I'll Follow You Down -

Elias didn't look back. He tightened the straps of his rebreather, the rubber tasting of salt and old copper. He remembered Lena’s hand in his three nights ago, her fingers trembling as she whispered about a signal she’d found—a ghost in the machine calling from the deep. She had gone to find the source. She hadn't come back.

"You don't have to do this," the drone hovering over his shoulder buzzed. Its optic lens flickered blue, a cold imitation of concern. "The atmospheric pressure alone will crush your lungs before you hit the mid-levels. Statutory law says she’s already processed." I'll Follow You Down

"I know," he said, the weight of the miles above them finally feeling light. "I told you. Wherever you go, " Elias didn't look back

"She’s not a statistic," Elias muttered, his voice muffled by the mask. She had gone to find the source

Elias slumped against the cold metal beside her, his lungs burning, his boots ruined. He reached out and took her hand.