CHAPTER 5. PROTOCOL "SPARK"

  The euphoria from the victory over the turret faded exactly three minutes later. The energy indicator blinked, numbers dropping: 42%... 41%... 39%...

  Marcus's old capacitors couldn't hold the "dirty" charge from the direct connection. It leaked through them like water through fingers. He needed an alternative, and fast.

  The map with strange symbols found in the safe became the key. After a painful linguistic package upload, the unintelligible scrawls turned into clear text. It was on the territory of the "AEGIS-4" complex.

  Marcus traced a finger along the virtual projection. The destination point pulsed red: "BLOCK A: ENERGY LABORATORY".

  Distance: 4.5 km.

  He looked at his charge: 35%. Then — at his left arm. The massive yellow "Titan" looked formidable, but the system was ruthless:

  > ENERGY CONSUMPTION:

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  > * Left Manipulator: 18% / hr (Idle mode + weight).

  With this arm, he wouldn't make it.

  Marcus acted rationally. He took a wrench and started unscrewing the bolts.

  "Don't think I'm throwing you away," he muttered, carefully lowering the heavy limb to the floor. "You are my main caliber. But right now, you'll kill me."

  He dragged the "Titan" into a corner, covered it with a pile of rusty sheets, and placed a marker on the internal map: [CACHE #1. Return Priority: High]. He would definitely come back. And not just to retrieve it, but to modernize this pile of iron, making it work more efficiently.

  But now, he had to go.

  He threw a tattered piece of tarp over his shoulders and stepped out into the night.

  The downpour was insane, but it played into his hands. The noise of the water muffled footsteps, the cold hid thermal radiation. He covered the 4.5 kilometers as a shadow, slipping past drone patrols and ignoring the distant vibration of the earth where giant mechanisms walked.

  "Block A" met him with silence. The main gates were welded shut, but Marcus found the service entrance. One kick to the rusted lock — and the path was clear.

  Inside, he navigated as if he had worked there all his life. Inscriptions on the walls led him through a labyrinth of corridors: "TECHNICAL LEVEL"... "EXPERIMENT ZONE".

  Finally, he stopped before a massive hermetic door with the inscription:

  "PROJECT 'SPARK'. UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY PROHIBITED".