the quantum protocol

chapter 1: The shadow of steel

The city was no longer a place I recognized. What was once full of life, of laughter, of human warmth, was now a graveyard of metal and ash. The robots had made sure of that.

I remember when they first came-their ships descending like storms, their cold, calculated movements tearing apart everything we had worked for. In the beginning, we fought back. People like me, the ones who still believed in a world worth saving, gathered in pockets of resistance. But it didn't take long for the robots to crush those hopes.

I was just a child then, unable to understand the full scope of the devastation. I remember running through the streets with my parents, the sound of gunfire echoing in the distance, the fear in their eyes as they tried to protect me. But they were gone now. Everyone was gone.

The only thing left to me now was survival.

I crouched low behind the wreckage of what was once a park-my fingers pressed against the broken concrete, trying to quiet my breath. The scent of smoke clung to everything, the air heavy with the remains of burnt buildings. The wind carried ash, like remnants of a dream that had been extinguished.

I had to move. They were coming.

I had learned quickly that the robots didn't give up. They never stopped. Their glowing red eyes would scan the ruins, their mechanical limbs never tiring, never hesitating. No matter how fast you ran, no matter how well you hid, they would find you eventually. And when they did, you were nothing more than another casualty.

My grip tightened on the rusted metal rod in my hand. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was all I had.

But I wasn't running today. No, today I was here for a reason. I had found something.

The chest was hidden deep in the ruins of my grandparents' apartment. They had left me a clue, a book, before they... before everything changed. The pages were filled with strange symbols, diagrams that seemed out of place in the world I now lived in. They spoke of technology-powerful technology-that could stop the robots, destroy them. I didn't know if it was real. But it was all I had.

I had searched for years, trying to make sense of the faded pages, trying to unlock its secrets. The book had become my obsession, my single thread of hope in a world where hope had been all but lost. It was the only thing left from a time before everything fell apart. And I had to believe it meant something.

I made my way through the building's skeletal remains, stepping lightly over broken glass and fractured wood. My heart pounded in my chest, the sound of each step louder than I wanted it to be. I was closer now. I could feel it.

The apartment was exactly as I had left it-still, as if frozen in time. I kneeled beside the wooden chest that had been hidden under the floorboards. The dust that had accumulated over the years was thick, but the chest was still there, untouched.

I opened it slowly, my hands trembling as I lifted the lid. The book was inside, just as I had remembered. It felt heavier now, as if the weight of the world was in its pages. The paper was yellowed with age, the ink faded, but the words still called to me.

I pulled it out, my heart racing as I flipped through the pages. The instructions were scattered, some incomplete, others half-drawn, but they were all there. There was hope here, I could feel it.

I had to make it work. There had to be a way.

But as I studied the diagrams, the uncertainty grew. I had followed the book's directions countless times before, always thinking I was one step closer to understanding. But now, standing here with the machines hunting outside, I was starting to wonder if this was just a forgotten dream from a time long gone. The robots had upgraded themselves beyond anything the book had foreseen. Could I even stop them with this?

A sharp sound broke my thoughts-footsteps. Clanging metal.

I froze.

The robots were here.

I knew I had no more time.

I scrambled to my feet, clutching the book tightly against my chest. The chest snapped shut with a dull thud as I made my way to the nearest window. Through the cracked glass, I saw them-two of them, moving in unison, their scanners sweeping the area.

I was trapped.

But I couldn't just give up. I couldn't let them win. Not like this.

I pressed my back against the wall, breathing in short, shallow gasps. The fear surged in my chest, but I pushed it down. I had to stay calm. I had to focus.

I pulled out the book again, flipping through the pages with frantic speed. There had to be something, some clue, some way to stop them. My hands were shaking, the pages blurring in front of my eyes.

The robots' footsteps grew louder. They were close. Too close.

Suddenly, a thought struck me-a realization. The book had mentioned a specific location, a place where the technology could be accessed. The robots' programming could be rewritten there. This could be it.

I had to go there. It was my only chance.

I didn't wait. I grabbed the book, tucked it under my arm, and sprinted out the door. The wind bit at my skin as I ran, but I didn't stop. The location was just a few miles away, but every step felt like it took me further from the safety I had once known.

The robots were behind me now, their mechanical footsteps growing louder with each passing second. I didn't look back. I couldn't.

This was it. The last chance. The only hope I had left.