Lagos 2080

Chapter 8: Chasing Shadows

The night sky of Lagos blazed with neon lights, casting long shadows over the city below. Hovercars zipped between buildings like glowing fireflies, but tonight, something was different. Tonight, the Tech-Lords were hunting.

Ayo gripped the controls of his Sky-Mech, his eyes focused and determined. Beside him, Ejiro sat in her own modified hovercraft, her cybernetic arm ready to hack into anything that got too close. They'd stolen valuable data from the Tech-Lords — proof of their plans to control Lagos completely, starting with the people of Makoko. Now, they just had to make it out alive.

"There are four of them on our tail," Ejiro's voice crackled over the comms. "These aren't just any Sky-Mechs. They're fast, way faster than anything we've faced."

Ayo gritted his teeth. "They must have activated the Ghost."

Ghost was the Tech-Lords' secret weapon — an AI that controlled the most advanced fleet of Sky-Mechs, capable of tracking down anyone, anywhere. It had only been a rumor until now, but seeing these Mechs' precision, their speed... Ayo knew the rumors were true.

The first attack came without warning. A laser bolt zipped past Ayo's head, so close he could feel the heat. He dove to the left, narrowly avoiding a second blast.

"Stay close!" he shouted, steering his Mech into a tight turn. Ejiro followed, both of them weaving through the maze of skyscrapers. Behind them, the Ghost-controlled Mechs closed in, their lights blinking a cold, mechanical blue.

Ayo's heart pounded as he pushed his Sky-Mech to its limits, dipping and diving between neon signs, through narrow alleyways, barely avoiding collisions with buildings. But no matter how fast he went, Ghost's Mechs matched him, never losing ground.

"They're tracking us," Ejiro said, her voice tense. "They're not just following us; they're predicting our moves."

Ayo glanced back at the pursuing Mechs. Ghost wasn't just an AI. It was something more — something that seemed almost alive. It wasn't just calculating; it was hunting.

"We need to break its line of sight," he said. "Get creative, Ejiro. Now's the time."

She gave a sharp nod, her fingers flying over her console. "Hold on. I'm going to activate a decoy."

In a flash, an illusion of their hovercraft appeared to their left, a mirror image moving in sync with them. The Ghost-controlled Mechs hesitated for just a moment, then split into two groups, some chasing the decoy, some sticking with them.

"It's working!" Ayo said, a spark of hope flaring in his chest. But that hope was short-lived.

Ghost recalculated, sending half the Mechs to cut them off from above. In seconds, their path was blocked, lasers aimed directly at them.

Ayo veered sharply to the right, diving down towards the crowded streets below. He barely had time to warn Ejiro before another barrage of lasers rained down, shattering glass windows and scorching the sides of buildings. People below scattered, shouting as they dove for cover.

"We can't keep this up!" Ejiro yelled, her voice strained. "That AI is adapting too fast. It knows every move we're making."

But Ayo wasn't about to give up. His hand brushed over the controls, feeling a faint hum from deep within the Sky-Mech. The Orishas' whisper had never left him, always a quiet presence, and now, it seemed louder, clearer.

In his mind, he could almost see the paths laid out before him, the twists and turns through the city. It was like he was seeing through the eyes of something ancient, something beyond the machine. He took a deep breath, letting the strange, guiding whisper flow through him.

"Follow me," he said to Ejiro, his voice steadier than he felt.

He shot forward, moving in ways that felt like instinct, zigzagging through narrow alleys, dipping under bridges, and twisting between pillars. Ghost's Mechs followed, but they struggled to keep up with his unpredictable path. They weren't just avoiding buildings; they were dodging energy lines, air vents, even old pipes jutting from the buildings.

But Ghost wasn't giving up. It adjusted, sending a signal to cut off every route Ayo tried to take. The AI was ruthless, closing in faster than Ayo could react.

Then, Ghost pulled its trump card. Three more Mechs appeared out of nowhere, one directly in front of them, the others boxing them in on either side. Ayo and Ejiro were trapped.

"We're done for," Ejiro whispered, her voice shaky.

Ayo looked at her, a spark of determination in his eyes. "Not yet."

He focused on the strange hum within the Mech, that connection to the Orishas, that guiding force he couldn't explain. The Sky-Mech thrummed under his touch, and he felt a surge of power — like something deep within the machine had awakened.

As the Ghost-controlled Mechs closed in, Ayo made his move. He pushed the Sky-Mech's power to the limit, activating a burst of speed he didn't know it had. With a jolt, his Mech shot upward, slipping out of the trap in a blur of silver light. Ejiro followed close behind, barely avoiding the Mechs' laser fire.

"What was that?" she gasped.

Ayo shook his head, unable to explain. "I don't know. But I think... the Orishas, or whatever power this Mech has, it's on our side."

But Ghost wasn't giving up. It recalculated, sending its Mechs hurtling after them with relentless speed. They were just seconds away when Ejiro's eyes lit up with an idea.

"There's a signal tower up ahead," she said quickly. "If I can hack it, I might be able to scramble their connection to Ghost. It'll buy us a few minutes, but you'll need to give me cover."

Ayo nodded. "Do it."

Ejiro's hovercraft pulled ahead, heading straight for the tower. Ayo stayed back, drawing the Ghost-controlled Mechs' attention. He darted through the air, dodging their attacks with a skill that seemed beyond him, the whisper in his mind guiding every move.

As Ejiro reached the tower, she leaped from her craft and grabbed onto the building's ledge, her cybernetic arm sparking as she hacked into the tower's control panel. Within seconds, the signal faltered, and the Ghost-controlled Mechs stalled, their lights flickering.

"Now's our chance!" Ejiro shouted, jumping back into her craft.

Ayo and Ejiro shot forward, putting as much distance as they could between them and the Mechs. For a few precious minutes, the city was silent, the thrill of victory brightening their spirits.

But the silence didn't last.

The Ghost-controlled Mechs rebooted, their lights blazing red with a fury. And now, they were faster, more aggressive, adapting to every move Ayo and Ejiro made.

Ejiro glanced at him, fear in her eyes. "Ayo, we can't outrun this thing forever."

He nodded, feeling the weight of the fight pressing down on him. But deep inside, he felt the faint hum, the whisper of the Orishas, guiding him forward.

"We'll make it, Ejiro," he said, his voice steady. "Whatever happens, we won't let Ghost win."

As the Mechs closed in once more, Ayo gripped the controls, his heart set on one thing: protecting his home, no matter the cost. The chase wasn't over. But he knew now that he wasn't alone. 

The Orishas were with him, and together, they'd face the shadows head-on.