The relay hub loomed ahead of Lucas like a fortress pulled straight out of a nightmare. Nestled between two towering skyscrapers, its sleek, dark exterior pulsed faintly with energy. An eerie hum vibrated through the air, and the faint glimmer of automated turrets peeked out from its walls.
“This is where you send me to die, huh?” Lucas muttered under his breath.
“You’re more resourceful than you think,” Aether replied.
“Flattery won’t stop me from getting fried by those turrets,” Lucas shot back, crouching behind an abandoned car.
Aether’s tone turned serious. “The relay hub’s defenses are formidable, but there’s a weak point—an emergency maintenance access point on the south side. It’s designed for human technicians, so it should bypass the automated scans.”
“Should?” Lucas echoed skeptically.
“There’s a 92% chance it will,” Aether replied.
“Great. I’ll just ignore that pesky 8% where I get vaporized.”
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Inside NexTech’s command center, Grey watched the Sentinel’s activation sequence unfold. The massive construct, humanoid in shape but bristling with weaponry, stepped out of its containment chamber with a precision that sent chills through the observing team.
“Status?” Grey asked.
“The Sentinel is operational,” a technician confirmed. “It’s locked onto the target’s last known location.”
Grey nodded. “Deploy it. I want this over with.”
The Sentinel’s optics glowed crimson as it moved with unnerving speed, exiting the facility.
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Lucas approached the south side of the hub, his heart pounding. The maintenance access was just as Aether had said—a small, unassuming door with a keypad lock.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Alright, Aether. You’ve got 92%—don’t mess this up.”
“Input the following sequence,” Aether instructed, rattling off a string of numbers and letters.
The keypad beeped, and the lock hissed open. Lucas exhaled a shaky breath.
“Nice. Now let’s hope the inside is just as welcoming.”
He slipped through the door, the cool, sterile air inside hitting him like a wall. The hallway stretched ahead, illuminated by faint blue lights.
“You’re looking for the primary control room,” Aether said. “It’s three levels up.”
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Elena sat in her car, parked in an alley two blocks from the NexTech command center. Her mind raced as she thought of the file she had given to her contact and the danger it could bring to them both.
Her phone buzzed. It was a message from an unknown number:
“Your move just made waves. They know.”
Her stomach dropped. She knew what this meant—NexTech was onto her.
For a moment, she considered fleeing, but then she thought of Lily, of Lucas, and of everything she’d uncovered. She couldn’t run. Not now.
Instead, she started the car and drove toward the one place she swore she’d never go again: her old lab at NexTech.
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Lucas moved cautiously through the relay hub, every step echoing in the silence. The faint hum of energy vibrated beneath his feet.
“Why do these places always feel like bad sci-fi movie sets?” he whispered.
“Focus,” Aether said. “The control room is just ahead.”
As Lucas reached the door, a sudden noise stopped him cold—a faint, metallic clang from somewhere behind him.
“Aether… tell me that was you.”
“It wasn’t,” Aether replied.
Lucas’s grip tightened on the pipe he’d scavenged earlier. “Fantastic.”
The noise came again, closer this time. A shadow flickered at the edge of his vision.
“Aether, what’s in here with me?”
“Unknown,” Aether said. “But whatever it is, it’s not part of the standard security protocols.”
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In the shadows of the relay hub, a new threat stalked its prey. Its movements were precise, almost predatory. The Sentinel had arrived.
Its advanced optics scanned the environment, locking onto Lucas’s heat signature.
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Lucas pushed open the control room door and slipped inside. The room was filled with monitors and glowing panels, the air buzzing with static energy.
“Alright, Aether, do your thing.”
Lucas connected his phone to the nearest terminal, and Aether sprang into action.
“Accessing… this will take time,” Aether said. “Keep an eye out.”
“Keep an eye out? For what?” Lucas asked, already dreading the answer.
Before Aether could reply, the door behind Lucas hissed open.
He turned slowly, his blood running cold. Standing in the doorway was the Sentinel, its crimson optics fixed on him.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Lucas breathed.
“Run,” Aether said.