The roar of machinery and the clanking of metallic footsteps echoed through the cavernous factory, but all Uzi could focus on was the voice. Cold, calculated, and worse—familiar. It wasn’t Cyn, but it carried the same weight, the same twisted sense of superiority. Her knuckles whitened around her railgun as she and N moved deeper into the heart of *Project Ascension*.
“Run all you like…” the voice repeated, almost mockingly.
“Ugh, I hate creepy, omniscient voices,” Uzi muttered, her frustration clear as she ducked behind a column. “You’re not scaring anyone, so shut up!”
N hovered close by, scanning their surroundings with his wings twitching restlessly. “Whoever it is, they’ve definitely got a flair for the dramatic.”
The drones that had surrounded them before weren’t pursuing for now, but Uzi knew it was only a matter of time. The flickering lights and the faint hum of unseen machinery set her on edge, every shadow a potential threat. This place, with its rusted walls and endless machinery, felt like it was suffocating her.
“Okay, think,” Uzi muttered under her breath, her mind racing. “They want us here for a reason, and it’s not just to kill us. If they did, we’d already be dead.”
“So… what’s the play?” N asked, his grin forced but his loyalty unwavering.
Uzi glanced at him, her frustration bubbling up again. As much as she hated to admit it, his goofy optimism made her feel safer. Like no matter how bad things got, he’d always be there, hovering like an idiot but ready to jump in front of whatever danger came their way.
“We fight our way out,” Uzi said, her voice resolute. “But we need more than that. I need to figure out what *Project Ascension* actually is.”
N’s wings buzzed as he looked at the central console, wires tangled like a mechanical nest. “Well, if you can hack into that thing, maybe we can get some answers?”
Uzi’s face lit up with a mischievous grin. “Finally, something I’m actually good at.”
She crouched down, pulling out her interface cable. The console’s screen glowed faintly, humming with activity. As she connected her systems, the cold, mechanical voice echoed again, this time much louder.
“You’re predictable, Uzi. So eager to understand, so easy to manipulate.”
“Bite me,” Uzi growled, her fingers dancing over the controls.
Data flashed across the screen in rapid bursts, but most of it was encrypted—layers upon layers of digital locks designed to keep her out. Uzi clenched her teeth, pushing harder, but the system pushed back, sending out sparks that almost burned her fingertips.
“I’m not going to let you just waltz into my head,” she hissed.
“Good luck with that,” the voice responded. “You’re not the first to try.”
Suddenly, the room shuddered. Metal creaked, and somewhere behind them, the sound of drones powering up reverberated through the walls.
“Uh, Uzi?” N’s voice cracked with concern. “They’re waking up.”
“I’m almost there,” she snapped, ignoring the growing tension in her gut.
Another wave of data flooded her interface. Uzi’s eyes flickered with determination as she saw the words flash across the screen: *Project Ascension: Initialization Protocol.*
Then, a flood of images—schematics of drones, advanced designs far beyond anything she or N had seen before. Her heart skipped a beat. This was big. Bigger than Cyn. These drones weren’t just hunters. They were part of a larger plan.
YOU ARE READING
Murder Drones **"After the Fall: Love in the Ruins"**
RomanceYears have passed since Cyn's catastrophic attack left the world in ruin. The few remaining drones struggle to survive in the desolate wastelands they once called home. Uzi and N, now hardened by time and tragedy, have found solace in each other, th...
