Fragments

19

The explosion rips through the air, its shockwave reverberating in my chest as I stagger forward. The once-quiet city erupts into chaos, alarms blaring from every direction. The Ministry's memory center looms ahead, bathed in the flickering orange glow of the fire now spreading across its facade. This is it-the moment we've been fighting for.

Kellan pulls me forward, his grip on my hand unyielding as we race toward the building. "Stay close," he yells over the cacophony, his voice hard-edged and urgent. "We have to get inside before they lock it down."

I nod, unable to speak, my heart pounding in time with the blaring alarms. Around us, Recall members move with practiced precision, fanning out to engage the Ministry guards who swarm from every corner. The air is thick with the smell of smoke and the acrid tang of fear. This is war, and there's no turning back.

We reach the memory center's entrance, a heavy metal door that has begun to slide shut in response to the security breach. Kellan shoves his shoulder against it, grunting with the effort. I throw my weight against the door alongside him, my muscles straining. Slowly, painfully, it grinds open just enough for us to slip through.

Inside, the sterile, white-lit corridors are a stark contrast to the chaos outside. The walls gleam with an unnatural cleanliness, every inch designed to convey order and control. It feels like stepping into the belly of the beast.

"We need to get to the central processing room," Kellan mutters, his eyes scanning the corridor for any sign of movement. "That's where they store the active memory files."

"Where's Cain?" I ask, glancing back toward the entrance. He and his team were supposed to create the diversion, to keep the Ministry's forces occupied while we made our move.

"He'll be outside," Kellan replies grimly. "They have to keep the guards busy while we find the files. We have to do this quickly."

I swallow hard, nodding. Every second counts. We move swiftly down the corridor, Kellan leading the way with a confidence that comes from knowing these halls too well. He used to pretend to be a part of this world, after all, once a faux tool of the Ministry, silently waiting for the moment to strike in revenge for erasing so much of me.

The sound of boots echoes around a corner ahead, and we press ourselves against the wall, holding our breath. A group of guards storms past, their faces set in grim determination as they rush toward the source of the explosion. We wait until their footsteps fade, then slip out into the corridor once more.

Kellan points to a door at the end of the hall. "That's it," he whispers. "The central processing room."

We approach cautiously, my pulse thudding in my ears. Kellan reaches for the door panel, his fingers moving quickly as he overrides the security lock. The door hisses open, revealing a dimly lit room filled with servers and consoles. The air inside is cold, and sterile, a tangible manifestation of the Ministry's grip on the memories of so many.

Kellan rushes to one of the consoles, motioning for me to follow. "We need to access the mainframe," he says, his voice low and urgent. "The flash drive has the software to unlock the files. We just need to download them."

I fumble with the flash drive in my pocket, pulling it out and handing it to him. He plugs it into the console, his fingers flying over the keyboard. Lines of code scroll across the screen, the system fighting against the intrusion. My heart pounds as I watch, every second stretching into an eternity.

"Come on," Kellan mutters under his breath, his focus unwavering. "Just a little more."

The door behind us suddenly slams shut, the sound echoing like a gunshot in the small room. I whirl around, my heart leaping into my throat as the door's locks engage with a loud click. We're trapped.