Emma and Kina finally returned to Naren's store. Emma rushed inside, "Naren! You used to tell stories about how you built tunnels around Bravilla, right?" she said, panting.
"Yeah, that's right. After being transferred from the asteroid mining facility, I arrived here. Since I was no longer in my prime, I settled down and got married. Why do you ask, kid?"
Emma needs Naren's old Exo-rig, the one he had used during his construction days. "I need your Exo-rig. Is it still functional? I'm planning to infiltrate the Neburon facility's drainage system. Even Kina agrees with me."
"WHAT! Have you gone crazy? Fighting security with an old Exo-rig is very dangerous. Besides, this Exo-rig isn't a combat tool, kid," Naren snapped angrily.
"Please, Ortis is my father's last legacy. He's the only thing that matters to me right now," Emma said, her voice heavy with sadness.
Burdened by his relationship. Naren was a close friend of Professor Rhys, Emma's father, he finally agreed to help. "Hmm... alright, kid, but don't say I didn't warn you. My Exo-rig is only good for construction work. It has no pulse beam, plasma blaster, or anything fancy like that. It only has a mining laser, a shield to block debris and rocks, and standard physical enhancement. Now hold on, I'll get the Exo-rig."
Afterward, Kina helped fit the Exo-rig onto Emma's body. The system creaked, old and worn out, but still operational.
"We don't have much time. According to your submission report earlier, they'll move Ortis in four hours," said Kina as they headed toward their cargo transport.
Emma took a deep breath. "Then let's get started."
***
Within minutes, they arrived at the Neburon facility's waste area, ramming the metal gate at full speed. Every hour, the waste disposal door opened briefly, a window for Emma to slip inside.
"Are you sure the scavengers won't notice us?" Emma shouted inside the transport to Kina.
"Hah, you care about them? They're like Brerrits digging for scraps. They won't care," Kina said confidently.
They waited, hiding behind a pile of junk. As soon as the waste door opened, Emma sprinted across the filthy ground, slicing through rusted bars with her Exo-rig laser.
The inner tunnels were cramped and reeked of rot. Emma hurried down the drainage channel, blasting a surveillance camera with her laser, triggering the facility's Relay-node to detect an anomaly. A guard was dispatched to investigate.
Emma slipped into the underground logistics corridor. Based on the report, Ortis was stored in Room 6A. But a guard soon spotted Emma sneaking toward it.
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"DON'T MOVE! HANDS UP!" the guard shouted.
Without hesitation, Emma aimed her laser at the wall near the guard, blasting debris that knocked him out. She ran toward Room 6A, but now alarms blared loudly.
Inside Ortis' frozen system, something stirred. A blurry vision of himself, once human. Still shrouded in darkness.
He heard a voice calling, "Vin? Vin? Where are you?" a gentle female voice.
Suddenly, a lightbulb flickered on. "Ah, there you are. Why were you so quiet?" said the girl.
"I was trying to find a flashlight. You don't have to yell. I'm still here, aren't I?" Ortis replied in his memory.
"Hmph... when the power goes out, I get scared. It feels like something's watching from the dark," she said, annoyed.
"That's why you shouldn't be afraid. I'm here. More importantly, don't go outside. I'm worried the blackout might have been staged by someone, to break into your house," he reassured her.
"Okay, officer... I'll be careful," she muttered.
The memory faded, replaced by the loud blaring of alarms.
"Ortis! Hang on, I'm here now!" Emma shouted, ripping off Ortis' seal.
Ortis' yellow eyes slowly lit up. He quickly assessed the situation.
"Please wait... Calibration complete. Your device is now operating at 150% capacity," Ortis said in his mechanical voice. Inside his mind, he hoped Emma's Exo-rig would function at its best.
As they exited the logistics room, they were intercepted by six security guards, including Officer Dornan, and five guard drones hovering in front of them.
"STAND DOWN, DROP YOUR EXO-RIG AND RETURN NEBURON PROPERTY, OR WE WILL FIRE!" Officer Dornan shouted, ordering Emma and Ortis to surrender.
Emma, frustrated, fired her laser again, but this time, it was different. The beam was far stronger, blasting three guards and destroying all the drones.
"AAH! ORTIS, WHAT IS THIS, TURN IT OFF!" Emma panicked, losing balance and falling. The remaining guards aimed their weapons.
Quickly, Ortis activated the debris shield on Emma's Exo-rig, but he struggled to get them out.
He heard something—a distant signal in his mind.
"What is this signal? Who's there?" Ortis thought. The voice didn't answer but seemed to await a command.
"Get us out of here!" Ortis willed.
"Multiple Threats detected, Automatic defense system activated." A system prompt appeared before him:
> SIGNAL SCATTER [NON-LETHAL]
> ENABLE FRIENDLY FIRE [LETHAL]
Officer Dornan noticed something odd—his Neumon visor detected an unidentified device.
Ortis chose "Signal Scatter." Immediately, the guards' weapons jammed, unable to lock onto targets.
Confused, the guards tried switching to manual override.
Ortis then selected "Enable Friendly Fire." Suddenly, the guards' Exo-rigs locked onto each other, causing chaos as they attacked one another.
Emma's Exo-rig trembled violently. Ortis deactivated the shield, grabbed Emma and the officer Neumon Visors, and ran toward the exit.
Outside, Kina was already waiting with the cargo trasport. They leaped aboard, speeding away from the now-chaotic Neburon facility.
Sirens still echoed behind them. But for the first time, Emma felt as though she had reclaimed her future. They had taken Ortis back.
Their journey was just beginning.
***
A few hours later, Neburon's Draco Division finally arrived at the facility, intending to collect the "property" Emma had surrendered. Instead, they found only devastation and carnage.
A white-armored soldier approaching someone.
"Sergeant Viktor, we found the attacker's Neuchip's ID from the last Relay Node log. It's... Emma Calder."
