Chapter 4: The Man in the Alley

Chapter 4: The Man in the Alley Jaden woke up to noise. He had fallen asleep on the rooftop beside the cooling shelter, using his old backpack as a pillow. The sound of voices pulled him awake—soft chatter, laughter, and the buzz of life. It wasn’t the sound of suffering anymore. It was the sound of people finally catching a breath. He sat up slowly. Below, the shelter glowed gently in the early morning light. Families gathered around it. Kids played near the door. A group of women were filling bottles from the water tank on the side. Someone had even plugged in a speaker and played quiet music from an old phone. It felt... alive. Jaden smiled, but his mind was already drifting forward. The system had shown him something big—his next challenge. He tapped the screen hovering over his wrist. New Blueprint Unlocked: AI Apartment Block (Basic) Recommended Build Site: Westside Abandoned Lot Priority: High Jaden had seen that lot before. It used to be an old tech factory. Now, just twisted metal, cracked cement, and rusting pipes. But it had space. A lot of space. He packed his bag and began walking. The streets of Neo-Lagos were waking up too. People sold food packs on street corners. Drones buzzed low carrying parcels. Old cars rolled slowly past potholes. But Jaden kept his head down. Not everyone would be happy about what he was building. As he turned into a narrow alley shortcut, a man stepped out of the shadows. "Morning," the man said calmly. Jaden froze. The man looked older, maybe in his forties, with a rough beard and long dark coat. His eyes were hidden behind tinted glasses. He held something in his hand, a slim data chip. "You’ve been busy," the man said. "Power in Sector 12. A cooling shelter. People are talking." Jaden didn’t answer. "Relax," the man said. "I’m not here to stop you. I’m here to help. Name’s Carl. Used to be an engineer before the system crash. Now I lead a crew called the Ground Circuit. We fix things too. Not just wires and walls—people, places, lives." "We’ve been watching Sector 18," Carl said, tapping his temple. "We use old surveillance nodes, leftover scout drones. But it wasn’t just your shelters or power grid that got our attention—it was the signature." Jaden stiffened. "You broadcast a low-frequency sync pulse every time you build. Most wouldn’t notice. But we track tech anomalies—resonance pings, blueprint decodes, build trace signatures. And yours?" Carl chuckled softly. "Your system isn’t like any tech I’ve seen since before the Collapse. Self-evolving, decentralized. Doesn’t belong to NovaCore. Doesn’t match EchoChain’s or the Bureau’s." He held out the data chip. "That’s how we found you. And why I’m here." "You’re not the only one out here trying to rebuild. But you’ve got something rare. Something we’ve never seen before. That system of yours—it’s special. But sooner or later, someone bigger is going to notice." Jaden finally spoke. "Why help me?" Carl smiled. "Because I believe in people who build instead of destroy." Then he stepped back into the alley and disappeared. That evening, Jaden reached the Westside lot. It was worse than he remembered. Twisted rebar, trash, broken panels scattered everywhere. But his system lit up, scanning the area and showing a glowing outline in the air. A tall building, about four floors. Solar windows. Thick glass. Trees on the roof. It looked... beautiful. He opened the blueprint. Project: AI Apartment Block (Basic) Smart home units, solar-powered, climate-controlled. Built-in learning hub and hydroponic food system. AI monitors security and comfort. Materials Needed: 100 recycled bricks 30 smart glass panels 50 steel rods 10 AI housing chips 2 Build Tokens OR Co-builder Support Estimated Time: 6–7 days with full crew Jaden’s shoulders sank. He didn’t have a crew. He barely had enough scrap to make the foundation. But then, his system blinked again. New Feature Unlocked: Connect Mode You may now invite trusted builders to join your project. A new message appeared: Connect Carl – Ground Circuit Leader? Y/N Jaden stared at the chip in his hand. He tapped Yes. Seconds later, a secure data link opened, and a message came through: "Thought you’d call. Meet me tomorrow. Bring gloves. It’s time to build something real." Carl Jaden smiled. He wasn’t alone anymore. And that changed everything.