Primordial Beast System

EPISODE 4: Escape 2

Adam’s heart beat faster as the system's warning echoed in his mind. The danger was real. He couldn’t afford to be caught, not after what he’d discovered, and certainly not before he could fully understand the power of the Primordial Beast System.

With newfound agility, he bolted down the dimly lit corridor, his footsteps echoing off the rusted walls of the abandoned quadrant. His body moved with an ease he had never experienced before, each stride longer, each breath deeper.

He glanced over his shoulder, already hearing the faint hum of engines. The Arc Guards were closing in.

Adam has been exploring the abandoned quadrant since he was twelve, he had no friends in school, another effect of being an outcast. He spent most of his time exploring the quadrant, endlessly satisfying his curiosity.

He knows the quadrant map off the top of his head. He spent many years venturing into the restricted area to avoid Bryan and other bullies who targeted him simply because he was an outcast-class human. The escape route he had in mind was complex, a tangled maze of forgotten paths and collapsed corridors.

With a sudden turn, he veered left into a cramped passage barely wide enough for his frame.

He blended into the shadows. His mind raced, calculating every turn, every step. He needed to reach a populated sector, somewhere the guards wouldn’t be able to distinguish him from the normal people going about their business.

The sound of boots on metal grew louder. A flash of light swept through the corridor behind him as a search drone hovered past, its mechanical eye scanning the area. Arc guards dropped from the transporter at different locations spread across the quadrant.

Adam pressed himself against the wall, holding his breath to avoid detection by the drone. Even the slightest movement could be detected.

The drone paused, its lens flickering as if sensing something, then it moved on.

Adam exhaled softly and continued, his pace quick but silent. The route led him through a decrepit storage facility filled with broken machinery and crates covered in thick layers of dust. He could hear the guards’ voices now, barking orders.

“Secure the perimeter! Search everywhere!” one shouted.

“Check the storage area!” a female voice commanded through a speaker.

Adam crouched behind a stack of crates, his mind racing. He couldn’t outrun them forever, not with their advanced tracking equipment. He needed a distraction.

His eyes scanned the room, landing on a rusted control panel.

With a soft glow from his eyes, unknown to Adam, the system activated the computer.

The control panel lit up, sparks flying as a nearby power cell came on. Within seconds, a small explosion erupted, shaking the facility. Smoke and fire engulfed one side of the room, and alarms blared throughout the quadrant.

"Intruder spotted!" a guard yelled, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Adam seized the moment, slipping through a side door while the guards were distracted by the fire. He sprinted down another corridor, his legs carrying him faster than he thought possible.

But the guards were relentless trained soldiers. The sound of their heavy boots and the whir of drones drew closer. Adam’s escape route was nearing its end, a dead end loomed ahead.

“No!” he muttered, panic rising. He realized that he had made a wrong turn, but it wasn’t all bad.

He noticed a ventilation shaft just above him.

With a leap that defied logic, Adam grabbed the edge of the shaft and pulled himself up. His slightly enhanced strength made the manoeuvre effortless. Crawling through the narrow duct, he moved as quickly as he could, the metal creaking under his weight.

The sounds of pursuit grew fainter, but Adam knew he wasn’t safe yet.

As he navigated the twisting ventilation system, his lack of stamina started to catch up with him, his body started to feel heavier and his legs and arms were already tingling from fatigue.

"Not now," Adam hissed. He couldn’t stop, not when getting captured meant imprisonment, or worse.

Finally, the duct led to an open area overlooking a maintenance bay. He peered through, ensuring the coast was clear, then dropped down. The bay was quiet, filled with old tools and scraps of metal.

He spotted a service tunnel that led toward the populated sectors of Arc Inferna. Relief flooded him. If he could reach the crowd, he might blend in and lose his pursuers.

But as he took his first step toward the tunnel, a figure emerged from the shadows, a soldier in silver armor holding a plasma rifle aimed directly at Adam.

“Don’t move,” the soldier ordered, his voice cold and mechanical through his helmet.

Adam froze, his mind racing. He was unarmed, outmatched. The soldier stepped closer, his finger hovering over the trigger. “Surrender now, and you might live smuggler.” He barked at Adam.

For the first time in Adam’s life, his instincts took over. Within a second, he had pulled a piece of handkerchief from his pocket and tied it around his nose, covering the lower parts of his face to hide his identity. It would be game over for him if he his identity was exposed.

Instantaneously, he dove to the side just as the rifle fired, a bolt of plasma scorching the floor where he had stood.

Without thinking too much, Adam grabbed a metal rod from a nearby workbench and swung it at the soldier.

The rod connected with the soldier’s helmet, staggering him. Adam didn’t stop. He jabbed the rod into the soldier’s midsection. Although blocked by the armor he was wearing, the blunt force was enough to make him drop the rifle and fall to his knee.

Adam picked up the plasma rifle, its weight unfamiliar but manageable. Turning, he sprinted into the service tunnel, his heart beating fast and adrenaline flooding his system.

Behind him, the soldier groaned, reaching for his communicator.

“Commander Thena, the target is armed and heading for Sector 9.” The soldier shouted.

The tunnel seemed endless, its walls vibrating with the hum of the arc’s engines. Adam’s mind raced with possibilities. He couldn’t rely on luck alone.

The tunnel ended at a maintenance hatch. Adam forced it open, emerging into a bustling market square filled with merchants and civilians.

He dropped the plasma gun and removed his face covering, slipping through the crowd and blending in.

Above, search drones zipped through the air, their scanners sweeping the area. Adam kept his head low, weaving through the crowd toward the residential sector.

He had to be home before the night curfew went into effect.