Ch 60: The Price of Innovation
Kael had always known that pushing boundaries came with risks. But in Gron, where the line between innovation and crime blurred, the risks were higher than ever.
Kael sat hunched over his workbench, a modified power regulator stripped down to its essential components. The device was originally designed for small-scale energy redistribution—helpful in stabilizing older, inefficient grids. But with a few modifications, it could siphon excess power from the city's infrastructure and reroute it elsewhere.
Theoretically.
He tapped a command on his datapad, running a simulated power draw. The tiny display module flickered, then stabilized.
Kael exhaled. It worked.
It wasn't a major breakthrough, but it was enough to cause problems. Energy manipulation was tightly controlled in Gron, and anything that disrupted the city's balance was flagged by the authorities. He had tried to keep his work subtle, but rumors of his modifications were starting to spread through the underground markets.
And rumors attracted attention.
Kael rarely met clients in person—too many risks. But this one insisted.
The meeting took place in a dimly lit backroom of an old machine repair shop. The buyer, a tall man clad in a dull gray coat, sat across from Kael with a quiet, calculating presence. His face was partially obscured by a modified breathing mask, a common precaution in the lower districts where industrial fumes lingered.
"You've been busy," the man said, his voice filtered through the mask.
Kael didn't respond immediately. Instead, he set a compact energy module on the table between them. It was one of his best designs—a power-efficient battery unit, repurposed from scavenged Consortium tech.
"What do you need?" Kael asked, keeping his voice level.
The man's gloved fingers tapped against the module, testing its weight. "Something bigger."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "Bigger how?"
The buyer leaned forward. "You've noticed it, haven't you? The inconsistencies in the city's power grid. The way certain sectors draw more than they should."
Kael had noticed. He had assumed it was corruption—private groups skimming energy for their own purposes. But this man was suggesting something else.
"There's a struggle in Gron," the man continued. "A hidden one. Power—real power—isn't just about who controls the streets. It's about who controls the energy that keeps the city running."
Kael tensed.
This wasn't just another underground deal. This was something else entirely.
Kael returned to his workshop later than usual, his mind racing.
Who was that man? What did he mean by Gron's hidden struggle?
He had spent months working in the city's tech sector, gaining access to blueprints, understanding how the systems worked. But now, he had to ask himself: was he looking at Gron's infrastructure, or was he looking at its weaknesses?
A sharp beep interrupted his thoughts.
His security alert system—a simple proximity scanner wired into his workshop's entrance—had detected something unusual. Someone had been near his shop.
Kael immediately powered down all sensitive equipment, hiding his most important schematics. Then, he moved to the window, peering through the cracks in the reinforced shutters.
A figure stood at the corner of the street, partially obscured by the flickering neon glow of a district signboard. Not a thug. Not a buyer.
This was different.
Someone was watching him.
Kael felt his pulse quicken.
He wasn't just another underground technician anymore.
He was being noticed.