The red light bathing the underwater city was more than just an emergency signal; it was the heartbeat of a dying system. The alarm blared with a low, throbbing tone that shook the glass structure of the pier, a sound like metal groaning under the strain of being pushed past its elastic limit.
The officer in military uniform, the commander. Stood tall, yet the triumphant smirk on his face was fading, replaced by a furrow of confusion as the monitors around him began to explode one by one.
What are you doing, Vance? he shouted, his voice nearly drowned out by the piercing sirens. You have just sealed your own fate! If the pressure in these tanks destabilizes, the thousands of human consciousnesses inside will be erased permanently!
I didn't look at him. My focus was entirely on the hard
