AGING IN A TIMELESS WORLD

Chapter Six. THE FIRST STRIKE

Tina joined Carmen and a small team on a mission to infiltrate one of the satellite hubs. Disguised as maintenance workers, they navigated the facility’s labyrinthine corridors, their stolen access codes granting them limited entry.

“Keep your head down,” Carmen murmured as they approached the data control room.

Tina nodded, her heart pounding. Her scarf was gone, and she felt exposed. Every glance from a passing worker felt like a spotlight.

Inside the control room, Carmen’s team worked quickly, planting devices that would disrupt the hub’s connection to the central system. Tina’s task was to download the hub’s data logs—a treasure trove of evidence to expose the truth.

“Almost there,” Tina whispered, watching the progress bar inch forward.

A voice crackled over the intercom. “Unauthorized access detected. Security en route.”

Carmen cursed under her breath. “We’re out of time. Tina, grab what you’ve got and move!”

The team scattered as alarms blared. Tina clutched the data drive and followed Carmen down a narrow maintenance shaft, the sound of heavy boots echoing behind them.

Tina sat in the resistance hideout, staring at the data drive on the table in front of her. The room was quiet except for the hum of the monitors and the occasional murmur from the team reviewing their escape. Her heart was still pounding, the adrenaline from the mission refusing to fade.

Carmen walked in, carrying two cups of steaming tea. She placed one in front of Tina and sat across from her. "You did good out there," she said, breaking the silence.

Tina shook her head, her fingers tracing the edge of the drive. "Did I? We barely made it out. People died. And for what? A few files?"

Carmen leaned back, studying her. "It’s not just a few files. It’s the truth. And that truth is the first step toward bringing this entire system down."

"But at what cost?" Tina’s voice trembled. "I keep thinking about the guards. They didn’t even know what they were protecting. They were just doing their jobs. And now they’re dead because of us."

Carmen’s expression softened. "That’s the weight of this fight, Tina. It’s not clean. It’s not fair. But those guards weren’t innocent either. They chose to uphold a system that exploits and destroys. If we don’t push back, who will?"

Tina looked away, her chest tightening. "I didn’t think it would feel like this."

Carmen reached across the table, her hand firm on Tina’s. "No one does. But feeling it means you’re still human. Don’t lose that."