Far behind them, another powerful explosion ripped through the air, weaving into the chaotic symphony already playing out throughout the Factory.

[Nailed it! The trap in the workshop worked, yeah!]

[Right, the whole squad of five protes. Possible wounded, some might even be killed. Stay focused, stick to the plan. Big One and the recon drones go ahead. Dasha, Alisa — you’re on transporting the hardware and the fliers. Nika and I will cover. Move!] Maksim commanded.

By this time, they had ventured deep into the “canyon” formed by the closely packed concrete storage units. Overhead, this narrow passage was securely shielded from drones and satellites by a tangle of pipes, walkways, coverings, crossbeams, cables, plastic bridges, and grates. This allowed Maksim’s team to move quickly, without encountering any attackers so far, though they still kept their guard up, covering the air and watching each other’s backs. No one wanted to catch a bullet or have a kamikaze drone land at their feet right at the end of their path.

Suddenly, a hatch from one of the utility ducts crisscrossing the canyon above crashed to the ground with a deafening clang. A swarm of small drones poured out of the opening.

The team wasn’t caught off guard — Maksim immediately took cover behind a concrete barrier, while Redhead, with a particularly agile leap, darted forward, finding refuge in a niche in the wall. A split second later, a hail of gunfire erupted against the attackers — ground bots joined Max and Nika in the barrage.

[Alisa, Dasha — keep moving, the path ahead is clear. We’ll catch up! Maintain air control!]

Hearing the command, the girls sprinted forward along with CaTZ, half the bots, most of the drones, and the roboplatform loaded with cargo.

Unfortunately, it was impossible to take down all the attacking machines immediately. To make matters worse, this was just a distraction. While Max, Nika, and the bots were focused on the drones, several wide tips of flexible manipulator tubes appeared from above, over the high walls. Small projectiles, resembling tiny grenades, flew toward them, detonating at their feet with a series of sharp clicks and filling the air with a strong scent of ozone.

These devices, even in small quantities, were effective against unprepared cyborgs and unshielded robotics. And if there were enough charges, not every electromagnetic defense could hold up. Such bombs didn’t last long; their energy usually ran out after about fifteen minutes…

[Fucking... immobilizers,] Nika groaned as her legs gave out beneath her. [Max, I’m rebooting — EMP protection on my legs got breached. Twenty seconds! But I need to crawl out of here, those things are still active!]

[Got it, covering you!]

Most of their drone swarm, consisting of civilian models, couldn’t withstand the electromagnetic pulses and crashed to the ground. But the key units held, so the System didn’t lose the tactical map. In fact, it managed to regain control of the situation, bringing up targeting markers in AR that improved Max and Redhead’s shooting accuracy.

Though Nika had fallen to the ground, she hadn’t slipped out of her niche and continued to fire, allowing them to quickly eliminate the Protectorate drones that had flooded in.

Judging by the boom behind them, one of the mines they had planted had gone off... Perhaps someone had walked into a trap, or maybe it was just being neutralized. Unfortunately, there was no way to tell — there were no EMP-shielded drones in that area. But it was clear more squads were on their trail.

Maksim dashed toward Redhead, aiming to drag her away from the scattered immobilizers, but he was forced to press himself against the wall. A bullet from a hidden sniper struck the ground in front of him, sending a spray of concrete dust into the air. A fraction of a second later, a small, translucent red sphere flickered in the AR at the impact point. The System was apparently trying to adjust the display of danger zones, analyzing the situation in real-time.

[Kurwa, they want to take us alive,] Nika shouted in conference, snapping her rifle up and trying to zero in on the sniper’s position.

[We can’t stay here! They might have already flanked us from the rooftops and could be going after Alisa and Dasha!] Maksim dropped his backpack, and unhooked a coil of steel cable with a carabiner attached — something he had brought along just in case.

[What are you planning to do?] Redhead fired a few shots at potential hiding spots but didn’t hit anyone.

[Hook this to the loop on your armor vest! I’ll set off a smoke bomb and pull you out!]

Nika raised her rifle and opened fire — at the far end of the corridor, Protectorate operatives emerged from around the corner, using mobile shields for cover. It seemed the mines at the entrance either hadn’t triggered or had been successfully neutralized.

In response to the gunfire, the attackers swiftly ducked behind their shields, and a series of bright flashes erupted — an entire volley of flashbangs was unleashed.

Maksim’s protective helmet and implants managed to cope, but he was still blinded for a few precious seconds as he dove behind a bot for cover. Without missing a beat, he fired blindly just above head height, remembering that Nika was still sitting on the ground.

The gradual return of his hearing confirmed it — she was still firing back.

[Got it! Pull me out!]

[On it! Hang tight!] Maksim shouted, his vision slowly coming back. Pressing against the wall, he slowly retreated backward, gripping the cable tightly in his hands.

At that moment, the attackers switched tactics, hurling large, furiously smoking cylinders instead of grenades.

The weak T2 AI of the armor beeped briefly, indicating that control had been fully taken over by the System.

@SYSTEM: Alert! Neurotoxic gas detected! Activated protective filter. Cartridge life: ten minutes remaining.

A bright red gas alarm mediaglyph with a countdown timer appeared in the corner, ticking down the remaining time.

“We’ll make it through!” Max thought, retreating around the corner. The light filters on his helmet finally eased, and he could see the situation clearly.

@SYSTEM: Safe route to the extraction point established. Eliminate the two remaining Protectorate operatives before retreating.

The AI, processing data from the drones, marked Nika’s position, now obscured by a cloud of smoke, and highlighted the most likely locations of the remaining foes on the map and in AR.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get to eliminate them, just need to haul Nika out first.” Adjusting his grip on the cable, Maksim braced himself and began to pull.

Suddenly, flames burst out from around the corner, triggering the helmet’s light filters again. The heat wave hit him even through his protective armor and helmet. The explosion and its roar were so powerful it felt like the walls would collapse.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The cable in his hands went slack.

“Fuck!” Maksim got frightened, frantically pulling in the loose cable. But all he managed to retrieve was a charred, blood-soaked piece of Nika’s armor vest, with the carabiner still attached.

“Fuck!” He slammed his gloved hand against the wall in frustration. “How the hell...”

Before he could act, more gray clouds of neurotoxic gas billowed out from around the corner. He braced himself to rush back and find Nika, but then, from the direction where Alisa and Dasha had gone, the sound of gunfire erupted!

@SYSTEM: Critical situation: Ambush (stealth-field type) detected! Engaging plan “Neutralization 2-4”. Immediate support required.

The System didn’t give Maksim even a second to assess the situation or decide on a course of action. The detailed alert about the ambush revealed that both Dasha and Alisa were caught in a serious electromagnetic attack. The android’s body had been shut down by protective automation and was about to reboot. Dasha was also out of contact — her implants had likely been temporarily disabled.

Maksim turned to run toward Alisa, but a message from Redhead came through:

[I’m alive, just wounded! You almost got me out; I can crawl now. Legs are back online!]

Gunfire erupted almost immediately after.

[Max, they’re pinning me down!]

[On it!]

The silhouettes of the two remaining Protectorate soldiers were highlighted in augmented reality. Moreover, translucent figures in the form of sectors, elongated rectangles, and circles appeared on the ground. These shapes constantly shifted, trembled, their gradient fill intensifying and fading as they moved.

“The System is trying to implement visual telegraphs. Incredible how fast she’s adapting!” Maksim surmised. “Once she gets the hang of it, this will be one of the most important and valuable tools!”

He dashed into the smoke cloud, desperately weaving through the dynamic chaos of AR figures. None of them was touched, and it paid off – despite the heavy suppressive fire, the enemy couldn’t land a hit on him.

Just a bit further! A large leap, touch down, brace, fire – a short burst of three rounds.

Immediately, Max lunged to the side. “The telegraph” circle flared red on the floor, as incoming bullets kicked up dust and concrete chips.

But the guy was already in a different spot. Other short burst, then another.

Got one!

The Protectorate soldier staggered, took a few steps, then collapsed.

At that moment, Nika leaned out of her hiding spot and fired a long burst from the ground, forcing the last assailant to focus on her. Maksim seized the opportunity.

BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!

The shield took two bullets, but the enemy’s awkward position left them vulnerable — the remaining three shots hit their mark with deadly precision.

Maksim rushed to Nikola, quickly assessing her condition. She was indeed wounded, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. The armor on her right side had taken a hit, then was thoroughly shredded by shrapnel. Some fragments had grazed her ribs, leaving deep cuts, but miraculously, none had struck anything vital. Yes, she was bleeding heavily, and each breath sent sharp pain through her chest, but she could still move.

The medical system integrated into her cyber-core had already done its job; she’d need more treatment in a calmer environment, but for now, the priority was to get to safety as quickly as possible.

Her armor, however, was another story. The whole set, severely weakened by the damage, had given way under the strain. Nika couldn’t help with her hands, and her legs were barely functioning. As a result, when Max yanked the cable hard, the armor gave way, and he ended up tearing off a large, bloodied piece along with the loop.

Nika silently exhaled and tried to stand, though her cyber-legs weren’t responding well. She swayed, but Maksim was already there, catching her before she would fall.

[Thanks, Her Holy Brightness – alive! How are you? Can you walk?]

[I can even run,] Nikola grimaced in pain but stubbornly clenched her teeth. [We’ll deal with the rest later. I can see Alisa and Dasha are caught in an ambush.]

Maksim nodded and they sprinted toward the source of the earlier gunfire.

Rounding another corner, the guy slung his rifle over his shoulder, pulled out the two smart grenades he had left, and carefully placed them on the ground. He set the delay to ten seconds, with detonation triggered by motion sensors.

The gunfire ahead had ceased, leaving only the option to dash forward, racing to cover the last stretch toward a small clearing where they were supposed to go down.

So, they sprinted through a straight, short corridor leading to the widened area of the “canyon.” It was something like a plaza, partially shielded by various engineering structures.

Maksim leaped the final meters, skidding to a stop at the plaza’s entrance. Crouching low and raising his rifle, he cautiously advanced.

The aftermath of a fierce battle was immediately evident — clouds of smoke lingered in the air, and the sharp smell of gunpowder hit him as his helmet’s protective filters temporarily shut down to conserve their limited resources. The ground was littered with debris from drones and bots, both from the attackers and their own “partisan” units. Unfortunately, almost all the machines were down, with only Big One still standing, though its armor was severely dented.

But the most terrifying sight was the evidence of multiple electromagnetic bombs that had gone off.

@SYSTEM: Air Alert!

@SYSTEM: Attention! Protectorate aircraft approaching!

The plaza was suddenly cast in shadow, and Maksim looked up to see the open “belly” of an approaching transport ship, from which hung a large steel cage-like structure. Its purpose was unmistakable — besides the metal bars, it bristled with massive blocks, thick tubes, and numerous power cables.

“A special electromagnetic prison for Alisa!” Maksim realized, noting that the system was still showing markers for his sister and Daria on the tactical map.

The guy shifted to the left to get a clearer view, as a fallen metal structure had been blocking his line of sight. His eyes quickly locked onto the paralyzed form of the girl-android lying on the ground.

At the opposite edge of the plaza, he spotted Dasha, who was unsteadily trying to operate the platform carrying the reactor and other equipment. Vasilevskaya wasn’t connected to the network yet — her implants hadn’t fully rebooted.

@SYSTEM: Warning! Protectorate strike drones incoming — 4 seconds!

Maksim fired a single shot into the air to get Dasha’s attention, then motioned for her to take cover. He and Nika braced themselves for the incoming attack.

With a roar, a swarm of combat drones appeared, only to be met by brief, precise bursts of fire aimed at the AR markers — ammo was running low, and every shot had to count. Big One and the remaining ground bots joined in the defense immediately.

The Protectorate drones retaliated. Maksim noticed a warning telegraph from the System right at his feet and tried to dive for cover.

Plastic and metal fragments exploded in front of him, and the shrapnel first tore through the armor on his left thigh, then viciously sank into the flesh beneath. Gritting his teeth, he dropped into a crouch on his right leg and managed to slip away from the line of fire.

[I’m hit — left thigh!] Maksim reported tersely in the team conference.

The drones also targeted Nika, but she managed to leap away using her boosters, firing a quick burst mid-air before landing behind cover. Bullets pinged off the metal around her, sparking as they hit, but for now, she was safe. Blood dripped from her reopened wounds, staining the concrete.

Maksim’s remaining drones began evasive maneuvers. While two were shot down, the rest managed to stay airborne.

For some reason, the Protectorate wasn’t focusing on Dasha, who had taken cover as the guy had instructed. She was now crouched behind a large concrete block, having pulled out her sniper rifle.

[Max, Nika! Shoot down the cage!] Alisa’s voice crackled through the network, her system having completed its reboot.

[Drones!] Maksim commanded.

Nika successfully took down two drones that tried to flank her from a wide angle.

Maksim quickly switched targets to the Protectorate transport ship. He aimed, fired a short burst — emptying the remainder of his magazine into the transport’s open hatch. Sparks and smoke erupted from the transport; he must have hit something critical. The aircraft wobbled and dragged to the right, but managed to stabilize, preparing to return to its position.

Worse still, after a brief hesitation, the cage began to descend.

Reloading — only one magazine left!

Nika briefly exposed herself, aimed according to the AR guidance, and fired a short burst of three rounds. She successfully brought down another drone, leaving only one in the air.

Meanwhile, Dasha, pale but with a determined look in her eyes, had already set up her sniper rifle on the bipod, resting it atop the concrete block.

She flicked off the safety, aimed for half a second, and squeezed the trigger.

The bullet struck the locking mechanism at the top of the cage. The device shattered, and the entire structure plummeted to the ground, crashing down with a thunderous noise, missing everyone.

By this time, Maksim had finished reloading, but the Protectorate transport, not waiting for another attack, veered sharply to the left and rapidly gained altitude.

With a single shot, the guy took down the last remaining drone. At that moment, Daria reconnected to the team channel, her electronics having finished rebooting.

[I’m okay, no damage. Dasha, that was an excellent shot,] Alisa’s voice came through, sounding relieved.

[WhonderStar, how did you manage such precision? I couldn’t have done it better!] Maksim added.

[I... don’t know. It was... kind of instinctual, like working in Deep VR. Yeah...] Dasha replied, still a bit stunned by what she had just done.

[Well, it worked, and that’s what matters. Now let’s move — there’s a descent point nearby. Nika, help me with the cart. It looks like its ‘brains’ are fried; we’ll have to push it manually...]