Vyomika stood over the body, the faint hum of her internal systems mixing with the eerily quiet atmosphere around them. She bent down, her eyes scanning every inch of the still form, her mind working rapidly.
> "It's human," she whispered, the words barely escaping her lips. "Not synthetic. Not a machine."
Her fingers brushed over the face—soft, decayed, and untouched by the artificial systems she was accustomed to. But there was a nagging realization that she could not ignore.
> "No... it's not me," she muttered. But her next thought hit her with brutal clarity. "But what if...?"
Her mind flashed with images of drones, the ever-present threat of Nexatech's surveillance, and a fleeting sense of dread.
She closed her eyes for a second, gathering her thoughts. Could it work? The idea was reckless, dangerous, but it was the only chance she had left.
Vyomika moved quickly, her hands working methodically. The process was delicate, surgical. She reached into the innards of the body, bypassing its mechanical components and focusing on a more biological approach—finding a way to blend the signals. Slowly, carefully, she linked the resonant frequencies of her own neural network to the dead body.
---
Cut to the Girl:
The girl had been watching from a distance, limping slightly but vigilant, as Vyomika worked. Her eyes narrowed, watching every movement of Vyomika, as if trying to read something more than just her actions.
Vyomika's fingers trembled as she connected the circuits, glancing back at the girl. "I need this body to reflect my signal," she explained without looking at her, her tone flat and professional.
The girl's hesitation was clear, though she didn't speak. She merely observed, her eyes narrowing as she processed the request.
Vyomika stood up, wiping her hands on her coat, stepping back from the body. The tension in the air was palpable, the silence stretching between them.
> "What's the plan now?" the girl finally asked, her voice low but edged with suspicion.
Vyomika took a deep breath. "You need to take this body outside. Throw it in the open—drones will mistake it for me."
The girl froze. "What? You're asking me to...?"
Vyomika's patience thinned. "I don't have time for hesitation. We both want to survive. If you don't do this, we'll both be dead in a few minutes."
The girl stood motionless, unsure, her eyes flickering between Vyomika and the dead body. Vyomika's voice sharpened.
> "Do it. I'm not asking again."
The girl took a hesitant step back, then another, and with a final glance at Vyomika, she moved toward the body. Her hands shook as she lifted it, almost as if she were unsure of what she was carrying—an unsettling mix of life and death in her arms.
Vyomika watched, calculating the distance, her mind already running simulations of what would happen next. The girl stumbled slightly, but she managed to drag the body towards the exit.
Vyomika's eyes followed the movements closely, not letting anything slip past her attention. The girl hesitated at the doorway but finally, with a soft grunt, threw the body out onto the cracked streets.
> "There," the girl muttered, breathing heavily.
Vyomika stepped closer, scanning the girl's face. "Now, we wait. The drones should mistake it for me."
---
Transition to Tension:
The drones, silent and deadly, were now circling closer. Vyomika's enhanced senses felt the air grow dense with the hum of detection algorithms. She didn't trust the girl fully, but she had no other choice. Vyomika narrowed her eyes as she turned to the girl one last time.
> "Get ready," Vyomika said, her voice low and mechanical. "We move when they do."
The girl nodded, her face tense, but she remained silent. Vyomika's mind raced—everything depended on this. If the drones didn't make the connection, they'd have a few precious moments to escape.
And then, just as the girl stepped back, Vyomika's thoughts turned inward again. Her past—Nexatech, the memories they erased, and the faces she could never quite remember, the ones that felt too close but still faded like fragments of a dream.
But none of that mattered now. Survival was the only thing that counted.
After the dead body is discarded and the drones take the bait, Vyomika and the girl head toward an exit in the vicinity. But as they approach the doorway, they realize the drones are starting to recalibrate, and they don't have much time before they're back on their trail.
> Vyomika glanced at the girl. Her face was tense, still haunted by the weight of her actions. But Vyomika had no time for hesitation now.
"Keep moving," she ordered. "We need to get to the outer sectors. There's an old, abandoned maintenance tunnel not far from here. We should reach it before the drones adjust."
The girl nodded, limping slightly as she followed Vyomika down a winding, darkened passage that led deeper into the industrial part of the city. It was a dangerous move, one that could leave them trapped if the drones detected them, but Vyomika had no choice.
> "I've heard rumors about these tunnels," the girl said, her voice low. "Nexatech sealed them off years ago after some kind of contamination. They're supposed to be unstable now."
Vyomika didn't answer. She didn't have time for rumors. Her mind was focused solely on the tunnel ahead.
As they reached the entrance to the maintenance tunnel, Vyomika paused, scanning the surroundings. The area felt oddly calm, almost too still. But she didn't let herself relax—too many times before, she'd allowed herself to think they were safe, only to be ambushed seconds later.
She motioned for the girl to follow her into the tunnel.
> "This will lead us to the sub-levels," Vyomika said. "Once we're there, the drones won't be able to track us unless they send a ground unit, and they'll be slower."
The girl, still clutching her side from the previous injury, entered the tunnel reluctantly, casting one last glance over her shoulder. Vyomika followed, ensuring the path behind them was clear.
As they descended deeper into the tunnel, the air grew heavier. Vyomika's sensors buzzed softly, registering faint signs of heat fluctuations in the walls, a side effect of the still-active power grid. The path stretched out before them, a vast, labyrinthine network of forgotten tunnels and abandoned chambers. Here, the dark, cold space offered them a temporary sense of refuge—far from the prying eyes of the drones.
However, their peace didn't last long.
Suddenly, the girl's voice broke the silence.
> "Vyomika..." she whispered. "You... you didn't tell me why you're doing this. Why are you risking everything for me?"
Vyomika paused for a moment, her artificial mind processing the question. She hadn't expected this to come up now. The girl's voice wasn't accusing, but there was a raw curiosity in it.
> "It's not about you," Vyomika answered quietly. "It's about survival. If Nexatech wants to erase me, I'll make sure they don't succeed."
The girl didn't say anything, but Vyomika could hear her breath quicken slightly, as if she had expected something more, something different.
Vyomika turned, her voice colder now.
> "I told you before—we have no time for distractions. We need to move."
As they move further into the tunnels, Vyomika's internal systems detect a new anomaly. The drones have recalibrated faster than anticipated, and their search grid is now centered on the tunnels.
Vyomika's HUD flashes with warnings:
> DRONE DETECTED: 50 METER RANGE
She freezes, signaling for the girl to stay still.
> "We're not safe yet," Vyomika murmured, scanning their surroundings. "We need to find cover—now."
The girl's eyes widen. She knows what Vyomika means. They can't afford to be caught in this maze of tunnels. They need a way to hide.
Vyomika leads them into an old maintenance chamber, where the air smells stale and old machinery lies abandoned. She closes the door behind them, her sensors listening for the telltale hum of the drones.
They're in a precarious situation. The drones are closer now. Vyomika can feel the weight of the hunt pressing down on them.
But this isn't the end. Vyomika won't let it be.