The rusted gate groaned like a dying beast as Anya pushed it open, the sound swallowed by the cacophony of the scrap yard. She’d been drawn here by a flicker of something different amidst the usual metallic debris – a faint, almost imperceptible shimmer emanating from a discarded data-chip nestled amongst a pile of twisted metal. As she reached for it, a sudden tremor ran through the ground, causing a cascade of scrap to tumble around her. Dust and grime filled the air, stinging her eyes, but she clung to the chip, her fingers tightening around its smooth surface.

It wasn't the usual technological detritus. This chip pulsed with a faint, inner light, a subtle hum vibrating in her hand. It was unlike anything she had ever encountered before; a relic, possibly far older than the city’s current technology. Curiosity overriding caution, Anya carefully cleaned the chip, revealing a symbol etched into its surface – a stylized serpent entwined around a data stream. The symbol was unfamiliar, yet it resonated with a deep, primal recognition within her, a feeling that ran far deeper than mere understanding.