[1-200] THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 148: Cold Wind

The three young Larkinsons disgorged from their forcibly landed aircar in a run. They approached the entrance of what appeared to be a junkyard. A single security officer along with a host of rickety security bots held them up at the entrance.

"Stop! No entry allowed!"

"Let us in! It's an emergency!" Ves retorted as he banged his fist against the gates. "The BLM is after us right now!"

The portly security guard appeared puzzled. He looked around and failed to notice anything amiss. "I don't see any rebels. Are you sure you've got your heads on straight?"

Just as Ves wanted to respond, everyone flattened themselves when a huge explosion threw them off their feet. His antigrav clothing instantly righted his body in place, but his cousins had to roll on the ground before they came to a stop. Everyone gawked at the gigantic plume of smoke a few blocks away.

"We're under attack!" The guard panicked and quickly slammed his fist against a button. The entire junkyard started to go into lockdown as metal shutters rolled down windows and all of the fences became electrified.

"At least let us in before you hole up in your little corner!"

"It's no use." Melkor said and pulled Raella back before she could bang her fist against the metal shutters. "Look around you. Everyone's running scared."

All of the airtrucks and shuttles zipped away, even those who were still in the progress of loading their goods. Some of them even dropped their cargo as their hatches hadn't closed in time.

Along with the retreat of every vehicle, every factory and warehouse started to put up their barricades. In an unsafe environment like the industrial district which was plagued with criminals and other unsavory characters, such an exaggerated level of security was a basic requirement. Even as the air grew a little hotter due to the nearby flames, no one looked out for others.

As the Larkinsons tried to find some shelter at the warehouses and workshops next door, they were only met with stony silence.

"It's no use." Ves eventually said. "This is one of Dorum's worst neighborhoods. A lot of gangs like to threaten and steal from these facilities. You won't be able to find a good samaritan in this part of town."

Melkor frowned behind his glaring red visor. "I don't see any police. How could Bentheim let its public security deteriorate to this degree?"

Even if the Dorum Police Force sleeped on the job, they should have sent some help over. Ves brought up his comm but only got an invalid signal.

"Our comms are still blocked! The rebels must have sabotaged the nearby broadcast towers!"

Things weren't looking good, Ves thought. A nefarious force had blown up something big and blocked their wireless communication attempts. Had the rebels given up on the quiet option and therefore opted to go loud?

An intense sensation suddenly engulfed him. For some reason, Ves felt as if an apex predator stared hungrily at him. Sweat trickled down his brow as he tried to parse this unfamiliar probe. His so-called Sixth Sense only triggered when he came into contact with the X-Factor.

Did this mean that one of his own mechs was close?

"The flavor is wrong."

For lack of a better word, he described each different sensation from the X-Factor as a flavor. As someone who personally designed and fabricated the Mark I's and Mark II's, they possessed a unique blend of daring and aggression.

The flavor currently pinging his senses lacked the boldness he had personally imbued. Instead, it tasted like a cold winter wind snuffing out a lonely candle.