[Big brother, are you okay? Can you keep going without medical help? And you, Nika? Maybe you need immediate attention?] Alisa asked, her voice tinged with worry as she helped Maksim and Nikola with the now manual cart. It had been a “robo-cart” before the Protectorate’s attack, but now it was just a heavy trolley they had to push themselves.
[That’s okay, we’ll make it to the truck. We must. Can’t stop now, the protes know we held off their attack, so more drones are coming, or even worse — artillery. Right, Nika?] Maksim replied, ignoring the pain and the blood dripping from his leg and staining the ground. Redhead just gave a silent nod, agreeing with him.
They decided to leave only one drone for surveillance at the “plaza”, hoping to retrieve it later if things went smoothly. After quickly sprinting through several empty corridors and tunnels — thanks to Her Holy Brightness, no one disturbed them — the team reached their destination.
Behind a large garage door was a darkened platform, with a staircase leading down and a wide ramp for cargo. It was wide enough — two and a half meters — Max had checked earlier during the day. However, no one had anticipated that they’d have to manually guide the damaged cart in a dead-control mode.
Maksim and Nika paused at the edge, assessing the steepness of the ramp. The surface was ribbed metal, designed to prevent wheels from slipping, gleaming dully in the sparse light from the ceiling lamps, some of which were covered in rust and mysterious stains. Low side barriers ran along the edges to prevent anything from falling off the track. But even so, the incline was steep — about fifteen degrees. The descent would be a challenge.
[We have to be careful. If the cart gets out of control, it’s over for it — and for us without that gear,] Nika pointed out the obvious thing, eyeing the slope.
[Stay behind and control the direction. I’ll go in front and stop it from picking up too much speed. Ready?]
[Max, no offense, but I’m stronger — thanks to my cyber-limbs and implants. Plus, your injury is more serious than mine. I’ll take the front. Don’t worry, I won’t let it slip.]
[Okay, you convinced me. Let’s do this.]
Together, they took the first step onto the ramp, and the cart’s wheels screeched as they began rolling down, the gnashing sound echoing through the corridor. Every meter was a struggle — the load was heavy, and the incline was too steep. On top of that, the cart’s old bearings began to seize, making the task even harder. But there was no turning back. Judging by the distant rumbling behind them, the Protectorate had grown tired of tactical games with their capture teams and was bringing in heavy artillery. Direct hits on their “canyon” were probably only a minute or two away.
Once they reached the bottom, the path became easier. The team sprinted through a long hallway and stopped in front of a large industrial door. The platform was dark, with only one emergency light out of five dimly glowing.
[Take cover. I’ll check behind it. If it’s clear, we’ll activate the explosives and get the hell out of here!] Maksim ordered, cautiously pushing the cart closer to the wall, tucking it behind a concrete pillar. [Nika, you cover the rear with the bots. WonderKid, the lock.]
[Max, I can’t get it open! The code seems correct, but the mechanism isn’t responding — it looks like it’s broken. See? It’s not moving,] Dasha’s voice was tense.
[I see it. Don’t worry, I’ll just force it open manually — the lock’s already disengaged by you!] Maksim grabbed the massive handle. [Alisa, Dasha, cover me. I’ll take care of the entry.]
Vasilevskaya nodded and aimed her submachine gun toward the doorway, taking cover behind the Big One’s shield. Alisa crouched behind some old metal machinery near the wall, adopting a similar stance.
[We’re ready!]
Maksim had to throw his full weight against the heavy lever to get it moving. Slowly, with a groan of effort, it began to lower, releasing the locking pistons from their slots. Finally, after rotating ninety degrees, the handle locked into place.
[All set. Opening now!]
Grabbing the pull-bar, Maksim yanked the heavy steel door toward him.
As he did, something caught his eye — a tiny, translucent Protectorate micro-bot, no bigger than a cockroach, scurried through a vent above the entrance.
“Shit! It’s a trap!”
The steel door, which should have been difficult to move, suddenly swung open with an alarming force, dragging Maksim forward. He struggled to stop, but it pulled the guy with a sudden jerk, as the hydraulic pistons engaged.
He barely managed to keep his balance, only to find himself face-to-face with several figures in semi-transparent stealth armor — Protectorate soldiers!
Maksim’s brain kicked into overdrive, reacting instantaneously.
A surge of adrenaline pumped into his bloodstream.
A single heartbeat…
Time seemed to slow down significantly. An AR visual telegraph flared up, showing that the protes were aiming for his legs.
Dodge!
Need to move!
But his body felt sluggish — the muscles were responding too slowly to the hyper-accelerated brain. Oddly enough, this worked in his favor! Only minimal precise movements were needed — Maksim could already see how he would leap just far enough to evade the fire.
Meanwhile, his hand crept upward, raising the pistol.
As his mind fought the physical limitations of the human body, Maksim distributed target markers for the girls and the remaining operational robotics. He noticed that Alisa had also connected to assist with marking enemy positions. His visual feed, streamed from his eye implants and sub-brain, was shared with her. The processors were fast enough to keep up, allowing them to react to the sudden situation with the accelerated time.
A second heartbeat…
Time snapped back into motion.
The synchronized fire of the bots, Maksim, and Alisa merged into a single, devastating volley. The guy fired while mid-leap, dodging the Protectorate’s shots. A fraction of a second later, Nika and Dasha, reacting to the target markers in their AR, joined the fray.
In just a second, the entire strike team from the invaders lay sprawled across the floor, lifeless like broken puppets.
Maksim collapsed as well. None of the bullets had hit him, his evasive maneuver had been really flawless.
But the exertion left him spent — his vision darkened, weakness washed over him, and his hands shook uncontrollably. He could feel blood trickling from his nose, but didn’t dare remove his helmet, much less raise the visor. The fight wasn’t over yet. Moreover, the guy didn’t have the strength to lift his arms even if he wanted to.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
[Maksim, do you need help?] Redhead’s voice was the first to come through. She had sensed something was wrong even before the target marker appeared, and had begun turning toward the gunfire a split second before opening fire.
[I’ve got him,] Alisa cut in before he could respond, quickly dropping her assault medical backpack and pulling out an auto-injector.
While the guy didn’t have a full-fledged cyber-core like Nikola, he did have an advanced medical monitor integrated into his sub-brain. The data on his condition was already uploaded to Moira, which had processed it and created a treatment plan based on the current situation.
[Max, are you okay? What… just happened?] Dasha asked, the only one who hadn’t fully grasped what had just occurred.
He didn’t get a chance to answer, staring in surprise at the notification that popped up into his vision.
@SYSTEM: New activating combat ability unlocked: NEURAL SURGE
@SYSTEM: Skill description
This skill provides a short but powerful cognitive “surge,” subjectively accelerating time by enhancing the cortical network and sub-brain activity. It allows the user to rapidly analyze the battlefield conditions, coordinate allied drones and robotics, and make precise strategic decisions in critical moments. (more details)
@SYSTEM: Clarification 1
The physical speed of the body remains constrained by the capabilities of the muscles, the nervous system, and the skeletal structure. Maximum movement speed does not exceed biologically permissible limits, as the muscular and skeletal systems are still bound by the laws of physics and physiology.
However, due to the cognitive acceleration effect, the brain processes every detail, coordinates movements, and performs them with surgical precision. Actions are executed with maximum efficiency, avoiding unnecessary movements or delays.
@SYSTEM: Clarification 2
The maximum speed of data interaction with cyber implants and external devices is limited by communication bandwidth, device configuration, and software.
@SYSTEM: Warning!
The skill may require significant recovery time after use (recovery speed depends on individual characteristics and the current state of the user’s body).
@SYSTEM: Requirements (fulfilled)
Installed Cortical Grid
Installed Sub-Brain implant (third generation or higher)
Cortical Grid Expansion Module present (Model NEM, tier 1.04)
[I... I’m fine. I’ll get up now,] Maksim muttered, momentarily pushing aside the strange System notification.
But when he tried to stand, his body refused to cooperate. The blood loss from his left thigh worsened with his movement, adding to the overwhelming exhaustion from the backlash of using Neural Surge.
[Stop. You won’t be able to go any further without medical help. I’ll be quick. Don’t move, and let me get to your back,] Alisa knelt beside her brother, helping him remove his backpack.
Modern combat armor, especially the kind Max had insisted on getting from Miro, came with a specialized med-port on the back, designed for rapid deployment of medical capsules. The armor’s auto-injectors, both needle-based and needle-free, handled the delivery of the medication. Normally, it housed a simple painkiller, but this situation called for some real strong stuff.
A stimulant. The best concoction Dasha had brewed — a potent adrenaline-energy cocktail that could drag even the half-dead back into action, albeit at a steep cost to the body.
Injection.
The second capsule — blood regenerator. Injection.
The third — a powerful painkiller. Injection.
The chemical rush hit Maksim like a truck. His heartbeat skyrocketed, pushing energy into his exhausted muscles, and helping his body stave off the effects of fatigue.
The guy nearly leaped to his feet — his body, now supercharged, screamed for action. But a small, firm hand from Alisa stopped him in his tracks.
[Hold still!] she commanded, efficiently pulling out a can of medical foam from her pack — developed for field surgery, it was designed to stop bleeding and seal wounds instantly.
She sprayed it over Maksim’s thigh. The substance expanded, filling the wound and forming a flexible, airtight protective layer. In a few seconds, it hardened into a reliable and at the same time flexible enough barrier from the external environment. The bleeding stopped.
[This should hold for now,] Alisa said, checking her work. Her brother nodded in thanks, a faint sigh of relief escaping his lips. The pain hadn’t disappeared entirely, nor had the fatigue, but both had dulled to manageable levels. His muscles no longer screamed with every movement, and the throbbing from blood loss in his leg had subsided enough to move. Therefore, even though every movement was giving a small aching tremor, he could still go forward.
[Up you go,] Alisa said, helping him to his feet. [Do you still have water reserves in your armor?]
[Yeah.]
[Good. Keep drinking as much as you can. It’s crucial, the medication will start to take effect. Nikola, come over here for a second.]
[Got it,] Nika stepped up quickly, and the rest of the foam was used to patch up her wounds.
[That’s the best we can do for now. Dasha, you need medical assistance?] Alisa asked packing away her supplies.
[No, I’m fine,] Vasilevskaya shook her head.
[Allright,] Maksim cut in. [I’m setting the explosives to go off in thirty seconds. Let’s move!]
----------------------------------------
BOOOOOOM!
The deafening explosion rocked the tunnel, the sound hammering their ears despite the helmet’s sound protection. The walls shook, sending dust and plaster cascading from the ceiling. The powerful blast, which had used a significant portion of their purchased explosives, effectively cut them off from the pursuing Protectorate forces.
The invaders would certainly detect the explosion. But what could they do about it?
Nothing!
There were no other entrances to this underground tunnel nearby. Sure, they could bring in heavy machinery to dig through the rubble, but that would take time! And that wouldn’t be easy either, as above them lay a thick layer of earth, reinforced concrete beams, pipes, and power cables. While on the surface, there were the massive storage facilities that formed the maze of “concrete canyons.” No large-scale excavation machinery could ever fit here — it was far too cramped.
Suddenly, a bone-chilling sense of danger gripped Maksim’s spine.
“Deadly threat!”
Before he could grasp the source of the danger or react, the wall next to him and Alisa exploded in a cloud of dust and shattered concrete.
Instinctively, without thinking, Maksim tried to activate Neural Surge.
It partially worked — time actually slowed down.
Just enough for him to see the massive tentacles bursting from the newly created hole, swatting aside his weapon and wrapping around his arms and legs. One of them shot straight for his wounded thigh, tearing off the hardened foam protection in one swift movement. Blood poured from the wound as the creature injected something into his bloodstream.
Darkness swallowed the guy as his consciousness slipped away. At the same time, the backlash from the failed attempt to use his new skill hit the already strained body. Though, mercifully, he wasn’t conscious to feel it.
The monster’s tentacles lashed out, effortlessly swatting aside Nikola and Daria with two powerful blows. Then it wrapped around Maksim and Alisa, dragging them both back through the wall. As a parting gift, the beast released a thick, black gas into the corridor, like a cloud of ink spreading in the air.
Dasha’s armor AI reacted strangely to the appearance of this “liquid darkness” — it simply shut down. Moments later, a new notification appeared, confirming that the System had taken full control of her gear.
In her vision, four groups of alerts rapidly unfolded.
@SYSTEM.Group 1
@SYSTEM: Unidentified neurotoxic gas detected! Maximum threat level. Activating protective filters. Cartridge duration – one minute.
@SYSTEM: If you wish to survive, it is strongly recommended to leave the contaminated area IMMEDIATELY.
@SYSTEM.Group 2
@SYSTEM: ALERT! User: Nikola Kowalski... Processing... Data insufficient…
@SYSTEM: Status: CRITICAL – IMMINENT TERMINAL CONDITION.
@SYSTEM: Cause: Bloodstream contaminated by neurotoxin of unknown origin through exposed wounds. Immediate medical intervention required.
@SYSTEM: Recommendation: Evacuate the user from the affected area and begin emergency resuscitation measures immediately.
@SYSTEM.Group 3
@SYSTEM: ALERT! Maksim Chernykh... data analysis.
@SYSTEM: Medical monitor: Active.
@SYSTEM: Status: Coma. Organism in the process of contamination with unknown... error, insufficient data.
@SYSTEM: Recommendation: None.
@SYSTEM.Group 4
@SYSTEM: ALERT! Alisa Chernykh... data analysis.
@SYSTEM: Error.
@SYSTEM: Error.
@SYSTEM: Error.
@SYSTEM: Error... shutdown... reboot... protocol... error.
@SYSTEM: Recommendation: None.