Chereads / "The surviving mercenary returns thanks to an AI" / Chapter 2 - Desperate Escape - 1

Chapter 2 - Desperate Escape - 1

Viktor remained patient as he tried to plan his escape from prison, while his partner worked mentally to hack the system. The control room was full of monitors and control panels, all flashing with information and alerts. He approached one of the monitors, hacking at astronomical speed without having to press any buttons.

 

'IT WILL TAKE AT LEAST 3 MINUTES TO HACK THE SYSTEM ' said his partner via mental communication. 'STAY ALERT'

 

"Okay" Viktor replied.

 

Shaking his head, he could feel his head throbbing. He looked around the room and decided to take the time to loot the guards and the commander. He started with the commander, searching his pockets and finding a card with 3,000 drexons on it. He then went to the guards, finding another 2,000 drexons scattered among them. In total, he got 5,000 drexons.

 

When searching the guards, Viktor also found an access card for the cell commander. He kept it in his uniform.

 

"There... I expected more " said Viktor, disappointed, as he analyzed his rewards.

 

Suddenly, the voice came back to his mind. "WARNING! USER I'M ALMOST ACCESSING DATA" said his companion. "A FEW MORE MINUTES!"

 

"I'll keep an eye on the monitors. "

 

 Viktor replied, sighing and turning his attention to the security cameras. He saw that some guards were beginning to move, probably alerted by the lack of communication in the cell's control room.

 

He continued to watch the door, watching for any movement. Time seemed to pass slowly, but you had to be patient. After a few minutes, he asked,

 

"What prison ship are we on? And what model is that?"

 

"We are on the Titan Class prison ship, model X-9", replied his companion.

 

"Titan class, huh? Interesting", muttered Viktor, reflecting on the information.

 

"I never knew what ship I was on... Well, they blindfolded me when I got on and off the ship."

 

Security was so strict and meticulous that it prevented any possibility of a prisoner escaping, even if it was a 1% chance. One of the measures was to blindfold the prisoners to prevent them from seeing the ship's configuration during transport.

 

"Of all the places they could have put me, it had to be on this ship," sighed Viktor, feeling dejected.

 

The Titan Class prison ship, model X-9, was one of the largest and best equipped in the fleet. With heavy internal and external armament, the ship was able to face external and internal threats efficiently. The first line defense system included energy shields, plasma cannons and automated defense turrets. Inside the prison, non-lethal weapons such as tear gas and plasma-guided stun guns were used to contain criminals.

 

Viktor discovered that the ship housed around 3,000 prisoners, classified into different levels of danger.

Blue Level: 1500 prisoners

 

Description: Normal human criminals, considered harmless.

 

Conditions: No powers, generally kept in common cells.

 

Green Level: 1000 prisoners

 

Description: Humans who lost their powers or had them removed, but are still considered dangerous.

 

Conditions: Kept under stricter surveillance, with additional security measures.

 

Yellow Level: 497 prisoners

 

Description: Individuals with high sub-human power levels.

 

Conditions: Use power suspension collars to neutralize their abilities, kept in high-security cells.

 

Red Level: 3 prisoners

 

Description: Extremely dangerous prisoners.

 

Conditions: Use power suspension collars equipped with mini-bombs, kept in maximum isolation and under constant surveillance.

 

In addition to the prisoners, the ship also had a robust security force:

 

Regular Soldiers: 500 soldiers

 

Description: Soldiers trained to maintain order and security on the ship.

 

Equipment: Non-lethal and lethal weapons, advanced communication devices, and monitoring systems.

 

Elite Soldiers: 25 soldiers

 

Description: Superhuman soldiers, highly trained and extremely lethal.

 

Equipment: Advanced weapons, including camouflage devices, surveillance drones, and temporary force field vests.

 

Characteristics: Known for their brutality and efficiency, they are the ship's last line of defense.

 

Captain and Commander: Leaders of the security force

 

Description: Responsible for security strategy and operations on the ship.

 

Equipment: Total access to the ship's systems, advanced personal weapons, and maximum authority over the soldiers.

 

Viktor was surprised by the level of danger on the ship, in disbelief at what was in front of him, but he needed to be as alert as possible. Finally, after what felt like the longest 3 minutes of his life, he heard a voice.

'SYSTEM HACKED. WE HAVE CONTROL OF THE PRISON CELLS. THEY ARE UNDER OUR COMMAND. '

 

With this information in hand, Viktor knew that freezing the prisoners and taking control of the ship was only temporary.

 

'GOOD LUCK.' said his partner.

 

"HAHAHAHAHAAHAHA," Viktor laughed like crazy, staring at the screen with a blank, incredulous expression.

 

"Good luck... I wonder if I surrender now, at least they'll leave me in a solitary cell."

 

'NEGATIVE.' said the voice in his mind.

 

"Shut up… wait, can you reprogram the homing weapons inside the ship to target the guards and crew members?"

 

'AFFIRMATIVE! BUT THIS WILL BE TEMPORARY, THERE WILL BE NO FULL CONTROL OF THE SHIP YET... I NEED TO ACCESS THE SHIP'S CENTRAL CONTROL PANEL.'

"I'll have to turn the ship into a gunpowder barracks... Haaaa... Release the blue level prisoners to the yellow level... all of them... except the red level prisoners when I give the order."

 

'WARNING... ABOUT...' interrupting "Do it now, deactivate the collars. All except the red level, I don't want the ship to turn into Swiss cheese just yet."

 

'WARNING, I WARNED YOU TO LEAVE BEFORE'

 

"OK"

 

Viktor, now dressed in Joe Alfredo's uniform, left the prison control room and groped his way through the prison corridors. She kept her head down to avoid attracting attention, moving carefully and subtly. His goal was to reach the prison exit that connected to the secure part of the ship, but he knew that this area was blocked by two elite guards and 150 regular soldiers.

 

As Viktor approached the exit, he spotted the elite guards, easily recognized by their black uniforms and advanced equipment. They were on high alert, monitoring any suspicious movement. Viktor knew he needed a distraction to leave without being told.

 

"Activate cell release."

 

'UNDERSTOOD. CELL INITIATION RELEASE.'

 

Suddenly, a loud alarm echoed through the prison corridors. The emergency lights began to flash and the cell doors began to open, freeing the prisoners. The sound of the alarm and the sight of prisoners leaving their cells caused panic among the elite guards.

 

"ALERT! PRISONERS RELEASED! ALL GUARDS TO THEIR POSITIONS!"

 

The distraction worked perfectly. The elite guards turned to contain the prisoners' revolt, leaving the passage to the command ship momentarily unprotected. Viktor took the opportunity and, with Joe Alfredo's key card in hand, slipped down the hallway, releasing the door with a soft beep.

 

He entered the ship's corridors, a vast and technologically advanced environment. Viktor knew he needed to act quickly before the guards reported his absence.

 

"We're in. Now, let's find the quickest way to the ship's central system room."

 

'SEARCH FOR NECESSARY INFORMATION.'

 

Viktor approached a nearby panel and began to search for information about the ship. He needed to know what was the fastest route to the control room. The panel showed a detailed map of the ship, with several possible routes.

 

'SHORTEST ROUTE IDENTIFIED. FOLLOW THE MAIN CORRIDOR, TURN RIGHT AT THE SECOND INTERSECTION, THEN GO STRAIGHT TO THE CONTROL ROOM.'

 

"Understood."

 

Viktor followed the instructions, moving quickly through the corridors. He passed by several surveillance cameras, but thanks to his partner, his identity was temporarily camouflaged. Each step brought him closer to his goal, and he knew he couldn't waste time. He followed the instructions he received, keeping an eye out for any signs of danger.

 

Turning into another hallway, he spotted the entrance to the control room, but his path was blocked by a group of elite soldiers, easily recognizable by their black uniforms and advanced equipment.

 

"Ah… why is it never easy?" Viktor complained to himself.

 

With no other choice, Viktor quickly hid, watching the soldiers blocking the entrance. He knew he couldn't face them directly, so he decided to retreat and look for another route. He walked to the other side of the hallway, trying to think of a quick plan, but time was against him and his options were limited.

 

"Hey, I need a bigger distraction. Any ideas?" Viktor asked his partner.

 

'RELEASE OF A RED LEVEL PRISONER CAN CAUSE THE NECESSARY CHAOS, BUT RECOMMENDED AS A LAST RESORT ' his partner replied.

 

Viktor hesitated for a moment, knowing the risks, but he didn't have many choices.

 

"Release him "

 

Suddenly, a loud alarm echoed through the ship, followed by a robotic emergency voice announcing.

 

"PRISONER THE INQUISITOR IS FREE! WARNING!"

 

The announcement caused immediate panic. The elite soldiers at the entrance of the control room received orders from the ship's chief commander to contain the heinous criminal. They quickly abandoned their positions and ran towards the containment area, running down the other corridor.

 

Taking advantage of the breach, Viktor came out of his hiding place and approached the entrance of the control room. Using the access card of the prison commander that he had knocked out with a baton, he released the passage and entered the control room of the ship's system.

 

The control room of the ship was illuminated by a cold, blue light, reflecting on the control panels and monitors that displayed real-time data. Four technicians were present, focused on their tasks, when Viktor entered silently.

 

Surprise took over their faces as they perceived the unexpected presence. One of the technicians, in a desperate reflex, tried to reach the alarm button, but Viktor was faster. With an agile movement, he launched the electric baton, which flew through the air and hit the technician's head with a dry crack. The man fell to the ground, stunned, while the other three technicians panicked.

 

"Alarm! We need help! Someone trigger the alarm!" one of the technicians shouted.

 

Taking advantage of the confusion, Viktor advanced with lethal precision. His martial arts movements were quick and efficient. He delivered a precise punch to the first technician, knocking him down with a spinning kick, a fast and powerful movement where Viktor spun his body, transferring all the force to the leg that hit the technician on the side of the head, knocking him down instantly as a final blow.

 

"No! Please!" the second technician begged, trying to flee.

 

Viktor grabbed him by the arm, applying an arm lock. In one fluid motion, he twisted the technician's arm, forcing him to his knees. With the technician immobilized, Viktor delivered a quick blow to the neck, knocking him out.

 

"Help!" the third technician shouted, shaking with fear.

 

He barely had time to react before he was knocked out by a cross-punch to the jaw. Viktor used the strength of his body to propel the punch, hitting the technician with enough precision and force to knock him down.

 

The technician who had been hit with the electric prod was awake, groaning in pain on the floor. Viktor approached him, his eyes cold. He crouched down beside the man, holding him by the collar.

 

"Where is the ship's commander?" Viktor asked, his voice firm and unforgiving.

 

The technician, shaking and wide-eyed, answered with difficulty.

 

"He... he went to speak to an important VIP who is on board the ship."

 

"VIP?" Viktor asked, narrowing his eyes.

 

"Yes... a VIP, I don't know who, but only the ship's commander and captain know who he is."

 

Viktor released the technician's collar and, with a strong right punch, knocked him out completely, letting him fall back to the ground. He stood up, his thoughts already turning to the next step of his plan. The control room was now under his command, but only for now.

 

He turned to the control panel. As he watched the central panel typing on its own, Viktor felt a sharp pain in his right eye. He blinked, trying to ignore it, but the pain grew until he realized he was crying blood.

 

"WARNING, USER"

 

"Keep going, don't stop," Viktor said, despite the pain.

 

Nevertheless, he continued to force his way into the system, determined to get the information he needed. Finally, he managed to access all the data, first by searching for information about the identity of the VIP mentioned by the technician.

 

Curious and concerned about the new information he had received, Viktor asked his partner:

 

"Do you know who the VIP is on board the ship?"

 

'I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION'

 

"That worries me"

 

The presence of an unknown VIP on board the ship added a layer of uncertainty to his plan.

But he was interrupted in his thoughts. The ship's security system detected the intrusion, and an alarm began to sound.

 

"We've been discovered," Viktor said, without time to recover from the dizziness.

 

'USER, THERE IS A PASSAGE IN THE AIR DUCTS.'

 

With no time to think, Viktor entered the air tubes, moving quickly to escape the approaching security. Before leaving, he ordered the control room's entrance doors to be closed, trying to buy as much time as possible to escape.

 

"We need to…" he paused for a moment and took Joe's card. I look with interesting thoughts.

 

"Is the ship's accommodation close to the generator?"

 

'AFFIRMATIVE'

 

"Let's go to the accommodation"

 

'YES, GO FORWARD AND TURN LEFT AT THE NEXT CROSSING.'

 

"Thank you Joe, your sacrifice will be honored" Remembering Joe, the soldier who stayed behind.

 

'BUT HE'S STILL ALIVE, IN THE CELL WHERE YOU LEFT HIM.'

 

'.....'

 

'....'

 

 "Ahh... just give me the route."

 

'understood.'