Chapter 54: Aftershocks

The immediate aftermath across Neo-Kyoto was pure pandemonium. The sudden, total collapse of OmniCorp's centralized control systems plunged the city into chaos. Automated traffic systems seized, sending vehicles crashing into each other in snarled intersections. Holo-ads and ubiquitous informational displays flickered and died, leaving blank, black monoliths towering over the darkened streets. OmniCorp's omnipresent surveillance network went dark, blindsiding its security forces.

Without the Architect's constant optimization, the city's self-regulating environmental systems faltered. Air purifiers choked, and the smog-choked sky seemed to press down heavier. Water recycling plants slowed, and comms towers across the city went dead, severing all instant communication. It wasn't just a blackout; it was a systemic implosion.