The vanguard stood in the center of the intersection, its optics scanning each corridor in quick succession. From the shadows, an untold number of droids staggered out, their flickering optics and twisted frames casting eerie silhouettes on the corroded walls. They shuffled forward in ragged lines, filling the passageways from floor to ceiling, each form as broken and corrupted as the last.
A string of tactical calculations flooded Vanguard’s system, each probability flashing through its processors as it assessed the rapidly deteriorating situation. Each option, each strategy, was discarded as quickly as it appeared, the swarm’s overwhelming numbers narrowing Vanguard’s choices with brutal efficiency.
Finally, its system settled on the only viable option: a tactical retreat.
Without hesitation, Vanguard pivoted on its heel, spear angled defensively as it surged down the only corridor with a clear path. Behind it, the horde’s metallic footsteps quickened, their fractured voices echoing through the narrow hall.
Vanguard moved swiftly through the dim corridor, its optics focused on the narrow path ahead while the sound of grinding metal and garbled static from the pursuing horde grew louder with each step. Its sensors detected shifts in the air and faint heat signatures as more droids closed in from adjacent halls, converging into a chaotic mass that drove it further into the ship’s depths.
As the Vanguard looked towards another corridor where even more droids were coming from, it barely had time to register the shift in the air as something big and heavy was swung at it. The crude weapon missed its torso by inches, crashing into the wall beside it. The force of the strike sent vibrations through the metal floor, scattering a spray of sparks and dust.
Rolling out of the way, the Vanguard quickly turned its attention to the source of the attack, optics focusing on the hulking figure now blocking its path. Standing at nearly twice Vanguard’s height was an industrial droid, a massive, heavily-built machine designed for tasks that required immense strength and endurance. Its frame was reinforced with thick plating, though years of neglect had turned its once-bright hazard yellow to a grimy, rust-streaked brown. Deep gouges and dents covered its outer shell while long, black streaks ran across it.
Where its left arm should have been, a plasma cutter had been roughly mounted, jury-rigged with heavy cables that wound up its arm and attached directly into its power core. The plasma cutter was large and crudely modified, its casing partially exposed and lined with cracks that pulsed faintly as it powered up. The weapon was damaged—its original function compromised—but as Vanguard had just witnessed, it still wielded enough force to shatter steel if used as a blunt instrument. The cutter’s nozzle was jagged and scorched, remnants of past uses evident in the burn marks that scarred the surrounding metal.
The industrial droid advanced, the flickering red of its optic unblinking as it raised the plasma cutter high and swung down with crushing force. Vanguard sidestepped just in time, the massive weapon slamming into the ground beside it, scattering sparks and sending a shockwave through the floor that rattled Vanguard’s sensors. The plasma cutter gouged a jagged mark into the metal, its impact leaving a smoldering dent that glowed faintly in the darkened corridor.
Vanguard’s optics darted around, assessing possible escape routes. The sounds of shuffling and garbled static from the horde grew louder, echoing closer with each passing second, the broken machines tightening their circle from behind. It had seconds to act, with only one clear path left: forward, past the industrial droid itself.
The massive machine reared back, raising the cutter once more, ready to strike. As it swung down in a wide arc, Vanguard seized the moment. Calculating the timing perfectly, it dove low, sliding beneath the droid’s arm as the plasma cutter whooshed inches above, slicing through empty air. The force of the swing carried the droid off balance, its heavy frame lumbering forward as it adjusted.
In that brief moment of distraction, Vanguard scrambled to its feet and took off down the corridor, its servos whirring as it surged past the industrial droid. But before it had made it far, a low hum rose from behind, followed by an intense, crackling sound. Vanguard’s sensors flared in warning as the plasma cutter powered up, sparks igniting along the weapon’s exposed wiring.
The industrial droid straightened, a menacing red glow filling its optic as it tracked Vanguard’s retreat. Then, with a harsh mechanical roar, the droid activated the plasma cutter’s core. In an instant, a searing blue stream of plasma erupted from the cutter, the intense energy streaking down the corridor in a blinding arc. The molten stream seared through the air, melting floor panels and leaving trails of glowing slag wherever it touched.
Vanguard just barely rounded the corner as the plasma stream struck the wall behind it, sending molten metal cascading down in thick, glowing rivulets. It paused for a split second, optics locking onto the smoldering crater where the wall had been partially melted, the edges still glowing red-hot from the impact. The plasma had torn through the alloy like paper and the vanguard dreaded what would have happened had it hit it instead.
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Steeling itself, Vanguard turned to continue its escape, only to come to an abrupt halt. The corridor in front was completely blocked, twisted wreckage and debris piled high, forming an impassable barricade. Calculations flashed across its HUD as it analyzed the environment, each second ticking by as the noises of the approaching droids grew louder. In an uncharacteristic moment of desperation, Vanguard scanned frantically, its optics sweeping the walls, floor, and ceiling for any possible escape route.
That’s when it spotted it—a ventilation cover bolted to the wall just a few feet up. It was small, just big enough to fit through if it could squeeze in, but it was the only path forward. Vanguard didn’t waste a second, lunging toward the vent. With the horde just around the corner, it focused every ounce of energy into its servos, straining to pull the cover from the wall. Metal groaned in protest, the cover held fast for a moment before finally, with a loud snap, the rusted screws gave way, and the cover clattered to the floor.
Without looking back, Vanguard threw itself into the narrow shaft, the sound of scraping metal filling the space as it squeezed its frame through the tight opening. Just as it pulled its last leg into the vent, the industrial droid rounded the corner, its red optic locking onto the shaft as the swarm of broken droids crowded in behind it. For a moment, they all stood there, searching the corridor for their target, unaware of Vanguard’s narrow escape.
***
Vanguard crawled through the narrow vent, the confined space pressing close around it. Each movement required precision; its frame barely fit within the vent, forcing it to move slowly to avoid making noise. The metal walls seemed to amplify every creak and shift, and the only light was the faint glow from its optics, casting distorted shadows on the vent’s walls as it moved. The further it went, the quieter the sounds of the horde became, until only the faintest echoes of clanging metal and static-filled murmurs reached its sensors.
But while it had put distance between itself and the swarm, a new problem began to arise. The electrical interference that had plagued it earlier grew stronger, filling the confined space with a constant static that made its HUD glitch and sensors flicker. The readings became erratic, and faint lines of corrupted code began flashing across its display as if fighting for control over its systems.
It tried to recalibrate, re-routing power to its reinforced shielding, but each adjustment barely held against the onslaught. Lines of static laced with bursts of electricity flickered across its HUD, glitching and distorting its display.
This shouldn’t have been possible. Genesis had explicitly reinforced its systems to combat exactly this kind of interference, yet the field here was overwhelming, far more powerful than anything it had encountered elsewhere on the ship. The shielding was meant to buffer minor fields or low-grade distortions from malfunctioning equipment, but whatever source lay nearby was penetrating even the reinforced layers, almost as though it were actively bypassing every barrier Vanguard had.
Its systems registered an uncharacteristic unease, an unexpected reaction to the unknown. Recalculations were slow and fragmented, requiring precious seconds just to stabilize itself against the constant buzzing pressure within its circuits.
Vanguard initiated another recalibration sequence, attempting to dampen the interference that crawled through its systems. It worked through the sequence meticulously, adjusting each sensor, trying to force stability back into its HUD. But even as it recalibrated, the interference continued to distort its display, glitching its vision with static-laden bursts.
Just as it reached the last sequence, a deep, ominous groan reverberated through the vent. Vanguard’s frame tensed, servos locking as it registered the noise—a sound it recognized as structural fatigue. The metal beneath it shuddered, bolts creaking and popping as the vent shifted, sagging under its weight.
Before it could react, the vent gave out completely. The floor snapped with a loud crack, and Vanguard was plunged downward in a shower of dust and broken metal, its optics flashing as it tumbled through the gap. The impact rattled its frame, dazing it as it tried to catch its bearings amid a pile of twisted vent shards and debris.
Vanguard lay still for a moment, its systems scrambling to process the fall and recalibrate. Its optics flickered before stabilizing, casting a dim glow across the unfamiliar room. Gradually, its sensors registered its surroundings, taking in details with an unusual clarity. Unlike the decayed corridors and rusted machinery, it had encountered throughout the ship, this room was almost pristine.
Dust coated every surface in a fine, undisturbed layer, but there were no signs of corrosion or damage. Shelves lined the walls, stacked neatly with tools, components, and neatly organized data logs, as if awaiting an engineer who had long since departed. In the silence, Vanguard could almost sense a faint hum in the air, a residual energy that lingered here, somehow shielded from the interference that had plagued it moments before.
Speaking of the interference, Vanguard diverted a portion of its processing power to run a quick diagnostic to make sure nothing was broken in the fall. Thankfully nothing was but to its surprise, the static-laden disruptions that had plagued its sensors just moments before had entirely disappeared. The electrical interference that had nearly overwhelmed its systems in the vent was now absent, as if this space existed in a pocket isolated from the rest of the ship’s decay. This room was undisturbed by the powerful fields outside, shielded in some way that Vanguard’s sensors couldn’t immediately explain.
Satisfied that no damage had occurred in the fall, Vanguard refocused its attention on the strange environment. This room felt almost impossibly well-preserved, its contents neatly organized and untouched, untouched by the relentless decay that had corroded the rest of the ship. Every tool and component rested in precise rows, meticulously ordered, as if awaiting a return that would never come. A fine layer of dust covered everything, but nothing showed signs of rust or wear.
Curious, Vanguard’s optics scanned the walls and ceiling, tracing the path of a thick network of insulated cables that snaked along the floor and up the walls, converging toward the back of the room. The cables formed an intricate web, each connection routed purposefully, with a level of detail it recognized as a high-security setup. It followed the path with its gaze, each cable connecting to something massive suspended in the center of the back wall, reinforced by multiple layers of alloy plating.
As Vanguard’s optics adjusted, the outline of a large, dormant structure became clear. Embedded within it was a cylindrical casing, dark and silent, its reinforced glass core obscured but faintly pulsing with a dim red glow. It took only a fraction of a second for Vanguard’s systems to identify the unmistakable form.
Sitting at the far end of the room and suspended by dozens of cables was an AI core.