Fifth, or Jade as she was known, had long been planning her escape. She had considered Sam one of the most foolish slaves, and many people talked about him with disdain. He had attempted to escape countless times, knowing that his chances were slim.
For her, he wasn't just a fool; he was a valuable resource. She used all his failed attempts to gather information about how the guards operated, what happened to his body, and how long he could last. This allowed her to gauge her own chances of escape, which unfortunately were not promising. Since childhood, when one of the older slaves told her about being an engineer, she had been obsessed with the idea. He had trained her for many years until he died from overwork—a common cause of death for slaves.
If she was going to attempt an escape, it had to be a successful one, not a hundred failed attempts like the idiot. So she studied engineering more and more each day. Even the guards had started to appreciate her skills. But more importantly, she had caught the attention of those above the guards—her owners.
She had only seen these figures once. They were dressed in fine clothing, their faces unblemished and vibrant—something that was merely a dream for slaves like her. She wanted to be like them, not in terms of owning slaves, but to be "alive."
That was why she worked. Important figures frequently visited their slave camp in old vehicles. As one of the few engineers, she often tinkered with their mechanisms, trying to fix and learn about the machinery. Once, she even got to sit in the cabin of one of those vehicles.
It was a wonderful but fleeting memory.
Mechanics and engineering were her foundation. She began to see herself as a mechanic after accomplishing something impossible for a slave. She started to understand how their shackles worked. One day, she even managed to open them slightly to see inside and verify that the technology used was not advanced.
The shackles were fairly simple. They constantly had the capability to deliver an electric shock, thanks to built-in batteries. But if you were within the zone of a guard, there was likely some special implant within them.
The process was interrupted, forming a loop. That's why the shock was so effective, quickly incapacitating the victim. It was even specially calibrated to analyze the biology of the wearer.
This explained why no one died from the high voltage. The batteries only delivered enough shock to unbalance the subject. There were also several vials with liquid inside, which was likely a drug or tonic.
If a slave felt terrible or was on the brink of death, this substance was automatically administered. She also understood the approximate function of this mixture—it didn't give energy out of nowhere or grant superpowers. It made the subject "forget" that they were on the brink of death. It blocked certain brain regions that could signal danger.
A very dangerous substance that could make any creature tireless. The fatigue itself didn't go away, but the creation of such a drug impressed her.
But that was not the issue now. She still couldn't figure out how to remove the shackles. That puzzle remained the last obstacle before her escape. If she were made a guard soon, she subconsciously knew her chances of escaping would be minimal.
"What's up, girl?" asked the tall humanoid with green skin, known as "Hunter."
She cleared her throat and took a step forward.
"I would like to know what you plan to do with the rest of us. I understand that you came for your old acquaintance, but what about us?"
This question worried not only her, so she wanted to know what fate awaited her.
"Hm... Good question. Initially, I planned to kill you all." Hunter said without any emotion.
Jade tensed at this statement, her face darkening. Noticing her expression, Hunter simply smiled.
"Don't worry, didn't I say 'initially'? Thanks to the kid, we got the perfect moment to strike these bastards, and thanks to you, the rats have found a great complex with many interesting things. So... you're free?"
Jade noticed the fire of hope in Sam's eyes, and she was also very glad to hear this, but was interrupted.
"However... There's something else. You two can leave whenever you want, but since you're an engineer... I'd like to ask you for a small favor. How about helping us remove these necklaces?" Hunter said, slightly shaking his hand, clearly referring to his shackles.
Jade swallowed hard. Of course, no one would let them go without some form of exchange. Still, the situation was quite good. She would need to remove these shackles anyway, so one thing didn't hinder the other.
Suddenly, a light laugh turned into a loud guffaw. Everyone turned to see who was laughing—it was the monkey, who had a smile on her face again.
"Do you really think a slave can do anything? Yes, Fifth, you're good at tricks, but remove these?! Don't make me laugh."
The laughter didn't last long, as 28 apparently got tired of it and simply struck the monkey in the face with the barrel, making her quiet down.
Jade just smiled and remained silent for a while.
"I think I can manage, but I'll need time. I'm telling you now—what I can do is try to disable the shackles and their functionality. I'm unlikely to be able to remove them completely."
Hunter thought about this for a moment, then looked at 72, who had been standing by the wall, attentively listening to everything.
"Then do it on the kid first. I just think you'll be doing this for the first time, and I wouldn't want to lose a hand if you accidentally press the wrong button."
Jade nodded silently, looking at Sam, who in turn looked at her.
'Finally, luck is on my side, thank God.'
Sam was in a fantastic mood. Fifth had indeed asked an important question that he had somehow never considered. He wouldn't want to end up in the rats' camp with his new hand. Who knew what they might want to do to take such valuable technology for themselves?
He silently approached the girl, who asked him to sit on the floor, which he did without hesitation. Extending his left arm, she began inspecting it and fiddling with something. He didn't understand what she was doing and just watched her.
'Hmm, up close she's quite cute. If she grew her hair out, she'd be my type.'
Of course, the dirt on her face, like on any slave's face, detracted from the full beauty of her features. But if she looked pretty dirty, Sam had no doubt she would be very beautiful if the dirt were gone.
The process was slow. Two guards were put in a corner. 28 watched them, occasionally switching places with the Hunter. When the Hunter wasn't watching the guards, he carefully observed Fifth, who continued pressing various buttons on the shackles.
After about 20 minutes, the first change occurred. The shackles clicked and slightly opened, revealing their insides. Sam saw numerous wires and some vials with mysterious liquid inside. He quickly guessed what they were, but didn't pay much attention.
The second change was that the girl became noticeably more serious and focused on her work. Previously, she might have glanced at his metal hand, but now she was completely absorbed. She didn't take her eyes off her fingers, which were pressing buttons.
A few minutes later, she removed the vials of liquid from the shackles. Sam didn't remember them being injected into him before, but he knew how they worked. If the liquid ran out, it was replaced, but for some reason, no one remembered how it was done.
Finally, after a total of half an hour, the girl retrieved a tall, rectangular component—the battery. She soon closed the shackles.
"There you go... Luckily it's storming right now; otherwise, this method wouldn't have been possible. Now these shackles are non-functional, just ordinary metal on your wrists."
34 smiled and praised her, instructing her to move on to the neck and then finish with the other hand. The girl nodded silently and began her work.
'I can't believe it... I'm finally going to be free after 16 years of imprisonment in this goddamn world!'
The boy didn't even try to hide the joy on his face.