The Hollowed / Season 1, Episode 12
Rusted Echoes Below
Jake’s boots scraped against the rusted grate of the maintenance tunnel, the sound sharp enough to cut through the damp, metallic air. His knee screamed with every step, a deep, gnawing ache that pulsed like something alive was clawing its way out from under the skin. He pressed a trembling hand against the cold steel wall, steadying himself, his breath ragged and hot in his chest. The tunnel stretched ahead, a narrow gullet of shadow and flickering emergency lights, the hum of unseen machinery vibrating through the soles of his feet. He couldn’t stop. Not now. Maddie was somewhere in Sector B, and if he didn’t reach her before security sniffed him out, whatever was left of him—whatever wasn’t already slipping into that hollowed-out nothing—would be gone for good. His wristband buzzed, a faint electric sting that made him flinch. The damn thing hadn’t stopped since he’d bolted from the observation room, a constant reminder that Nexagen knew he was off-script. Unit 47, non-compliant. He could almost hear the clinical voice of the system logging his every move, mapping his heat signature through the labyrinth of tunnels under New Eden. He yanked the sleeve of his gray jumpsuit over the band, as if that could hide the blinking red dot from whatever eyes were watching. Sweat stung his cracked lips,...