Chapter 7: The Forgotten Archive

Lira paced the length of the chamber, her sharp eyes darting between the girl and Hans as if she could untangle the situation with sheer force of will. The faint hum of the salvaged tech filled the room, mixing with the distant echoes of dripping water from the tunnels outside.

“So, let me get this straight,” Lira said finally, stopping to face Hans. “You went rogue, picked up a zero HQ anomaly, and now you want me to help you figure out what she is, while dodging every drone and enforcer in the system?”

Hans crossed his arms, his tone flat. “That’s about right.”

Lira let out a sharp laugh, her hands on her hips. “You always had a knack for making things complicated.”

“It wasn’t a choice,” Hans shot back. “She’s not safe, and the system won’t stop until it erases her.”

Lira’s smirk faded as she turned her attention to the girl. The child was sitting on a crate in the corner, her small frame dwarfed by the cluttered equipment surrounding her. Her knees were drawn to her chest, her wide eyes watching the exchange in silence.

“What’s your name, kid?” Lira asked, her voice softening.

The girl hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor. “I don’t… have one.”

Lira frowned, glancing at Hans. “She doesn’t even have a name?”

“Not that she remembers,” Hans said, his voice taut. “That’s part of the problem.”

Lira sighed, running a hand through her braid. “Fine. Let’s figure this out before the system catches up to us.”

Lira moved to the central console, her fingers flying over the keys. The screen flickered to life, streams of data cascading across its surface as she accessed the network.

“The system keeps detailed records of everything,” she explained. “HQ calibrations, birth registries, even suppressed data. If she exists, there’s a record of her somewhere. The trick is finding it without alerting E.I.D.O.S.”

Hans leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. “And you think you can do that?”

Lira shot him a sideways glance. “Have a little faith.”

The girl spoke up, her voice timid. “What if there’s nothing to find?”

Lira paused, her hands hovering over the keyboard. She turned to the girl, her expression softening. “There’s always something to find. The system doesn’t let anything disappear completely—not even anomalies like you.”

The girl nodded, though her expression remained uncertain.

Lira turned back to the console, pulling up a map of the city’s underground network. “The best place to start is the Harmony Archive. It’s an old data vault buried beneath the district, pre-E.I.D.O.S. architecture. If she has a history, it’ll be there.”

Hans frowned, stepping closer to the console. “What’s the catch?”

Lira let out a bitter laugh. “The catch is that it’s buried for a reason. The archive runs on an independent system, one that even E.I.D.O.S. struggles to interface with. It’s unstable, dangerous, and full of corrupted data. The last time I went near it, I barely got out alive.”

Hans’s frown deepened. “But it’s the best chance we’ve got.”

“It’s the only chance you’ve got,” Lira corrected. “If E.I.D.O.S. decides the archive is a threat, it could wipe it out entirely. If you’re going to do this, you have to do it now.”

As Lira worked, Hans took a moment to check on the girl. She was still perched on the crate, her small hands fidgeting with the edge of her shirt.

“Are you okay?” Hans asked, his voice softer than usual.

The girl nodded, though her expression was distant. “What if… I’m not supposed to exist?”

Hans crouched down in front of her, his gaze steady. “You’re here. That’s what matters.”

The girl blinked, her wide eyes searching his face. “But if they’re trying so hard to erase me, maybe it’s because I don’t belong.”

Hans hesitated, unsure how to respond. He opened his mouth to speak, but Lira’s voice cut through the silence.

“Got something,” she said, her tone laced with tension.

Hans rose, moving to stand beside her. The screen displayed a series of files, most of them corrupted or redacted. One in particular stood out, marked with a blinking red icon.

“It’s a partial record,” Lira explained, pointing to the file. “Looks like it’s tied to a restricted neural project—something called Project Zero.”

Hans’s brow furrowed. “What is it?”

“Hard to say,” Lira replied, her fingers flying over the keyboard. “But it’s classified at the highest level. Whatever this is, it’s not just an anomaly—it’s something the system didn’t want anyone to know about.”

The girl stood, her voice trembling. “Is it about me?”

Lira glanced at her, then back at Hans. “There’s only one way to find out. We have to get to the archive.”

The room fell into a tense silence as Lira outlined the route to the archive. The map on the screen showed a sprawling maze of tunnels, many of them marked with hazard warnings and collapsed sections. The archive itself was buried beneath layers of security protocols, its entry points long since abandoned.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Lira said, her tone grim. “The system doesn’t want anyone going near this place. If we’re lucky, the corrupted data will keep the drones at bay. If we’re not…”

“We’ll handle it,” Hans said, his tone firm.

Lira arched an eyebrow. “You always were good at pretending you had a plan.”

Hans ignored the jab, his gaze shifting to the girl. She looked small and fragile against the backdrop of the cluttered room, but there was a quiet determination in her eyes.

“Are you ready for this?” Hans asked.

The girl hesitated, then nodded. “I think so.”

“Good,” Hans said. He turned to Lira. “Let’s move.”

The tunnels were darker now, their lights long since extinguished. Lira led the way, her steps quick and deliberate, while Hans stayed close behind, his weapon drawn. The girl walked between them, her wide eyes scanning the shadows.

“What happens if we can’t find anything?” the girl asked, her voice barely audible.

“Then we keep looking,” Hans replied. “We’ll figure this out.”

The girl nodded, though her expression remained uncertain.

Lira glanced over her shoulder. “For what it’s worth, kid, you’ve already caused more trouble than most people do in a lifetime. That’s got to count for something.”

The girl smiled faintly, her first sign of hope since they’d entered the tunnels.

They hadn’t gone far when the sound of drones echoed through the passage behind them. Hans cursed under his breath, motioning for the group to stop.

“They’re adapting faster than I thought,” Lira muttered, adjusting the disruptor on her wrist.

Hans glanced at her. “Can you slow them down?”

“Not for long,” Lira said. “But I’ll try.”

She activated the disruptor, and a faint hum filled the air. The pursuing drones faltered, their movements jerky as they tried to recalibrate.

“Move!” Hans barked, ushering the girl forward.

They broke into a run, the tunnels twisting and turning as they navigated the maze. The hum of the drones faded, but Hans didn’t relax. He knew better than to think they were safe.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached a heavy steel door embedded in the tunnel wall. It was rusted and scarred, its surface marked with faded symbols that looked older than the Harmony System itself.

“This is it,” Lira said, her voice barely above a whisper. She set to work on the control panel, her fingers flying over the keys. “Keep watch. This is going to take a minute.”

Hans positioned himself near the entrance to the corridor, his weapon at the ready. The girl stood by Lira, her wide eyes fixed on the door.

“Will there be answers in there?” she asked.

“There’d better be,” Lira muttered.

The sound of grinding metal filled the air as the door began to creak open, revealing a dark chamber beyond. The air inside was cold and stale, carrying the faint smell of decay. Streams of corrupted data flickered across ancient screens, their glow casting eerie patterns on the walls.

“This is it,” Lira said, stepping inside. “The Harmony Archive.”

Hans followed, his weapon raised. Behind them, the sound of drones echoed once more, growing louder with every second.

“Whatever we’re doing,” Hans said, his voice sharp, “we need to do it fast.”