#20: Heart of the Storm

The shadows swallowed them as Lara and Dante approached the perimeter of the Restricted Zone. The tension was almost palpable, every sound amplified by the adrenaline coursing through their veins.

Lara adjusted the augmented reality goggles provided by Alma, scanning the drone stream and the cameras scattered around the area.

“Okay, the first breach is 50 meters from here.” Her voice was controlled, but her breathing betrayed her nervousness.

Dante drew his silenced pistol and checked his ammunition.

“And then what?”

Lara pointed to a holographic map projected in the air.

“Then we enter the maintenance sector, where the secondary server is connected. If we can do that, we’re one step away from breaching the core.”

“One step? It feels more like a somersault.”

She looked at him and smiled, though it was more of an automatic reflex than a real one.

— Do you think I would be here if it were easy?

He didn’t answer, but they both knew the choice had already been made.

First Contact

On the outer perimeter, the drones sounded like a constant buzz, like a swarm of mechanical bees. Lara motioned for Dante to stop as she studied their movement patterns.

“Now!” she whispered, and the two of them moved in sync, slipping through a narrow gap between the drones.

As soon as they reached the first entrance, Lara connected her device to the control panel. A low beeping sound filled the air as lines of code filled the screen.

“Please don’t have redundant alarms…” she murmured, focused.

Dante, behind her, kept his eyes on the surrounding area, watching for any sign of danger.

“How are we?” he asked, never taking his eyes off the path back.

“Two more seconds…” The panel flashed green. — Got it!

The door slid aside with a soft hydraulic noise, revealing a narrow, dimly lit hallway. The two of them stepped quickly inside, Lara closing the door behind them.

The First Obstacle

The hallway led to a larger room filled with industrial equipment. In the center, a metal platform gleamed in the cold light of overhead lamps. Lara consulted the map again.

“It’s this way. We just need to get through the security area.”

Dante narrowed his eyes, pointing to the sensors on the walls.

“Get through how, exactly? This is full of heat and motion detectors.”

She pulled a small device from her pocket, activating it with a click.

“With this. It’s a temporary neutralizer. It’ll give us thirty seconds before the system realizes something’s wrong.”

Dante sighed, shaking his head.

“Thirty seconds… Sure, because thirty-one would be asking too much.”

Lara smiled slightly, even though the situation didn't call for humor.

“Let's go. On my signal.”

She activated the device, and a low, steady sound echoed through the hallway.

“Go!”

The two of them ran through the space, dodging sensors and obstacles like shadows moving in the darkness. The sound of a distant drone alerted them, but they were already crossing the last segment when Lara stopped abruptly.

“Shit…” She looked ahead, where an armed guard stood, apparently aware of their presence.

Dante reacted quickly, pulling out his gun and aiming, but Lara put her hand on his arm.

“No. Go alert the others.”

She quickly pulled a makeshift tranquilizer dart from her backpack.

“Give me cover.”

Before Dante could protest, Lara moved silently, positioning herself behind the guard and applying the dart to his neck. The man fell without a sound.

Dante approached, looking at her with a mixture of surprise and approval.

“Impressive.”

“Focus, Dante.” She pointed to the next room. “We still have work to do.”

The Secondary Server

Finally, they reached the center of the facility. The secondary server was a huge metal cube, with cables pulsing like veins throughout. The room glowed blue, as if it were alive.

“Here we go…” Lara murmured, connecting her device to the server.

Lines of code began to unfurl rapidly. She worked with precision, her fingers running across the virtual keyboard as she monitored the system signals.

“How long?” Dante asked, keeping alert.

“If nothing goes wrong, five minutes.”

“And if something goes wrong?”

Lara gave a wry smile.

“Then we’ll run, like always.” Danger approaches.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the room. Dante turned quickly, pointing his gun toward the entrance.

“We have company.”

Lara remained focused on her work, even with sweat dripping down her forehead.

“Hold them off! Just a little longer!”

Three guards entered the room, guns drawn. Dante didn’t hesitate, firing accurately, hitting one and forcing the other two to take cover.

“Hurry up, Lara!” he shouted, reloading his gun.

— Almost… there… — She typed the last commands, and the server began downloading the data.

An alarm sound filled the room.

“This isn’t good…,” Lara muttered, pulling the device back. “I got it, but we need to leave now!”

Dante fired a few more shots before joining her.

“The way back is going to be busy. I hope you have more tricks up your sleeve.”

Lara gave a tight smile as she put the device away.

“Always.”

And together, they disappeared into the shadows, the tension in the air still pulsing as the next move of the game unfolded.