The side tunnel narrowed so much that they had to walk in a single file line, with Trunks' energy lantern casting long, distorted shadows against the damp rock walls. Suddenly, the dirt beneath their boots gave way to something solid and metallic. A loud, echoing CLANG rang out as Trunks stepped forward. He lowered his lantern, revealing a massive, rusted steel floor plate. Painted right beneath the decades of grime was a faded, familiar insignia: a giant red RR.
Trunks: We're on the grid, *Trunks whispered, his voice echoing eerily in the sudden open space. He swung the lantern forward.*
The narrow tunnel had opened up into a colossal underground chamber. Half-collapsed concrete pillars held up the ceiling, and broken computer mainframes lined the walls like electronic tombstones.
Goten: *He stepped up beside him, his eyes scanning the darkness. Thanks to his sharpened senses, he could feel the air pressure shifting.* The energy reading you found... it's stronger here. But it's weird. It doesn't feel like normal living ki.
Melody: *She closed her eyes, tilting her head as she listened to the deep silence of the ruins.* It feels... heavy. Like an old machine that won't stop humming.
Trunks nodded, lifting his hand. The golden light of his lantern illuminated a massive set of blast doors at the far end of the room. They were warped and partially melted from an explosion that happened decades ago, but a faint, pulsing glow leaked through the crack in the center.
Trunks: That's it, *Trunks said, his grip tightening on his scarf.* Kami's Heart is right behind those doors. But watch your step—this place might be dead, but the security systems back then were built to last.
The trio crept forward, their footsteps careful on the debris-strewn floor. The glow from the blast door pulsed rhythmically—almost like a heartbeat. Melody reached out, pressing her palm against a cracked monitor. Dusty wires sparked weakly under her touch.
Trunks: Systems are barely functional… but they're still, after all this time, viable. *Trunks eyed the melted doors—they looked unstable. One wrong move and they might collapse entirely.* Be careful, those looks terribly unstable, *Trunks said pointing out the obvious.*
Goten: *He nodded, stepping back to give the doors space. He scanned the room—then spotted something: a rusted control panel embedded in the wall beside them.* Hey… maybe we don't push through. Maybe we can open it.
The panel was dusty, but intact—the Red Ribbon probably had emergency overrides. Trunks stands corrected, and it's a feeling that he's not to fond of. Trunks clenched his jaw—hating that Goten of all people had to be the one to point out something obvious. But… it was a good call.
Trunks: Right. Let's see if this panel still works. *He approached, brushing grime off the controls. The buttons were corroded, but not entirely dead—the power from Kami's Heart might've kept some systems alive.*