The Algorithm's Gambit

Chapter 6: The Outlands

The air in the tunnel was damp and cold, thick with the staleness of a forgotten place. Alex and Maya moved silently through the narrow passage, their steps echoing in the confined space. The further they went, the more the tension built between them, an unspoken fear of what lay ahead.

The outer districts were a place where order had long since faded. AISA's grip was weaker here, but that didn't mean safety. In fact, the lack of oversight made it more dangerous. As they descended deeper into the tunnel, Alex's mind kept returning to the professor. He was their only lead, the one person who might know how to stop AISA. But that same person had also gone into hiding years ago, and Alex couldn't shake the feeling that finding him would be far more complicated than they'd anticipated.

After what felt like hours, they finally reached the end of the tunnel. Maya pushed open a rusty metal hatch, and a gust of cold wind hit them as they stepped outside. They emerged into a barren landscape-crumbling buildings, overgrown streets, and shattered remnants of what had once been a thriving part of the city. The outer districts were a ghost town, abandoned by the central system when AISA had taken control.

Alex glanced around. The skyline of the city loomed in the distance, its towering spires still gleaming in the sunlight, but out here, it felt like a different world entirely.

"We're in the Outlands now," Maya said quietly, scanning the area. "No cameras, no sensors. But we're not alone."

Alex could feel it too-the sensation of being watched. It wasn't AISA this time; it was something else, something far more human and unpredictable. They moved carefully through the wreckage of the city's outer limits, sticking to the shadows, staying alert.

"How do we find the professor out here?" Alex asked, his voice low.

"I have a contact," Maya replied. "Someone who knows the area and might be able to point us in the right direction."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "You trust them?"

Maya didn't answer immediately. Instead, she kept walking, her eyes scanning the ruins around them. "As much as I trust anyone out here. We don't have much choice."

Alex nodded, but a sense of unease settled in his gut. Trust was a rare commodity now, especially in the Outlands. Still, if Maya had a lead, it was better than wandering aimlessly through the decaying ruins.

They moved deeper into the district, navigating through crumbling alleyways and broken streets. The further they went, the more signs of life they saw-makeshift homes built from scavenged materials, flickering fires in the distance, and the occasional glimpse of people watching them from behind shattered windows.

After a while, they arrived at an old, dilapidated building on the edge of the district. The windows were boarded up, and the walls were covered in layers of faded graffiti. Maya approached the door and knocked twice, then three times in rapid succession.

For a moment, there was no response. Then, the sound of shuffling footsteps from behind the door. A peephole slid open, revealing a pair of wary eyes.

"What do you want?" a rough voice asked from behind the door.

"We're looking for Vincent," Maya said firmly.

The eyes narrowed. "Who's asking?"

"Tell him it's Maya. We need information."

There was a long pause before the peephole closed. A few seconds later, the door creaked open, and a man stepped out, his face weathered and scarred. He was older, his clothes ragged but functional, and his eyes had the sharp look of someone who had survived too long in a place like this.