Chapter 4: Descent to the Core

The mid-ring transit hub smelled of ozone and overheated servos. Massive cargo elevators rumbled past on parallel tracks, hauling sealed containers marked with NexCorp’s angular logo. Overhead, holo-signs flickered warnings in red and amber: RESTRICTED ACCESS – CARRIER OVERRIDE REQUIRED – UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL WILL BE DETAINED. The air down here was thinner, colder—filtered through layers of security scrubbers that stripped away the outer ring’s rust and sweat, leaving only sterile precision.