Chapter 6: A Fragile Alliance

Claudius' legs burned as he sprinted alongside the cloaked figure, their footsteps echoing through the empty corridors of the dock. The blinding light from the device had bought them a few seconds, but the cybernetic man would recover quickly, and they couldn't afford to slow down. The air was heavy with the metallic scent of rust and ozone, and every twist and turn through the labyrinthine corridors felt like they were plunging deeper into a trap.

After several minutes, the cloaked figure abruptly pulled Claudius into a side passage, pressing him up against the wall. Their breathing was heavy but controlled, while Claudius' chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. For a long moment, they stood in silence, listening for the sound of pursuit. Claudius' heart pounded in his ears, but the faint hum of the station's systems was all he could hear.

"Are we safe?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The figure didn't answer immediately. Instead, they pulled back their hood, revealing the sharp, angular features of a woman. Her hair was cut short, and her eyes, piercing and calculating, studied Claudius with an intensity that made him uncomfortable.

"For now," she said, her voice steady but laced with suspicion. "But we don't have much time before the Syndicate sends more hunters. They'll know where we're headed soon enough."

Claudius straightened, trying to match her calm despite the panic still gnawing at him. "You're the contact, right? Draven sent me to deliver this package to you." He gestured to the box now clutched tightly in her hands. "I didn't know it would put me on the Syndicate's hit list."

The woman's gaze flicked down to the box, and for the first time, her expression softened—just barely. "You didn't know because Draven wanted it that way. Fewer loose ends."

Claudius swallowed hard, anger bubbling up. "Loose ends? I could've been killed."

"But you weren't," she replied coolly. "And now, the package is with me, where it belongs."

Claudius stared at her, his frustration mounting. "What's in it? Why are the Syndicate so interested?"

The woman hesitated, glancing around the darkened corridor as if considering whether to reveal anything more. "Information," she said finally. "Sensitive, encrypted data that could shift the balance of power in ways the Syndicate—and a lot of other people—don't want. Draven was hired to get it to me, but the details were always kept under wraps."

Claudius' mind raced. Sensitive data. This was far more than just a smuggling job. "And you're…what, an agent? A spy?"

She didn't answer directly. "Let's just say I have interests that don't align with the Syndicate's. This data will ensure certain… parties remain in control."

Claudius felt a pit form in his stomach. This was bigger than he'd thought—much bigger. But before he could ask more, the woman stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. "You've done your part, but if you want to live through the next few hours, you'll need to stick with me. The Syndicate doesn't leave witnesses."

The cold realization of how much danger he was truly in hit Claudius like a shockwave. The Harrow Syndicate had already shown its ruthlessness, and now that he had been seen working with the woman, he was as much of a target as she was.

"I don't have a choice, do I?" Claudius said bitterly.

"No," she replied simply. "But I do. And right now, I'm choosing to keep you alive—so long as you don't slow me down."

Claudius clenched his jaw, his frustration warring with a growing sense of helplessness. He hated being dragged into this, but survival had to come first. "What's your name, at least?"

"Vera," she said. "And if you want to stay alive, keep up."

Without another word, Vera turned and started down the corridor at a brisk pace, forcing Claudius to follow. His legs were still sore from the chase, but the fear of being left behind kept him moving. He had no idea where Vera was taking him, but he had no other option.

The deeper they moved into the underbelly of Phobos Station, the quieter it became. The usual hum of machinery and distant conversations faded, replaced by the eerie silence of abandoned sections. Vera led the way with practiced ease, navigating the maze-like corridors as if she had spent years exploring them.

Eventually, they reached a small, nondescript hatch embedded in the wall. Vera knelt down, pulling out a compact tool kit and quickly bypassing the electronic lock. The door slid open with a faint hiss, revealing a cramped but functional maintenance chamber, dimly lit by flickering lights overhead.

"Get inside," she ordered, motioning for Claudius to follow.

Claudius ducked through the narrow entrance, and the door sealed shut behind them with a soft click. Inside, the room was sparse, lined with shelves of old equipment and scattered parts, but it felt more secure than the open corridors outside.

Vera crossed the room and immediately set to work at a small terminal in the corner. The box was placed carefully on the desk, and Claudius watched as she began interfacing with it, connecting the data crystal to the station's systems. Lines of code and encrypted data began streaming across the screen, and Vera's expression grew more focused.

"So what now?" Claudius asked, trying to suppress the growing anxiety gnawing at him.

Vera didn't look up. "Now I decrypt the data and transmit it to my contacts. Once it's in their hands, they can protect us. Until then, we're still in the line of fire."

Claudius stepped closer, watching the screen as rows of indecipherable code scrolled by. "What happens after? You send the data and then what—just disappear?"

Vera's eyes flicked toward him for a brief moment, her expression unreadable. "I've been disappearing my whole life, kid. This won't be any different."

Claudius wasn't sure whether to feel reassured or more uneasy. His life back on Neoterra felt like a distant memory now, swallowed up by the chaos of the last few days. He had come to Phobos with the hope of earning a few extra credits, maybe even proving himself capable of more than just repairing machines in his father's shop. But now, he was a fugitive, tangled in a web of espionage and danger, with no clear path forward.

As Vera continued working, Claudius found himself pacing the small room, his mind churning with questions. "Why didn't Draven tell me about all this?" he asked finally, frustration creeping into his voice. "I'm not a soldier. I didn't sign up for a war."

"Draven didn't trust anyone fully," Vera replied, her tone neutral. "Not even you. The less you knew, the safer you were supposed to be."

"Well, that worked out great," Claudius muttered bitterly.

Vera paused, glancing at him again with something almost like sympathy. "You're in it now, whether you like it or not. But you've handled yourself better than most would."

Claudius shook his head, the weight of everything pressing down on him. He wasn't some hardened operative or trained spy. He was just a kid from Neoterra, trying to survive. "I just want to get out of this alive."

Vera turned back to her terminal, her fingers flying over the keys. "Then stick close, follow my lead, and don't do anything reckless. We get this data to the right people, and you might just make it out."

Claudius didn't respond. There was no point in arguing. He was in too deep now. The only way out was forward—through the fire, with Vera as his only guide.

The terminal beeped, and Vera's eyes narrowed as the encryption finally broke. "We're in," she said quietly.

Claudius moved closer, looking over her shoulder at the decrypted files now appearing on the screen. Whatever they had uncovered, it was the key to their survival—and possibly, the key to something far bigger than either of them had imagined.