2026-01-22 18:39:50
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Chapter 438: THE PRICE OF THE CROWN
John Raymond was in his penthouse apartment 40 stories above the city. He was waiting for a call from a man named 'Whisper', a ghost in the Raymond organization. John was not wearing a suit, a simple black t-shirt and dark slacks. His body showed the power of years of training.He walked over to a cabinet, opened it and pulled out a photo album. He stopped on a picture of himself and Jerry Martins covered in mud holding toy water pistols. The image was a punch, to the gut. The betrayal had not just stolen a document it had killed a memory.The greatest mistake a man can make is to confuse loyalty with sentiment John said to the room a phrase his grandfather used to say. His grandfather never had to kill a friend. This was the cost of being in charge. A choice had to be made.The encrypted line on his phone finally made a sound, a single low tone."Whisper." John said, his voice empty of feeling."Martins is off the grid, boss. The Charter is a ghost," the voice on the end said, a low
Chapter 437: THE WEIGHT OF IMPERFECTION
John Raymond was a man whose anger could be controlled but was also like a volcano. His anger was not something that exploded though. It was like a cold and heavy weight that made the whole room feel dark and quiet. He sat still behind a big and shiny desk that had belonged to his father and his grandfather. This desk was like a reminder of the secret things his family had done. Marcus, the head of security, was a man who always stood up straight and looked strong. Now he was sweating and looked scared. "The lock was not picked, sir. Someone used the emergency master code to open it. Three people knew this code: your father, me and Martins."John's eyes, which were like the sea, became very narrow. He looked past Marcus past an expensive painting and thought about the problem. Jerry Martins. This name tasted bad. Jerry was a friend from his childhood, a helper and a man John had helped to have a comfortable life. "Martins, of course. When I stopped giving him money he came out of h
Chapter 436: BENEATH THE PERFECTION
The darkness was not total. Petrova's cybernetic eyes could see in infrared making the platform and ladder look like they were on fire. Lena found a torch and the beam cut through the darkness. Fira was already going down the ladder her face set.Lena said, "We are clear of the transport but we are on a dead-end platform. Gideon, how do we get to the core from here? I need a map."Gideon replied, "The maps are a mess here. The core is like an onion, with layers. The main power hub is on Sub-Level Z-9. You are on Level 37. The ladder only goes to Z-1. From there you have to navigate the water pipes. They are not mapped. You will be blind."Petrova held the ladder, the metal cool under her gloves. "Being blind is better than being caught. We move. The drones can't follow us here. The transports can't either." She looked at Fira, who was disappearing into the darkness. "Fira led the way. Use your device to sense the low-frequency pulses. They are testing for air movement. We follow thei
Chapter 435: IN THE CHASM
The comms were clearer here shielded by the concrete of the shaft like the city walls are protecting them. "Petrova you are crazy like you're defying the city's rules! The Zenith Tower is gone, just a pillar of smoke like the city's landmark is destroyed. Leo is taking control of the sector, he's trying to stop the chaos like he's trying to control the city's people.""Taking control?" Fira whispered, pushing hair from her face like she is trying to see clearly in the city's chaos. “Lockdown, Fira like the city is being locked down." Gideon whispered back. "All residential blocks are sealing, like the city's walls are closing in. Leo thinks he can contain the chaos before the people realize their perfection is fake like he's trying to keep the city's secret. He's looking for the source of the imperThe air grew colder. Lena used a scanner she had found to point to a place up. "This is the water filtration station. It was built before the Loop. We cannot go through it. It is next t
Chapter 434: THE COST OF PERFECTION
"Petrova, target the part of the city where people live!" Lena shouted. "The vertical roads, the transport lanes! They have helpers that can slow us down inertial dampeners!"The part of the city where people live is the sector. This is the most controlled and most watched part of the city. To land there is to walk into danger into the mouth of the dragon. But Lena is right, the big transport roads that take millions of people to their controlled lives are the only places with air that moves in a way that can help them with predictable vertical airflow or dampening fields."Changing course!" Petrova pulled hard on the guide-line fighting the urge to throw up. Her machine heart, which is normally steady and calm, was racing, its gears grinding under the strain. This is what it feels like to be alive, she thought, a beautiful feeling, like living in the city.Suddenly the small device Fira had attached to her harness started to pulse a warning, not a signal. A vibration, like the city'
Chapter 433: THE FLAW
“The city you live in is not real. Leo is in charge of everything. He decides how comfortable you are, how safe you are and how happy you are. You do not have any risks. You do not have any wants. You do not have any choices. Being perfect is like being in a prison. The price you pay for being perfect is your life.” Tears streamed down her face as she said.“I did something to save my friends. I chose to be imperfect so I could protect them. I made a choice, though it was not perfect. You are not safe nor are you happy. You are just going through the motions. Look at your life. Look at the people around you. Do you feel bad that you are not protecting them? Are you scared that you might lose them? Do you hope that tomorrow will be different?”She spoke to the heart of the problem.“Leo is not looking for a mistake in the system. He is looking for a person. He is looking for me. He is looking for the choice I made. Now it is your turn to make a choice. Make a choice. Choose to be wrong
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