The transport shuttle we stole Was a total garbage hauler.
It was a rusted, clunky beast ship. It smelled like burnt trash and rusty metal. The good thing was, it had the right clearance codes to get into the upper atmosphere.
"Altitude at 10,000 feet", Glitch said from the pilot's seat, typing so seriously at three different keyboards. Stealth mode is online. I'm emitting fake signals to trick the transponder signal to make us look like "waste disposal unit 7".
"What if this doesn't work?" I asked, checking the power level on my Shadow-Weave Suit.
If this fails, the defense cannons up there will turn us into space dust in, like, three seconds. Glitch replied cheerfully. "But don't worry i got this".
How lovely, I said, grabbing the safety rail as the ship shook like crazy.
I continued to adjust my new armor straps, the Shadow-Weave Suit. It was light, quiet, and it hid my energy signature so scanners wouldn't pick up the Devourer anomaly inside me.
I looked at Sarah, she was sit in front of me, meditating with her eyes shut. She was saving her energy. The closer we got to the network hub, the harder the System hit her mind.
Got a visual, Glitch announced.
The shutters opened.
I looked out, and froze.
The Penitentiary—the Iron Cloud—looked seriously scary.
It wasn't just a normal building. This was a huge, floating fortress held up by anti-gravity engines. It was like a giant black needle floating in the clouds. Searchlights swung all over the place, and patrol drones buzzed around it like a swarm of angry wasps.
It was the Corporation showing its dominance. A cage so high in the sky, that no one can hear you scream.
Docking in 3... 2..... 1....
CLUNK.
The shuttle shaked as we fastened onto the station's waste disposal port underneath. The sound of metal screeching against metal, echoed through the hull.
"We're in", Glitch whispered. I'm gonna stay here and mess with the security feeds. If the camera spot you, the alarm will go off instantly. You two got exactly two hours before the guard shift changes.
"Let's go", Sarah said, snapping her eyes open. They were glowing faintly blue.
We opened the airlock and dropped into the station.
We landed in a trash compactor room. It was Huge, dark, and super noisy with machinery.
"Sector 4 is the High-Security Wing", Sarah said, pulling up a holographic map from her wrist comp. That's where Maya is. It's the deepest part in the prison
We moved through the hallway. This place was different, it wasn't like the Server Farm. It was way rougher. Had steel walls. The guards in heavy riot gear carrying shock-rifles.
Patrol coming, I hissed, feeling the electrical signals before I heard them coming.
SIGNAL: SHOCK-RIFLE (ACTIVE).
SIGNAL: RIOT-HELMET (COMMS ON).
We ducked into a side alcove, Hiding. suit hummed, suppressing my heat signature.
Two huge guards walked past.
Did you hear about the riots in the Undercity? one asked. They say some Deviant shut down a Sub-Station.
Just rumors, the other said. Malachi will take care of it soon. I heard they're letting the Warden use the Gravity Hammer if it gets bad.
They moved on.
We waited for their signals to fade, then kept moving.
We went deeper.
We reached a security checkpoint. A laser grid blocked the hall.
I can't hack this, Sarah whispered. It's hard-wired. It require a biometric scan.
I got this, I said.
I stepped up to the grid.
Skill: Energy Siphon.
I didn't drain it. I tasted it. I felt the lasers frequency.
Skill: Overcharge.
I touched the control panel. Instead of wrecking it, I fed it power. Way too much.
ZZZRT.
The panel sparked. It blew the fuse. The lasers flickered out.
Clever, Sarah said.
It worked, I shrugged.
We got into the Cell Block.
It was a total nightmare. Hundreds of transparent cages were stacked up in a huge round room. Each cage had a prisoners in stasis, floating in zero-gravity.
Maya... Sarah scanned the rows. Cell 409.
We ran along the catwalk. 405... 406... 407...
There!
Cell 409.
Inside, a young woman floated. Looked like Sarah—same dark hair, same sharp jawline. She looked beat up. Scars all over. One arm was gone, replaced by some cruddy cybernetic prosthetic.
Sarah gasped, covering her mouth. Oh god. What did they do to you?
She rushed to the control panel. I'm unlocking it.
ACCESS DENIED.
PRISONER CLASS: S-TIER.
UNLOCK REQUIRES WARDEN AUTHORIZATION.
It's locked, Sarah said, freaking out. Can't force it without setting off the alarm.
Move, I said.
I grabbed the lock.
Devour.
I poured my will into the metal. I sucked up the energy holding the seal shut
CRACK.
The door whooshed open, and the zero-gravity field went out.
Maya dropped to the floor, gasping for air.
Her eyes widen as she looked up, raising her cybernetic arm, which changed into a blade.
Stay back! she croaked. I won't give you the codes!
Maya, Sarah said, stepping into the light. Maya, look at me.
Maya stopped, staring at Sarah. Her blade-arm slowly lowered.
Mom? she whispered. No way. You're just a simulation, another torture program.
I'm real, Sarah said, tears running down her face. I came back for you.
Maya took a stepped forward, reaching out with her human hand to touch Sarah's face.
You're warm, she said.
Then she fell into Sarah's arms, in tears.
We gotta go, I said, checking the hallway. Breaking that seal set off a silent alarm. They know we're here.
ALERT. PRISON BREAK IN SECTOR 4.
WARDEN SENT.
The lights in the cell block turned red.
The Warden? Sarah's face went pale. Not just a guard? The Warden is coming?
A big hatch opened in the ceiling.
Something dropped down.
It wasn't a robot. It was a guy in power armor that looked like a tank. He had a gravity-hammer, the weapon was huge, and humming with purple energy.
He landed on the catwalk with a crash that shook the whole station.
"Visitors", the Warden yelled, his voice was loud. I love visitors.
He raised the hammer.
Run! I shouted.