The Grid Runner - PART TWO

The kids jumped up, alarmed and tense.
“Eclipse,” Aukren growled, looking over several small monitors in the corner. “They’re at the front door. Only one way they can come in. But, I have another way out.” He shuffled over to the side of the kitchen.
Ryker remained by the computer, instead of springing up like the others. Through the flashing red lights on the walls, his face was hard and troubled, shifting from shadows to blood red.  
Zan stomped towards Ryker, an anger rising in him. “You sent them here!”
Ryker appeared surprised, almost hurt, but Zan didn’t believe it.
“We shouldn’t have trusted him,” Zan said, looking to the others.
Marcin stepped closer and said, “We don’t know he brought them here.”
“How else did they find us so quickly?” Zan said.
Aukren tapped into a control panel beside the kitchen. The back wall shuddered and began rising with a motorised thrum, revealing what appeared to be a garage. Phosphorescent lights flicked on over a rectangular aircraft. It was an old, square-edged model with large front windows and a dusty white and grey paint job; a cleaner version of something Zan would expect to find in a junkyard.
Ryker was on his feet, staff in hand. Zan turned to warn him back, ready to fight if he needed to. There are no good people in the Mayor’s office.
The front door exploded in a burst of fire and metal, throwing Wes and Edrund to the ground nearby. Smoke filled the room, coloured by the flashing warning lights. Zan stumbled back and caught himself on a counter, a whining pitch jarring his ears and causing his head to spin.
Eclipse Guards rushed in.
“Go,” Ryker called out. He dashed forward and extended his staff, tripling its length. He met the nearest Guards and struck out at their rifles, their forms partially hidden in the dissipating smoke.
Behind Zan, the side doors of the aircraft slid open as Aukren hit buttons on a panel. The old man shouted, “Come on, get in.”
Zan rushed to Wes and helped him up, while Priya ran to help Edrund. Stray bullets zipped over their heads, thudding into the walls and smashing an alarm light. Marcin ushered Gosaline into the craft, ducking low.
Ryker’s staff was a spinning blur as he darted between the Guards, knocking out two.
Aukren came to Zan and pushed him back towards the ship.
“Go, go,” he shouted, shoving Wes also.
The old man gripped Zan by the shoulders, his eyes wide with urgency. “You get the machines back online. Set the failsafe. Bring back the world!” 
Aukren turned and a hail of bullets tore through him.
“No!” Zan cried. He reached out as Aukren slumped to the ground, but Wes held him back. Zan tried to go to Aukren, but it was clear that he was dead. His glazed eyes stared at them, blood pouring from his chest wounds. In an instant, he had gone from fierce and determined to…. Nothing. Blank.
Ryker dove over the sofa, his long hair flailing in his wake. He took down a Guard with an acrobatic flip before jerking away from a firing rifle.
“Let’s go, guys,” Marcin called, sticking his head out the side of the ship.
Wes released Zan, urging him on as he jumped in. Zan looked back and saw Priya and Edrund were trapped behind an overturned table, near the warring soldiers. Bullets hit the wall near them, keeping them down. Zan tensed as two more Guards entered the house, making it four against one.
Zan ducked behind the sofa and lifted it up, managing to flip it over and create a low shield next to the table.
“Go on,” Zan called to Edrund and Priya, gesturing and nodding to the craft.
Edrund urged Priya on, but she shook her head.
“You first,” she said, nudging him. The defiant look in her eyes gave Zan strength. He should’ve known that she wouldn’t see herself to safety before others.
Edrund reluctantly shifted away from the sofa and focused on the back wall. He kept low and made his way to the aircraft as more wayward gunfire zipped over them. Relief sagged Zan’s shoulders as Edrund safely climbed into the ship.
Zan peeked over the sofa, seeing Ryker was against three Guards now. Ryker dodged a swinging staff and twirled in the air, striking one leg out and then the other, before bringing his own staff down onto the Guard. Something about his movements was strangely familiar to Zan, but he had no time to think on that now.
Turning back to Priya, he reached out to her. She inched closer. Sporadic bullets struck a unit above her, throwing out sparks and splinters. Zan steadied himself and reached out again.
“I- I can’t,” Priya said, whimpering. “Go, Zan, get away.” Fear twisted her features as tears streamed down her dirt-smeared cheeks.
Zan shook his head furiously. “I’m not leaving without you. Just keep your eyes on me.”
His outstretched hand shook with insistence. Their eyes locked, and Zan felt the power surge between them, spurring each other on. He knew they were stronger together. Priya gathered herself with a determined look, and grabbed his hand. They ducked low and left the table and sofa.
Gunfire burst around them, shattering a glass cabinet and blowing up a lamp. They reached a few steps from the craft and Priya stumbled. Zan turned to see her on her knees, holding her stomach. He stepped to her and saw her hand come away with blood.
“No…. NO!” Zan cried. He dropped to his knees and held her. A patch of blood spread over the side of her top.
Priya sputtered and breathed harshly. She looked up at him, stray hairs over her face, her eyes wide and frightened in the flashing lights.
“No,” Zan demanded, fighting back tears. “Come on, we’re getting you out of here.” She groaned when he helped her up, bringing an arm around her. As he turned away, he froze as another guard strode through the front door. The tall black-armoured figure raised his heavy rifle towards Ryker, who fought with a final Eclipse Guard.
Zan grimaced and pulled Priya towards the craft, willing strength into his legs. Fear struggled to paralyze him as adrenaline pushed him on. The presence of the black guard clouded Zan’s mind, taking hold of him.
Thundering gunfire filled the air. The black guard’s shots cut through the Eclipse Guard and sent Ryker spiralling to the ground with a bloodied arm. The warning lights caused the black guard’s figure to disappear in darkness and then switch to blood-red, pulsing on and off. 
Zan reached the craft with Priya. She groaned as they moved, her cries chilling Zan’s heart. Marcin and Edrund took her and laid her down on a back bench. Gosaline was hugging her knees in the corner, looking small and fragile, crying uncontrollably.
Zan climbed in as stray bullets pinged off the craft’s glass. The craft had seating space on the sides, with an open area at the front that led to two front seats. He wanted to go to Gosaline and assure her everything would be alright, and check how Priya was, but all he could do was go to the pilot’s chair. He flicked switches and turned dials on instinct, his mind too chaotic to think.
He looked up and what he saw froze him solid. Having been thrown to the ground, Ryker reached for a fallen rifle and aimed at the guard. As the rifle unloaded, the black guard back flipped into the air and landed against the edge of the wall and ceiling. And stayed there. The black figure appeared to stick to the wall, before the spraying bullets came to him and he dove to the ground.
Zan forced his attention back to the controls, unsure of what he had just witnessed. 
“Ryker,” Edrund said as the engines burst to life, shaking the craft. 
His staff in hand again, Ryker ducked and weaved around the black guard, who fought bare-handed. The staff smacked against the guards back, causing him to stumble away. As the staff came back around, the guard spun, caught it mid-swing, and wrenched it from Ryker. Stepping onto the downed sofa, Ryker launched himself off and dove into the guard, throwing them both to the ground and out of sight. 
“Forget him,” Zan said sharply.
The craft reached optimum take off levels and the back doors of the house began rolling open. Zan took hold of the navigation sticks, getting a feel of them, and then jumped when he realised something. “The disk!” It was still in Aukren’s console. He moved to get out but Marcin blocked his way.
“It’s too late,” Marcin said. “We have to go.”
Zan stood there a moment. Priya moaned as pain struck her. Gosaline looked to have found some strength and now knelt beside Priya, holding her hand. Wes sat near them with a pained, wide-eyed expression. They all looked so lost and afraid.
Gunfire burst in the room and a heavy body fell. Zan spun as someone slammed into the craft, startling him.
Ryker stumbled forward and reached the side doors. He ducked in, his face covered in bruises and scratches, blood over his shoulder and arm. “More on their way outside. Let’s go.”
Cursing, Zan shoved his way back to the controls. He saw the black guard was downed. A heavy smoke billowed from the bloody holes in his chest plates. 
Zan spared a final look at Aukren’s body, the eyes still staring at them, and then kicked the craft into drive. So much death around them. Zan shook his head, fighting back tears and forcing himself to focus, and tightened his grip on the controls.
It had been some time since he had flown an aircraft like this, but he managed to reverse it out with only a few scrapes and bumps, and spun it around to fly upwards.
Priya cried out, sending an aching shiver through Zan. He wanted to leave everything and go to her.
Ryker came up beside Zan and slumped into the second pilot seat with a heavy sigh. “We’ve covered her wound. She seems stable.” He sounded exhausted. “Just head up, for now.”
Zan steered the craft between the tall buildings mindlessly, chaotic emotions whirling around like a hurricane. The ships headlights cut through the dim light, guiding their way. When they entered the open sky, his senses came back to him. “Up where?”
“To the Pipelands,” Ryker said. “As far away as we can get. It’s safer than going down to the City.” He wiped loose hair from his sweaty brow and grimaced when he brushed a wound.
Zan didn’t know where else to go, or what else to do, but followed Ryker’s suggestion for now.
“How is she?” Zan called over his shoulder. Priya’s cries had settle to a soft moan.
“She’ll be fine,” Marcin said. He sounded confident, but Zan wasn’t sure if he could believe him.
With an overview of the city, Zan saw the extent of the damage. Towers had fallen, aircraft lay in smouldering wrecks, and fires blazed all over. People were huddled together in large crowds. At one point, the flashes of gunfight lit a street as people scattered. Zan shivered at the sight. The whole city was breaking down. He wiped sweat from his face, realising how hot the aircraft had become. No, not hot, but stifling. The early effects of the air slowly running out reminded him of how little time they had left.
“What did the disk say?” Edrund asked them. He had settled himself on a side bench opposite Marcin, hunched forward with elbows on knees. “We didn’t get a chance to see, before…”
Ryker swivelled his chair around and explained what they discovered. The mention of possibly restoring the atmosphere outside brought countless questions.
Zan steered the craft up to an extended section of the Pipelands, not too far from the market he had visited that morning. The day had dragged on for so long, his entire body was tense and exhausted. It felt like the machines had been off for weeks now, and Zan had been awake the entire time, running non-stop without an end in sight.
The east side of the Pipelands consisted of flat platforms which had sections divided by high walls. Short buildings ran along the narrow streets, leading away from a housing area with a bad rep. There were more pathways and open areas here, rather than the pipe-filled tunnels and walkways that made up the bulk of the Pipelands.  
The craft came to a shuddering stop as Zan landed on a dusty rooftop. His arms dropped when the engines died, his muscles burning. He went into the back and hunkered beside Priya. She lay there quietly, her eyes heavy, with a bloodied bandage across her stomach. Wes lifted the back doors to let air into the stuffy craft. Zan half expected to hear the sounds of thrumming machinery and engines outside, before remembering that everything was dead.
“The plan remains the same,” Ryker said.
Zan took Priya’s hand, finding it cold and sweaty. She smiled weakly at him. Everything else faded away.
“Zan?” Ryker said. “Are you listening?”
“Give him a minute,” Marcin said.
“We can’t leave her like this,” Zan eventually said, still captivated by Priya’s heavy-lidded eyes.
“I’ll stay with her,” Gosaline said. She sniffled but attempted to appear brave, lifting her chin.
Zan dropped his head, defeated. They’d lost the disk, and their only chance of proving the failsafe’s existence to everyone. Aukren lost his life for them. As did Keithan. Dallos and Sannia were missing, maybe dead too. Everything was going from bad to worse. What had they gotten themselves into?
The light outside dimmed suddenly. A section of streetlights nearby cut out. Soon the entire city would be lit only by the fires, which would eventually die out too. And then the people would be next, if they didn’t kill each other first.
Marcin stood and looked over them all, his head almost reaching the roof. “I’m going with Zan and Ryker,” he said decisively. “Gos, Wes, and Edrund, you guys stay and look after Priya while we’re gone. You can use the medical supply unit Ryker showed us.”
“I’m going too,” Edrund said.
“And me,” Wes added.
Marcin shook his head. “I need you guys to protect everyone here.”
“Marcin,” Edrund said. His floppy hair fell over his forehead as he leaned forward. “I can help. Let me. You guys will need all the help you can get in the Mayor’s Fortress.”
“I’ll take one more,” Ryker said, wrapping a bandage over a gash in his forearm. “Maximum. Four of us only. Any more and we’ll be too large.”
Marcin sighed and fell into thought. “Wes.” He turned to the small boy. “Please look after my sister and Priya.”
“No, I want to go–”
“Edrund is older and bigger. I’m sorry. I’ve decided.”
Wes glared at Marcin. “We’re not in your gang, anymore. Look around you, we’re barely all here.”
Zan raised his head. “Please, Wes,” he said softly. “Look after them for us.”
A long pause followed, before Wes sighed and sat back. “Fine.” The weight of the moment seemed to get to him, and his bottom lip began to quiver. “But, you come back, okay? Soon. All of you.” He squeezed his eyes and tears fell, his face twisting with sorrow. He sobbed and said, “Don’t leave me alone with the girls!”
Marcin barked a laugh. He reached over and pulled Wes into a tight hug. “We won’t be long,” he said, looking over them.
“I know where to go next,” Zan said. It took all the strength in him to tear his eyes away from Priya. He moved as if weightless, barely aware of himself, and fired up the craft. 

Zan landed the ship near the far eastern edge of the Pipelands, in the district of the old shops. The one place his da warned him never to go. Directly below them, far, far down, was the Mayor’s Fortress. Most of the city below them was covered by platforms and connected walkways, but beyond that, The Mayor’s grand tower awaited.
Luckily Aukren had prepared his getaway craft well – for whatever purpose he had in mind for it. Within the wall units and medical cabinets they found drinks and protein-snacks, as well as blankets and flashlights. Ryker warned Wes and Gosaline not to use the flashlights unless they had to, in case they drew unwanted attention.
Zan remained by Priya’s side, checking her injury, while everyone worked around him.
When the time came to leave, Zan left the ship without another word, unable to look back or hesitate, fearing he would end up convincing himself to stay. Ryker, Marcin, and Edrund finished their goodbyes and followed him down the roof staircase that led to the street.  
Hanging lights were down to low embers above them, their batteries almost gone, leaving a single streetlamp to illuminate most of the area. While Ryker and Marcin had each taken a flashlight, they kept them off for now, as they were on what Ryker called a ‘covert mission.’
“How exactly do we get there?” Edrund asked as they made their way along the abandoned buildings.
Zan tried to get the image of Priya’s pained face out of his mind and focus. “We fly down.”
“How’s that?” Edrund asked.
Zan kept walking. The grimy, old-metal smells of the Pipelands were a comfort to him, but his entire body remained tense and heavy, weighed down by the day. And what was to come.
“Zan,” Marcin said. He had that diplomatic tone Zan was familiar with. “We’re not all Grid Runner’s like you. We can’t just fly around everywhere.”
They stopped outside an old electronics store. Its windows were broken and the door lay on the ground, showing a dark cob-webbed room inside. Like all the shops on this street, it had been some years since it was last open.
Zan had often wondered why the area had become so run-down and left to rot. Other areas in the Pipelands had seen the support of locals and gone on to thrive; as much as any place could be considered well-off around these parts. Now, after everything he’d heard about the Mayor, Zan imagined the abandonment was somehow down to him. Perhaps the Mayor didn’t like the idea of people living right above him, looking down at him. Even if they weren’t in a direct line of sight. Most people assumed the Pipelands didn’t exist as part of the City, and neither the people below, or the Mayor’s office, cared for those up here, but Maybe his reach did extend this far up. It reached far enough for him to be responsible for the death of both of Zan’s parents, at least.
“In here,” Zan said, stepping to the doorway of the electronics shop. Marcin handed him the chunky flashlight and Zan used it within the shop, making his way through the turned-over isles. The others followed, with Ryker at the back using the second flashlight.
A heavy layer of dust covered every surface, cob webs highlighting through the moving light. “Everything was looted ages ago,” Zan said over his shoulder. “But, there’s a few things still hidden in a back office, if you know where to look. They have carrier drones stashed away. I found one once, and saw there were loads more.”
Marcin’s voice came from behind him. “That’ll be great if we had any parcels or deliveries for the Mayor.”
“We’re the deliveries,” Zan said. They came to the back office, which had a door that led to the extra storeroom. A moment of doubt came over Zan as he bypassed the old locking mechanism in the wall unit, fearing the back room would have been looted since he’d last been there. Thankfully the musky, cobwebbed storeroom was just as he’d remembered it. He gestured to a row of large silver cases on a low shelf, and they each took a case out of the shop. 
“It’s not that hard,” Zan said, laying his case down and opening it in the street. The drones inside were roughly oval shaped, with hard edges. A small display panel was on the side and two tracks ran underneath it, like the landing skids of a helicopter. “All we have to do is hang on the bottom.” He hoisted the drone over his head, holding onto the tracks beneath it. “You can direct them by pulling in different directions. So pull down on the right side to tilt right, and vice versa.”
“That… sounds simple enough,” Edrund said with a raised brow. His unsure frown could have made Zan laugh at any other time.
Zan placed the drone back down and began setting each one up. As he worked, he noticed that Ryker stood guard, his eyes constantly searching the street and buildings.
“Ah, Zan,” Marcin said, sounding unsure. “I don’t think I have the upper body strength for this.”
Ryker turned to him. “You’d be surprised what you can do, if you have to do it.” In the low light, the shadows under his brow hid his eyes.
Zan noticed the tension in Ryker’s voice. “You okay?”
Ryker shook his head. He paced and came to a stop, seeming to wrestle with himself. “I wasn’t expecting to go back there, any time soon.”
“To the Mayor’s Fortress,” Edrund said. “You never did tell us why you don’t like him.”
Ryker eyed them for a moment, before saying, “The why doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that we initiate the failsafe in the machines and end the Mayor’s reign.”
“That’s a good dodge,” Edrund said. “If you don’t want to talk about it, fine. But I’m sure whatever it is, it does matter. None of us would be here otherwise.”
Zan moved to the next drone, watching Ryker’s conflicted expression.
Marcin regarded Ryker. “It’s something to do with those black guards of his, right? I mean, I’ve seen the way you move. You’re just like them. The things they can do.”
Zan knew Marcin was right, finally realising what was so familiar about Ryker’s fighting ability. He fought like the black guards. The thought sent a shiver through Zan.
“Right,” Edrund agreed. He seemed to come to the same conclusion. “How else can you take on a group of Eclipse Guards on your own?”
Ryker’s gaze was out over the city in the distance, though he looked thoughtful. “I’m not like them.”
A silence fell over them. Zan working on the final drone, until Ryker finally turned to them and continued.
“They were once men, but now they are far from it.” Ryker sat himself on a crate, sighing. “A horror of alchemy, from the Mayor’s underground laboratories. I don’t really know what they are, or how the Mayor came about the knowledge or resources to twist their human forms. But I do know that they are not of this world. Some people call them demons. Unearthed spirits from deep underground, somehow wielded by the Mayor for his own gains.” Ryker shook his head.
“I never heard of these underground labs,” Edrund said. He had hugged an arm around him, looking withdrawn and chilled with fear.
“You wouldn’t have, of course,” Ryker said.
“Whatever he did to those men,” Zan said, finishing with the drone and standing. “He did to you, too.” It was a question, but he was sure enough to say it as a statement.
Ryker shook his head, looking away with a pained expression. “I don’t know,” he said in a low voice, swallowing. “But I think so. I’ve always been a good fighter, but eventually I started to suspect there was more to it.”
Zan shared an unsure look with Marcin and Edrund. “You think he did something to you?” he asked Ryker. “And that’s why you turned against him? That’s why you left his office?”  
Ryker gave Zan a hard look. “Are we done here? Ready to go?”
“No,” Zan said firmly. “We have to know. We have to know why you’re here with us. Before we go any further.”
Ryker kept his eyes locked on Zan for a long moment. His tense expression gave him a wounded, tortured look, and for a second Zan wondered if he had crossed a line. Then Ryker nodded. 
“I worked for him most of my life.” Ryker’s voice had lowered with melancholy. “My mother and father worked for him. They died when I was young, and I grew up around the Mayor’s offices and people, raised more by him than anyone else. I was blinded by his ideals, but I knew nothing else.” He grimaced and swallowed. “But the first time I go against his orders, the only time I think and act for myself during a mission, he punishes me. He said I had become too misguided by other influences, and so he took those influences away from me.”
Ryker looked away, his voice trembling. “He had my wife and son murdered. He thought to break me down and wield me as an empty weapon. But I knew I couldn’t go back to him.”
“Some people said he was a monster,” Marcin said quietly. “But I had no idea.”
Zan swallowed a lump in his throat. “How old was your boy?” he asked.
The corners of Ryker’s mouth rose. A sad, loving smile that carried the weight of his grief. “He was nine.”
Zan tried to hide his frown, and had to look away. He was nine years old when his ma had died. 
In the silence that followed, Edrund stepped forward and laid a hand on Ryker’s shoulder. “We’ll make sure he pays. For everything he’s done.”
Sorrow distorted Ryker’s face. He had lost all the hardness of the man he was and looked to Zan like a frightened, lost child. The moment gave Zan pause. Though Ryker still wore the uniform of an Eclipse Guard, he was far from one of them. He was a man grieving for his wife and son, doing what he could to find his own peace. Zan knew that now.
Ryker cleared his throat and composed himself. He nodded his thanks to Edrund. “He’ll pay for everything.”
“Not to mention for keeping the failsafe from everyone,” Marcin said, stepping to the drone near him. He paused and shook his head. “To think, this whole time we could have left this place. So many generations of people trapped in this city, under the rule of a Mayor. And we could have been free the whole time.”
Ryker nodded. “Let’s not waste another moment in this cage, then.”
“Right,” Marcin said, giving them all a defiant look. “Let’s do it.”
Zan led the way to an opening behind the shops. The fierce burning look in Ryker’s eyes worried Zan. He wanted to ask Ryker more about himself, but now was not the time for that. They had to focus on their mission, for the sake of the entire city.
“So the drones will take us down, with only some lateral movement,” Zan said as they walked down an alleyway that led to the edge of the ground. A few hundred feet below them, the short buildings of the mid-level came into view, dull shapes in the gloom. “We can’t go up. They just lower us. So we have to make sure we don’t pass the roof.”
“Great,” Edrund muttered nervously.
Zan placed his drone on the ground and clapped a hand on Edrund’s shoulder. “You’ll be fine, I promise it’s not as hard as it seems.”
Edrund regarded Zan. He looked unconvinced, but gave a small smile.
Ryker unclipped a small device from his belt and held it up. “This is a disrupter bomb. It emits a pulse that can stun and disable enemies. Just throw it at them, if you need to. ” He handed one to each of them, and then pulled out a thin cylinder. “Smoke emitters. Use them to hide and limit visibility.” Again he handed them one each. They nodded and thanked him, although their uncomfortable looks matched Zan’s uncertainty about using them.
Zan stepped to the edge and held his drone up over his head, nodding for them to do the same. The drone quietly whirred in Zan’s hands. A moment of vertigo caused his head to throb when he looked over the city below, but he forced himself to focus. The blazing fires around the city looked like tiny candles in a great temple. Directly below them, the section of the mid-level stretched out for dozens of feet in their path. They would have to steer around it and then turn back under it, to reach the fortress farther below.
Zan cast a look towards his companions, and swallowed. Please don’t let me kill us all.
“Follow me down,” Zan said, and hopped off.
The wind rushed over him as he fell through the air, his arms locking instantly. His stomach lurched with the velocity – not quite a free fall, but close to it – and after a few seconds he was able to calm himself enough to focus. Above him, he saw the others descending.
They fell for some time, seeing a spectacular view of the dark, glowing city around them. For a moment, Zan felt an elated thrill wash over him. The sense of being free in the air, like he always felt in the brief seconds of a big jump, somehow managed to sooth him.
Parts of the city blacked out as they fell, large collections of streetlights cutting out. Zan was the first to reach the initial few platforms and walkways of the mid-level. He navigated between the tallest buildings, hoping the others could follow him well enough.
He descended past the mid-level platforms and came out over the far edge, where the rest of the city lay below. Steering the drone back around to the underside of the giant platform, he finally saw the top of the Mayor’s Fortress hundreds of feet below. An enormous building of cold blues, greys and whites, with small windows running in columns along the sides. The imposing, daunting structure narrowed near the top, like a colossal pyramid without the point. It gave them a smaller landing area than Zan had imagined, despite all the pictures he’d seen of the building.
The roof came rushing up to Zan. He hit it hard, rolling and knocking the drone against the metal. He rolled to a stop, gathered his senses, and looked up. Ryker came to the roof with a much more solid landing, his quick steps bringing him to a stop. A dark fear gripped Zan as he searched for Marcin and Edrund, who were nowhere in sight. He imagined seeing their bodies falling through the sky, his heart racing at the thought.
His shoulders sagged with relief when he finally saw them, their dark shapes coming out over the platform far above. They successfully managed to reach the roof, with Zan and Ryker steadying their landings.
“Remind me never to do that again,” Edrund said, panting and sweating. Marcin recovered with his hands resting on his knees.
“This way,” Ryker said. He led them to a trapdoor on the roof, where he entered an unlock code in a panel.
They left the drones behind a railing, hidden in shadow, and followed Ryker down the metal steps within. Their quick steps echoed through the quiet, winding stairwell.
Zan’s heart raced as they descended. He hadn’t expected to ever enter the Mayor’s Fortress. He was doing everything his da had told him not to do.
Coming to a door, Ryker stopped them and peered through, before gesturing for them to follow. They came out to a carpeted hallway, so quiet it felt threatening.
The red walls and maroon carpet looked both rich and stylish to Zan, and also imposing and menacing. A light incense filled the corridors, reminding him of candle wax. Several framed paintings and tables with polished trinkets gave a lavish feel to the area. And everything was so clean and free of dust. This must be what the rest of the City was like, down here on the ground level.
Anxiety tightened Zan’s chest as he jogged along, sharing a hesitant but determined look with Marcin and Edrund.
“Most Eclipse are out on the streets,” Ryker said quietly, slowing to a fast walk. “Thankfully leaving this place mostly undefended at this level.”
“What’s the plan right now?” Marcin asked.
Ryker nodded ahead. “Cut the security cameras.”
They came to the end of a corridor that continued on their right side. Ryker gestured for them to keep quiet as he slowed. He inched closer and peered around the corner. Turning back to them, he pointed for them to stay, then rounded the corner in a run.
Zan heard the struggles of a fight, grunts and shifting armour, and something heavy thudding on the ground. Something crashed and broke – one of the wooden tables, he guessed – and then silence.  
As Zan inched closer to the edge of the corner, Ryker appeared. His sudden presence caused Zan to jump back. Ryker waved them on and continued back down the corridor.
They followed him, and Zan saw two Eclipse Guards on the ground, fallen rifles by their sides. One of them had been thrown into a crumpled side table, as Zan had guessed.
Ryker stopped at a circular metal door. He typed a code into a panel beside the door, which beeped with a green light. He nodded to them, giving them a moment to prepare themselves, then opened the door.
The thrum of computers came over them as they entered. Dozens of monitors covered the walls of the square room. Two men in smart shirts sat by a bank of consoles, jumping up as they entered. The men called out and reached for pistols at their sides. Ryker dove forward and took them out with a quick combination of punches and kicks.
However many times Zan had seen Ryker’s combat skills, he continued to be amazed. Ryker seemed like an unstoppable force. The thought reminded him of what Ryker had told them. Was he really like whatever those black guards were?
Ryker left the unconscious bodies and stepped to the bank of consoles. “We can disable the cameras from here. Buy us some more time.” He began typing in commands.
Zan looked over the room. A large unit hummed in the corner, powering the computers. A strange sense of comfort and familiarity came over him, and he realised how much he’d missed the sensation of thrumming machinery. A constant buzz that had been a part of him his whole life.
“Look.” Marcin pointed to a collection of small monitors on the far side of the consoles.
Zan and Edrund came to him.
“Whoa,” Edrund said. “It’s Dallos and Sannia! Looks like they’re locked up.”
Marcin turned to Zan. “We have to get them out.” 

“Dallos and Sannia are here,” Marcin said to Ryker. “The Mayor has them locked up. We have to get them out.”
Zan turned away from the monitors that showed their friends in a cell, and stepped towards the others.
Ryker shook his head, still focused on the console. “That’s not part of the plan. I’m sorry. They’ll have to stay there until we get the machines back up.”
“No way,” Edrund said. “They’re our friends. We can’t keep them imprisoned like that.”
“I’ll go,” Marcin said. “On my own, if I have to.”
“No, with me too,” Edrund said. “Two is better than one. And we can have each other’s backs.”
Ryker continued tapping commands into the console before turning to them. “Fine. You two go, if you have to. But I need Zan.” He nodded to a vent up on the wall. “Your best bet is to go via the air vents. You’re small enough.” Rising, he brought out a blocky handheld device and handed it to Marcin. “We can communicate with these. Call us if you need any help.”
“Right,” Marcin said, pocketing the device. “Do you know a way to the prison cells?”
Ryker stepped to a nearby console and rapidly tapped on the keyboard. A map schematic appeared on the screen. He ran a finger over the lines that depicted the ventilation system, and showed them the route they needed to take, including the areas to avoid. “It’ll take you close to the cells, but the vents don’t go all the way in. You’ll have a staircase and two corridors to get through once you come out.” He looked at them. “There will be guards on that level.”
Edrund swallowed. Marcin remained still, but eventually nodded. “We can handle it. Whatever it takes.”
Edrund’s brows rose briefly, but he set his jaw and gave a defiant nod. “The world is falling apart, anyway. If we fail, there won’t be anything left for us. So might as well go out heroes, right?”
Ryker grinned. “That’s the spirit. Good luck.” He held his look on the two boys a moment longer, before turning to continue working on the consoles. 
Zan helped them pull a table under the air vent. Edrund stepped on the table and began unhooking the vent grate.
“You sure about this?” Zan asked.
“We can’t just leave them,” Marcin said.
“I know,” Zan said. “I know. It’s just…”
“Not ideal to split up,” Marcin said. He straightened and faced Zan. “We’re still a team. Always have been. Even if we’re apart.”
Zan smiled, and laid a hand on Marcin’s shoulder. “Even if we’re apart.”  
Edrund placed the vent cover down and said, “See you soon. I hope. Good luck saving the world.” Despite the humour in his words, his voice carried an earnest sincerity that Zan understood. He was just as scared as the rest of them.
Zan reached up and shook Edrund’s hand. “Good luck being heroes,” Zan said, trying to sound brave and cocky. He felt it just came out uncomfortable, however.
Edrund nodded, smiling, and turned back to the open vent. 
Marcin paused by the table. “Be safe, Zan.” He pulled Zan into a tight hug. When he released him he added, “There’ll always be a place for you with us. I want you to know that.”
Zan smiled. “Thanks, Marcin. I’ll see you guys soon.”
He helped Marcin and Edrund into the air vents while Ryker worked on the console. Zan stared at the open vent, at the space where his friends had disappeared into, and felt a swelling of pride mixed with fear. He was lucky to have found friends like them.
The monitors in the room flickered off. The back-up battery in the corner came to a shuddering, whining stop.
“Come on,” Ryker said, stepping to the door. “Stay behind me, and stay focused.”
Zan followed him out, trying to focus his thoughts on the present, and not on his friends out there. Or the one with a hole in her stomach.
They left the security room and jogged to the end of the corridor. They turned the corner and saw two Eclipse Guards ahead, patrolling the corridor. Ryker whipped out his staff from his belt. He kept it retracted to a short baton, and charged into them. The first Guard moved fast, his rifle shooting up and unloading a barrage of bullets. Ryker ducked and twisted, coming to the side and pushing himself off the wall. Zan fell back with a protective hand up as bullets struck the wall near him. He pressed himself against the ground and squeezed his eyes shut. When he looked up, he saw Ryker standing over the downed bodies of two more Eclipse Guards.
Ryker waved Zan forward. A fresh cut had been opened on his forehead.
“You’re hurt,” Zan said urgently. 
“I’m fine,” Ryker said. 
Zan followed him down the corridor, but kept an eye on Ryker to see how injured he really was.
“Why don’t you use their guns?” Zan asked as they jogged.
“Casualties of war can’t be helped. But it’s another thing to intentionally gun down the people you lived and worked with your whole life.”
He took Zan through a side door, down a staircase.
“You don’t wear a helmet though,” Zan said. “You’re not afraid of being recognised?”
“I have nothing to hide,” Ryker said.
The other guards didn’t seem to have a problem with shooting at Ryker. Zan left that thought to himself.
They left the staircase and came out to a long metal-lined room, brightly lit with a red glow. A cloud of steam obscured the far end of the room. Machinery hummed from somewhere beyond the walls.
“Up here, to the side,” Ryker said, pointing to a higher level. A tall platform led to a vent-like corridor in the wall. “That will take you to the Mainframe, through the engine room. It’s still up and running; looks like this place is up with back-up power, so be careful.”
“But if the Mainframe is up then why is the city dead?” Zan asked.
“It’s not the full Mainframe, but an emergency back-up mode. Minimal power.”
“How do you know?”
“We get briefed on the various settings of the Mainframe during training. Standard, low-clearance level information. Zan, go, we don’t have much time before we’re both surrounded by Guards.”
Zan hesitated, despite the urgency. “What about you?”
Ryker gestured down the room. “I’ll go the long way around. And draw out a few more Eclipse.”
“What’s waiting for me down this way?”
A corner of Ryker’s mouth rose. “Nothing too challenging for the Grid Runner.”
Zan raised his brows. Ryker clapped him on the shoulder and then turned down the long room. “Good luck. I’ll be with you shortly.”
“Ryker,” Zan said, causing the man to stop. “I’m… sorry I didn’t trust you. You’re a good man. I know that now.”
Ryker regarded him and then nodded, his expression remaining neutral. The red glow of the room painted him in a menacing light, but Zan saw through that now. Zan had only been seeing what he wanted to see before, thinking Ryker was out to trap them.
Zan watched him jog away. Ryker extended his staff as he became a hazy shadow within the steam clouds ahead. Zan sighed, looking over the wall beside him. He climbed up the high platform and stepped into the narrow passage cut into the wall.
He came out of the corridor, which he decided felt more like a vent, and entered a small room. The confined space looked about five square feet. The only exit was a metal tube that ran straight up. A white light glowed at the far end. Zan pressed his back against one wall and his feet against the other, and slowly made his way up the tube. Just like a trip through the Pipelands, he told himself, trying to calm his nerves. Scrapes on his shoulder stung as he pressed against the cold metal, but he grit his teeth and forced himself to keep going. 
Thumping machinery shook the walls, growing louder as Zan neared the top.
Pushing himself out of the tube, he found himself in an enormous engine room. Giant machinery and tubes ran across the well-lit area. Beyond the walkway Zan stood on, the ground fell away hundreds of feet below, reaching into darkness. A gold door on the far wall marked his only destination. Between him and the other side was a series of machines and walkways. Revolving platforms and large gears rotated, beside a section of pumping pistons the size of trucks.
Zan gulped. Just like a trip through the Pipelands.
This is the route Ryker wanted him to take?
He hopped over a railing to another walkway that reached the right side wall, and made his way along the wall. He reached the far end of the platform, where a gear slowly turned, half inside the wall. Forcing himself to focus, Zan told himself to just keep moving and not think too hard. He reached out and grabbed onto the gear, moving down with it, then leapt to a lower platform. His boots thudded against the metal grate below him, drowned out by the thrumming machinery.
Ahead, a larger gear slowly turned. The edges were too far away from the wall for him to reach, but there was an octagonal hole in the centre of the gear. Zan jumped up and swung off a pole, then threw himself forward and flew through the centre. He fell several feet before landing on the next walkway, grabbing onto the railing to steady himself.
The giant pistons pumped ahead of him, thudding and hissing like fierce monsters trying to stop him.
Dizziness swept over Zan and his head pounded, the fast and loud machinery overpowering him. He held onto the railing, keeling over and trying not to pass out. This was so much bigger than running through the Pipelands. When he composed himself, he squeezed his fists and willed himself to be stronger.
He stepped forward and leapt to the first piston, landing on the pumping section. He jolted and pressed himself against the surface, the powerful force almost throwing him off. The room jerked back and forth, rattling his brain, but he urged himself on and leapt to the next piston, using the momentum to throw himself further. Another jump from this piston took him to a wide walkway, where he steadied his breathing. He tried harder not to vomit, and pushed onwards.
One more level up, and he was almost there. A walkway ran parallel above him. Zan reached up to a beam and swung himself up to the walkway. The motion reminded him of escaping the black guards earlier, when he fled from his home. The thought of them spurned him on, giving him strength, as he ran down the walkway.
The gold door was just above him now. The walkway led to the right side wall, where there was a gap between the wall and the platform above, to where the door waited. Zan positioned himself between the two walls. He pushed off one side to the other, kicking out from one wall to the next, and reached out to grab the top. Pulling himself up, he staggered to the door, almost stumbling.
He turned back at the route he’d just taken, looking over the huge room, and almost vomited.
There was a large keypad with a scanner beside the door. Zan studied the keypad for a moment before running a finger along the side. A small switch opened the maintenance panel on the side, where he found a series of coloured wires. His tired mind raced as he tried to recall the inner workings of this kind of pad, picturing an old manual of his da’s. Re-positioning the wires to shut down the keypad, he thought of his da, and thanked him for everything he had taught him. If Zan hadn’t learned so much of the government systems and machinery in the city, he wouldn’t have got half as far as he had done today. 
A low buzz accompanied the deactivation of the keypad, unlocking bolts within the large door. Zan swallowed a lump in his throat as he turned his thoughts back to the present, and pulled the door open.
He stepped into a large circular room, with a raised platform running around the edge. Along one half of the room, a series of consoles curved along the walls, up on the platform. Large windows and gaps in the walls showed several feet of air around the room. Beyond was a series of engines and machinery that ran up the far walls. Zan looked around and saw he was in an enormous shaft which appeared to run down the entire building.
This was it, the Mainframe of the machines. The heart of the city.
He climbed onto the platform and looked over the bank of consoles. Large generators around the room powered what remained of the consoles, charging the air with a heavy vibration. Relief swept over Zan when he saw the consoles still used the basic city-issue interface he was used to, having expected something different for the Mainframe.
He hit the sequence to bring up the back-end operating system, and was met with an error message. Zan gulped. Blocked at the first step. He thought furiously and tried another sequence, and then an older variation. Nothing. He managed to bring up a status check, and his shoulders sagged. There was no access to the Grid, and no connection to anywhere outside the room. The consoles were as good as dead. A rotting corpse, still thinking it was alive. 
They were dead. Which meant their firewalls would be down, along with a few other security measures. The thought spurned him on. He tried an old back-end hack, circumventing the traditional access procedures and trying to trick the computer into thinking he was an admin with full rights. If he just could get –
In.
“Yes,” Zan said, breathing a sigh of relief. He was in the system. But he still had a long way to go.
His fingers moved furiously over the console, working between two screens.
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
Zan spun around. A stout man stood in the centre of the room. His thick-jawed face was lined with age, piercing grey eyes watching him. A red cloak was pulled over his front, covering most of his broad frame.
Zan froze, his heart racing, faced alone with the Mayor. 

“You’re an impressive creature, Zan McCawl,” the Mayor said. He had a strong, gravelly voice, with a commanding presence that demanded attention.
Zan stood there, fists clenched by his side. 
“But I cannot let you continue, I’m afraid.” The Mayor began to pace, slow and deliberate, his cloak swishing quietly along the ground. “You must have learned of the failsafe. You won’t understand this, but it’s for the greater good that everyone remains in the city.”
“It should be their choice,” Zan said, the fire within him raising his voice. Now faced with the man behind his da’s murder, rather than being struck with by fear like he expected, he burned with a shivering emotion. “Why can’t you see that we owe it to the world to restore the atmosphere? We should be living outside. People shouldn’t be kept inside against their will, even if they don’t know it’s against their will.”
“So that we can destroy the world once again?” the Mayor said, frowning. “We are destined to ruin all we create. Sometimes we have to do things we don’t like for the greater good.”
“Like killing my ma,” Zan said, gritting his teeth. “And my da.”
“Your mother was a terrible loss, to us all.” The Mayor paused, shaking his head thoughtfully. His face hardened when he turned back to Zan. “But she meddled where she shouldn’t have. I see you take after her. I did care for her greatly. And your father. It pained me to keep him away from the broken machines, but I did what I had to do.”
“You just kill whoever you like, and say it’s for the greater good. There’s no good in killing people.”
“Some might disagree with that.”
“And now what? Why haven’t you brought the machines back on?”
The Mayor’s piercing grey eyes held on Zan. “It’s more complicated than that.”
Zan paused, momentarily lost for words. “You can’t bring them back?”
The Mayor did not answer.
“Or you won’t?” Zan added.
“The machines are being looked after,” the Mayor said. “Rest assured that our city will be up and running again. It is my duty to protect our people.”
Zan’s mind raced, trying to take in his words. He seemed to genuinely think he had the people’s best interests at heart. But keeping people locked up couldn’t be the right thing. They all had a right to know the truth. To know what their options are. But then, if the machines were truly dead, then they were all doomed. Surely the Mayor would have restored them by now, if he could.  
A metal door on the side opened with a hiss, throwing a heavy cloud of smoke into the room. A shadow moved through the dissipating smoke, revealing the blue and white armour of an Eclipse Guard.
“Ryker, my boy,” the Mayor said casually. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Alpheus,” Ryker said, standing tense with the staff by his side. His hair had come loose and hung wildly over his sweaty, dirty face. “It’s over.”
Somewhere in the distance, Zan heard a low buzzing sound, like shifting gears.
“I’m afraid I have to disagree with that, old friend.” The Mayor unclipped his cloak and it fell away, revealing a black combat suit with augmented metal parts, giving him a powerful, menacing appearance despite his years.
“Nice suit,” Ryker said.
“Mostly a bit of fancy,” the Mayor said. “I don’t expect to best you in combat, of course. I have my personal guards for that.”
The buzzing sound increased and behind the Mayor a platform rose into view, coming to a stop. Several of the black armoured guards stepped into the arena, catching Zan’s breath and causing his chest to tighten. The lead guard wore studded shoulder pads and a red armband. The one from Zan’s house. They extended similar staffs to Ryker’s, and some held out batons.
No rifles, Zan realised. They’d risk damaging the core. Or cause a reaction that could blow up the entire structure.
“It doesn’t have to end like this,” the Mayor said to Ryker. The black guards, six of them, positioned themselves behind him, looking like a row of statues.
Zan’s heart raced at seeing the showdown. He’d seen these guards in action, heard the stories about them. Ryker had just about managed to take one down in Aukren’s house. Now, he wouldn’t stand a chance against six of them.
“But it has to end,” Ryker said. His eyes hardened as he looked over them.
Something in Ryker’s voice caused Zan to tense. The set of his jaw, the tension in his brows. Ryker wasn’t planning on leaving there alive.
“I see there is no deterring you,” the Mayor said, frowning. “Very well, then it comes down to this.”
He raised a gauntleted hand and two small black objects broke away from his suit, flicking into sharply pointed spikes. They hovered around him for a moment – drones, Zan realised – before shooting towards Ryker. His staff swung out and knocked both drones out of the air.
“You always were a talented one,” the Mayor said. His eyes softened as he smiled at Ryker, the way someone recalled fond memories. It was almost the look of an old family member. Then his expression twisted into an angry, hideous scowl. “Kill them both.”
The black guards headed for Ryker, who readied his staff. Several more of the spiked drones broke away from the Mayor’s armoured suit. They flew through the air and spiralled around the room like angry bees.
Adrenaline shocked Zan into action. He knew Ryker wouldn’t last long on his own. He spun and hunched over the console, fingers moving frantically. As staffs clashed and boots shifted behind him, he tried to focus on the task at hand.
In theory, setting up the procedures for the failsafe wasn’t that difficult, you just had to know the routes to take and what sequences to hit. He tried to picture what he could remember from Aukren’s console, seeing the schematics for the procedure. A dreaded thought hit Zan: that this was all for nothing. The Mayor seemed to hint that the machines were truly dead. Or so it seemed. Surely his men would have found a way to bring them back online by now.
He spared a look at Ryker, seeing him surrounded by black guards in a storm of staffs and batons. It was a strange sight, seeing a man in Eclipse armour fighting a group of black armoured guards.
Zan focused on the console. A buzzing sound cut through the air and he spun as a drone shot towards him. He jerked away, but the spike sliced through his arm, spraying a trail of blood. Zan cried out and steadied himself. He turned back and saw the gleeful look in the Mayor’s eyes. The pain – and the smug look – spurned Zan on and he slammed his hands back on the console.
Revolving cubes moved along the screen as Zan navigated through the internal mainframe. Each cube side had a grid that held data points and information, and somewhere in there were the entry points that Zan needed to hit in order to set up the procedure. When he followed one sequence he’d memorized, he was met with a flashing red warning icon. No entry. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he stared frantically at the screen. For a moment he didn’t know what to do. Maybe the Mayor was right. There really was no way to get into the machines.
Without the machines online, there was no way to set up the failsafe.
Weapons clashed behind him, ringing dully in his pained mind.
A thought came to Zan, and he cursed himself for not thinking of it earlier. He broke into a run along the higher platform, closer to the group of guards. Reaching into a pocket, he threw out one of the devices Ryker had given him.
The metal object hit the ground and a bubble of electricity burst out. The charged sphere spread over three of the guards and caused them to drop to the ground in convulsions. Zan pumped a fist in the air. Then he noticed the blood that ran down Ryker’s arm and the heavy bruise on his forehead. The man fought on, his movements sluggish now. Zan knew he was losing the battle.
Zan brought out the other item and threw it. The small cylinder exploded in a cloud of heavy smoke; hopefully it would give Ryker some advantage.
A mechanical buzzing rang in the air. Dozens of the bee-drones darted through the smoke towards Zan. He broke into a run along the platform, the drones shifting in the air and coming to him. Zan cartwheeled and then dove into a spinning, acrobatic flip as the drones passed over him. He flipped away from another set of drones, and pain flared in his thigh as one of them bit into him. He collapsed on the ground, holding his bloodied leg, and saw the end of a drone sticking out of his thigh. Gritting his teeth, sweating pouring from him, Zan pulled the drone out and pushed himself back to the console, smearing blood behind him.
He did what he could with whatever time he had there, expecting the drones, or one of the guards, to come for him at any moment. Ryker continued his battle against the remaining black guards, but Zan didn’t know how much longer he would last.
He was met with more warning alerts that kept him locked out of the machines. His mind raced with an endless stream of chaotic thoughts. There must be a way. The failsafe had been set up millennia ago, it had to still work. It just had to.
Then it hit Zan. The machines were dead; even the Mayor could see that. He would have brought them back by now if he could. But they were dead for a reason. Because they no longer had a purpose.
There was only the failsafe left.
Zan’s fingers moved in a blur over the console. He’d been thinking of this the wrong way. He didn’t have to bring the machines back in order to trigger the failsafe. All that was left was to just activate the failsafe.
Adrenaline spurred Zan on as he worked over the console, shifting through to the right sections.
The buzzing came to his attention a second before hot pain exploded in his shoulder. Zan keeled over and dropped to his knees. The sharp drone vibrated within the bloodied mess in his shoulder, causing Zan to jerk upwards and cry out, before it dropped to the floor. Zan sputtered and attempted to fight through the pain, blinking through his dizzying vision.
Without looking back, he heaved himself up and focused on the screens. He knew he could not join the fight. The only thing he could do was work on the consoles, and hope Ryker would last.
Flicking through the commands in the room, something caught Zan’s eye, and he redirected his focus for a moment. The room had a defence networkBlood dripped down his arm and onto the console but he fought through the stinging pain in his shoulder.
The buzzing drones grew louder, telling him they were coming for him again.
Initiating a defensive procedure, Zan flicked a switch and the air shifted, charging around him. A pulse erupted from the vents above him, sending a hazy wave of energy over the room. The electro-disrupter field shimmered in the air, causing the drones to waver and stutter, some dropping to the ground.
“That’s enough from you!” the Mayor called out. His armoured form became clearer through the dissipating smoke, revealing an angry scowl. He stepped towards Zan but his actions were stilted and inhibited, his suit seizing up. A drone spiralled out of control towards the Mayor, striking against his armoured chest. A second drone plunged into his neck with a sickening pop. The Mayor’s eyes bulged, his expression freezing. Parts of his suit burst with sparks, sections of his chest plate falling away.
The hazy air fully dissipated, removing the disruptive effects, but the Mayor just stood there, blood gushing from his neck. Ryker continued to battle the guards, now down to the last two, surrounded by bodies. Zan tore his eyes away from the Mayor and returned to the consoles. He was almost there, he thought.
Zan tried to shut the rest of the room out and just focus on his task. Strangely, he was reminded of losing himself in fixing broken tech, back when his ma had died and his da wasn’t coping well. Zan would try and shut the world out and just concentrate on fixing something. Making something better, at least.
Now he had to fix the world.
The Mayor dropped to his knees, his armour clanging loudly. Ryker cried out, stumbling in exhaustion, now faced with one final guard. Zan tensed when he looked back. The final guard wore the red armband.
The console buzzed and lights flashed on it, drawing Zan’s attention back. He’d entered the framework for the failsafe. He frantically read through the streaming data, punching in commands. Some sections he remembered from the diagnostics disk, some he moved through from instinct and trial and error, but mostly he felt like something was guiding him along.
Ryker grunted and shouted, but Zan forced himself to remain focused on the console.
Just a few more steps. Please be good to me, Zan said to the machine. Things looked right. Icons flashed with affirmation across the screen as Zan furiously worked. Heavy thuds clashed behind him, boots shifting. Ryker cried out in pain.
There. The failsafe was finally installing. A heavy sigh of relief burst from Zan and his shoulders sagged. The progress bar filling up as the most beautiful sight he had seen in days. Now he just had to accept the status change once it was ready.
Two bodies dropped to the ground behind him.
Zan turned and saw everyone on the ground. No one was left standing.
Ryker groaned and tried to rise among a sea of black armour. The Mayor had fallen onto his back. Zan climbed down, pain shooting through his bloodied leg and arm, and hobbled over to Ryker. Blood covered most of Ryker’s torso, his face a mess of hair and bruises. Zan helped him to his feet, steadying him, and they supported each other as they moved towards the Mayor. Zan spared a look at the still body of the guard with the red armband, and felt nothing – just a dull, distant sense of triumph.
Blood oozed from the Mayor’s neck wound as he looked up at them, his eyes heavy, panting with shallow breaths.
“Don’t…” the Mayor gasped, blood spurting from his mouth. “Don’t…. you’re making a great…. mistake.”
“It should be our free will to make our mistakes,” Ryker said, held up by Zan.
“No…” the Mayor said. “There are greater dangers out there. You must not…Please–” He sighed quietly. Eventually his head slumped to the side, his eyes glazing over.
Zan stared at the Mayor’s lifeless body for some time, a torrent of mixed emotions washing over him. The man responsible for his parent’s death was finally dead, but somehow he didn’t feel relief, or triumph. He just felt hollow and exhausted.
Ryker faltered and Zan caught him, helping him stand. Although Zan could barely stand himself.
“You did good, Zan. Real good.”
Zan nodded to him. Behind them the console steadily beeped.
“Shall we?” Zan asked. “It’s ready. Shall we bring back the world?” The words sounded crazy to him.
Ryker nodded towards the console. The small action seemed to cause him pain. “Do it. I’m just going to sit here a moment.” 
Zan sat Ryker down and climbed up the platform, trailing spots of blood. He pushed himself up to the console and came to the confirmation pop-up. Accept failsafe initiation? Zan smiled to himself, and hit the confirmation.
Generators and engines blared to life instantly. A deep, booming reverberation shook the machines surrounding the room. Beams of light ran up the machinery and brightened the area.
Something chimed in the room.
Zan looked over and saw Ryker bringing a com to his face. Marcin’s voice came on the other end, an excited Edrund in the background. They had found Dallos and Sannia. Relief washed over Zan, like a soothing, numbing balm. Ryker told them they’d meet up shortly.
Zan checked the consoles one last time. Everything seemed to be working perfectly now. It all looked good. He turned and found a device in front of him, coming down from the ceiling. A camera lens pointed at him, and screens turned on around the room, showing Zan’s face.
He paused, hearing his breaths projected around the room and echoing softly. His face reddened when he realised what was happening. The machines had turned back on, and he was now being projected across the entire city, in place of the Mayor.
Ryker chuckled and then grimaced, stifling the pain in his torso. “Say something,” he said.
The blinking red light on camera held Zan for a moment. Everyone would be watching him, on whatever screens were still working. He was so exhausted, he could hardly think.
“Uh…” Zan said, clearing his throat. “A- Attention.” He paused, feeling stupid. What was he to say to everyone? “The machines are back online. As- as you all probably know already. There is something everyone needs to know… the Mayor was hiding a secret failsafe built into the machines, which could restore the atmosphere in the world outside. That failsafe has been activated now. It should take several weeks to fully complete, then it’ll be safe to go outside. It’s your choice if you want to stay in the city, or go out. But we have that option now. We no longer have to live under the Mayor’s rule.” He looked away in thought, wondering how to end this. “Uh. Stay safe, everyone. All we have is each other.”
Zan ducked away from the camera and turned to the console, switching it to sleep mode. He collapsed to the ground and lay there, staring unfocused at the ceiling. He rolled over to face Ryker. The Eclipse Guard was smiling, brighter than he had ever seen him, despite his injuries. “Great speech. Grid Runner.”
Zan leaned his head back, sighing. He closed his eyes, and couldn’t help but smile. 

Epilogue

“Where’s the Grid Runner?” Wes asked.
Zan came into the room, holding a heavy bag over his shoulder. “I told you I don’t like that name.”
“But why? It’s what the whole city knows you as. Our saviour, the Grid Runner.”
Zan flushed. He dropped onto the sofa beside Priya, who was searching through a large sack, checking she had everything.
Zan squeezed Priya’s hand and she smiled at him. He had never seen her so put together and cleaned up, and so healthy looking. She maintained her positive outwards appearance, only keeping the discomfort of her healing injury for Zan to see.
Marcin came into the room. “Everyone ready? Everyone excited?”
“Yes and yes,” Wes said.
Dallos and Sannia came in after Marcin, each with several sacks and bags.
“We’re really doing this, aren’t we?” Dallos said. He settled into one of his chest-out poses, making himself look big, although he held an unsure expression.
Sannia lay a hand on his shoulder, smiled at him. “Too late to change your mind. About anything.” She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, and then went through to the next room, shuffling past all the boxes and furniture around the room.
It had been over six weeks since the machines turned back on and the failsafe initiated. The current powers of the city, a committee of public representatives, had deemed the outside world safe to explore on this day. It was estimated that over seventy percent of the population would be leaving over the next few days. Zan and his friends were given a special pass for the first day, after the initial explorers went out.
“Where’s the old man?” Edrund asked.
“I’m not even twice your age,” Ryker said, entering the room. He looked over them all. “Gos and Edrund are waiting outside. We’re all ready, looks like. Time to go?”
Zan nodded to him. He barely recognised the man he saw these days. Ryker’s hair was cut short, gone was his heavy stubble, and his casual clothing almost looked out of place on him. But it was a look that Zan had grown to like. Admire, even.
“Let’s go, let’s go,” Wes said, rushing out the room as fast as his heavy bag allowed him. Marcin followed him out, warning him not to knock into anything.
Ryker gave Zan a small, hesitant smile. He cast one last look over his family home – the home they all had for the past few weeks – and left the room.
Alone in the room now, Priya stretched out and lay her head in Zan’s lap, looking up at him.
“It’s almost a shame to leave,” Zan said, stroking her hair. “Just when I finally felt like I was at home again.”
She gave him one of her most sincere, heart melting looks. “Home is where we all are, together.”
He leaned down and kissed her, suddenly eager to leave the city.
There was a whole new world out there for them all, and the first reports back had been… exciting.