The drone froze mid-attack, its glowing cannons dimming as though it were obeying Alex's command. Everyone on the boat stared at him in disbelief, the roar of the boat's engine suddenly deafening in the tense silence.
Luis blinked at Alex, his voice cracking under the weight of incredulity. "You—you can talk to drones now? Is there something you'd like to share with the class?"
Alex ignored him, his fingers racing across the portable device's screen. "I tapped into their command network. If I can replicate the signal controlling the drones, I might be able to—" He cut himself off as the drone's glowing eyes flashed red and its weapons powered up again.
"Or not," Jonah shouted, yanking the wheel hard to the right as another explosion sent water cascading over the boat. "I don't know what you're doing, buddy, but maybe speed it up?"
Alex's calm façade cracked, and for a split second, Amira saw something rare: frustration. "Their network's encrypted," he muttered. "I need more time."
"Time we don't have!" Luis yelled, ducking as the drone fired again. The blast narrowly missed the boat, sending a spray of debris into the air.
Amira's mind raced. She turned to Luis. "Can you jam its signal?"
Luis frowned, his hands gripping the edge of the boat. "Maybe, but I'd need to get closer to whatever's transmitting it. My rig doesn't have the range for this."
"That's reassuring," Jonah deadpanned as he swerved again, narrowly avoiding a boulder jutting out of the water. "Good to know we're fighting advanced tech with duct-tape-level equipment."
Before anyone could reply, the boat lurched violently as the drone's blast finally scored a hit. Smoke billowed from the rear engine, and Jonah cursed loudly. "We've lost power! This baby's not going to make it to shore."
Amira's heart pounded as she looked ahead. The beach was tantalizingly close, but between the rising waves and the drone's relentless attacks, it might as well have been a world away.
"Then we'll swim," Alex said suddenly, pulling off his lab coat and stuffing his device into a waterproof pouch. His expression was resolute, his voice steady. "We can't risk staying here any longer."
Luis gaped at him. "You want us to jump into shark-infested waters while under drone fire? Are you hearing yourself?"
Amira grabbed Luis's arm, her gaze fierce. "Do you have a better idea?"
He hesitated, then sighed dramatically. "Fine. But if I die, I'm haunting Alex forever."
Jonah threw his hands up. "Guess I'm in, too. But if we make it to land, someone owes me a new boat."
Without waiting for a reply, Alex dove into the churning waves, his movements efficient and unhesitating. Amira followed close behind, the cold water shocking her system but fueling her adrenaline. Behind her, Luis splashed in with a string of curses, while Jonah brought up the rear.
The drone hovered ominously overhead, tracking their movements as they swam furiously toward the shore. Amira's arms burned with exertion, but she pushed forward, her mind focused on one thought: Keep moving.
By some miracle, they reached the beach alive. The sand was coarse under Amira's palms as she dragged herself ashore, gasping for breath. Luis collapsed beside her, spitting out seawater. "Never… again."
Jonah staggered to his feet, dripping wet and looking more irritated than scared. "Well, that was fun. Let's do it again sometime, except not."
Alex stood a few feet ahead, scanning the jungle with laser focus. His soaked shirt clung to him, but he didn't seem to notice. "The drone hasn't followed us."
Amira turned to look, and sure enough, the mechanical menace was nowhere to be seen. "Why would it stop chasing us?"
Luis groaned, sitting up. "Probably realized we're not worth the ammo. Can we talk about how utterly insane that was?"
Before Alex could respond, Jonah held up a hand. "Hold on. Does anyone else hear that?"
They froze, straining to listen. From somewhere deep within the jungle came a faint, rhythmic humming—mechanical and unnatural, like the sound of an enormous machine stirring to life.
"Great," Luis muttered. "Because the giant killer drone wasn't bad enough. Now we've got creepy jungle noises."
Amira stood, brushing the sand off her pants. "That's the source of the signal. It has to be."
Alex nodded. "Agreed. Whatever's controlling the drones is in there."
"Fantastic," Jonah said, already pulling a machete from his gear pack. "Into the creepy jungle we go. I'm sure nothing bad will happen."
Amira suppressed a smile. Despite his sarcasm, Jonah had already started hacking through the dense undergrowth. She glanced at Luis, who looked thoroughly unimpressed with their current situation, and then at Alex, who was already following Jonah with determined strides.
"Come on," she said to Luis, offering him a hand. "We didn't come this far to turn back now."
Luis sighed, accepting her hand as he stood. "You know, this better end with saving the world and me getting a medal or something."
Amira laughed softly, then followed Alex and Jonah into the jungle. The dense foliage closed around them like a living wall, and the air grew heavy with the scent of damp earth and something faintly metallic.
They trekked in tense silence for what felt like hours, the humming growing louder with each step. Every rustle of leaves or snap of a twig set Amira on edge, her senses hyper-aware. She glanced at Alex, who seemed unfazed by the oppressive atmosphere, his focus unshakable.
Luis, on the other hand, was decidedly less composed. "Is it just me," he whispered, "or does this place feel… wrong? Like, 'haunted forest in a bad horror movie' wrong?"
Jonah didn't look back as he replied, "Oh, it's not just you. This place is definitely bad news. I'd bet my last paycheck there's something watching us right now."
"Thanks, Jonah," Luis muttered. "That's super comforting."
As they pressed on, the humming intensified, resonating in Amira's chest like the bassline of a terrible symphony. Suddenly, Alex raised a hand, signaling them to stop.
"There," he said softly, pointing ahead.
Through the trees, they saw it: a massive metal structure half-buried in the ground, its surface glowing faintly with red energy. It was both alien and industrial, a sinister fusion of advanced technology and ominous design.
"Okay," Luis whispered. "I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that."
Jonah whistled low. "I'm guessing that's not a public tourist attraction."
Amira's heart raced as she stared at the structure. "This is it. This is where the signal's coming from."
Alex nodded, his jaw tightening. "Then we need to get inside."
Before anyone could reply, a loud clang echoed through the jungle, followed by the unmistakable sound of approaching footsteps. Heavy, metallic footsteps.
Amira's blood ran cold as she turned to see three humanoid drones stepping out from the shadows, their glowing eyes locking onto the group.
"Oh, come on," Luis groaned. "Do these guys ever take a day off?"
The lead drone raised an arm, its weapon charging with an ominous hum. Jonah tightened his grip on the machete, and Amira's mind raced for a plan.
"Move!" Alex shouted.
But before they could act, the drone fired—and the jungle exploded into chaos.