Chapter 63: The Data Foragers

With the Architect's central control gone, vast troves of previously suppressed or inaccessible data became available. A new breed of individual emerged: the Data Foragers. These were not just hackers; they were digital archaeologists, sifting through the digital ruins for lost knowledge, forgotten technologies, and suppressed histories. Some sought wealth, others power, but many simply craved understanding. Jason and Luna found themselves interacting with these Foragers, sometimes as allies, sometimes as wary competitors. They learned of forgotten corporate conspiracies, underground resistance movements, and even the true origins of certain technologies previously attributed to the Architect. This era of digital rediscovery was both exhilarating and dangerous, as the unearthed truths often challenged existing power structures.