"(The lights are pretty effective down here. Especially considering it's night. I might be able to get to the coast of Elshin a bit faster than expected. Speed isn't bad either.)"
The agent took advantage of the autopilot feature to enjoy his surroundings, "(Are these different fish? Even the plants look different... Could it be the time of year?)" Agent Eleven adjusted his seat for a more pleasurable viewing experience. It was a rare moment where he enjoyed the perks of his career.
However, the agent's relaxation was coming to a halt as a chime came from the dashboard with a voice, "Autopilot disengaged. Hostile ordinance ahead… Commencing scan… Ordinance is likely proximity triggered. Caution advised."
Agent Eleven took control of the vessel and was surprised the mines were just now coming into view. He thought to himself, "(The scan range is impressive. Fast too. R&D might've created a monster with this one. If I had to take down a squadron of these, I might actually struggle. I'll have to report their progress to HQ ASAP. Now, to deal with these mines…)"
The agent pressed a button and the weapon systems revealed themselves. A screen dropped to his side. He moved it next to the windshield and realized it was a targeting system. With all the mines highlighted red, he touched one and the guns destroyed it before his finger left the screen. "(That reaction time… It's unreal.)"
Agent Eleven saw an empty box next to "Fire at Will" and his curiosity got the better of him. He pressed the button and within a second, over a dozen mines were destroyed as the guns each targeted a separate mine for faster clearing time. "(I couldn't even tell how many targets it can acquire simultaneously. All the mines were destroyed in such quick succession… It's unreal… Can I just use this thing to destroy their whole facility and call it a day?)"
The agent heard a loud swoosh of the water and saw bubbles blocking his view. In confusion, he moved in his chair for a better view of the commotion and confusedly watched missiles traveling upward. "Can you answer questions? What was that?"
"Answers to queries can be provided by this AI. Four missiles were launched at a hostile vessel 200 feet above." the agent responded, "And why would -" More missiles launched and clouded the windshield again.
The realization set in as he looked to the targeting screen and turned the fire at will function off. He sighed disappointed at his own blunder. "(They'll probably be on high alert now. I don't think the usual methods of infiltration will be effective. I'll have to enact the next strategy.)"
The agent continued navigating through the underwater minefield, using the weapons more sparingly.
"(I should be approaching the coast soon. If memory serves me correctly, the passage to the Undercity uses an old drainage pipe around here as a tunnel…)" Agent Eleven examined his surroundings until he found the familiar passageway.
"Well, I'll be going somewhere you likely can't follow. Stay hidden. If I'm not back within 24 hours, return to base by any means at your disposal. If you are captured, initiate self-destruct." Agent Eleven instructed the machine as he prepared his gear.
"Understood. Initiating stealth mode."
Agent Eleven is caught by surprise and thinks to himself, "(Maybe I really should just use this thing for the mission.)"
The Agent grabbed his briefcase and pressed a button to open the vehicle. He aimed at the old drainage pipe with a grappling hook and pierced the top of the pipe with the barbed projectile. He then retracted the line to pull himself upward and swung inside gracefully.
The Agent looked back at the distorted water and thought to himself, shaking his head, "(This level of stealth really may become a problem in the future.)"
He presses a button on his grappling device that frees the hook and retracts it as he holsters it, ready to make his trek down the drainage pipe.
He takes a couple steps and he hears the sound of what he believed was a blowtorch. The sound then continues in short bursts and then it sputters out, sounding much closer. This causes Agent Eleven to turn around, "What the - are you there?"
"Affirmative."
The agent stood shocked for a moment and said, "You were supposed to stay put!"
"Correction: Instructions were to stay 'hidden' on the presumption that I could not follow you into this drainage pipe. I assure you, I am within compliance and your mission success rate will increase with my presence."
"You make a solid argu -" Agent Eleven spins around with his gun drawn as a section of the drainage pipe collapses, dropping a group of rats into the shallow water that scurry deeper into the pipe.
That is, with the exception of one inquisitive creature that stood on its hindlegs to get a better look at the intruder. It turned its head to track its pack and followed after them while the agent turned to the vehicle, "We need to move. The pipe is losing stability."
The agent begins to move down the pipe with a brisk jog as the PACK-1 follows slowly.
The agent soon finds a ladder that goes up to the surface, "This should take me to a small supply room if they haven't remodeled the place. PACK-1, stay down here. I'm sure you can't make it up there without causing a commotion."
The vehicle responds, "It would require launching breaching missiles a-"
"You definitely can't do that. I'm going in quiet. But I would like a way to signal you if anything goes wrong, it would also be useful having access to a reliable escape vehicle."
"I have a simple solution… Searchi- Found… Making connection… Connection made… Uploading… Complete."
Agent Eleven's watch lights up displaying a minimalistic, digital face and it says, "I will accompany you, agent."
"PACK-1?"
The vehicle responds, "Correction: I am PACK-1. That is an Artificial Intelligence I uploaded to assist you and provide me with information to help analyze the direction of the battle."
"Not sure I like you uploading things on my watch without permission. The gateways are supposed to be encrypted as well. You committed a major offense hacking my equipment, PACK-1. And if someone programmed you to do it, they'll likely be executed for treason."
"I apologize, agent. I made a significant miscalculation on my part assuming you would want the best assistance I can provide. Especially for such an important mission."
"(This damn thing doesn't stop making sense…)" the agent thought to himself.
"I suppose I'll let you slide this time PACK-1. Ask for authorization before accessing any of my equipment or communications next time."
"Noted."
"We've spent enough time here. I'm heading up. Stay hidden." Agent Eleven says as he fastens his briefcase to a magnet and begins to ascend the ladder
"Understood." The vehicle responds.
The agent reaches the top of the ladder and touches his watch to the steel plating above him. A subtle buzz is heard every couple seconds for half a minute and then it signals with a chime.
The agent looks at his watch and it displays a "sonic map" of the area above him. He even takes notes of soldier positions and attempts to predict their paths of movement based on their stances and facing directions.
He's familiar with the small custodial room above him. It served him well once before and is unguarded just as he remembers. He activates the blowtorch function on his watch and begins to melt through the steel plate above him and starts formulating his plan of attack.