"Wait here. I'll find a solution." The Cube vanished into the darkness.
The girl stared blankly at the empty shack, struggling to process reality. A miraculous robot had saved her and promised help. The bloodstains confirmed it wasn't a dream. A sentient robot… did such advanced AI truly exist?
Leaping into the air, the Cube's fan-like propellers snapped open mid-jump, transforming back into a remote-controlled helicopter that streaked toward the villa district, skimming over dilapidated shelters.
Soon, it hovered at the outskirts of the villas, landing in shadows with mechanical legs absorbing the impact. Two small missiles extended from its back.
Targeting markers locked onto the fuel tanks of two generators—weak points identified through scans. Data streamed into the missiles' guidance systems.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
The missiles launched backward-first before igniting, spiraling erratically to evade potential defenses. Nearby workers gaped at the flaming projectiles corkscrewing downward.
*Clang!*
The missiles pierced the generator tanks.
The ensuing explosions—equivalent to detonating grenades inside fuel reservoirs—engulfed nearby generators. A three-story fireball erupted, plunging the villas into darkness. Screams and curses filled the air as the Cube retreated unnoticed, its propeller-fan folding back.
From afar, Zhang Xiaowen watched the operation via tablet, silently applauding.
Freshly showered and lounging in bed, she remarked: "That girl can't survive another day there. I never imagined Xin'an Camp would be this vile. Our Longshan base is paradise."
"I'll secure a vehicle. Bring your team tomorrow morning—meet me at the fork near your location," the Cube replied. "With goggles and weapons, we'll make it. See you then."
As Xiaowen drifted asleep, Feng Zhiwen's off-key nursery rhymes mingled with dog barks outside...
***
Sighing, the Cube transformed again and flew back. Better to extract the girl tonight than leave her in this hellscape. Other survivors would have to wait—if only its starship form were available!
Returning to the plastic shack, it found the girl dressed and staring numbly at the distant flames. The Cube handed her modified night-vision glasses salvaged from the ground.
"Wear these. Can't carry you at your size."
The girl nodded silently, her trauma outweighing gratitude. Leading her through the reeking shantytown, the Cube's wheels squelched through sewage—its sensors hallucinating corrosive decay.
Reaching the vehicle depot, it scanned the options. A police armored truck stood out: raised chassis, reinforced plating, bulletproof glass. One guard patrolled nearby.
Adjusting its stun voltage, the Cube crept toward two smoking sentries.
"Cover me. Nature calls," one said, stumbling toward bushes.
*Zap! Thud!*
The remaining guard raised his flashlight.
*Zap!*
He collapsed twitching, revealing the Cube behind him.