Chapter 353 - 353: The Field Trip

Connor sat at his desk and stared at the ruined computer tower resting on the carpet. Melted polymer coated the burnt motherboard components to leave a dark stain across the fabric fibers beneath the casing.

He typed on the outdated backup laptop pushed to the edge of the wooden desk.

The image of the girl with silver eyes tilting her head on his previous monitor flashed continuously through his mind as he remembered her typing a final warning right before destroying his hardware.

DO NOT DISTURB THE SOVEREIGN'S CALIBRATION.

His smartphone vibrated against the desk surface. Connor pulled his hand away from the device and leaned forward to check the encrypted messaging application glowing on the glass screen.

Leo had sent a secured data packet containing three separate web archive links. Connor rubbed his tired eyes after feeling the sheer exhaustion of finishing his final calculus and physics exams just hours ago.

Connor opened the attached URLs on his laptop browser. The screen rendered a blinding white error page for every single address. He pulled up a hidden search directory and typed Redmond Vane into the query bar alongside the Miami reunion details.

Leo typed his reply. "Zero results. The search queries for the 2024 Miami reunion mass disappearance triggers a blank webpage. The corporate filters delete the pages instantly."

Connor tapped his fingers against the keyboard. "We need offline data. The developers treat human souls as seasonal content updates."

"We have the mandatory senior field trip tomorrow morning," Leo texted. "The buses transport the class to the Historical Tech Archive located on the edge of the city. The basement level of that facility housed massive stacks of physical microfilm files and archived paper records dating back to the previous decades. "

Connor stared at the incoming message and processed the logistical advantage.

Those physical documents existed entirely disconnected from the network. This isolated state kept them safe from automated digital filters. The studio architects monitored unauthorized backdoor access, making physical investigation the only viable option.

"I will meet you by the buses," Connor responded. He closed the laptop lid and pushed the chair backward.

The next day, he woke up early and began to pack for the trip.

He grabbed his canvas school bag and tossed it onto the mattress. He pulled open his bottom desk drawer and retrieved an advanced scanning lens and a small portable datapad.

He slipped the unauthorized technology deep into the hidden lining of his jacket.

He left his smartphone sitting untouched on the desk. The studio pushed the boundaries of interactive media. He suspected the game client actively monitored the device to track his movements.

He zipped his bag shut and left his apartment for the school. Once he was there, he met up with his friends and classmates and lined up for the bus.

The automated repulsor engines of the school transport whined as the vehicle glided over the cracked pavement of the High District. Dozens of students crammed into the synthetic leather seats, shouting over each other about upcoming college applications and weekend parties.

Connor stared at the cracked plastic casing of the seat in front of him. His fingernails dug deep into the canvas fabric of the school bag resting on his lap.

Leo aka Ignisar. leaned his head against the reinforced glass window to watch the smog-choked skyline pass by.

Ophelia aka Nyxara, picked at a loose thread on her uniform sleeve while keeping her dark eyes fixed entirely on her scuffed shoes.

Ilyas aka Iron Arbiter, sat beside her with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Nelson, Eva, and Lucy also sat together.

They occupied the back row in complete silence, sharing the fresh memory of millions of armored soldiers burning to ash on their computer monitors from the previous night.

A sharp electronic chime echoed from the transport dashboard to signal a lane change.

Connor violently jerked his shoulders backward. Slamming his spine against the seat cushion, he whipped his head toward the front of the bus. Sweat pooled along his collar as he waited for Rubedo's telepathic demands to bleed through the vehicle's speakers.

Leo reached across the narrow aisle and placed a palm on Connor's shoulder. "The firewall is completely disconnected. He cannot reach us outside the client."

Connor shoved the hand away and gripped the straps of his bag tighter. "He tracked down the exact year of the summoning ritual using scattered lore fragments. He knows we live in this city."

Ophelia finally looked up from her scuffed shoes. "We secured the offline datapad and the scanning lens. We just need to find the archived employee records at the basement level to identify the original developers."

Ilyas leaned forward to drop his voice into a harsh whisper. "We have to locate the server host architecture. Rubedo gave us a strict deadline. Failing to deliver the identities of those developers guarantees the slaughter of the surviving populations in our digital capitals."

The transport banked toward the lower city levels, triggering the automated chime a second time. Connor squeezed his eyes shut. The electric whine of the repulsor engines failed to drown out the memory of the towering obsidian statue casting a shadow over his ruined palace.

The transport repulsors whined as the vehicle dropped into the designated loading bay.

A brutalist concrete fortress overshadowed the parking lot. The Historical Tech Archive stood as a gray monolith, constructed in the mid-2040s to safeguard physical media right before the Great Silicon Shortage erased a decade of digital history. Narrow slit windows lined the upper floors above the sweeping concrete steps.

Connor grabbed his canvas bag and pushed his way down the narrow aisle. Leo followed him through the opening doors. Ophelia and Leo merged into the crowd of students spilling onto the pavement. Ilyas, Nelson, Evan, and Lucy waited near the front entrance to scan the perimeter.

The group gathered near a row of idling transport buses. The main entrance swarmed with automated security drones scanning student identification badges.

"We need a blind spot." Connor tapped his fingers against his bag strap and nodded toward a cluster of surveillance cameras mounted above the reinforced glass doors. "They monitor the lobby and the main stairwells. The basement level requires a faculty pass."

"I can trip the localized fire suppression system in the eastern wing." Nelson slipped his phone into his pocket. "The sprinklers will short out the optical sensors and force an automated evacuation of the ground floor."

"The security drones will swarm the east wing to assess the hazard." Evan pointed a finger at a secondary service door located near the delivery docks. "That leaves the maintenance corridor completely unmonitored for exactly three minutes."

"Three minutes gives us enough time to pick the mechanical lock on the basement stairwell." Lucy crossed her arms over her jacket. "We just need a clear signal to move."

"I brought a concentrated smoke emitter." Ophelia retrieved a small aluminum cylinder from her pocket and rolled the device between her palms. "I will toss it into the ventilation shaft inside."

They had already researched everything about the museum before coming here, so they knew the basic layout.

They came with all the preparation and gadgets needed for their mission.

However, they were stopped at the gates and everything was confiscated, ending their mission even before it began.