Episode 4: The Recruit
The city skyline pulsed with light — tall chrome buildings kissed the clouds, hover-trams zipped between glass rails, and neon ads glowed across the night like stars with agendas. Lagos Prime was beautiful, and dangerous.
Martins stood on the rooftop of his apartment complex, overlooking the bustling megacity below. He felt different tonight. The fight, the threats, Sophia… something about it all didn't sit right.
His holo-tab buzzed in his pocket. A private message.
Unknown ID: Meet me. Coordinates attached. Don't bring anyone. Trust me.
He hesitated — then checked the location. It was the old tech yard on the city's outskirts. Abandoned since the riots.
He went.
---
When Martins arrived, he didn't expect what he saw: Sophia standing beneath a flickering drone-lamp, dressed in sleek tactical gear, scanning the perimeter with a wrist-mounted HUD.
"Sophia?" he said.
She looked up. "It's time we had a real conversation."
She walked over and tapped a device on his arm. A blue wave shimmered over his body — then disappeared.
"What the hell was that?" he asked.
"Anti-surveillance field," she said. "We're off-grid now. You're not just some brave guy in a market, Martins. You're one of the last with a clean neural core. No implants, no hacks, no digital trail. That makes you rare... and very valuable."
Martins narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"
Sophia stepped closer, serious now. "The gang you fought? They're not just punks. They're pawns for a syndicate called The Null. They're planning to target the President's daughter."
"Why her?"
"She's unknowingly linked to DARA — the national defense AI. Her neural signature is the last key to a fail-safe system. If they get to her, they control everything: defense systems, drone armies, surveillance networks. Everything."
Martins blinked, trying to take it in. "And you want me to protect her?"
Sophia nodded. "She's refused official protection. Too many people in the system are already compromised. But you? You're clean. And now she needs someone who can watch her… without being watched."
Martins crossed his arms, still absorbing it all. "So what? I become a ghost? Shadow her in the dark?"
"No," Sophia said. "You'll be introduced as her personal assistant. A cover. But your real job is to protect her — at all costs."
Martins took a deep breath. Everything was changing. Again.
Sophia handed him a sleek data chip. "Welcome to the program, Martins. Training starts tomorrow. And remember — in this city, the real danger hides behind the brightest screens."