Serial Designation Ch-last: A Rebellion in the Shadows

Spreading the Signal

With a plan in place, they set out to find an old, abandoned broadcast tower on the outskirts of HQ territory. The idea was to amplify the override signal, sending it out across the network to every Disassembly Drone within range. It was risky—HQ's forces would be on them the moment they started—but it was the only way to reach as many drones as possible.

As they worked on setting up the broadcast equipment, Ch-last couldn't help but glance at J. Despite her reluctance, J was pulling her weight, checking the perimeter and setting up defenses with a professionalism that came from years of training. Ch-last wondered if, deep down, J was beginning to understand.

The moment came to activate the broadcast. Ch-last took a deep breath, her finger hovering over the button.

"Are we ready?" she asked, looking around at her makeshift team—her new family.

N nodded, smiling reassuringly. Uzi gave a thumbs-up, her eyes filled with anticipation. Even J offered a silent nod, though she kept her face impassive.

Ch-last pressed the button, and a surge of energy pulsed through the tower. The override signal spread out across the network, a beacon of freedom calling to every drone under HQ's control.

For a moment, nothing happened. And then... the response began. Messages started flooding in from drones who felt the override taking hold, their confusion slowly turning into something else—something like hope.

"Is this real?" one message read. "Can we... can we really be free?"

Ch-last's heart swelled as she read each message, every line a testament to the power of choice. They'd done it. They'd sparked something bigger than themselves.