The alley ripples with the blast and she topples, lifeless. Serves her right. I start running towards CyberCorp. The pyramid looms up in front of me, gleaming chrome, seamless and perfect against the gravel horizon. Damn—security will probably be all over me if I go in like this. No time—gotta try to go right in.

I charge up to the main gates, hand on gun, ready for whatever comes at me. But nothing does. Security seems unusually lax—nonexistent.

I’m inside the main gates and going strong. I run up to the outer doors and jam the Open button.

There’s a pause, and then a holoscreen above the door lights up.

”No! Let me in, damn you!” I smash my fist into the door again and again but to no avail—it’s sealed solid as a tomb. I start looking around for alternative entrances when it hits me—a coughing fit so bad it knocks me flat on my ass. For a second the world goes red; feels like someone’s taking a cheese grater to the soft meat of my throat.

I claw the ground with my fingers. Not like this, you bastards, not like this…

      Must… Keep… Going…