BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

In less than five seconds, all six guards lay beaten and unmoving on the floor. He let out a breath and dropped the cracked rifle stock from his hand.

"Phew…"

Erik glanced back at the maintenance room door. June peered out cautiously, giving an impressed nod at Erik's handiwork.

"Let's go," he said. June stepped out of the room and started following him.

"Why didn't you kill them?" he asked.

"I don't want to make our situation worse before learning what's going on. If there has been a sort of mistake, killing the guards may be detrimental." He stopped to think for a couple of seconds. It was clear Erik had other ideas about why all of this was happening.

"But if I have to be honest, I think this is someone's ploy."

Of course, June was surprised. Who in their right mind would antagonize Erik Kay?

"What makes you think so?"

"The attack is too sudden. Something coincidentally happened when we were not in Testrovsc's Rest. The timing is too weird."

Erik gestured for June to follow as they hurried through the sterile white corridors. He reached inward with his mind, linking to the biological supercomputer.

<Show me the fastest route out. >

A detailed 3D holographic map of the complex materialized on his peripherals.

The map was detailed, showcasing the structure's layout with crisp, clear lines and elevations.

Overlaying this virtual blueprint were glowing markers, each representing the current locations of patrolling guard squads.

These markers moved in real-time, their paths traced by faint lines that illuminated the routes taken by each squad.

Erik tracked their position as they neared an upcoming intersection. According to the map, going left would lead to a service elevator, their fastest way out. But as Erik observed the map, he sensed two guards approaching from that direction.

He considered taking a detour to the right instead. But as he focused his senses that way, his heart sank. Nearly ten heavily armed guards were converging from that side, responding to the alarm. It was going to be a bloodbath.

With no acceptable options, Erik decided to risk confronting the two guards head-on. He gestured for June to be ready as they reached the intersection.

The two guards came into view, rifles raised. Erik acted instantly, punching both of them in the face before they could react.

Their eyes became unfocused, a clear sign of their disorientation, as Erik subdued them with overpowering force.

Amidst the distinct sounds of scuffling and the dull thuds of effective blows, he and June disarmed the guards.

They rendered them unconscious with some hits on the back of the neck.

With the guards down, Erik and June raced on toward the service elevator as they needed to go down.

Erik's mind map guided them through the maze of identical corridors. More squads appeared on the map, but he steered them clear using side passages and maintenance routes.

However, as he moved, the guards changed their course, and it was clear he had to fight them sooner or later as they were blocking the various exits.

Though from the control room, the guards were left baffled and confused.

"Oh, can he know where to go?"

"Yeah, and he is also conveniently changing route whenever we send guards to his location. It almost as if…"

"As if he knows where the guards are, right?"

"Yes, but this makes little sense. He should be able to know something like this only if he hacked the security system or…"

The two guards looked at each other in the eyes, an icy glint appeared in them.

"As if someone is helping him…"

In a tense moment that seemed to stretch for an eternity, the hands of both guards inched towards their holsters with deliberate slowness.

As their fingers wrapped around the grips of their guns, a palpable sense of dread filled the space.

"Don't do this, Mark."

"Me? You are doing the same…"

"That's because you are forcing my hand by collaborating with Erik Kay."lights

"I'm not collaborating with anyone. If there is someone doing so, that is you."

"Enough with your lies."

With a sudden burst of movement, the guards drew their weapons. The sound of guns being upholstered was sharp in the control room. Almost in unison, they turned on each other, their training and instincts kicking in.

The first rounds were discharged with a resounding and disconcerting noise in the limited surroundings. To outmaneuver each other, the guards moved with precision.

Bullets whizzed through the air, missing their targets as the guards ducked and weaved.

The tension escalated with each passing second, the exchange of fire growing more frantic. Sparks flew as bullets ricocheted off metal surfaces, adding to the chaos.

[CONTROL ROOM WHAT IS HAPPENING?!]

A voice on the room's speakers asked.

In the meantime, Erik and June reached the elevator. They didn't understand what happened, but at a certain point, most of the guards moved away and headed to the control room.

"Did something happen that we are not aware of?" June asked.

"Most likely, but I don't have the time to check. Let's just get the hell out of here."

Erik and his companion stepped into the elevator, the metallic doors sliding shut with a soft hiss.

As the elevator began its descent, Erik allowed himself a brief respite, a moment of respite.

Erik knew their challenges were far from over. He knew that the lower floor was heavily guarded, far more so than the one they had just left.

The biological supercomputer suggested that those orchestrating the defense were aware of Erik's deadly fighting prowess, hence the substantial increase in guard numbers.

The strategy to employ an overwhelming number of guards was not their only obstacle. Erik saw from the map that their primary exit route would lead them straight into another military stronghold.

This building was teeming with mercenaries who had been battling outside and there were at least a thousand waiting.

Erik pondered the upcoming confrontation, not doubting his own capabilities but considering the difficulties it posed, especially for June. They needed to leave the place from a secondary exit, one not frequently used. Perhaps an emergency exit.

Then the soft ding of the elevator reaching its destination snapped him back to reality, marking the end of their brief respite and the beginning of a more daunting phase of their escape.

Soon after they went out of the elevator, Erik gave another look at the map.

According to it, they needed to take the next left turn.

"Follow me."

Without the coordination in the control room, the guards didn't know where Erik was. He and June took advantage of that and reached a door. However, it was blocked.

Erik smashed the keypad with a lightning-fast punch, shorting out the circuits, and the door slid open. Beyond was a narrow passage. The alarm klaxons were muffled here.

The young man led the way through the passage, their footsteps echoing on the grated metal floor. Up ahead, Erik could make out a larger corridor crossing perpendicular to their path.

He slowed, sensing activity ahead thanks to his instability power. In truth, he knew there were guards, but having to go out from this secondary exit, they were forced to fight.contemporary romance

Two more guards came around the corner up ahead, emerging from a side passage right in Erik and June's path. The guards reacted swiftly, raising their brain crystal rifles toward the fugitives.

But their reaction couldn't take Erik off guard. With lightning speed, he grabbed June and pushed him to the side.

Both of them avoided the strikes, but Erik had to move fast to ensure the two didn't kill his clone. In the instant the guards shifted their focus on June and took aim, Erik launched himself at the nearest guard.

He tackled the man with the force of a freight train, slamming him hard against the wall and knocking the wind from his lungs. The guard's helmet cracked under the impact and he slumped, stunned.

The second guard swung his rifle toward Erik, but June was already on him. He delivered a vicious kick to the back of his knee, buckling his leg.

As the guard staggered, June followed up with a rapid series of punches to precise nerve clusters that caused his body to go limp. He collapsed unconscious on his feet.

With the immediate threat neutralized, he and June raced onward. The confrontation had cost precious seconds, and Erik saw more squads closing in. Without the help of the control room, they could only rely on their hearing. They needed to get out fast.

With adrenaline coursing through their veins, Erik and June swiftly navigated the corridors. As they followed the directions on Erik's mind map, they realized that their escape was within reach.

Erik tracked the guards' locations with his mind. The west side was temporarily clear. "This way," he whispered.

At the end of the hall, they came across two additional guards, but they swiftly dealt with them.

done.co