2400 AD

Gideon and Callum searched for an exit. Suddenly a siren made both men stop moving for moment.

“They’re coming,” Gideon said.

“We’re dead,” Callum groaned.

“I know this building. I know every corner and secret panel. We’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, we’re going to have to talk about that later, if we get out of this alive.”

“Listen to me! We have the upper hand. Stop being so fucking negative.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were a part of Xenocon?”

“This is not the time or place to talk about that. Leave it for later, Callum.”

“Later might be too late.”

“Our goal is to get out of here alive. That’s all that matters to me now.”

“You lied to all of us, Gideon.”

Gideon ignored that remark. “We have no way of communicating with Denizen. We’re going to have to fight our way through this hell.”

Like Stormtroopers the Androids descended onto each level of the building. Each understood the threat.

Two males.

Dangerous.

Terminate on sight.

Gideon and Callum were sitting ducks.

No cover. Totally exposed. Camera’s watched their every move.

“These corridors look dead. But you just have to know where to touch the walls for a panel to open,” Gideon touched the walls with three fingers every two meters, “and hope to whomever you pray that the panel leads to the outside.”

Click...

A panel suddenly opened and both men rushed in.

It was pitch black.

The stench overwhelming.

A mixture of ammonia and human waste. Darkness was one thing. Smelly darkness quite something else.

“Stay close to me. Take my hand,” Gideon reached for his hand and noticed it was wet.

“What is this place? It smells like...like...”

“Sewerage. It’s part of the sewer system. That means we’re below ground.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Nope. But we’ll find an exit soon enough.”

“There are no cameras in here,” Callum said. “No one can track our...”

SWISSSSH.

Callum stopped walking but didn’t let go of Gideon’s hand.

“The panel just opened. They’re in here too,” Gideon whispered. “Remember, aim for their eyes.”

It was too dark to count them, but the Android soldiers descended upon them like a swarm of bees. These weren’t just your normal fighting machines. Xenocon had redesigned them. Evolved them into thinking, feeling beings. Each one that fell screamed out in pain as Gideon and Callum’s lasers hit them. Androids didn’t feel pain and it was highly unlikely that Suiderland would use humans. Against the law. Some Androids readjusted to the pain, got up and continued firing. Others lay still, mortally wounded.

Gideon took hold of an Android before him and instead of using his laser, punched, and punched some more at his eyes relentlessly until he fell. Callum used his army training skills. Kicked, punched and dropped several Androids but they just kept on coming.

Suddenly, from behind the onslaught of the Xenocon Androids, several bursts of laser fire brought the rear end down and within moments the fighting stopped.

“Gideon!” A voice called out.

“Cleo?” Callum said.

“Come on. Let’s move before the next lot comes.”

“How...? I thought you were dead. Where’s Indranil?”

“No longer with us. They’ve got him in some kind of containment. Come on. Move! Both of you.”