“What? Did you just say you lost your target!?” asked a surprised Toothbrush, spitting out his half-eaten food from his mouth.
Lexa joined the call, her face appearing next to Tooth’s on Arron’s helmet visor.
“I have just sent out orders for the nearby patrolling security drones to be on the lookout for the Troubled suspect. Are you able to follow the target on foot?” asked Lexa.
“On it!” said Kix. He kicked open the maintenance door and jumped into a tight tunnel dropping nearly 10 feet into an underground maintenance tunnel ignoring the short metal ladder embedded in the wall.
Arron was about to follow him but before he jumped he remembered something.
“Our stalkers will notice that something is going on. Is there any way you can stall them?” asked Arron.
“We can’t. It’s up to you to make sure they do not follow you or interfere,” said Lexa.
Arron closed the maintenance door behind him. A small click and a buzz was heard as the locking mechanism engaged. He took out his service weapon and shot the electronic lock’s processor.
“Finished. If anyone tries to follow us they’ll have to brute force their way through,” said Arron as he jumped down and landed next to an impatient Kix.
“They went this way,” said Kix pointing to what looked like drag marks on the dirty stone tunnel floor.
“I just got permission to access the tunnel system network, sending you the maps now,” said Tooth.
“So can you hack into the tunnel’s network and figure out where the Troubled suspect is?” asked Kix as they started to run down the tunnel with the lights on their helmets lighting up the dark path ahead of them, allowing the two to scan the ground as they went.
“Not possible, this part of the network is an unimportant side tunnel so there are no drones or sensors built into its system,” said Tooth.
Ping!
Arron received a notification from his NerViz and immediately opened the new files, sending them to his helmet’s visor screen.
The underground tunnel system map popped up in the top left of the visor’s screen. The 3-d map model grabbed Arron’s coordinates and zoomed in on the two new green dots that represented Arron and Kix.
“We have received the tunnel maps,” said Kix.
“The office of reason wanted me to remind you that you are not to be sticking your heads into places that are off limits,” said Tooth.
Arron saw that several parts of the 3-d tunnel map were all fuzzy with a gray static noise covering them.
[Compatible data found… Data downloading… Tunnel maps saved!]
The green blinking text appeared in Arron’s upper right vision. The text was not part of the helmet’s operating system but was from his new eye implant. This was not a function that had been listed to him before but apparently, there were more functions than just labeling things. He did not know how large its storage capacity was.
“… and if the target goes into those areas?” asked Arron.
“The security measures put in place will make sure that they don’t… or at least that they won’t survive it,” said Tooth.
As Arron and Kix ran down the tunnels hot on the trail of the Troubled suspect, the small group of stalkers hovering outside the main building of the school grew restless as they waited for their target to reappear.
One of the stalkers’ patience broke and he stepped forward to get information from a passing group of ruffian students.
“What is it?” asked a muscular student.
Several of the other ruffian students were fully alert ready to fight in case the suspicious stalkers that had gathered around them tried anything funny.
“Where did Jepp go? When will he be back?” asked the stalker.
“The bathroom. Why do you want to know?”
“Shouldn’t he be back by now?”
“How should I know? He might have had something to do so he probably already left,” said the annoyed student before retreating back into the school building with the other students slamming the door shut in the stalker’s face.
The several journalists all looked at each other in horror. Their golden gossip goose had disappeared.
“Where did he go!”
***
“All traces point to the troubled suspect being dragged into the tunnel system below us,” said Kix.
“Are you sure?” asked Tooth.
“There are no other traces past this trap door,” said Arron.
Both Arron and Kix grabbed onto the metal trapdoor that weighed several hundreds of pounds.
Their muscles groaned as they lifted the trapdoor and let it slam down on the ground.
“This will be troublesome…” said Tooth.
“Why?” asked Arron.
Kix leaned over and stared into the large tunnel below.
“Because of that,” said Kix.
Arron looked down and saw thousands of drones flying in an orderly fashion up and down the large tunnel with a few parting away to fly into different branching paths.
“That tunnel is a main hub for the delivery drones and is also used by mechanized worker bots to get around without tearing up the roads or damaging buildings,” said Tooth.
“So you’re saying there’s a chance we’ll have to face off against a mechanized worker bot?” asked Kix.
“Don’t worry, I already had one of our drones pick up your P.L.E. It is following you from above and will meet you at whatever exit you come out,” said Tooth.
“Fat good amount of help that will be if we have to face it in the tunnel,” said Kix.
Arron and Kix un-clipped a sturdy magnetic clamp from their heavy work belts and attached them to the open trapdoor, and then pulled out a sturdy wire rope that was connected to their armors built-in harness and connected it to the Magnetic clamps.
Arron looked at the long drop below them and asked, “Do we have enough rope to get down there?”
“Probably not, didn’t expect we would be needing anything more than 50 ft,” said Kix as he readied himself above the hole.
Arron watched the flowing drones below them unsure how they would be able to get past them.
“No use in worrying about stuff we can’t change. We’ll have to just wing it,” said Kix as he jumped through the hole and began descending towards the main tunnel’s floor.
Arron followed suit and hopped down into the tunnel where he swung back and forth on the small but strong wire rope.
As he descended at a quick pace he reached the flood of passing drones nearly hitting them. The drones’ collision software kicked in and created a gap in the flowing flight path to avoid the two bodies descending from the ceiling.
When they reached the end of the wired rope they were still around 20ft off the ground.
Kix fearlessly deactivated his magnetic clamp. He fell the rest of the way as he spread his feet out and landed properly. The wire rope continued to fall as it started to wind back up on his Heavy work belt.
Arron took a deep breath and did the same.
Thunk! He successfully landed on the metal ground, his magnetic boots grabbing onto the ground to help him stay on his feet while the inner jell cushions softened the impact as much as they could.
“Could have been worse,” said Kix as he winced from the pain he felt in his legs.
Arron’s falling wire rope continued to whir loudly as it was wound back up.
Crack!
Looking up, Arron saw that the magnetic clamps at the end of the wire rope hit one of the flying drones sending it out of control and crashing into a nearby wall, where the metal box it was carrying was dislodged and someone’s ordered food was sent flying all over the metal floor below.
“Whoops.”
“Tooth I have a feeling the person that kidnapped the troubled suspect is somehow linked to a factory. Are there any nearby factories connected to this tunnel?”
“I know who you’re thinking about, unfortunately, there are none around where you are. The only thing I can see are several warehouses,” said Tooth.
“Let’s try the nearest one. Can you send a few security drones to scout out the warehouses connected to this tunnel?”
“Already on it. If I find anything I will let you know.”
Arron and Kix were stuck on where to go as they could find no traces on the worn and well-trodden metal tunnel floor.
Ping!
“Found the troubled target!” said Tooth. “Head north and take the 3rd right path exit. I have the warehouse they are hiding in marked on your map. You need to hurry up and take care of this problem now!”
“What happened?” asked Arron.
“I just found out that the news drones are out on the prowl searching for you and the Troubled suspect!”
“Damn stalkers!” shouted Kix.
They ran down the tunnel with loud clangs ringing out with each step they took. At the third right path exit, they started to run up the rising path until they reached a broken fence barricade that had been torn down.
“They definitely passed through here,” said Kix.
As they exited the underground tunnel a security drone flew down to Kix and dropped off his P.L.E right in front of him.
Arron checked the ammo in his gun as well as his armor to make sure everything was okay. Even though such actions wouldn’t do much to help him fight a mechanized worker bot. He would have to leave the main fight to Kix.
The map of the tunnels were deleted from his helmet’s database and quickly replaced with the standard city navigation map. But surprisingly Arron was still able to access the tunnel maps which had been downloaded to his implant.
He wasn’t too sure if this was legal but decided not to say anything about it to Kix lest they get into trouble.
“Backup is on the way. All you need to do is stall the kidnapper until they arrive to help disable the mechanized worker bot,” said Tooth.
“How long?” asked Kix.
“Ten minutes… maybe more.”
With Kix leading the way, Arron and a dozen security drones followed behind him as they ran to the side of the warehouse where a small side door was.
They did not want to enter the warehouse through the large half-open garage doors where several dozen drones were entering and leaving the warehouse all carrying wooden or metal boxes, it looked fine but one or more traps might have been set up to handle any pursuers.
One of the security drones flew up to the door and plugged into the door unlocking it. Kix and Arron did not enter first and allowed the security drones to enter first.
No lights were on inside the warehouse. The only light came from the open garage doors but it only lit up the front portion of the warehouse leaving the middle and rear area nearly pitch-black.
Arron could see hundreds of rows of tall shelves that rose several stories high each packed with store supplies, various boxes, and metal junk all of which disappeared into the darkness the further they walked into the warehouse.
Arron and Kix silently moved forward without using their helmet lights to stay undetected.
The soft hum of the many drones passing by above their heads was the only sound that they heard.
With his vision gone Arron was forced to switch his helmet’s vision to heat detection. The dark warehouse all around him turned into a dark and dull gray outlining all the rows of cold objects. High above them, bright white heat signatures outlined the flying drones as they passed by.
Several minutes passed as they walked deeper into the large cavernous warehouse, Arron made sure to keep a sharp look out for their target as they passed each row.
Creeeak!
“Look out!” shouted Arron using the helmet’s secure-coms as he jumped back.
A towering metal shelf was pushed over and crashed into the area they had been standing. Although Kix with his augmented legs of the PLE was able to react quickly, Arron was not as lucky and his legs were buried under several of the boxes that fell from the shelves.
The security drones started to shoot their riot control munition towards a large white glowing machine that stood near the toppled metal shelf. But It was useless, their attacks just bounced off its metal exterior.
“You idiots stop shooting me! I’m the victim here!” shouted a middle-aged man from inside the mechanized worker bot.
As Arron tried to free himself from the many boxes he scanned the mechanized worker bot that was in a standoff with Kix.
Beep! Troubled suspect found!
In the large metal clamp-like hands was Jepp who was struggling trying to escape.
“Mr. Saad, If you stop this foolishness we will put in a good word for you asking the Office of Reason to be lenient with you,” said Kix using his external speakers.
“What? You’re gonna send me to a re-learning camp while this s*** only gets a slap on the wrist and returns to the 4th level to hide for a while?” asked Saad angrily.
“That is not up to us to decide.”
“He should die. He killed my daughter!”
“It was an accident!” shouted Jepp.
“Shut your mouth! The way you left her body and the many wounds all over is enough to disprove your lies.”
Arron managed to squirm out from under the many boxes and rolled to one of the rows out of the reach of the mechanized worker bot. He checked his ammo belt for a second and then slammed in a magazine full of armor-piercing bullets.
“I’m going to kill him,” said Saad.
“Wait!” said Kix holding up his armored arm, “If you do that the office of reason will definitely bring down the hammer on you. Think of your other family members, they will also be affected by this.”
“There is no one else! My daughter was the only one I had left! I’m going to kill him!”
“Wait!”
This back and forth continued for nearly ten minutes and only stopped when bright spotlights shined into the warehouse as four M1 ERF exoskeletons marched down the rows all headed towards the mechanized worker bot.
Saad turned his attention to the newcomers and held out Jepp as a human shield.
“Don’t come any closer or I’ll kill him!”
“If you do not surrender we will shoot you. If that does not work we will cut your arm off and free him that way,” said Ward, his voice coming out of the external speakers of the exoskeleton’s helmet.
“Give up,” said Knox.
Saad looked back and forth between Kix and the four exoskeletons in front of him trying to decide what to do.
With a deep sigh full of helpless resentment Saad said, “I wish I had more courage to fully avenge my daughter’s death. I surrender.”
“Let the trouble target go,” said one of the exoskeletons.
“No! You’re going to shoot me if I do!”
“Fine, walk forward slowly,” said Ward.
“If you make any funny movements we will shoot,” said Knox.
The mechanized worker bot lowered its arm and stepped forward towards the four exoskeletons.
As it took a second step the junk now under both of its large feet caused Saad to lose his footing and fall forward.
Saad instinctively stretched out the mechanized worker bot’s arms to try and stop the fall…
Everyone gasped in horror at what they saw. It was not from the gruesome sight they had just seen but from the large can of worms that had just been opened!
There was no way to recover the troubled suspect anymore. Arron had seen it all with his own eyes.
As the Mechanized worker bot fell, Jepp had been severed in half by the metal clamp hands and then was crushed under the several tons of the Mechanized worker bot’s large body.
