"Scrap, scrap, scrapity scrap!" Kai hissed, yanking Squeaks back into the relative darkness of the service duct opening so fast the rat let out a startled squeak (which Kai felt as a jolt of surprise through their link). He slapped a hand over his own mouth, heart hammering against his ribs like a berserk pile driver.

  They crouched just inside the threshold, peering out into the blindingly clean, brightly lit passageway. The contrast was jarring. Out there: sterile grey walls, steady white light, humming machinery. In here: grime, decay, flickering shadows, and the lingering scent of ozone and desperation. They were like sewer vermin accidentally stumbling into a surgical theater. A surgical theater patrolled by a sleek, silent, potentially heavily armed drone.

  The drone hovered smoothly down the center of the corridor, its blue optical sensors sweeping left and right with unnerving precision. It moved with a silent grace that made the clunky maintenance bot they'd disabled earlier look like a child's toy made of rust and disappointment. This thing looked professional. Purpose-built. And definitely not friendly.

  Okay. New situation assessment, Kai thought frantically, trying to slow his breathing. We opened the mystery door. Yay. Mystery door leads to shiny death corridor patrolled by high-tech kill-bot. Less yay.

  He felt Squeaks pressed against his leg, trembling slightly. The rat's usual curiosity was completely overshadowed by a massive wave of DANGER-WARNING-BAD-PLACE vibes washing over the link. The scent component was sharp, sterile, ozone-heavy – the smell of active, dangerous technology. Squeaks did not like this place.

  Yeah, I'm with you, partner, Kai projected back, trying to offer a scrap of reassurance he didn't feel. Shiny doesn't mean friendly down here. Usually means 'expensive way to die'.

  He risked another peek around the edge of the doorway. The drone was hovering near the far end now, close to the large cylindrical machine humming loudly. It paused, sensors focused on the machine for a moment, as if running a scan, before turning and beginning a slow, silent patrol back towards their end of the corridor.

  "Okay, okay, think," Kai whispered, mostly to himself. "What is this thing? System! Info! Scan target!" He focused his intent on the approaching drone, desperately willing the System interface floating in his vision to provide answers.

  A targeting reticle flickered into existence over the drone, followed by text that seemed to struggle to resolve.

  [Scanning Target...]

  [Attempting Identification...]

  [...]

  [Target Signature Detected: Zone Maintenance Unit - Custodian Class (Modified)]

  [Affiliation: Unknown / Encrypted - !!WARNING: Non-Standard Protocol Detected!!]

  [Level: ??]

  [HP: ??? / ???]

  [MP/STM: ???]

  [STATUS: Active / Patrol Mode / Alert Level: Normal]

  [Weapons: Non-Lethal Deterrents (Configurable - Current Setting: UNKNOWN)]

  [Armor: Reinforced Composite Plating (Estimated Rating: High)]

  [Resistances: ???]

  [Weaknesses: ???]

  [NOTE: Unit operating outside designated Public Sector Authority network. Exercise extreme caution.]

  Kai’s blood ran cold as he read the flickering text. Custodian Class? Zone Maintenance? That sounded benign, like the last drone. But 'Modified'? 'Encrypted Affiliation'? 'Non-Standard Protocol'? And 'Weapons: Configurable - Setting Unknown'?! That did not sound benign. That sounded like corporate black ops or some secret Authority project they definitely weren't supposed to see.

  "Non-lethal deterrents," Kai muttered nervously. "Yeah, right. Down here, 'non-lethal' usually means 'fills your lungs with incapacitating neurotoxin' or 'glues you to the floor for easier organ harvesting'. And that's the Authority standard. Who knows what 'encrypted affiliation' thinks is non-lethal?"

  The drone continued its smooth patrol towards them. Its blue sensors swept the corridor, missing nothing. They had maybe twenty seconds before it reached their position and its sensors inevitably scanned the open doorway that clearly didn't belong.

  Options? Kai thought frantically. Close the panel? Can we even do that from this side? Is there a button? He glanced back into the grimy service duct. No obvious controls. Maybe touching the port again? But they had no power source now.

  Fight it? He mentally reviewed their stats. HP 13. MP 4. One dodgy healing skill on cooldown. One distraction skill. Pitiful physical stats. Against a heavily armored drone with unknown weapons and unknown level? Yeah, that was suicide. Faster than starving, maybe, but still suicide.

  Retreat? Go back into the service duct? Back towards Grok? That felt like exchanging a quick death for a slow, possibly more painful one. Plus, they had no idea if there was another way out back there. This glowing corridor, despite the killer robot, felt like progress. Sort of.

  Which left… sneaking. Trying to get past the drone and further into this clean, humming facility. Maybe find another exit? Or controls to shut the drone down? Or at least a slightly less conspicuous place to hide than an open sewer pipe doorway?

  The drone was getting closer. Ten seconds maybe. Its sensors swept towards their side of the corridor.

  Okay, Squeaks! Plan S – for Stealth! And Staying Alive! Kai projected urgently. We need to get OUT of this doorway. See that alcove? He focused his intent on a shallow recess in the corridor wall about five meters past the doorway, partially hidden by a protruding junction box. Can we make it there when the drone turns back? Without it seeing or hearing us?

  He felt Squeaks assess the distance, the drone’s speed, the timing. TIGHT. VERY-TIGHT. MUST-BE-SILENT. NO-TRIPPING-LOUD-THING. The last part was definitely directed at Kai.

  "Hey! I can be quiet!" Kai whispered indignantly, then immediately winced as his voice echoed slightly in the confined space. Okay, mostly quiet, he amended mentally. You use your super-senses. Tell me EXACTLY when to move. And where.

  The drone reached the end of its patrol route, just a few meters from their hiding spot. Its sensors swept past the opening… paused… then continued as it executed a smooth, silent 180-degree turn. Its back was momentarily towards them as it began its slow glide back towards the humming machine.

  NOW! GO! HUG-WALL! Squeaks projected, a surge of focused urgency.

  Kai didn’t hesitate. He bolted from the doorway, trying to move as quietly as possible, pressing himself almost flat against the smooth, cool wall. He focused on keeping his footsteps light, his breathing shallow. Squeaks darted ahead of him, a grey blur against the pale floor, already nearing the alcove.

  Every scrape of Kai’s worn boot sole sounded like a gunshot in the relative silence of the corridor. The drone continued its slow, steady glide away from them, but Kai could feel its presence like a physical weight, imagining its sensors swiveling back at any second. His muscles screamed from the awkward, crouched run. The [Symbiotic Shock] debuff hadn't fully expired yet, making him feel clumsy and slow.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Squeaks reached the alcove and disappeared into the shadow it offered. Kai was only a meter behind. Just a few more steps…

  Suddenly, Squeaks projected a sharp, stabbing pulse of DANGER-STOP!

  Kai froze instantly, mid-step, pressing himself even flatter against the wall. What was it? Did the drone hear him? Was it turning around?

  He didn't dare look back. He focused on the link, trying to understand Squeaks’s warning. He got a flash of rat-o-vision: Low angle view of the floor just ahead, right at the entrance to the alcove. Something almost invisible on the clean grey surface… a faint shimmer? A disruption in the air? Combined with an olfactory hit: OZONE-SHARP. ENERGY-FIELD. PAIN-TRAP.

  A laser grid? Pressure plate? Some kind of invisible energy barrier? Kai thought, horrified. Of course the shiny corridor had hidden traps. Why wouldn't it?

  He risked a glance down, squinting hard. Squeaks was right. There was a faint distortion in the air near the floor across the entrance to the alcove, like heat haze rising off hot pavement. Barely visible, but definitely there. Probably triggered by movement. Stepping into that would likely set off alarms, or worse.

  And the drone… it had reached the far end again and was beginning its turn back towards them. They were trapped out in the open, between the patrolling death-bot and an invisible floor trap.

  "Scrap," Kai breathed, feeling sweat prickle on his forehead despite the corridor's coolness. HP: 13 / 40. MP/STM: 4 / 25. Cooldown on heal was probably done, but using it would leave them with zero MP. And the distraction skill cost 3 MP. They had one shot with either skill, not both.

  The drone started gliding back towards them. Sixty seconds? Maybe less?

  Okay, Squeaks, new plan! Scratch Plan S! We need Plan T – for Trap Disarming! Or Plan R – for Run Away Screaming! Kai projected frantically. Any ideas? Can you… chew through the energy field? He was only half-joking.

  He got back a strong NEGATIVE. FIELD-NOT-WIRE. NO-BITE. BAD-ZAPPY. Then, an idea, hesitant but clear: DISTRACTION-SKILL? MAKE-DRONE-LOOK-AWAY? THEN-JUMP-OVER-TRAP?

  Kai considered it. Use their last 3 MP on [Targeted Distraction]. Aim it somewhere behind the drone to make it turn around, giving them a few precious seconds. Then, try to jump over the floor trap into the alcove? It looked low to the ground, maybe only shin-high. Kai wasn't exactly athletic (STR: 3), but maybe he could manage a small hop? It was incredibly risky. If the jump failed, he'd trigger the trap right when the drone was looking elsewhere. If the distraction failed, the drone would see him jumping.

  But what other choice did they have? Waiting here meant certain discovery.

  Okay, Kai decided, heart pounding. Okay, distraction-jump it is. Where should I target the distraction? Somewhere believable?

  Squeaks projected an image: Back near the other end of the corridor, close to the big humming machine. Make the sound seem like it came from the machine itself – maybe a malfunction? SOUND-LIKE-MACHINE-HICCUP. DRONE-WILL-CHECK.

  Smart. Plausible deniability.

  The drone was halfway back towards them. Thirty seconds.

  "Alright," Kai whispered. He focused his intent on a spot near the base of the humming machine, picturing a sharp clank sound, like a dropped tool. Activate [Targeted Distraction]!

  [-3 MP/STM]. (MP/STM: 1 / 25). Their mana pool was practically empty.

  A sharp CLANK! echoed convincingly from the far end of the corridor.

  The effect on the drone was instantaneous. It stopped its patrol. Its blue sensors snapped towards the humming machine, focusing intently. It hovered silently for a moment, analyzing. Then, it began to glide rapidly towards the machine, away from Kai and Squeaks, presumably to investigate the anomalous sound.

  It worked! Kai thought triumphantly. Now! Jump!

  He took a deep breath, braced himself, and launched himself forward in a low hop, aiming to clear the shimmering energy field near the floor and land inside the shadowed alcove.

  He felt his boots leave the floor… sail through the air for a fraction of a second…

  And land solidly inside the alcove. He stumbled slightly on landing but caught himself against the wall, managing to stay upright and relatively quiet. He peered down. He hadn't triggered the trap!

  He looked back out into the corridor. The drone was still focused on the humming machine, its back to them. Squeaks was already huddled in the deepest shadow of the alcove, looking like a furry grey lump.

  Safe. For now.

  Kai sagged against the cool wall of the alcove, letting out a shaky breath. His legs felt like jelly. That was way too close.

  He checked their status. HP: 13 / 40. MP/STM: 1 / 25. Critically low mana. They couldn't use either of their skills again until they recovered some MP, which probably happened slowly over time, or if they found consumables (unlikely). They were running on fumes and luck.

  The alcove wasn't large, maybe a meter deep and two meters wide. It seemed to be a maintenance access point, with several covered panels set into the back wall, similar in design to the main panel they'd entered through but smaller. One panel, near the floor, had the same cog-and-lightning-bolt insignia as the drone.

  Kai focused on Squeaks. Good call on the trap. And the distraction target. You're pretty smart for a… well, you know.

  He felt a flicker of smug satisfaction from the rat, quickly tempered by lingering caution. STILL-DANGER. DRONE-WILL-COME-BACK. TRAP-STILL-HERE.

  "Yeah, yeah, I know," Kai whispered. "We need to figure out what this place is. And find a way out that doesn't involve playing hopscotch with laser beams and killer robots."

  He peered out of the alcove again. The drone had reached the humming machine and was now hovering near it, running scans, its manipulator arms extending to probe the area where Kai had targeted the distraction sound. It seemed satisfied that there was no immediate threat, but it wasn't resuming its patrol just yet. It seemed to be lingering, its sensors still active.

  This gave them a small window. Kai scanned their surroundings from the relative safety of the alcove. The corridor continued past their position, bending out of sight about fifty meters further down. The humming machine was maybe thirty meters away in the other direction. The floor remained suspiciously clean. The air hummed with power.

  What was this place? Some kind of power distribution hub? A sublevel data processing center? Why was it hidden behind a seamless panel in a decaying service duct?

  He noticed something else now, something he'd missed in his initial panic. On the wall opposite their alcove, there was writing. Not graffiti, but cleanly stenciled letters beneath the same cog-and-lightning-bolt insignia. The light wasn't great from this angle, but he could just make it out:

  SECTOR GAMMA-NINE

  AUXILIARY POWER CONDUIT 7-C

  PROPERTY OF JOULE & WATT SALVAGE CORP.

  AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY - LETHAL RESPONSE AUTHORIZED

  Joule & Watt Salvage Corp? Kai frowned. He’d heard the name. Not one of the big Topside energy conglomerates, but a mid-level corp known for… well, salvage. And aggressive reclamation. They bought up old infrastructure rights, refurbished forgotten systems, and then charged exorbitant fees for access or sold the power back to the grid. They had a reputation for being ruthless and operating in legal grey areas, especially in the Undercity fringes.

  So, this wasn't Authority tech. This was private corporate tech, hidden away down here. This humming machine was probably feeding power somewhere, and the drone was their private security. Explains the encrypted affiliation and non-standard protocols. And the 'Lethal Response Authorized' wasn't exactly comforting, even if the drone's current setting was supposedly 'non-lethal'.

  Okay, Kai thought, pieces clicking into place. So we stumbled into a secret corporate power tunnel. They REALLY don't want anyone down here. This made escaping even more critical. If Joule & Watt caught them trespassing… 'Salvage' might take on a whole new, very personal meaning involving Kai's remaining organs.

  He looked down the corridor towards the bend. That seemed like the only way forward, away from the drone (currently) and potentially towards an exit. But what lay around that corner? More drones? More traps? Corporate security guards in actual armor?

  He felt Squeaks nudge his hand again. The rat wasn't looking down the corridor. It was looking up. Kai followed its gaze.

  High up on the wall inside their alcove, near the ceiling, was a ventilation grate. Small, maybe thirty centimeters square, covered in dust. Unlike everything else in the main corridor, the grate looked old, neglected. Like it connected back to the older, grimier ventilation systems, not this shiny new corporate tunnel.

  Could they reach it? It was high, maybe three meters off the floor. Kai definitely couldn't jump that high. But Squeaks… Squeaks could climb walls.

  You think… that vent leads somewhere useful? Kai projected, hope flickering again. Somewhere less… drone-patrolled?

  He got back: OLD-AIR-SMELL. DUST. SMALL-SPACE. POSSIBLE-PATH. UP-IS-BETTER-THAN-HERE.

  Kai looked from the vent, back to the drone still investigating the machine, then down the corridor towards the unknown bend. Staying here was bad. Going deeper into Joule & Watt territory seemed bad. Trying the vent… felt like a classic Undercity move. Escaping through the filth. It felt… right.

  "Okay," Kai whispered, making a decision. "Okay, vent plan it is. Operation: Embrace the Grime. Can you get up there? See if it opens?"

  Squeaks didn't need telling twice. The rat flowed up the smooth wall of the alcove like sticky shadow, reaching the vent in seconds. It sniffed around the edges, then started pushing at the grate with its nose and paws.

  Dust showered down. The grate rattled loosely. It looked like it might actually be unsecured.

  Kai watched, holding his breath. If Squeaks could get that open, maybe they could climb up there? How would Kai get up there? He couldn't climb like Squeaks. Maybe… maybe he could use the rebar again? If he could wedge it somehow?

  The drone at the far end finished its inspection of the machine. Its sensors swept the area one last time, then it turned and began its slow, smooth patrol back towards their alcove.

  Time was running out. Again.

  The End.

  (A/N: Joule & Watt Salvage Corp! Corporate secrets! Killer drones! And now... escaping into the vents like a proper Undercity protagonist! Will Squeaks get the grate open? Can Kai even reach it? And what about the drone?! Cliffhanger goodness! FFF if you want them to escape the shiny (and probably lethal) corridor! (づ > ω < )づ )