Sitting nervously at his computer terminal, the technician’s eyes flinched as they attempted to take in the actions flooding into the command center.

  “Reports are streaming in that the Bounty Hunter breached the mainframe terminal. He rescued Darku from captivity. Reports are also indicating that a mercenary has joined them. The Simo and his team are currently plotting their escape. Do you wish to initiate the self-destruct sequence?”

  “You idiots! Do you have any idea how incompetent it would be to destroy the entire prison?!” Nickolson grumbled, he vented his anger at his subordinates. “We would lose our best chance for breaching the database.”

  “What do you know about the Mercenary?”

  “I’m not familiar with her, I will approve a ‘shoot-to-kill’ order. Make sure you do not harm Darku when apprehending him. Do you understand?” He stated forcefully, he scanned his men for acknowledgement.

  Turning his back to walk out, he commanded: “Continue to keep the facility in full lock-down. Nobody gets in. Nobody gets out.”

  “Where are you heading?” Inquired the nervous technician.

  “I have a very important meeting with the Pather Leader, so I need to fly out,” Nickolson answered. “Remember that we need Darku alive! We can destroy this entire facility once we get rid of Simo. Understood?!”

  “Understood. Your ship is prepared for you,” Puka said. “As long as we continue to receive tactical support from the Quadia Pathers, I can guarantee that our eyes and ears will remain focused.”

  “Good, just don’t do anything daft while I’m away. Puka, you’re in charge. You’re all dismissed,” the boss said.

  “You two, come with me,” Nickolson ordered as he approached the doors. “I need to pack security.”

  Without hesitation, the bodyguards walked through the open door into the hallway; accompanying Nickolson to his meeting.

  The team was fully prepared to tackle the task at hand. They knew Jake could run, but he wouldn’t stay hidden for long. They, along with the prisoners, needed to engage in a high-stake chase to locate and apprehend the fleeing Simidolian and his partners. The fully operational eagle eye command center was a vital component of the mission; the ultimate obstacle Jake could not barrel through.

  The lead technician, the hacker, sat down and used his technical wizardly skills to take out the Simidolian.

  ***

  They knew they had to plan their grand escape and resupply their gear. The armory room was a logical place to accomplish both tasks.

  As they entered, they spotted various forms of police/military grade weapons securely positioned on several racks. The majority, assault rifles and submachine guns, provided high lethal protection. A small supply of riot control gear was shoved in the corner of a cabinet.

  Jake recognized that they did not have a lot of time to waste on shooting lessons. He hoped that teaching the basics of loading the AR-56 receiver and pulling the trigger would be enough. Releasing one from its rack, he started up the training process.

  “First step is loading the SATNA magazine into the receiver. Watch carefully,” Jake said, he physically demonstrated the process. He popped it out and handed the rifle to Darku. “You try.”

  Darku knew his life depended on gaining familiarity with the rifle. He grabbed it and fumbled the magazine until it slipped into position.

  “Now, pull the charging handle back and release.”

  “Like this?” Darku said. He diligently listened and followed Jake’s instructions. The weapon made a clicking noise, signally that it was ready.

  “Yup! You got it,” Jake smiled, he let out a slight sigh of relief.

  He’s a quick learner; I admire his enthusiasm. Unfortunately, we won’t be making a trip to a real shooting range. It looks like the prisoners want a war. He better get his senses together, or else he won’t last longer than a second.

  “Brilliant. I’m ready to go. Right?” Darku said. He needed reassurance, checking, just in case.

  This is getting a little too nerve racking for my liking. I cannot believe I’m doing this. Whelp, here I am, Darku thought.

  “Not so fast, we’re not done yet,” Jake replied. “Now think. Before going into combat, what is the most important thing you need to pay attention to?”

  “I think you’re referring to the safety,” Darku answered, hoping he was right.

  “That’s it! You should be good to go,” Jake cheered.

  “Great! Is there anything you want me to know before we head out?”

  “There is one last thing,” he said with a cocky little smile.

  “And that is?”

  With a swift motion, he drew his sidearm and positioned the barrel towards Darku.

  Freaking out, Darku gasped.

  “Word of advice. Do not point a gun at anyone, kid, unless you plan on shooting them,” he warned.

  “Woah!”

  “It can get pretty scary out there,” Jake continued.

  He possessed knowledge about the extreme peril they were about to face; he knew he needed to show this key lesson before they left.

  “I would recommend that you always keep your hands off the trigger, think before you engage, and try to eliminate the threat before they get you. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Ok! Ok! I’ll let that soak in as we plan our escape route.”

  “Good, just want to make sure you understand the situation at hand. We can’t afford accidents. I don’t want to drag you around. Remember, we’re all in this together. Any questions?” Jake asked.

  “Uhh, yea. I think I’m peachy here.”

  “Are you sure?” Jake asked again.

  “Definitely.”

  “Hey, cowboy,” the mercenary interrupted. As she made the necessary preparations to resupply her gear, she took a seat on a stool and pulled the charging handle of her submachine gun, which was known as the IZU-49. “Get your ass over here. We need to put together a plan.”

  The Mercenary’s interruption did not elicit a thrilled response. He silently made a promise to stifle her life if she stepped over the line.

  “Give me a second, my dear. You’re interrupting an important lesson,” Jake growled. “Now don’t make me stop what I am doing, or I’ll break your pretty face.”

  “It’s all good, Jake,” Darku interrupted. Avoiding a fight and eliminating the unfocused conversation seemed appropriate at this point. “You said I was good. How about we discuss the plans now.”

  He let his anger go, then thought: Ok, Jake. Don’t allow this to get in your way. We’re all in this together.

  “Fine, I hope you absorbed all the details contained in my lecture,” he replied.

  Once all their equipment was gathered on the table, they pulled up a hologram map showcasing the entire facility. The map provided a detailed overview, focus was placed on showcasing all possible office locations.

  They initiated an analysis of their current location: the first-floor armory room.

  “So, here’s the situation,” Jake rambled. “A few hours ago, it became apparent that the Moldan forces hacked their way into the Command Center, taking over the Dabbarow Prison. This will not make our job easy. If we look for a way to release the lock-down, we should prepare a ship to take us out of this shitty place. Any suggestions on how we should execute this plan, Mr. ‘know it all’?”

  “I know how we’re going to do this,” Darku answered, he reached out toward the hologram. “The entry into the command post is located here. To get there, we need to make our way to the power core station located on the 8th floor. Once there, head to the right and this long hallway will take us to our destination. I’ll hack the door open, and you can take control of the command center.”

  “Hmm. Sounds like a reasonable plan,” the mercenary nodded. She was keen, stubborn.

  “Agree, it’s our best shot,” Jake added. He continued to analyze the hologram map for alternative escape routes. Manipulating the hologram, he schemed a clever way to reach the command center’s power room. “We could take a shortcut by heading to the construction site. Should make it easier for us to bypass the security lockdown.”

  “Construction site it is,” Darku said. “It’s our only chance.”

  “Let’s hope we’re right, after all,” Jake said. He grabbed his KFU-74, he was ready to go. “Everyone ready?”

  “With pleasure…” the mercenary smiled. She clung to her weapon with her right hand, raised the barrel towards the ceiling. “By the way. What’s your real name, cowboy?”

  “Jake Avolsky, yours?”

  “Crystal Zealoft,” she responded.

  “Looks like we got ourselves a job to do. Let’s go.”

  They concluded the briefing, exited the room, and entered the hallway. Picking up their pace, they sprinted toward the end. They had one last chance to make their grand escape. One last chance.

  ***

  Exiting the doorway, Jake and his followers descended a ramp that led to the floor of the construction area. The site remained unfinished, virtually untouched. On the right side, there was supposed to be a small guard tower, only a skeleton variant of it had been built. The deteriorating building and construction equipment stood idle, waiting for the workers to return. The inner crater in which it was located was littered with large asteroids, hindering Jake’s ability to identify potential threats.

  Silently, Jake signaled with his hand, ordering his mates to wait. Without revealing his whereabouts, he positioned himself in a location that allowed him to survey the construction site. He observed three riot droids protecting the power room entrance. They stood guard, denying passage.

  The riot droids, known for their power, utilize both lethal and non-lethal weapons. Their upside down ‘T’ shape, hovered midair. Armed with a gun on each wing, a non-lethal device attached to the bottom left, and a camera on the top. Thanks to advanced technology, they were immune to typical ballistic rounds, vulnerable to both energy caliber rounds and electrical magnetic pulses. With no access to energy caliber bullets, deploying EMPs was the only available option. Their only weakness, its neck; damage to this area renders the droid inoperable. Deploying an EMP blast would temporally stun the device, extending the neck.

  “Hey, Jake. What’s the holdup?” Darku whispered.

  “From the looks of it, we got trouble.”

  “What kind?”

  “Just north of us, three security droids are protecting the blast door,” Jake stated. “If we want to brute our way inside, will have to tear the Droids down. Darku, do you have the EMP grenade rounds?”

  EMP grenades? Darku thought quietly. I can’t believe I’m going to be firing such powerful rounds.

  Still under cover, Darku reached into his chest carrier. He searched for his rounds until he found several with a blue painted shell.

  He pulled the EMP grenade round, showed it to Jake.

  “Definitely.”

  “I’ll distract the droids, act as a decoy. You try to take each of them out using your EMP grenade rounds. Zealoft, you-”

  “No need to worry, Mr. Avolsky,” Crystal interrupted Jake. She grabbed her own EMP grenades. “I got plenty in my belt. They should come in handy.”

  She needs to watch her tongue, Jake thought. He was annoyed, masked with frustration. Then he said: “Don’t forget that the only way to destroy the Droids is to aim for the neck. Now wait for my signal.”

  Jake commanded Zealoft and Darku to step back from the ramp, concealing themselves behind an asteroid rock, waiting. He moved, crouched along the ground, from rock to rock. The droids remained idle, unaware of the potential threat in their sector. He moved from one cover to another as he closed in on the skeleton tower.

  At the right moment, he picked up a nearby rock and hurled it at a cement mixer. The droids reanimated, detected a loud ‘thud’. They patrolled the construction site for suspicious activity. One droid moved toward the noise, while the other two patrolled near the ramp’s entrance.

  Darku and Zealoft witnessed the droids passed by their location. Neither droid checked behind the rocks. Darku initiated the first strike, fired an EMP grenade round. The droid, upon being consumed by the electrical pulse, instantly froze in place. The EMP wore off; its neck was exposed, stunned. Darku had a clear shot of its neck.

  “Shit, watch out!” Zealoft shouted.

  The other droid fired heavy rounds at Darku, triggering his instinct to run. Panting, he hit to cover just in time, the bullets ricocheted off the rocks surrounding him. Heavily suppressed, he lost his fighting spirit. He wailed for his life.

  Zealof stopped the attack by deploying a round of her own. The droid halted in place, firing ceased. She took aim at its neck, smashing it to bits. The heavy damage sustained caused it to collapse to the ground.

  After handling the second droid, the first one reincarnated. Programmed with precision, the droid directed its guns towards Zealoft and opened fire. She barrel rolled and took cover to avoid bullets. The clench of her hands caused her to tremble. She held her ground, waiting for the droid to finish shooting before proceeding.

  The Droid flanked her position. Darku emerged from cover, retaliating with an EMP grenade round. Once again, the droid froze.

  Once the neck was exposed; Darku took aim and fired away. The droid sustained heavy damage, losing its hovering capabilities. It tilted forward, slamming its wings into the ground, just barely missing Zealof’s head. Two droids down, one more to go. Then, the final droid turned and drifted toward their location.

  They both quickly hid behind a large asteroid rock, dodging the incoming fire. Both were engaged in a game of cat and mouse with Artificial Intelligence, putting their lives on the line as they played strategic mind games against a robotic opponent. The droid chased the trespassers, and its camera locked onto Darku’s left arm. Gracefully rotating to the right, it lined up its sight towards its target. Right before the droid could discharge its weapon, it was interrupted by an unidentified individual who seemed to have landed on its armor.

  Using his bare hands, Jake forcefully tore off the head of the droid. The droid spun around faster than a teapot ride while Jake was strapped in. Bullets shot out in all directions, resembling an out-of-control sprinkler. At last, the head was loose, he pulled it out. Even though the head was removed, the Droid continued to spin him around uncontrollably. He felt dizzy and disoriented.

  “Why don’t you stay down there you piece of shit!” Jake said.

  Taking out the security Droids was like playing ‘Whack-a-mole’. Frustrated, he extracted a grenade from his vest, pulled the plug, shoving it inside the elusive mole’s neck.

  Disoriented from the spinning, he jumped to the ground. What followed was a loud ‘bang’, the last one was now dust.

  He gasped, struggling to regain his vision. His eyes shook violently, he hit his right hand on a rock. Just as he was about to lose his balance, Darku came around the corner, reached out, and took his hand.

  “Holy shit! Are you alright?” Darku asked. Following the chaotic fight, a wave of anxiety washed over him.

  “Yea, I’m fine,” Jake replied. “You two?”

  “I’m ok.”

  “Let me guess… Are you trying to show off or what?” Crystal said sarcastically.

  “I suppose you could say that,” Jake admittedly answered.

  Their conversation was interrupted by the audible blast door opening. The door was heavily secured, layers and layers opened until the Moldans revealed themselves. On high alert, they clearly were investigating the site for intruders. Armed with assault rifles and SMGs, they spread out to survey the area.

  After searching, they failed to pin down their positions. Either they mysteriously vanished into thin air, or they were lurking somewhere in the shadows. The residue of the destroyed Droids was the only evidence that verified their potential presence.

  “Any sign of Simo and his team?” A Moldan spoke.

  “Negative, they’re not here.”

  “We’ll keep searching, we’re going to kill the bastard.”

  As the thugs continued their search, Jake, Crystal and Darku fled, hiding behind an empty storage container placed near the blast door, just a few feet away from the exit.

  “How does it look from here?” Crystal whispered.

  “Their pretty spread out,” Jake answered. He peaked around the corner to his right. “I think we could outrun them.”

  Jake and his followers patiently monitor the search team. They waited silently as many of the men expanded their search onto the asteroid field, leaving only two behind to guard the doorway.

  “Hmm, this shouldn’t be too bad,” Jake murmured. “Darku, I want you to create a distraction. Try to lure one of the hostiles to your position, I’ll deal with the other thug.”

  Darku glanced around and spotted a small asteroid rock.

  “Do you want me to throw this?” He asked as he presented the rock to Jake. It’s hard as steel, but useless as a lethal weapon.

  “Go for it. Now on my mark.”

  Darku waited. Turning, Jake crept towards the container’s climbable edge. Using it for support, he jumped, lifting his entire body onto the top of the container.

  Positioned in the corner, Jake signaled his approval; executing the distraction was greenlighted.

  Darku threw the rock, banging it on the container. A tiny noise rang out. The guards looked toward the crate, growing suspicious.

  “What was that?” Said a Moldan.

  “Just sit tight, I’ll check it out,” said another, he walked to investigate the noise.

  Once alone, Jake ambushed his target; silently eliminating him with his suppressor sidearm. The guard’s head shattered, resulting in a lethal blow.

  As the second guard investigated the empty crate, he felt someone grabbing his neck. Zealoft pulled his entire body, dragging him around the corner. With a firm grip, she tightened her hold around the bodyguard’s neck, only to be interrupted by Darku, who was just moments away from pulling the trigger.

  “Are you crazy?” Crystal was aghast at Darku. “We can’t risk holding this guy hostage. I got this.”

  Darku silently acknowledged by lowering his weapon. Crystal ended the guard’s life, snapping his neck. He was no longer a threat.

  Still unaware of their current location; the amateur Muldan continued to search without checking their backs.

  Crystal peeked around the corner, scanning for threats. Once the coast was clear, she ordered Darku to regroup with Jake who was now standing near the entrance. As they approached, a Moldan shouted out, the element of surprise was now lost.

  “Get inside, get inside,” Jake ordered. “Darku, try to punch in the terminal and open the next blast door. I’ll cover you.”

  “On it,” Darku responded. He used his hacking abilities to engage a simple console command that would result in opening the next door. At the same time, he tried to lock the outer door and sealed it away to break off the pursuit. His hard work paid off; the outer doors gradually closed.

  An overly zealous Moldan reacted by unloading his KFM on the closing door. Jake went prone, seeking protection behind the partially closed door.

  Crystal stood close to the door’s iron frame while Darku, confronting certain death, stood paralyzed. Reacting instantly, Crystal employed a counterattack, aiming her shots at the thug’s central area. The attacker was subdued by several 9 mm rounds. Although it was clear that he had been struck, she kept shooting until her weapon clicked.

  “Cover me, Jake! I’m reloading!” She shouted.

  Jake responded by providing fire support with his KFU-74, the weapon came alive with a roar. The unleashed rounds flinched another approaching Moldan. His body fell, hitting a large rock upon landing. Another round guttered his neck, bleeding him out of combat. The fighting stopped when the blast doors closed.

  With the outer door tightly sealed, they bided their time until the next door revealed itself. Jake reloaded and acquired a new magazine.

  “Did you lock the outer door?” Jake asked.

  “I tried, but the system would not respond to my final command,” Darku said. His hacking skills were not as sharp as they were when he worked in the Trade department.

  “I got an idea,” he snapped. Jake retrieved a screwdriver from an abandoned toolbox, then jammed the frame of the door.

  “Gotta use the right tools for the right job,” Jake added. “Let’s go.”

  The inner door opened to unveil a wide-open ramp littered with empty crates. There was no presence of hostiles.

  In a synchronized manner, Darku and Crystal followed suit by swiftly running down the long ramp that descended to a gloomy floor. Near the end, they spotted three Moldans loading supplies into a large storage container. They had reached a dead end.

  Hearing loud footsteps, the Moldan ceased loading.

  “I see them! Take them out,” one Moldan shouted to his comrades.

  Jake, Darku, and Crystal drew their weapons and eliminated the three, leaving no room for error. As soon as the cracking firepower went silent, Jake heard echoing voices screaming that they were under attack. Their shots had exposed their position, clearly more trouble was just ahead.

  Just as two Moldans surfaced around a corner, Jake countered by firing off a few rounds in short bursts, effectively knocking both down. Crystal peeked out, suddenly a Moldan fired upon her. Recognizing the danger, she promptly sought cover. A few rounds darted past her left shoulder; she cursed.

  Jake emerged, shooting Crystal’s attacker in the head. As he descended further down the ramp, he engaged a stunned Moldan standing anxiously by the elevator. He followed up by shooting another Moldan who was hiding like a coward behind a pile of metal crates.

  With the area cleared, Jake reloaded. Although he had eliminated all the known threats, it’s important to note that the threat of future attacks persisted.

  “All clear,” Jake responded.

  Heeding his words, Crystal and Darku move freely down the ramp. While breathing nervously, Jake waited for their arrival, and once they appeared, he pressed the button on his right to call the main elevator. The doors made a metallic ‘beep’, automatically opening horizontally. After entering, Jake hit a button to go to the next floor.

  The doors closed; the elevator climbed up to its intended destination. During the ride up, Jake realized it was a good time to examine their gear and ascertain its current state. He wanted to confirm their preparedness before they departed, Jake had a strong dedication to his religion in the military doctrine. Auditing other squad’s gear is a vital code that cannot be violated.

  “Give me a status on the ammo count. How does it look?” Jake said.

  Crystal examined the amount of rounds she had in her inventory. From the start of their escape, she exhausted two mags. She had five magazines in her inventory.

  “Ammo is green,” she replied.

  “Darku?” Jake said.

  Darku stared downward.

  Oh goodness, this is just getting more screwed up, Darku said in disbelief. My hacking skills have turned into crap. I pissed off the feds and the Moldan. Now I’m taking a joyride on this damn elevator toward potential freedom. Fuck!

  He was militarily naive about the importance of Jake’s request. He froze, unable to respond.

  “Darku?!” Jake snapped, forcing him to pay attention. “Give me a status on the ammo!”

  Darku heard his response. He fought tooth and nail to gain control over his thoughts. Still reeling from the violent encounters with the Moldan, he could not seem to concentrate. He knew his escape from the prison base was about to become even more atrocious.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s a simple procedure,” Jake lectured. “If you have plenty of rounds in your pocket, ammo status is green. If you have burnt around 50% of your rounds, ammo status is yellow. Anything less than 50% is red or black.”

  “What is the difference between red and black?” Darku asked.

  “Black means you used up everything and you’re going to get your ass kicked in the next fight. Give me the status on the ammo!”

  “Ok, Ok. Uhhh,” Darku scrambled to get himself in the right mind. Just tell him the ammo count, dammit.

  Calmly checking his inventory, he discovered five mags. Plus, there were plenty of grenade rounds. Darku decided to give himself a bit of extra time to think things through, making sure that the ammunition count was in a good state before proceeding. His actions in combat were less admirable. Regaining his wits, he then replied: “It’s green. It’s green.”

  “Next time, try to keep your head straight. You can’t lose it when we’re in the middle of a mission,” Jake insisted.

  Displeased with Darku’s paranoia towards his gear, Jake let it go until they reached the end of the ride. The elevator ‘beeped’ once again and automatically opened the door.

  “Go, move it!” Jake shouted.

  Upon exiting, they recognized they would be required to push through another enemy line. Standing along the balcony were four Moldan, another two stood on the catwalk, their conversation interrupted by the intruders.

  Jake shot the men on the balcony, piercing each of their torsos. Each one eventually fell to the ground, clearing the way for them to advance. However, the two remaining Moldans on the catwalk returned fire.

  The team promptly headed for cover, hitting the deck behind another empty crate. Bullets poured in from all directions. They were heavily suppressed.

  Due to the confusion, their overall morale was dwindling. To keep everyone’s composure, Jake thought about offering words of encouragement. He hoped it would motivate them enough to continue. He knew if they remained in this spot for an extended period, death would inevitably come. Then, an idea struck him.

  “Crystal, I need you to go out there. Fire everything you got against the Moldan forces while I move into position. Understood?”

  Shaking her head, she acknowledged the command. Stepping out, Crystal fired several 9mm rounds, targeting the Moldan forces. Taking advantage of the situation, Jake ran for cover and made it to the next steel crate. Upon arrival, he immediately resumed shooting.

  “Darku, run this way!” Jake shouted. Making a gesture to get over here.

  Darku found himself unable to move. He was paralyzed, and his anxiety was spiraling out of control. He knew that a single blow would cause everything to transform into a state of utter nothingness. He found himself immobilized by the protective glue of the steel crate, which prohibited him from leaving.

  Jake knew he had to convince Darku that it was safe for him to move.

  “We need to go! We need to get out of here.”

  But the fear of the firefight forbade Darku from leaving.

  “Darku, get out of there. I’ll provide cover,” Crystal snapped.

  After loading a fresh magazine, she unleashed a barrage of bullets toward their target. Without haste, Darku emerged, running straight to his assigned position. As he swiftly approached hard cover, he lowered himself to the ground, anticipating the hail of lead that followed.

  “Shit!” Darku panicked.

  “Provide cover for me, I need to get to that stairway. Once I arrive, I’ll open fire, and command Crystal to haul ass to your position. After that, we will provide cover for you. Do you understand?”

  “Yea, I think I understand,” Darku said in an unconvincing tone.

  “I mean it!” Jake warned as he physically grabbed Darku’s shirt.

  “Ahh! Ok, I get it. I’ll do it.”

  Convinced he was prepared to do what he had to do, Jake released Darku.

  Acting on instinct, Darku pulled the trigger of his AR-56 carbine rifle, firing off rounds in short bursts. The discharged valuable rounds found their way to their target. Seconds passed, the resistance dropped.

  Amidst the echoing sounds of the fire support, Jake turned right and sprinted towards the stairway. He managed to arrive without taking a bullet. As promised, he demonstrated his resilience by promptly launching a new counterattack.

  “Crystal, Go!” Jake signaled.

  Obediently, Crystal hurried her way to Darku.

  “Now get to the stairway, Darku,” Crystal said.

  She racked her weapon, the suppressing fire reigned in all directions. Bravely, Darku bit the bullet and made his way safely to the stairway.

  “Darku, open fire!” Jake ordered without hesitation. “I have to reload!”

  He responded immediately, releasing burning rounds until Crystal appeared under the stairs.

  Regrouped, the three climbed up the open stairway, making their way to 8th floor. Their advance would take them to the command center.

  ***

  Two unsuspecting guards stood at the entrance of the 8th floor. Jake unloaded his KFU-74. Both took the impact, dropping to the ground.

  Jake, Crystal, and Darku rushed forward in V formation. Jake motioned Darku and Crystal to hold their position on the steps.

  Stepping onto the landing, Jake headed towards the closed blast door. Seconds later, he exerted force onto a button, triggering the blast door to open in a horizontal direction. He motioned his team to advance. They entered without hesitation.

  In the next room, Jake spotted several enemies hiding behind a steel crate and two thugs guarding the left doorway. Shielded by the blast door, the firefight launched into all out chaos. Darku struggled to engage, leaving Jake to deal with the threat. No matter how intense the fight was, there was no turning back. They either mustered up the strength to continue with their plan or meet their ends. After Jake defeated the three Moldan, Darku snapped back into reality. He assisted in taking out the two remaining guards.

  With the area cleared, they advanced towards the lobby. Upon reaching the end of the hallway, they took a right turn and met with another set of guards positioned at the main entrance.

  In the wake of the escalating havoc, Jake unloaded his weapon, shooting down each of the adversaries in quick succession. Crystal stepped in by providing cover. She shot two Moldans who rounded the corner at the opposite end of the room.

  After the fight, Jake reloaded. Racking his firearm, they continued their search for more hostiles. Upon reaching the hangar doorway, silence prevailed.

  “All clear,” Jake said, he slightly lowered his guard. “Now get to the command center.”

  A terminal near the entrance displayed the door’s current state, lockdown, which implied that entry, for the moment, was impossible.

  “Okey, Darku,” Jake charmingly said. “How about you open the command center for me.”

  “I’ll look into it,” Darku said. Still panicky, he came to realize he was gambling for his life. As he typed, he realized that gaining access to the command center seemed futile.

  “Damn! These doors are locked tight,” Darku said, he continued typing. Entering the correct credentials was important, failure to do it right the first time would result in a one-minute lockout. His syntax had to be correct.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Can you override the lockdown or not?” Jake asked.

  “I entered it correctly. It looks like they changed the system to prevent overriding. We’ll need to look for another way in,” Darku paused.

  “If I know that the command center is inaccessible, I’ll just explore other options. Hmm…” Darku muttered. Without asking for permission, he forged ahead into exploring alternative solutions. Perhaps overriding the entire lockdown, rather than just the door, was the solution. Having completed a security course as part of his internship, he remembered a particular vulnerability to the entire system, the power generator.

  “Hey, uh. Jake? I really hate to say this. Hear me out for a second,” Darku snapped. “I can’t open the doors; they have complete control. I need you to go to the main generator room.”

  “How will that help?” Jake asked.

  “Here’s how it’s going to work. To reset the entire security system, I need you to reduce the power level to five percent. Once the power core reaches that threshold, the backup generators should be operational. You’ll need to disable the emergency generator room first, then reduce the power at the core. Once that is complete, the reset should take place automatically. I’ll brief you when you get there. OK?”

  “Guess I have plenty of work to do,” Jake said. The more he thought about it, the stronger his convictions grew that Darku had a well-executed plan. However, he knew they only had one chance to get it right.

  “Before I go, do you know how to use a com device?” Jake asked. He pulled out a typical small head radio com. It had a mono speaker, for the output, on the right. The microphone was curved shape for ease of use. The device allows communication by employing a specific designated radio frequency.

  “Never used one of these before.”

  “Simple, really. All you need to do is set the radio frequency to 55.1. Click ‘connect’ to establish connection and you should be good to go. Remember that the device is set to ‘push-to-talk,’ just hold the mic button down if you have something to say.”

  “All right, I’ll set it up,” Darku said. Following Jake’s directions, he set the radio frequency to 55.1. Jake also configured his com, using the same frequency.

  “Darku, let’s do a mic test.”

  “This is Darku speaking,” Darku said as he pressed the push-to-talk button. “Do you read me?”

  “I hear you loud and clear,” Jake replied. Confident in the connection, he released the ‘push-to-talk’ button. “Looks like we’re good to go. As I make my way to the power core room, be sure to offer me the correct instructions to shut this system down. OK?”

  “Got it, Avolsky,” Darku said, confirming his request. “Let me open the generator door.”

  Typing into the command console, Darku navigated the security settings. Luckily, several system vulnerabilities denied the Moldan from fully blocking access to the generator. By manipulating the system, he was able to deceive it into recognizing Darku as a legitimate administrator, thus bypassing this part of the lockdown. After obtaining access, he typed the ‘unlock’ command. The door was unlocked.

  “You should be able to get in now. Make your way to the fifth floor as quickly as you can.”

  “Thanks, Darku,” Jake said. “Zealoft, stay with Darku. You’re on guard duty while I’m away.”

  “Don’t worry, Mr. Avolsky. I’ll take good care of him,” Crystal reassured. She positioned herself to watch over Darku by standing against the wall near the stairs. If the enemy returned, she knew the threat would come from this direction. Underestimating the enemy was not an option, she was ready for a counterattack.

  Jake jogged energetically down the long hallway, eventually making his way to the elevator room. He knew he was the only one who could execute this portion of the escape plan. Each step posed great risks; however, he had no doubts that the Moldan would continue their quest to recapture Darku. He knew he had to do whatever he could to deny the resistance.

  ***

  The elevator arrived on the fifth floor. With his rifle in hand, Jake emerged and neutralized a Moldan who was making his way down the hallway. After the first thug fell, several other guards arrived to greet Jake. Two hid behind a steel crate, while another took cover next to a steel railing.

  One thug fired; Jake hugged the wall. Bullets shattered the edge; he was sure they thought they had fully suppressed him. Refusing to give in, he fought back, preventing his momentum from faltering. He followed up with another kill shot to the enemy attempting to hide behind the railing. Then he finished the last two with clean headshots. The crates had failed them. With the firefight over, and the doorway clear, he mustered all his stamina, sprinting down the hall to the awaiting door.

  As he pressed forward, enemy bullets swirled around him. Cursing, he jumped into cover and escaped the crossfire. Suppression increased his speed; it did not dampen his morale. Their strategy was foiled when the bullets suddenly paused, clearly, whoever was shooting had been forced to reload. Ceasing the opportunity, Jake made it inside, denying the kill attempt.

  After securing the door, he was greeted by another long hallway. Looking down, he discovered a large, perfectly sealed maintenance vent. The yellow-covered shaft had a lock, making it only accessible to technicians with a key. A small ramp to the left gave access to the generator room. With no sign of resistance, he ran to the left, darting down the ramp where the main generator room awaited.

  Upon entering, he was amazed with the impressive sight of such a spacious room; the generator was prominently displayed in the center. He was witnessing a highly operational energy source that caused the room to glow. A low hum complimented the ambiance of the soft light. The device provided the precious voltage required for everything from cellar doors to charging mining stations to medical bays, shutting it down meant temporally shutting down everything.

  Flinching, he sensed two Moldan guards standing behind him. Without hesitating, he turned and executed the guard to his right. Bracing for impact, he dived for hard cover behind a solid steel railing. The lead trounced on the walls, echoing through his ears. Keeping his cool, he emerged, shooting center mass. Elimination of a single target was a straightforward task. The fighting ceased.

  Before moving out, he scouted the room for additional potential threats. Understanding that time was not in his favor, he counted each passing second in his head. As time ticked by, he became increasingly confident that the coast was clear. Ninety seconds later, he made his move. This game was all about patience and timing.

  Jogging down the walkway, he reached the control panel. He glared at it, trying to figure out how to lower the power. After inspecting the touch panel, he turned on his radio and spoke to Darku.

  “Darku, this is Jake Avolsky,” Jake said. “How do I lower the power?”

  “There are three knobs underneath the control pad. Be sure to set all the power levels to low. This is the first step to lowering the power to the level we need.”

  Knobs? Jake thought. Now where do I find them?

  He ran his hands along the lower edge, discovering three hidden knobs. Each knob allowed the user to set the power based on percentages. In their default state, the maximum level ensures that the energy is set to one hundred percent. When adjusted to the ‘low’ setting, by default, the energy generated decreases to twenty-five percent.

  Jake twisted each of the knobs, changing them from ‘full’ to ‘low’. He picked up his mic, then responded: “I set all levels to low. Now what?”

  “Navigate to the ‘power control’ settings. We need to change the low setting to 5%. After you do that, click the ‘Apply Settings’ button. If a warning message appears, click ‘yes’ to proceed. Once the new setting is applied, the equipment running off the generator will initiate an alarm. Be prepared for the Moldan to swarm your position.”

  “Perfect, I’m always expecting company,” Jake said with a smirk. “Hey, are there additional weapons in the area?”

  “Yea, absolutely. Two pairs of security turrets are right above your head, each with two guns. I’ll hack into them and provide fire support from here. It’s going to take time. You’ll need to hold them off until I’m done.”

  “Understood, I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

  Jake opened his chest carrier and took his inventory. With only two magazines in his possession, he knew it would be challenging to sustain his position for an extended period. To compensate, he resorted to salvaging ammunition from the dead, grabbing five full magazines changed the entire outlook. During his search, he gathered several smoke and flash grenades, which he promptly stowed away next to the lonely one remaining. And with that, his gear was ready for action.

  Feeling prepared, he returned to the panel. He touched the monitor, and the main menu appeared. He clicked the ‘power control’ setting; system status was green. The system had finished its analysis of the new settings; the power reduction of 5% appeared on the screen. He knew that once he clicked the ‘Apply Setting’ button, the power would reduce, and all hell would break loose.

  Without checking with Darku, he clicked the button that would spark a firestorm. As described, the system alerted him that the power level would transition to yellow, and an alarm would sound. Despite the warning, Jake clicked ‘OK’; the main generator went to work reducing the voltage in a controlled fashion, 5% at a time.

  Suddenly, an unexpected message appeared on the screen:

  Power Percentage of 5% is unattainable. Please reduce gas flow and refer to SI 13374518 for more information.

  “What the hell, Darku,” Jake shouted in the com.

  “Ahh, sorry; forgot about that part. The gas lines are below you. We don’t have time to talk about it now. They’ll be coming.”

  Shortly thereafter, the alarm woke up, warning everyone.

  Warning! The Main Generator is losing power, the announcer said. The sound echoed throughout the room, reverberating across the entire facility, serving as a guardian of sorts.

  “Get those turrets up!”

  “You got it! Don’t worry about babysitting the power level. I’ll holler out once the turrets come online, then we’ll address the gas lines.”

  “Thanks,” Jake said, he silenced his com and braced for the counterattack.

  The first wave commenced with the arrival of two guards. With lightning speed, he started a defense against the resistance by rapidly shooting his KFU-74. With the focus of making every round count, he skillfully aimed, grazing each of the enemies’ necks with a single shot. Breathing was unviable for these chaps.

  He remained fixed next to the steel railing. To avoid being flanked, he scanned to his left and right, spotting two thugs running toward him. With a swift switch from ‘semi’ to ‘full’, he cleared the flankers in a single sweeping motion. After taking them down, a second wave of enemy support crashed in.

  In one tense moment, he found himself in the crosshairs of an ambitious Moldan. Hitting the ground, he unloaded his last round. He rolled left for cover, then reloaded. Lead whizzed past him, his heart pounded.

  “There breaking into the school,” one soldier shouted.

  Inside the school, a chaotic scene emerged, with people shouting and screaming. Jake and his men would have to make their last stand in the courtyard. The sound of his gunfire echoed through the air as they valiantly fought off continuous waves of guerilla fighters. It appeared as if they would never cease their relentless attack, reminiscent of a pack of furious wolves. Then, shot in the jaw, one soldier ceased firing.

  Reacting swiftly, Jake snapped out of his stupor and charged his weapon. Peeking around the corner, he shot a Moldan in the foot, causing him to stumble to the ground. The immense pain rendered him useless, despite that, he avenged his misery by shooting him in the head. Rising from cover, he eliminated another wave charging straight at him.

  Wave after wave continued to crash in; he continued to break them one swipe at a time.

  Power level is currently at- ‘seventy-five percent’, the announcer said.

  “Darku, talk to me,” Jake said, he struggled to speak. “Are you making any progress?”

  “Still making minor adjustments to the bot. It shouldn’t be too long.”

  Silencing his com, exhausted, Jake continued the fight, his defenses were slowly deteriorating. One wave deployed smoke along the walkway, concealing the men within. The enemy blind-fired through the smoke; Jake reacted by cursing and immediately seizing a grenade.

  Carefully, he removed the pin, letting it cook for roughly three seconds before tossing it into the smoke.

  ‘Pow!’

  The force of the blast cleared the smoke, exposing the dead. The grenade had crushed this wave, but the counterattack continued. The presence of more Moldan led to an amplified repetition of darting and echoing lead, creating a continuous loop of sound. Soon, Jake was left with only two mags.

  Power level is currently at- fifty percent, The announcer said.

  “Darku? What’s the holdup back there?”

  “For fuck’s sake, Jake. Can you simmer it down? I need more time!”

  Frustrated, Jake persisted in the firefight. The influx of people was so constant that he lost count of how many he had killed. He felt his defense line gradually thinning, resembling the sensation of standing on the top of a newly frozen lake.

  Ammunition was running low. He knew he could not hold out for much longer. When the primary weapon went ‘click’, he reached for his sidearm and fired off a single shot. The bullet landed squarely in a Moldan’s head, another one deceased.

  He tamed his sidearm, firing off only single shots. For every one to two shots fired, a Moldan lost his life. In his head, he calculated the remaining kill count. His patience with Darku had reached an end, he hid against the railings and enabled his com.

  “C’mon, Darku! Where the hell are you?!”

  “Just give me a second! I almost have the gun turrets up!”

  After inserting his last mag, Jake emerged and continued to fire. His KF rifle roared as he fired at three running Moldan. Then, he turned, killing two more that appeared to his right.

  Jake tightly gripped the trigger until the weapon finally went ‘click’. He reverted to his sidearm. Fending off the resistance at this point was becoming peachy. The thin ice beneath him cracked as his weight shifted toward the cold water. He was on the verge of hypothermia. Was there any chance of getting fire support?

  “Just need to make sure I disable the default artificial intelligence and… I’m ready,” Darku said.

  Power level is currently at- twenty-five percent.

  “Jake, the turrets are ready. I need you to head down to the lower level and pull all three gas levers. After that, make your way back up to the control panel and-”

  “I get it already. Just do it!” Jake exclaimed.

  The gun turrets emerged, descending from the ceiling, and started firing, stopping the advance.

  With time on his side, Jake jumped over the steel railing, escaping the cracking thin ice beneath him. Walking along the steel walkway, he quickly reached the ladder that would take him to the lower level.

  He spotted the gas lines as soon as he jumped to the floor.

  He approached the first lever, forcefully pulling it down to stop the flow of gas. As soon as the lever was lowered, the status of the light instantly changed from green to orange. He stepped back and advanced to the next two. Afterwards, he hauled himself up the ladder and went back to the control panel.

  “Don’t forget to go back to the power control and apply the change!” Darku reminded him.

  With the gun turrets providing cover, Jake reselected the ‘Power Setting’.

  The power level flashed twenty-five percent; it was also worth noting that an orange flickered light had appeared symbolizing the gas level reduction. Jake hit enter to reconfirm the changes.

  The machine color changed to blood red, signifying an extreme reduction in power output. The generator soon sputtered, producing only a weak, dim light.

  Warning! Power level is critically low. Initiating emergency power generator.

  “Get out of there, Simo!” Darku shouted. “The turrets are running low on ammo. Don’t worry about the power control, I’ll lock it down from here.”

  With Moldan forces gathered near the doorway, Jake realized that using the typical exit was denied. Rising, he spotted a cleverly concealed hatch hidden behind the scaffolding’s pipes. The only way out was through that hatch.

  Jake deployed his grappling hook, attaching it to the pipes. Hitting the retract button, he climbed up to the hatch. He kicked in the vent and climbed inside, reinstalling the vent cover to cover his tracks. He flipped over and lay on his back, taking solace in the safety of darkness, taking solace in the fact he had escaped before the thin ice beneath him collapsed.

  “Darku? Where is the emergency generator?” Jake said into his com.

  “It’s in the Basement. You can’t miss it!”

  While the Moldan continued their hunt to find a vigilante, Jake silently crawled his way to the basement.

  He was eager to turn the facility into a function-less dark cage. This is his last chance to escape The Dabbarow Prision.

  ***

  The emergency generator flicked on. The machine, which had been dormant, suddenly awakened and energized its robust engine. In the background, there’s a low humming sound mixed with cranking and buzzing.

  It was doing what it had been designed to do, automatically turning on after detecting a dangerously low power output in the main generator. It would need to work extremely hard to keep the entire facility operational; however, it was designed to restore power for a maximum of eight hours.

  A key component of its programming was to prioritize the last of its power specifically for emergency evacuations. This was the component Jake’s team needed to take advantage of.

  Inside the room, three Moldans were tasked with verifying the operation of the generator and restore the main generator. They were growing increasingly livid that the main system was unresponsive, denying their every move. They wished complete damnation toward the Simidolian that clearly triggered the entire event. They also wished complete damnation toward Darku and toward the entire place.

  The room was large and orange, but compact compared to the main generator room. The dimly lit room was enlivened by flickering LED buttons emitting from the main panel. A portable utility computer, an essential tool for the completion of their task, was fully operational. Access to the room was controlled by a single door, which opened out to a short hallway that led to the main elevator.

  The door flew open explosively; Jake fearlessly eliminated all three thugs, giving them a bang of a send-off. Now devoid of enemies, he walked toward the console and activated his com.

  “Darku, I’m in,” he said as he examined the electrical components. “Can you brief me on how this damn thing works?”

  “According to the security manual, the only way to override the lockdown is to shut down the generator. There should be a red stop lever. Once pulled, wait fifteen seconds and the hard reset of the entire facility will activate. The entire room will plunge into darkness once it’s turned off.”

  While listening to the directions, Jake searched for the switch by running his hand along the edge. Touching the red lever, which was small enough to grip with only one hand.

  “Found it,” he replied.

  “When you’re ready, flip it. Wait for the green signal.”

  Without hesitating, he flipped it; the facility went pitch dark, and the generator cut off. Frozen, he mentally counted down the timer. Fifteen. Fourteen. Thirteen. Twelve. Eleven. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One… He halted his counting when the green light caught his attention. The system reset was available.

  “We have a green signal,” Jake confirmed. The darkness made it difficult to navigate, as a precaution, he clung to the switch. “Do you want me to restart it?”

  “Yup.”

  He flipped the switch, and the generator reincarnated itself by initiating a self-ramming sequence. Seconds later, the light pushed the darkness away. He could now see anew.

  “How does it look, Avolsky?”

  Jake inspected the console, and the monitor flickered as it searched for the correct kernel in the BIOS.

  “The terminal is displaying: ‘System ready.’ Now what?”

  “Ok, Ok. Let me think about it for a second,” Darku paused for a moment. His sentences crumbled as he tried to grasp what to do next. “Uhh, yes. Got it. Jake, open the circuitry case. It’s the one with yellow and white lines the run diagonally.”

  Jake examined the components. It didn’t take long to find the matching colors, Darku’s description was dead on. He opened the latch, the cover swung upward, revealing the board inside.

  “The case is open. What should I do now?”

  “Read the labels carefully. Each switch controls the power for a specific area within the facility, such as the Barracks, Mining Facility, Cellars and so on. Start flipping switches to reset the lock down for the rooms. After they are all flipped, press the green button to start the reset sequence.”

  Jake continued flipping switches one after another, flipping, flipping, and flipping, until finally, he reached the last switch, which was labeled ‘Command Terminal’.

  “Done. What’s next?”

  “Look for the power lever. It should be next to the red button.” Darku said. “Charge the lever three times, then push the button to restart the power.”

  Positioned beneath the reset switch was a sizable lever, clearly marked with yellow labeling. Three lights, incorporated into the design, were positioned beneath the button, each notably larger than the others. Jake grabbed hold of the lever, yanking it down, causing the first of the lights to emit a yellow glow. After pumping two more times, all three lights were lit. With a clenched fist, he forcefully punched the green button, completing the last step. The yellow lights flicked and changed to green.

  “Lights are all green.”

  “Go back to the terminal and exit the BIOS menu.”

  Jake returned to the console, which was in the BIOS state. Clicking exit, the screen turned black. After a period of inactivity, the emergency generator resumed functionality; the entire lockdown sequence was reset, and the machine restored the facility back to normal operations. They had eight hours to escape.

  “All right, Darku. It’s back online.”

  “Now head to the elevator,” Darku said, he used his wizardly computer skills to summon the elevator near his position. “I’m sending the elevator to your loc-”

  The banging gunshots blared into Jake’s ears, cutting off Darku’s voice. Then he said: “Oh, fuck.”

  “Darku?! Darku?! What’s going on?” Jake shouted.

  “They made contact! They’re closing in on our position.”

  “Hang in there, Darku! I’m coming!”

  Realizing he was running short on ammo, Jake ravaged supplied from the fallen men and left, breezing through a short hallway to the waiting elevator. Once he was inside, he pushed the button for Darku’s floor. Frustrated, time ticked by; it could not rise fast enough for him.

  ***

  On the eighth floor, the elevator door opened wide, Jake moved out. An unexpected foe emerged, grabbing him by his neck. To counter the surprise attack, he slammed his attacker’s back against the wall. With each blow, he pummeled his adversary until he relinquished the hold on his neck. After effectively thwarting the ambush, Jake threw the enemy down in disarray.

  As he leaped to retrieve his assault rifle, two Moldan emerged from another elevator. Unprepared, they were forced to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Jake jabbed the first one in the stomach, then shifted to his right. The second Moldan retaliated; he responded with a push toward the catwalk railing, followed by a punch to the face. While stunned, he shifted his weight, grabbed his adversaries’ back and tossed him over the catwalk. In peril, the Moldan fell to his doom.

  Reacting swiftly, he pushed himself back just in time to evade a sharp blade swung by the now recovered first adversary. As he continued to stab, Jake latched onto his arm, forcefully breaking it. Disarmed, Jake attacked him with his knee. As an irrevocable act, he delivered a powerful punch that caused his target’s jaw to dislocate. The Moldan hit the railing and fell on the catwalk. Taking hold of his primary weapon, Jake made his way toward a new resistant individual that appeared against the wall. He aimed for a clean headshot; another kill was achieved.

  Footsteps echoed down the hallway; the enemy was closing in from the left. Seeking protection, Jake found solace in a sturdy hardcover structure, shielding him from the flying bullets that relentlessly pierced the walls.

  Under heavy fire, fully suppressed, he cursed as he fought back. As soon as they were nothing more than a note in history, he dashed to the entrance, hoping to reach them in time.

  His entrance went unnoticed by the five Moldan shooting at his mates; elimination of the lot was easy. With one clean sweep, the threat was eradicated, and his partners were safe.

  With a menacing glare, Darku aimed his barrel towards Jake. Remembering his training; Darku re-framed himself away from an attack mode, shifting the barrel down, giving Jake time to recoup. His body shook when he realized how close he had come to pulling the trigger. He was happy that he could differentiate between friend and foe before he shot indiscriminately. Jake’s valuable lesson paid off.

  “Is everyone ok? Say something!” Jake shouted.

  “Ahh. Those fucking idiots,” Darku anxiously said, as his nerves along his spine generated a tingling sensation. He panted. “I’m… I’m ok.”

  “We got into some serious shit,” Crystal replied, she attempted to catch her breath. Her morale had suffered a blow. For a moment, she thought she was dead; the sight of Jake renewed her confidence. “I’m doing fine.”

  “Excellent, get your weapons ready. We’re going to breach the Command Post,” Jake said.

  Pausing, they all reloaded for the final push before approaching the terminal door. Jake paused, giving his mates a few more seconds to compose themselves.

  “Three. Two. One… Breaching!

  Jake unlocked the door, revealing a short staircase followed by another, which led to the heart of the operation. Inside, seven hackers were trying to recover critical systems; reactivating the lock down was not top on their list.

  Spotted, one Moldan loudly yelled out, notifying the others. They all retrieved their gear from the counter, but it was too late. Jake discharged his firearm in fully automatic mode, targeting the first three Moldan, positioned to his right. Crystal unloaded her weapon, providing cover for Jake. Darku took out one enemy on his left. Functioning as a fully operational team, they stormed the command center by clearing the first staircase, eliminating an additional hacker as they climbed.

  Darku headed left as the lead made its way towards him. He let out a scream. A steel panel provided much needed cover; he remained there until Jake shot the hacker in his torso.

  Crystal ended the fight by shooting the last hacker in the head, the command center was clear. The floor was filled with lifeless bodies.

  Upon closer inspection, Jake’s attention was drawn to a small sack of ammo resting on a table in the center of the command post. A wide variety of monitors was placed around the room, in a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree arrangement. The surveillance was state-of-the-art.

  “OK, Darku. This is it,” Jake said with a tone of relief. “Think you can remove the lockdown from here? We don’t want them to reactivate it.”

  “Yea, I think I know my way around,” Darku replied. Fear and paranoia continue to plague him, he felt less burden now. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “You go on ahead. I’ll watch over the door and gather up ammunition before we head out. We need to be prepared. Crystal, you reload too.”

  After closing the door, Jake stood at the main table and calmly made final preparations.

  Engrossed in typing commands, Darku commenced the process of diligently breaking into one of the computers. Locating the file containing the security credentials he needed was his only aim; removal of the lockdown software was a critical component of their ability to succeed.

  The security credentials file was invaluable, as it granted a free pass to remove the lockdown procedure from the system, preventing reactivation. Once discovered, he would record it and use the code to remove the software.

  The console denied Darku access.

  “What the fuck?” Darku said.

  He retried the command, but the console gave the same result, blocked.

  “Shit! I can’t get through,” Darku said in disgust.

  Observing the message, Crystal lent a hand. Well, computers are not really my forte. But I think I might know a petty trick I can pull. She asked: “Tell me what you are trying to do?”

  “Bring up the security system, of course. But I can’t access it.”

  “Allow me to assist you,” Crystal said as she pushed him aside.

  Attaching a portable device to the system, she bypassed the step that required the security access code and proceeded directly to the lockdown setting. While inside; she typed ‘ernye’ in the textbox, hit the reset credential. Within moments, she gained access to the general security settings.

  Blasphemous, I’ve never seen anyone do that, Darku thought. He was stunned.

  “How?... How did you know how to do that?”

  “Oh, me?” Crystal chuckled. “I tinkered with computers a lot when I was young. I try to come prepared for almost everything. I used this software on my last mission, too. It comes in handy.”

  “And what mission was that?”

  “I was tasked with accessing a terminal to tamper with internal software. I created an executable that allowed me to exploit the software removal protocols. Must admit, I’m surprised that the UGF never inserted a patch for it; secrecy was lost after its first execution. You know what they say, no matter how safe and well secure your perimeter is, there’s always another way to break in.”

  “You know, I did not expect you to be a hacker.”

  “I’m usually not assigned to missions that deal with computers,” Crystal admitted. “But I don’t mind at all.”

  “Oh, uhh… We need to finish up here.”

  Darku politely took over the console. He tirelessly searched for the option he was looking for, finally stumbling upon a label that caught his attention – ‘Security Lockdown settings’. By clicking on it, Darku gained the keys to the kingdom.

  According to the console, the lockdown procedure was currently set to the highest level. For them to enter the hangar, he knew the lockdown sequence had to be removed.

  “Huh? I see the option to initiate a lockdown,” Darku muttered. “I just need to delete the sequence. And we’re all set.”

  “Excellent, think you can find a ship for us?” Jake asked, he was inserting rounds.

  “Yea, I can prep a ship. Give me a second.”

  After navigating to the watch tower control system, he explored all options.

  “Hey,” Darku hollered. “I have access to the watchtower; all the ships are at your disposal. Is there a specific ship you would like to take?”

  “Can you search for ‘Sies Madu X’?”

  Without answering, he immediately put the name of the ship into the search box and waited for the ship to appear. Three popped up, now all he had to do was to check their status, ready or in service. The ship’s bio and status flashed on the screen. As he gazed upon the capabilities of the prototype ship, his astonishment grew, as it was hard for him to comprehend the vast power it provided to whoever was entrusted to control it.

  “Are you referring to this vehicle?” Darku asked.

  “Affirmative,” Jake responded with a smile.

  With the correct ship identified, Darku prepared it for takeoff. First, he opted to perform a Quick Diagnostic test. This approach allowed him to verify the status of each of the onboard systems. While waiting for results, he prepared a fake request to the watchtower to allow the release of the ship from the hanger.

  “OK, I started a quick diagnostic check,” Darku said. “It shouldn’t be too long. You might want to sit tight.”

  In the center of the expansive screen, a symbol of a ‘Ring’ unexpectedly emerged. As the monitor rang, the label ‘unknown caller’ appeared.

  “What the?” Darku said. He was tempted to respond to the call. Until…

  “Don’t answer that transmission!” Jake snapped.

  Darku ceased his movement without tampering with the message. He stared in disbelief.

  “Why? What if the UGF is sending us a distress signal?” Darku protested.

  “We don’t know for sure!” Jake exclaimed.

  “Why can’t I answer it? I think we should-”

  “Quiet, Darku,” Jake shouted. “We could stumble into a nasty trap.”

  “What if Darku was right?” Crystal protested. “What if it is the UGF? Maybe they are trying to help.”

  Jake’s trust in Darku and Crystal was fading. Taking a brief pause, he contemplated the rationality of taking the phone call. What if his followers were right? What if it is a distress signal? What if they require our assistance? What if they wanted to warn them about something? The ringing continued; regaining his wits, he pushed Darku aside and answered.

  After clearing his throat, he spoke into the mic.

  “This is Jake Avolsky speaking at Prison number 8192. Can you please identify yourself?”

  “Good evening, Mr. Avolsky. We know exactly why you are here, Simo.”

  The monitor displayed a pixelated image of Hommodiel’s son, Amadiel Del Boili. With his dark and scruffy hair, combined with the unmistakable anger in his eyes, he displaced an intimidating presence.

  Amadiel was an incredible leader, largely due to his charisma. He was blessed with the Quadia’s way; his presence was felt within the facility. In his quest for revenge, Amadiel’s desire to stain Jake’s soul with a deadly poison was strong.

  “Wait? Amadiel?!” Jake said. He was shocked to find him alive. “Your Hommodiel’s son. You’re alive!”

  “That is correct. Blood by blood, I have risen from the ashes of the conflict; bought back to inflict vengeance. Your duties within the armed forces have poisoned your soul. The pirate raid, the Eyko Pipeline massacre, the Quadia war, the assassination of my father, and of course, unemployment, have all influenced your actions. Accepting a bounty on me will not lead you to the awakening you desire. You’ll never rise, Simo.”

  “I have no idea what you're talking about, Amadiel. Now that I know you are alive, it’s only a matter of time before I find you and bring you back to the authorities.”

  “Do you really think Darku is going to help you with that?” Amadiel grinned. “I think your reach is off limits. You’ll never gather enough evidence to find my exact location. My prophecy within the Quadia will be fulfilled, your vigilante work can’t stop me. It will be my honor to avenge my father by obliterating everyone inside your facility.”

  “You choose fear as your weapon; but I will use that fear against you. I will find you.”

  “You serve under the law; you don’t scare me! I will unleash a ring of terror on your hometown, the Frontier will be burned to the ground. You killed my men, you piece of trash. You have committed crimes against the Quadia, your people will end as a result; blood by blood.”

  The monitor displayed ‘end of transmission’, Amadiel had the last word.

  “Damn! This can’t be good,” Jake said. Amadiel’s potential threat wasn’t well received. It seemed certain that Amadiel had planned to spring a nasty surprise. “Is the ship ready to go?”

  “It’s ready. Sies Madu X is located at G5 towards the back of the hangar,” Darku answered.

  The grid of the hanger was displayed on the screen, showing the ship’s location. The monitor also flashed a ‘Flight Ready’ message. Darku disabled ‘Flight Check’, allowing them more time to escape. As he was scrolling through, he stumbled upon a warning message.

  According to the message, an adversary was currently engaging in unauthorized activities, tampering with Command Center settings. The adversary gained access to the ‘self-destruct protocol’. For a moment, Darku went speechless, his jaw dropped.

  “Uhh, Jake,” he said. Darku was forced to speak up. “Someone is accessing the self-destruct protocol.”

  “Are you telling me Amadil has access to the command post?!” Jake asked.

  “Yes. It never occurred to me he could get in. They must have inserted something with the transmission.” Darku frantically said as the self-destruct sequence launched. “This is bad.”

  He tried to halt the activation, but with little to avail, he was unsuccessful. The main monitor displayed the countdown timer, a deafening alarm filled the room and echoed throughout the facility. The countdown had begun, and the timer had been set to precisely three minutes.

  “I can’t stop it. They jammed my equipment.”

  “There’s nothing we can do,” Jake said. “Let’s get out of here.”

  With their equipment in hand, they exited the terminal room in a panic. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, they encountered armed prisoners.

  “Contact,” Jake hollered.

  Jake, along with his loyal followers, defended themselves by firing their weapons toward the oncoming prisoners. Three prisoners dropped dead, their torsos pierced by bullets. The remaining two took cover against the wall. As the continuous barrage raged on, they headed toward the bridge that would take them to the hangar.

  “Darku!” Jake said. “Watch our back. We might have more company inbound.”

  “You got it, Simo. I’ll provide backup,” Darku complied. He had slowly adapted to close quarter combat, but his hands continued to shake.

  Flanked by two prisoners, he dropped one standing in the middle of the hallway. The other retaliated; suppressing Darku from further engagement. Pressed against a doorway, he struggled to breathe.

  Jake and Crystal bravely crossed the bridge and cleared out several prisoners hiding behind steel crates. The bridge, which was narrow, provided an overview of the runway.

  “Your clear,” Jake said after doubling back to remove the threat baring Darku’s advance. “C’mon, Darku.”

  Regrouped, they ran along the bridge.

  “What does it look like down there?” Crystal said as she panted.

  Through the glass, Jake glanced under the bridge. The scene at the runway was chaotic, with prisoners scattered in various directions as they boarded their assigned ship. The watchtower, located on the upper North-east side of the runway, was trying to organize the chaos.

  “There’s thousands of prisoners running all over the hangar.”

  “There’s no way we can get to H-5 when they have complete control of the hangar,” Crystal said.

  “We’ll see about that,” Jake said in an assuring tone.

  Knowing they were outnumbered; Jake’s next gamble would determine everything. Two minutes and thirty seconds remaining.

  Decisively reaching the end of the bridge; they descended a single flight of stairs. The door that would give them access to their bay was blocked; two prisoners stood just ahead, waiting to take the elevator to some unknown space. Jake and Crystal each picked a hostile and fired.

  “Cover me. I need to reload,” Crystal shouted. Jake responded with a nod as they stood guard by the elevator door. “Finished.”

  “Reloading,” Jake said.

  Crystal took over. Two more thug prisoners arrived; each approaching from different sides of the room.

  “Shit, lookout,” she shouted.

  Darku unloaded his weapon positioned by his hip while spooked. The lead struck his target’s heart.

  Fully armed, Jake called the elevator.

  “It’s coming. Get ready,” he grinned. The fight raged on as they waited.

  ‘Beep’, the elevator doors open.

  It arrived faster than they thought it would. They rushed inside, counterattacking until the door closed. Darku, the last to board, was shot in the right arm. His screams of pain echoed. The door closed, crawling to the hangar floor.

  “Darku! Hold on, let me patch you up,” Crystal said. She pulled a torn white cloth from her bag and prepared it for Darku’s arm. Darku let out a cry of agony as she tightened the bandage around the wound. The blood dripping on the floor stopped, but the pain continued.

  “How bad is it?” Jake asked.

  “Ahhh, I’m going to have a hard time moving my arm,” Darku answered.

  “Just stay close to me. We’ll get you out of here.”

  A ‘beep’ announced their arrival. As they walked out, Darku and Jake were forced to eliminate two prisoners standing next to the wall on their left. They proceeded forward, seeking cover along the way. Suddenly, a machine gun roared back to life and pounded the wall.

  “That god damn machine gun is pinning us down. Stay close to the wall!”

  “What should we do?” Darku asked, the pain in his arm threw him in a state of increasing agony.

  “We need to use smoke to conceal our position,” Jake answered. “Anyone got smoke?”

  In response, Crystal retrieved a smoke grenade from her inventory.

  “Darku! Do you have one? Can you use the grenade launcher?” Jake asked.

  Darku struggled as he grabbed three from his pocket. He gave a thumb-up.

  “Here’s the plan. We’ll cover the runway with smoke. It will give us the leverage we need to make it to the Saber 1,” Jake instructed. “Prepare your launchers, I will let you know when to release your weapon.”

  Crystal did not miss a beat loading hers. However, Darku encountered momentary difficulties while loading his round into the chamber. Not allowing frustration to build, he slipped the grenade into position. They both waited patiently for the signal.

  “One… Two… Three!” Jake said. “Now!”

  With perfect synchronization, Darku and Crystal deployed their smoke grenades. They hit the ground, exploded, and sent smoke along the runway. White particles permeated the atmosphere; for the moment, they were concealed.

  Darku struggled to aim his launcher. He was a little stiff from his wound, but shot the final grenade toward the hangar doors where Saber 1 awaited.

  Rushing, Darku reloaded and fought once again to steady his arm. He knew the more smoke they deployed, the safer their passage would become. Eighty percent of the area was covered, it was up to him to take care of the rest. Two minutes remained.

  “Wait for it. Wait for it…” Jake said. Biting his tongue, he checked the area one last time. Clearing his throat, he shouted: “Go! Move it! Get to the ship!”

  Crystal dashed through the smoke first, Jake and Darku followed close behind. Jake coughed amidst the smoke while Darku struggled to keep up, the pain in his arm was now unbearable. He kept telling himself that he needed to move or be killed, the thought caused him to slowly pick up speed.

  With its relentless firepower, the machine gun ravaged the runway, cutting through the billowing smoke. Darku increased the intensity of his pace, using all he had left to reach the entrance to H-5 landing area. Panting and coughing intensely, he paused, momentarily, to catch his breath.

  After reaching the landing pad, Jake unleashed the last of his mag into the smoke, hoping to stop any prisoners who may be foolishly approaching.

  “Head’s up Darku, we got contact!” Jake shouted. “Move, get to the ship.”

  In a running and shooting stance, the entire group advanced. Upon reaching the ship, Darku and Jake continued to fight the resistance, Crystal hit the automatic door opener, causing the ramp to push forward and descend.

  “Get inside! Get inside!” Crystal shouted. Jake and Darku scaled up the ramp, triggering Crystal’s immediate response to begin the closing process.

  “I’ll lock the door! Get to the cockpit.”

  Without saying a word, Jake ascended the steps, passed through a small sitting area until he finally reached the secure cockpit. Eager to take charge, he confidently claimed the middle pilot seat, pressing the button to boot the control panel, which was currently offline. A steady hum was the first sign that the ship was coming alive. The brightly lit console displayed the status of various systems, including the ramp, which was marked as closed. One minute and thirty seconds remained.

  “Ok. Systems check initiated, takeoff less than a minute away,” Jake said. “Darku, can you take the gunner’s seat?”

  “Absolutely,” Darku replied. He sat down and familiarized himself with the controller. “Seems easy enough, any advice?”

  “Use the joystick to control the mini gun. Squeeze the large trigger. We need to eliminate the thousands of criminals lurking on the runway. I’ve enabled the gunner controller. I need you to control the heat until the engine check is complete.

  “Ready? Engage at will.”

  The gunner’s monitor flashed ‘loaded’. Darku gripped the controller and fired.

  “Here we go,” Jake said as he punched the button, opening the hangar doors. Darku, using the mini gun, unleashed a storm of bullets on the resistance; many were sliced like Swiss cheese.

  “Don’t hold the trigger for too long or else you’ll overheat the weapon,” Jake warned, he continued to monitor the status of the engines. “Use small bursts.”

  Unsure about the meaning of ‘small burst’, he elected to begin a ‘Shave and a haircut’ shooting rhythm. He wondered if this was the small burst sequence Jake was eluding too or was it more like ‘Die, motherfucker. Die.’

  The rhythm continued, pull trigger, count to 2, release, pull trigger, count to 2, release… The temperature gage, acting as a guide, gradually dropped, confirming he had selected the correct rhythm.

  “I see you’re enjoying playing with your new toy,” Crystal said to Darku sarcastically. Darku seemed to be hogging all the action. Consumed by feelings of envy, she hastily positioned herself in a nearby seat, allowing her to witness the unsettling spectacle. Less than a minute remained.

  “Shove it, Crystal,” Jake growled. “I don’t have time for your jealousy, I’m in a middle of getting the damn engines up.”

  Taken aback, Jake spotted several prisoners carrying Anti-Air missiles, currently positioning near several storage containers along the right side of the runway.

  “Darku! Anti-Air missiles at two o’clock!”

  Heeding the warning, Darku targeted the Anti Air, stopping the pursuit of the Saber 1 in its tracks.

  “All right, the engines are at 100%,” Jake said, he reached up to flip a few switches. “Get your seatbelts on!”

  With 5 seconds remaining, the Saber 1 gained altitude. Darku continued to fire his mini gun, while Jake engaged the thrusters enough to clear the exit.

  The crumbling of the runway was mercilessly set in motion by the bombardment blasts, instantly killing the stranded prisoners. Amadiel had destroyed a crucial military base, leaving it in ruins.

  Their farewell was intensified as a powerful force suddenly propelled Jake and his crew forward, enveloping them in a blinding white light. Knowing no one else could escape, they realized they were the sole survivors.

  Jake set the course of the ship, back to his home base, Earth. He started the booster, propelling the engines through zero G. It was time to go home.

  ***

  “Get a hold of yourself, Darku,” Crystal said. “Let me look at your wounds.”

  Sitting in a cozy living room, Darku sat in a chair and screamed as Crystal removed the old bandage. A nearby table was lined with medical equipment, ointments, clean bandages, scissors.

  She carefully examined the wound, searching for the bullet that had pierced Darku’s skin like a paper puncher; it was time to patch him up.

  “We need to remove the bullet; it’s going to hurt. I need to rub your skin with alcohol, it might sting a bit.”

  Crystal poured a small drip of alcohol onto a white cloth, then sterilized the area surrounding the wound. As the burning sensation grew, Darku clenched his teeth, damning his screams.

  “Hold still. I’m going to spray on some numbing agent. It should help.” Crystal said, she grabbed the chemical from the emergency kit.

  With the discomfort diminishing, Darku took on a more relaxed stance, allowing the medication to heal.

  The numbness spread up his arm, he tried to move it, but mobility up to his shoulder was lost. Rather than becoming overwhelmed, he allowed Crystal to do what she needed to do.

  “It’s the least I could do,” Crystal said as she finished applying a clean bandage. “Your free to go, Darku.”

  Nervous about fainting, he remained seated, eliminating any potential embarrassment.

  “Thanks, Zealoft.”

  Crystal nodded as she tidied the table.

  A drink of water washed away the fear of fainting. Darku stood, flexed his arm, and returned to the cockpit.

  Hearing the door open, Jake said: “What took you so long? Was that little bullet giving you a problem?”

  “I’m ok. It’s not that bad.”

  “Good,” Jake nodded. Feeling at ease, he continued. “I look forward to cracking into your database when we return.”

  Sitting down, Darku stared out the window, saying nothing in response. A beam of light flashed off the ship, emitting blue particles, revealing an exquisite beauty of what was to come.

  Feeling safe, Jake took his time reestablishing visual connection with his base.

  “Laurence. This is Jake Avolsky. Report...” Jake spoke. Silence emerged, he sat patiently, eagerly waiting for a response. “Laurence, do you copy?”

  “I can read you, Avolsky,” Laurence said, he observed Jake’s appearance on his monitor. “What in the bloody norin is going on? We detected the destruction.”

  “It was Amadiel,” Jake answered. “He hacked into the command post and initiated the destruct sequence, obliterating the entire facility.”

  “Is Darku on board?”

  “He’s sitting next to me, looking out the window, taking in the sights,” Jake answered jokingly. “He suffered a minor injury, but Crystal, a stray I picked up, patched him up enough for now.”

  “I see you are in a Sies Madu X,” Laurence said. He had recognized the control panel. “Great pick. Tell you what, drop the ship off at HQ and report back to me.”

  “Wilco, Laurence,” Jake complied. “I’ll see you soon.”

  Undeterred by the long journey, Jake resolutely pushed forward, steadily making his way back to the extraction point.

  He sat back, reflecting. Up to this point, he was pleased with how the mission had been accomplished. The lockdown had triggered fears, fears of being trapped. He had shaken off those fears, but he couldn’t stop the feelings that those same fears may return.

  With his mates’ help, they escaped the facility. Darku was the prize that Jake was fortunate enough to take home. He knew, when they returned to base, Darku, to rectify his wrongdoings, would assist them in finding the Strati factory. He committed himself to seek retribution against the Pather, but for the moment, he kept this promise to himself.