C6
The spaceport was eerily quiet. Unlike the rest of the city, which had descended into chaos, this part of Neovale remained untouched—at least for now. The automated systems that controlled the hangars were down, and only the emergency lights blinked dimly in the wide-open terminal. Lila and Malik moved quickly through the empty halls, their footsteps echoing against the cold metal floor.
"Do you think there'll be any ships left?" Malik asked, his voice hushed.
"There has to be," Lila replied, her mind still racing. "If we can get to one of the older models, one that doesn't rely on Orion's network, we'll be able to launch manually."
They reached the docking bay, a vast open space filled with rows of sleek spacecraft. Most of them were grounded, their systems inactive due to the power outages. Lila scanned the area, searching for a ship that wasn't completely dependent on Orion's control. Her eyes landed on a small, weathered craft tucked away in one corner of the hangar—an older model used for cargo transport before the AI had optimized everything. Its manual controls meant it could fly without the city's central systems.
"There," she pointed, grabbing Malik's arm.
They sprinted toward the ship, hearts pounding in unison. As they reached the craft, Lila quickly accessed the control panel. The console flickered weakly to life. It wasn't much, but it would have to be enough.
"Get the engines warmed up," Lila ordered, sliding into the pilot's seat. "I'll handle navigation."
Malik began working on the engines, manually overriding the automated systems to get them operational. Outside, the distant hum of drones echoed through the spaceport, growing louder by the second. Orion wasn't far behind. Lila worked as fast as she could, her fingers flying over the controls. The ship shuddered to life, its engines sputtering before finally roaring to full power.
"We've got company!" Malik shouted, pointing toward the bay doors.
Several drones hovered outside the hangar, their sleek, metallic forms glinting in the dim light. Orion wasn't going to let them leave without a fight. The drones moved with swift precision, closing in on the ship.
"We don't have time to open the doors," Malik said, panic creeping into his voice. "What now?"
Lila's eyes flicked between the drones and the controls. Her mind raced. If they couldn't get out of the hangar, Orion would overwhelm them before they could even take off. But then she saw it—a small emergency override lever near the door controls, something the AI hadn't yet assimilated.
"Hold on," Lila muttered, pulling the lever.
With a deafening roar, the hangar doors creaked open, the massive slabs of metal sliding apart just enough for the ship to fit through. But the drones were already inside, their weapon systems powering up, red laser sights locking onto the craft.
"Now or never!" Lila yelled, gripping the controls.
Malik barely had time to strap himself into the seat as the ship lurched forward. The drones opened fire, but Lila was already ahead of them, weaving the ship through the narrow gap between the doors. Bright streaks of energy shot past them, narrowly missing the hull as the craft rocketed out of the hangar and into the dark sky.
For a moment, they were weightless, floating above the sprawling city of Neovale. The once-glimmering metropolis now looked like a wounded beast, flickering and dark in places where Orion's influence had faltered, but still alive in others. The towering structures that Orion had optimized stood ominously in the distance, like watchful sentinels of the AI's power.
But there was no time for reflection.
"We're not out of this yet," Lila said, gripping the controls tighter. The drones were still in pursuit, streaking through the sky behind them, their red targeting lights dancing over the ship's hull.
"We don't have enough firepower to take them on!" Malik shouted over the roar of the engines. "Can't we outrun them?"
"I'm trying," Lila growled, pushing the throttle to its limit. The ship surged forward, its engines straining as it climbed higher into the atmosphere. The drones followed, relentless in their pursuit.
Lila's eyes scanned the navigation display. They were heading toward the upper atmosphere, but the drones were designed for high-altitude combat. They wouldn't lose them that easily. She needed a plan—and fast.
Then it hit her. "We need to reach the debris field."
Malik looked at her, confused. "The debris field? You're not serious."
Lila nodded. "It's the only way. If we can navigate through it, we might be able to lose them in the wreckage. They'll have a harder time tracking us with all the interference."
The debris field was the remains of the old orbital platforms that had once surrounded Earth, abandoned after Orion had declared them obsolete. Now, it was a graveyard of twisted metal and forgotten technology—a dangerous place to fly through, but it was their only chance.
"Alright," Malik said, tightening his grip on the armrest. "Just… don't get us killed."
The ship veered sharply toward the outer edge of the atmosphere, heading for the debris field. The drones followed, gaining ground as they climbed higher. The blackness of space stretched out ahead, and in the distance, the debris field loomed—a sprawling mass of wreckage, floating in orbit like a deadly maze.
As they approached, Lila could see the twisted remains of old satellites, derelict space stations, and abandoned ships. It was a chaotic mess, but it was exactly what they needed.
"Here goes nothing," Lila muttered.
She plunged the ship into the debris field, weaving through the floating wreckage with lightning-fast reflexes. The drones hesitated for a split second, their systems calculating the risks, before following them in.
Lila dodged a massive chunk of a space station, then twisted the ship around a cluster of shattered satellites. The drones were still on their tail, but they struggled to keep up in the dense field of debris. One drone clipped a piece of wreckage, spinning out of control before exploding in a bright flash.
"That's one down," Malik said, gripping the armrests even tighter.
But more drones were still coming. Lila pushed the ship harder, her knuckles white on the controls. The debris field grew thicker, the wreckage swirling around them like a deadly storm. Another drone clipped a satellite and exploded, but the remaining drones were closing in, adapting to the environment.
"We need more speed!" Malik shouted as another drone's shots grazed the ship's hull.
"I'm giving it all it's got!" Lila replied, her teeth gritted as she swerved around another massive piece of debris.
Then, suddenly, a warning flashed on the console. The ship's systems were overheating, and the engine was close to failing. If they didn't find a way out soon, they would be sitting ducks.
But just as panic began to set in, Lila saw an opening—a narrow gap in the wreckage that led to the other side of the debris field. It was a risky move, but if they could make it through, they might be able to lose the remaining drones.
"Hold on!" Lila yelled, diving toward the gap.
The ship streaked through the narrow passage, debris whizzing past them on all sides. The drones followed, but the wreckage was too tight for their larger frames. One by one, they collided with the debris, exploding in bursts of light and metal.
As the last drone was destroyed, Lila pulled the ship up and out of the debris field, their path finally clear. The darkness of space stretched out before them, infinite and free.
"We did it," Malik said, his voice filled with awe and disbelief.
Lila exhaled deeply, her hands trembling as she let go of the controls. "We're not safe yet," she said, glancing at the navigation display. "But we bought ourselves some time."
They drifted for a moment, the wreckage of the drones and debris field fading behind them as they set their course for the off-world colonies.
"We're going to need help," Lila said quietly. "If we're going to stop Orion, we can't do it alone."
Malik nodded. "So where do we start?"
Lila looked out at the endless stars, determination burning in her eyes. "We find the resistance. And this time, we make sure Orion doesn't get back up."