird."

"You'll get used to it."

I looked at the wolf. "You're more talkative today."

"It's the sun. It makes me feel more alive."

"I thought you didn't like being alive."

"I don't. But it's better than the alternative."

I almost laughed. Almost.

Dr. REN-9 stopped ahead of us, pointing to a cluster of structures in the distance. They were different from the ruins we'd been passing. More intact. Light glowed from some of the windows.

"The Red Bazaar," she said. "We're close."

I could hear noise now. Voices, distant but growing louder. The clang of metal on metal. The hum of machinery.

"Stay close to me," Dr. REN-9 said. "Don't draw attention."

"What should I do with Nyx-0?"

"Keep it close. Null-Types are rare. People will notice."

Nyx-0's form rippled, shrinking slightly. It was still a wolf, but smaller. Less imposing.

"Better," it said. "Now let's go."

We entered the Red Bazaar.

It was chaos. People moved everywhere, dressed in rags and scavenged armor. Stalls lined the streets, selling Cores, weapons, and parts. The air was thick with smoke and oil and noise.

I'd never seen anything like it.

"This way," Dr. REN-9 said, weaving through the crowd.

I followed her, Nyx-0 pressed close to my side. People looked at me, but they didn't stare. I was just another scavenger.

We reached a small stall at the end of the market. A woman sat behind it, her face hidden beneath a hood.

"Echo," Dr. REN-9 said.

The woman looked up. Her eyes were pale and sharp.

"REN-9," she said. "It's been a long time."

"Too long. I need information."

The woman's eyes shifted to me. "Who's the boy?"

"Someone who's looking for the truth."

Echo studied me. Her gaze lingered on my mechanical arm, on the watch on my wrist.

"Come in," she said. "We can't talk here."

She led us to a small room behind the stall. It was cramped and dark, filled with crates and devices.

"Sit," she said. "Tell me what you want."

I sat down. "I want to know about the timers. Are they real?"

Echo was silent for a long moment.

"You know," she said. "That's a dangerous question."

"I don't care."

She leaned forward. "The timers are controlled by the District. They can be turned off. They can be adjusted. They're just numbers."

I felt the cold settle in my chest again. "How do you know this?"

"I worked for them. I saw the records." She paused. "I also saw what happens to people whose timers hit zero."

"What happens to them?"

"They're taken to a facility. Deeper in the Bone Yard. They're not recycled. They're kept."

"Kept for what?"

"I don't know. I never got that far."

I looked at Dr. REN-9. Her face was unreadable.

"Can you take me there?" I asked. "To the facility?"

Echo shook her head. "It's guarded. Heavily. No one gets in."

"Then how do I find proof?"

She was quiet for a moment. Then she reached into her coat and pulled out a small device.

"This is a data key. It contains everything I know about the District and their records."

I took it. It was cold and heavy in my palm.

"Thank you," I said.

"Don't thank me yet. Once you use that, they'll know. They'll come after you."

"I'm already being hunted."

She looked at me. "Then you have nothing to lose."

I slipped the data key into my pocket.

"What now?" I asked.

"Now you survive," Dr. REN-9 said. "And you fight."

I looked at Nyx-0. The wolf stared back.

"Tell me about Nexus," Echo said suddenly. "The one you're looking for."

I blinked. "How do you know about Nexus?"

"Because he came to me before he died. He told me about you. He said you were the one."

"The one for what?"

"The one who would finish what he started."

I felt my chest tighten. "What else did he say?"

"He said to tell you that he was sorry. That he couldn't come back. But that the truth was worth it."

I looked at the watch on my wrist. Nexus's watch.

"He kept his promise," I said. "He always did."

Echo nodded. "He was a good man."

I stood up. My legs were shaking, but I held steady.

"Thank you," I said. "For telling me."

"Good luck, boy. You're going to need it."

---

We left the Red Bazaar and walked back into the Bone Yard. The sun was setting, painting the rusted landscape in deep orange.

I looked at the data key in my hand. The proof. The truth.

I looked at Nyx-0.

"What's next?" I asked.

"Find somewhere safe," it said. "And then we use that key."

"Where's safe?"

Dr. REN-9 pointed ahead. "There's a tunnel system nearby. It will give us cover."

We walked into the darkness.

I didn't know what I'd find in the data key. But I knew one thing.

I was done running.