As Viktor approached, the soldiers could see that the person he was carrying was indeed injured. Viktor's grip on the person's legs was firm but gentle, and he seemed to be taking great care not to shake them too much.
The soldiers were injured and tired, their bodies bruised from the intense battle that had lasted only over an hour, but which had lasted for more than an hour in their minds. Despite their fatigue, they were still alert enough to notice a strange sight among their own comrades. Viktor was carrying a person on his shoulder.
A young man, passed out on Viktor's shoulder, his arms and legs were tied together with cloth from the sheets he had taken off. Viktor's face was set in a grinning expression, his jaw and eyes fixed somewhere ahead. The soldiers exchanged skeptical glances.
They were wounded and tired, but still alert enough to notice that a soldier was carrying a person on his shoulder. They soon realized that it was not one of them.
"Hey, you! Stop!" one of the guards shouted, pointing his gun at Viktor.
Viktor tried to argue, keeping his voice calm. "Calm down, I'm just trying to help this man. He's injured."
The guards looked at each other suspiciously.
"How do you plan on helping him if he's tied up?" one of them shouted. "
'VALID ARGUMENT.'
"Atlas, not now." Viktor muttered.
"We don't have time for this." guard , raising his gun.
"Let him go now!" Viktor realized his words were having no effect.
With no choice, he threw Castro at the guards, distracting them.
"Sorry, Castro!!" he threw the unconscious body.
The guards, surprised , tried to grab Castro. Viktor took advantage of the distraction and advanced quickly. His movements were precise.
"Get him!" one of the guards shouted, trying to recover.
Viktor quickly kicked the first guard, catching him in the jaw with a right side kick and knocking him down instantly.
"You should have let it go." Speaking coldly.
The second guard, still trying to recover from the surprise, raised his gun, but Viktor was faster. He grabbed the guard's arm and twisted it, causing the gun to fall to the ground with a loud clang.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" the guard screamed in pain.
"I advise you to find another job." Viktor said before delivering a right front kick to the guard's stomach, who fell to his knees, gasping for breath.
The third guard, despite being injured, tried to attack Viktor with an electric baton.
"You'll regret this!" he yelled, charging forward.
Viktor dodged deftly, grabbing the guard's hand that was wielding the baton and swinging it at the guard. With a precise blow to the side of the head, he knocked the last opponent down in uncontrollable spasms.
"You... stop... him."
The fight was quick and precisely calculated. Viktor took a deep breath, feeling the adrenaline still coursing through his veins.
"It's been a while since I've had a little fun"
'BUT YOUR 'FUN' WAS FIVE MINUTES, USER?' Atlas asked.
"..."
"..." There was a silence in the corridor.
"I don't have time for this."
He knew he didn't have much time before more guards arrived. With quick steps, he moved away from the scene, continuing his way towards the ship's reactor. As he heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
Upon arriving at the elevator, Viktor pressed the button to go down to the lower levels. The doors opened with a soft hum, and he entered, staying alert.
"Atlas, keep me informed about any movement in the corridors." he said as the doors closed.
'UNDERSTOOD' Atlas replied. 'MONITORING SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS.'
The elevator descended smoothly, and Viktor took advantage of the brief moment of calm to catch his breath. Stepping out of the elevator, he found himself in a narrow, dimly lit hallway.
The distant sounds of battle still echoed through the halls, but here, the atmosphere was quieter. He was approaching the ship's reactor, but he had to pick up his pace quickly.
"Atlas, am I close to the reactor?" Viktor asked calmly.
"YES, USER. THE REACTOR IS AHEAD, THROUGH THE NEXT DOOR." Atlas replied.
Viktor advanced cautiously, his footsteps echoing softly on the metal floor. As he approached the indicated door, he noticed the signs of heightened security.
An electronic lock and an advanced control panel. He inserted the access card, but an error beeped, and the red light on the panel blinked.
"Access card not approved...." Viktor muttered in frustration.
"Atlas, I need your help opening this door."
'GOING,' Atlas replied. ACCESSING SECURITY SYSTEMS.
Viktor watched the panel blink and buzz, indicating that Atlas was working to bypass the security.
After a few moments, the red light turned green, and the door opened with a hiss.
'DOOR UNLOCKED!!' Informed Atlas.
Viktor stepped into the reactor hall, his gaze drawn to the colossal spectacle before him. The Kjernekraft fusion reactor loomed majestically, its structure defying the laws of engineering and physics.
Its structure, made of reinforced titanium and high-strength alloys, reflected the red light emanating from the pulsating power lines. It moved toward the fusion chamber, located in the center of the reactor.
The chamber was a robust cylindrical structure reinforced with triple layers of superconducting materials. The reactor materials were coated with advanced thermal insulation designed to withstand extremely high temperatures.
Superconducting coils, arranged in concentric rings around the chamber, were energized with electrical current. They generated interconnected magnetic fields, creating a safe haven for the ship's power source. The metal surfaces of the coils reflected blue light, and tiny sparks jumped between the connectors. Automated control systems displayed a variety of data on holographic screens.
Inside the chamber, temperatures reached a staggering 100 million degrees Celsius, but Viktor's enhanced body was no problem as he can withstand 120 million degrees Celsius. This was an unprecedented technological feat, where hydrogen atoms fused to create helium, releasing a colossal amount of energy in the process.
Viktor noted that every aspect of this system was vital. Sensors distributed throughout the chamber continuously monitored pressure and temperature, sending real-time information to the control room.
He approached the main control panel, where multiple screens displayed complex readings and graphs.
"Atlas, I need you to guide me in shutting down the reactor...." Viktor , examining the controls.
'FIRST, YOU NEED TO ACCESS THE MAIN PANEL AND ENTER THE SHUTDOWN CODE!!' Atlas instructed.
Viktor quickly entered the code Atlas had provided, and the screens switched to a shutdown mode.
"What's the next step?" he asked.
'NOW, YOU MUST MANUALLY DISABLE THE POWER REGULATORS. THEY ARE LOCATED AROUND THE MAIN REACTOR!!!' Atlas replied.
Viktor moved quickly, locating the power regulators. He began to disable them one by one, feeling the tension increase with each action. The hum of the reactor began to fade, and the blue lights began to flash.
Suddenly, an alarm sounded, and red emergency lights illuminated the room.
"Atlas, what's going on?" Viktor asked, his voice tense.
'THE SYSTEM HAS DETECTED THE SHUTDOWN. YOU MUST BE QUICK, VIKTOR!!!'Atlas warned.
Viktor sped up his movements, disabling the last of the regulators. The hum of the reactor ceased completely, and the room fell into an uneasy silence. He only had a short time before security arrived.
Before he left, Viktor had an idea. "Atlas, can we modify the reactor? I want to give them a parting surprise!"
'YES, BUT THAT WILL REQUIRE RECONFIGURING THE SECURITY AND POWER SYSTEMS!!!' Atlas replied
"Do it." Viktor ordered.
He quickly began working, following Atlas's instructions to reconfigure the systems. He adjusted the energy regulators and reprogrammed the main control panel so that, when reactivated, the reactor would generate a powerful electromagnetic pulse.
'CONFIGURATION COMPLETE!!' Atlas informed. 'SURPRISE READY!!!'
Viktor stepped back, surveying his work. "This should delay them...."
With the trap set, he hurried toward the exit.
"Atlas, point me to the fastest route out of this hole," Viktor asked as he prepared to leave.
'TAKE THE HALLWAY TO THE RIGHT AND FIND THE EMERGENCY ELEVATOR,' Atlas instructed.
"Okay." His heart raced. He ran down the indicated hallway.
Viktor entered the emergency elevator, feeling the tension ease slightly as the doors closed with a soft hum. He pressed the button to descend to the lower levels and, for a moment, allowed himself to take a deep breath and regain his composure. The adrenaline that had fueled his movements began to dissipate, replaced by calm.
"Atlas, how much time do we have before they can reactivate the reactor?" Viktor asked, his voice now firmer.
'CALCULATING…' Atlas replied. After a few seconds, the answer came.
'YOU HAVE LESS THAN 15 MINUTES BEFORE THEY CAN REACTIVATE THE REACTOR.'
Viktor nodded, absorbing the information. "Understood, Atlas."
The elevator continued its gentle descent, and Viktor took advantage of the brief moment of calm to mentally review his next steps. He knew that as he reached the lower levels, he would face more challenges and dangers. But he was determined to press on.
As the elevator descended, Viktor looked at the panel and asked.
"How did you know the shutdown codes, Atlas?"
'SOMEONE LEFT THEM IN THE SYSTEM ON PURPOSE!!' Atlas answered bluntly.
Viktor frowned, an uneasy feeling setting in.
"This doesn't seem right. Why would someone do this?"
'I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH A VIP ONBOARD THE SHIP!!!!' Atlas warned. 'I RECOMMEND WE LEAVE THE PRISON SHIP QUICKLY!!!!'
Viktor remained silent, trying to remain calm. He needed to remain calm.
'MONITORING SECURITY SYSTEMS,' Atlas informed, pulling Viktor from his thoughts. 'THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENT IN THE CORRIDORS NEAR THE ELEVATOR. YOU ARE SAFE FOR NOW.'
'Good,' Viktor muttered, remaining alert.
The elevator finally stopped, and the doors opened with a soft hiss, revealing a narrow, dimly lit hallway.
He stepped out of the elevator quickly, remaining vigilant for any sign of danger. He knew he needed to get to the hangar before the guards could reactivate the reactor.
'Atlas, keep me updated on any movement,' Viktor said as he advanced down the hallway.
'ROOKING, USER. MONITORING IN REAL TIME!!!' Atlas replied.
With less than 15 minutes remaining, Viktor knew the real race against time had begun.