Escape plan

Sol sat in the dim bunker, his mind racing through every possible route, every potential danger. He needed to leave, and he needed to do it without being seen. DreamCorp wouldn't stop until they recovered the ACE System, and with the level of firepower they had outside, a direct confrontation wasn't an option. His best bet was the black market contact mentioned in his teacher's letter—a smuggler who could get him out of the slums unnoticed.But first, he needed information.Sol activated his interface, trying to establish a link with any of his drones. His heart sank as he scanned for active signals. The blast had taken out nearly everything. No aerial drones, no scout units. He was blind. Just as he was about to shut the system down, a weak response flickered in the corner of his vision.Two robotic spiders.The small, multi-legged machines had survived, having burrowed deep into the cracks of the bunker's foundation. They were basic—stealth models meant for reconnaissance—but they were better than nothing. Sol focused, attempting to reestablish his control over them. As he linked his neural interface to the spiders, a sudden prompt appeared in his vision:**"Pairing available."**Sol's brow furrowed. Pairing? He had never seen this before. The ACE System had done something when it integrated with him, but even with all his knowledge of tech, he didn't understand its full capabilities."…Pair," he said, testing the command.Instantly, a faint sensation spread through his body, like tiny electric currents brushing against his nerves. It was subtle—barely noticeable—but as he focused, he felt something beyond himself. Reaching for the sensation, he grasped it mentally, and the moment he did, a new message flashed in his vision:**"Pairing successful."**A strange connection formed. It wasn't just the usual interface command structure—this was something deeper. As he concentrated, his robotic spiders powered on, their legs twitching as they came to life. And then, he *felt* them.It was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Before, his AI-driven spiders could only receive pre-programmed commands: set ambush, track targets, lay low. Now, they felt like extensions of himself. He could *move* them, *see* through them, *command* them with thought alone.Experimenting, he gave a simple command—**move.** The spiders skittered forward instantly. **Jump.** They leapt into the air. Sol grinned. This was incredible. The precision, the responsiveness—it was as if they were part of his own body. He cycled through their optics, the visuals streaming into his mind like a seamless feed. It was like watching a movie, only he was the director.Wasting no time, Sol directed the spiders through the cracks of the bunker, guiding them toward the surface. He needed to scout the situation outside before making his move. As they navigated through the ruins, a soft tremor ran through the ground above him. Vehicles. Footsteps. DreamCorp forces were still combing the area.The spiders finally emerged from the wreckage into the open, and the sight made Sol's breath hitch.The destruction was worse than he had imagined. Fires still burned in the distance, their flickering flames casting long, dancing shadows over the wreckage. Thick plumes of smoke curled into the sky, turning the air into a suffocating haze of burnt metal and scorched earth. The remnants of his teacher's lab were barely recognizable, buried under shattered walls and twisted steel, the ground still glowing with residual heat in some places. The scent of melted circuitry and scorched plastic clung to the air, mixing with the acrid stench of burning fuel. Piles of debris smoldered, sending occasional embers drifting through the air like dying stars. Some fires had burned down to their embers, revealing the charred skeletons of machines and consoles once brimming with knowledge. In the distance, a ruptured gas line hissed, feeding an uncontrollable blaze that illuminated the ruin like a funeral pyre.And the troops—there were so many. DreamCorp soldiers patrolled every inch of the area, their dark silhouettes shifting through the haze as they scanned for any sign of movement. Drones hovered above the wreckage, their red optics piercing through the smoke, while mechs stomped methodically through the ruins, their servos hissing with each heavy step. Armored vehicles formed an unyielding blockade around the site, their mounted cannons sweeping over the landscape. In the distance, a fleet of hover cars drifted in slow, predatory circles, their searchlights cutting through the gloom as they locked down every possible exit from the junkyard.Sol clenched his jaw. DreamCorp wasn't taking any chances. They were locking the entire area down.Through the spiders, he silently observed, running scenario after scenario in his mind. He needed an escape plan, and he needed one fast.