Ætherglow #169

You take a look into the device. It hasn’t been updated in three years, surely there’s something you can exploit. You can’t connect to the broader æther, but your own local package manager repos could tell you something. Once you identify the system the locking mechanism uses, you can easily search for the history of all its dependencies. It doesn’t take long to find a clear exploit you can use, a critical flaw that’s gone unfixed.

It takes you a few minutes, then the panel lights up green and a mechanical click breaks the silence.

“Good.” Synth kicks the gate open with their heavy boots. “Let’s go.” They cross into the yard before the gates can swing around and crash into the fence.

You and El follow, approaching the black house. It has few windows, and through them you only see a place too dark to go inside. But Synth approaches it without hesitation. The yard around the walk path is barren, gravel and regolith. Only a few patches near the path and trails leading to the doors and windows are disturbed. Some of these spots are stained dark reddish-brown.

The front door ahead of you is ajar. They keep a hand on their weapon as they slowly push it open. The door leads to a narrow hallway. You can hardly move through it due to the mess on the floor--broken glass, rubble from a partially collapsed wall, and more streaks and spots of the red stain.

Synth leads you to an intersection in the hallways. Ahead, an open door leads into a large room. It’s mostly empty now, only lined with bare shelves and metal tables. The light fixtures, on long multi-hinged arms, are somewhat familiar to you.

Down the perpendicular hall, signs mark where it leads:

↑ Medical wing

Residential dorms →

← Educational center

“What is this place?” you say.

Synth turns around to face you and El. “Welcome to the Juvenile Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Center.