Kovacs limped through the crumbling streets of the industrial district, the distant hum of the approaching mecha growing louder. The city was old—decaying steel towers and rusted pipes loomed overhead, casting deep shadows across the cracked pavement. Their footsteps echoed off the walls, adding to the tension.
"Two hours," Kovacs muttered, voice tense. "We’ve been running for two hours, and they’re still behind us."
Agent Prentis cast a wary glance over his shoulder, his breathing ragged. His black tactical gear was smeared with grime, and sweat glistened on his forehead. "They move fast for a small unit. Too fast. Whoever’s controlling them knows what they’re doing."
Kovacs nodded though his mind was racing. The enemy mecha were too well-coordinated, too precise. They had to use advanced systems— only a handful of people knew how to design. "That’s the problem," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "They know *exactly* what they’re doing. They’re not hunting us… they’re hunting me."
Prentis glanced at him sharply. "Why you?"
Kovacs didn’t answer right away. He adjusted the pack slung over his shoulder, the weight of fear nearly overloading him.
"I don’t know, Prentis," Kovacs finally replied, his voice grim. "They wiped out the college. I was a student; I had materials, designs for weapons, and mecha. I don’t know how they could know I have them."
Prentis cursed under his breath. "So that’s what this is about. Damn it, Kovacs, why didn’t you tell me sooner?"
"There wasn’t time," Kovacs said, shaking his head. "And besides, would it have changed anything? We’d still be running."
They turned a corner, skidding to a halt as they nearly collided with a crumbling wall, a dead-end alley. Kovacs cursed silently as he glanced at his handheld device. The city map flickered on the screen, showing the tunnel system beneath them—a sprawling web of underground maintenance shafts. It was their only chance.
"This way," Kovacs said, motioning toward a steel hatch embedded in the ground near a forgotten loading dock. The hatch was covered in rust, barely visible under a pile of debris, but he could make out the faint outline of the maintenance symbol.
Prentis looked skeptical. "You’re sure about this? We don’t even know what’s down there."
"Does it matter?" Kovacs shot back. "Up here, we know what’s coming—giant, armored death machines."
Prentis hesitated, then nodded. "Fair point."
They moved quickly, Kovacs prying the hatch open with a crowbar he found lying nearby. The metal groaned in protest, but after a few seconds, it gave way, revealing a dark, narrow shaft that plunged into the depths below. The smell of damp concrete and stale air wafted up, but Kovacs didn’t hesitate.
"You go first," Kovacs said, pushing Prentis toward the opening. "I’ll follow."
Prentis gave him a wary look before dropping down into the darkness. Kovacs followed, wincing as pain shot through his hip when he hit the ladder rungs, his leg stiffening. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to focus. Once inside, Kovacs closed the hatch, plunging them into near-total darkness.
The only light came from their handheld devices, casting faint blue glows across the narrow tunnel. The walls were lined with old wiring and rusted pipes, and the floor was slick with moisture. Kovacs swiped his handheld to scan the map again, adjusting for their new position underground.
"We’ll follow this shaft about three klicks south," he whispered, his voice echoing slightly. "It connects to an old maintenance bay—big enough to hide out for a bit and maybe find transport."
"Assuming they don’t know about these tunnels," Prentis muttered, his breath misting in the cold underground air. "What if they have drones?"
"They might," Kovacs admitted, "but we’re banking on them being focused on the surface. They probably don’t even know these tunnels exist—half the city’s forgotten."
Prentis nodded but didn’t seem reassured. They moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing softly down the shaft. As they descended deeper, Kovacs’ thoughts drifted back to his designs. They had been a comfort to him, a way to make money and earn design points for the system. He longed to let his mind drift into the system interface and design. A comforting task he couldn't allow himself.
Suddenly, Prentis stopped, raising a hand. "Did you hear that?"
Kovacs froze, listening intently. The faint hum of something mechanical echoed through the tunnel, growing louder with each passing second. His heart sank. It wasn’t just the distant noise of the surface battle anymore—this was closer, sharper.
"Drones," Kovacs whispered. "They found us."
Prentis’ eyes widened. "We need to move—now!"
They broke into a sprint, the narrow tunnel forcing them to move in single file. Kovacs’ limp made it hard to keep pace, but the urgency pushed him forward. Behind them, the mechanical whine grew louder, echoing off the tunnel walls like an approaching storm.
Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!
"How much farther?" Prentis yelled over his shoulder.
"Half a klick!" Kovacs gasped, sweat pouring down his face. His leg screamed in pain, but he pushed it aside, focusing on the map in his head. The maintenance bay was just ahead—a large chamber that might give them enough space to make a stand or figure out their next move.
They reached the bay entrance, an old rusted door hanging loosely on its hinges. Kovacs shoved it open, and they stumbled inside. The bay was massive, lined with ancient machinery and stacks of forgotten crates. It smelled of oil and decay, but it was their only hope.
"Seal the door!" Kovacs ordered, rushing to one of the consoles. Prentis jammed a heavy metal pipe through the door handles, reinforcing it.
Kovacs’ fingers flew across the console, accessing the bay’s long-dormant systems. The lights flickered to life, casting a dim glow across the room. "We might have a shot," he muttered, pulling up the security feed.
On the screen, a swarm of drones hovered at the tunnel’s entrance.
Kovacs stared at the flickering security feed, his heart pounding as he watched the swarm of enemy drones—sleek, black machines with razor-sharp rotors and glowing red optics—hover just outside the tunnel entrance. The buzzing of their engines reverberated through the walls, growing louder with each passing second. They hadn't found the hatch yet, but it wouldn’t take long.
"How long until they find us?" Prentis asked, his voice low but taut with fear.
Kovacs wiped the sweat from his brow. "Not long. We need to find another way out—fast."
Prentis paced anxiously, scanning the old maintenance bay, its rusted equipment, and ancient crates offering no obvious solutions. "Can we barricade ourselves in? Maybe use some of this junk to block the entrance?"
Kovacs shook his head. "It won’t hold them for long. Those drones are designed for search-and-destroy missions. They’ll tear through anything we put in their way."
Frustration gnawed at him as he limped toward a nearby console, an old security terminal coated in dust. He wiped it off and powered it on, hoping against hope it was still operational. The screen flickered to life, lines of outdated code scrolling across the display.
"Old security system," Kovacs muttered, half to himself. "If we’re lucky, there’s something we can use."
Prentis frowned, moving closer. "What are you looking for?"
"Anything," Kovacs replied, his fingers flying over the cracked keyboard. "Surveillance feeds, doors we can lock, maybe even—"
His words trailed off as he pulled up an old schematic of the maintenance bay. It showed the various equipment still stored in the facility, including something that caught his attention: an inactive security drone tucked away in a forgotten storage room.
"Bingo," Kovacs whispered, eyes widening.
"What is it?" Prentis asked.
"A drone," Kovacs replied, a flicker of hope in his voice. "An old security model—probably hasn’t been used in years, but if we can power it up, it might give us a fighting chance."
Prentis’ eyes lit up. "You think it still works?"
"We’re about to find out." Kovacs quickly tapped into the drone’s control systems, working to bring it online. The screen sputtered, and for a moment, Kovacs feared the drone was too far gone. But then, with a low hum, the ancient machine’s status lights blinked to life.
"There," Kovacs said, a grim smile tugging at his lips. "It’s operational."
The security drone, a bulky, outdated model with thick armor plating and a small arsenal of mounted weapons, stirred in its dock on the bay's far side. Dust fell from its frame as it powered up, its single red optic blinking to life.
"It’s not much," Kovacs admitted, "but it’s better than nothing."
Prentis nodded, already looking at the security feed. "Those enemy drones are almost at the entrance. Can this thing hold them off?"
Kovacs glanced at the drone’s specifications on the console. "It’s slow and old, but it’s armed with enough firepower to give them a run for their money. If we play this right, it might buy us the time we need to escape."
Prentis stood beside him, his expression tense but determined. "What’s the plan?"
Kovacs quickly outlined his idea. "We’ll activate the drone and send it to the tunnel entrance. It can hold them off while we slip out the back. Another maintenance shaft connects to the transit station a few klicks south. If we make it there, we might be able to find a means of transport and get out of the city."
Prentis nodded. "And if the drone doesn’t hold?"
"Then we’re out of options," Kovacs replied grimly. "But it’s better than waiting here for those things to find us."
He activated the drone, directing it toward the entrance as its heavy metal frame lumbered into motion. The old machine moved slowly, its joints creaking as it made its way through the bay. Kovacs watched on the security feed as it positioned itself at the entrance to the tunnel, its weapons systems spinning up.
"Here goes nothing," Kovacs muttered, his heart pounding.
The enemy drones drew closer, their optics sweeping over the hatch that led to the maintenance bay. Just as the first of them hovered near the entrance, Kovacs gave the command, and the security drone opened fire. The tunnel lit up with flashes of muzzle fire as bullets tore through the air, smashing into the lead drone. Sparks flew as the enemy unit crashed to the ground in a heap of smoking metal.
Prentis let out a low whistle. "It’s holding them off."
"For now," Kovacs said, glued to the feed. The security drone was tough, but it wouldn’t last forever. The enemy drones were agile, darting around the tunnel entrance, searching for weaknesses in its defenses.
"We need to move," Kovacs urged, grabbing his pack. "This thing can’t hold them off for long."
Prentis nodded, and together, they hurried toward the far side of the bay, where the maintenance shaft lay hidden behind a stack of rusted crates. Kovacs pried open the rusted hatch, and they descended into the darkness below, leaving the security drone to fight a hopeless battle above.
As they moved deeper into the tunnels, gunfire and explosions echoed through the walls, growing fainter with each step.
"Think it’ll be enough?" Prentis asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.
Kovacs didn’t answer immediately. His leg throbbed painfully as they trudged through the narrow shaft, but he forced himself to keep going. "Maybe," he said finally, his voice hollow. "It doesn’t have to stop them—just slow them down."
Prentis gave a grim nod, and they pressed on in silence, the flickering light from their handheld devices guiding the way. The cold air of the underground tunnels bit at their skin, but neither cared. All that mattered now was survival.
The sound of the drones grew distant, and for the first time in hours, Kovacs allowed himself to hope. But as they moved deeper into the maze of tunnels, he knew one thing for sure.
The enemy wasn’t going to stop hunting them.
And they were running out of places to hide.