PROJECT 37: System Override

CHAPTER FOUR

As Sky walked home, his mind raced with thoughts. Was he really going to survive all this? He was aware that the government would not give up until they had him.

He walked out of an alley and into the broad street where he saw a crowd of people gathered. Had something happened? he asked himself as he walked closer to them.

[System Alert: Media Coverage Found]

The words appeared before him as he sighted the TV situated a few inches above the crowd.

“Breaking news. The Department of Security has issued a nationwide lockdown for the search of a wanted criminal who is believed to have stolen some biotech component.” The reporter said, “the suspect remains unidentified but leaked reports claim that whoever stole it is in possession of a chip worth billions.”

Sky's heart thudded in his chest. The news was obviously about him.

“The said chip known as Project 37 was developed by the fast growing U.S. governmental technology company and scientists have claimed that the chip is very dangerous and that residents are to report any suspicious action at once.”

Sky let out a sigh. His life was now under threat.

Should he return the chip now that the case has not progressed further?

Before he could answer, another blur interface obscured his vision:

[System Warning: Government Drone Surveillance Sighted]

Sky froze.

His quick instincts told him that the drones could detect the microchip in his body. Slowly, he raised his head and saw the black drone hovering between two buildings. It was approaching him, scanning the streets as it slowly got to him.

Sky immediately detached himself from the crowds with his heart racing. How was he going to conceal himself? He thought to himself as he scanned the surroundings for an escape route.

Suddenly, he dashed back through the alley he came from. When he looked up, everything was fine–well, except for the drone that was coming at him from behind.

A wave of panic swept through him. The drone’s buzzing sound was increasing as the distance between them was cut short.

[Side Street Located]

[Turn Right To Escape Detection]

[Survival Rate: 60%]

[Surveillance Drone Detected…]

[Estimated Time of Arrival: 7 Seconds]

Sky sprang into the nearly narrow street without the slightest thought. He leaped over a pile of cartons and slid beneath a partially rolled gate. His vision flashed with data and warnings as it tracked the movement of the drone.

Suddenly, a red light flashed above him, Sky paused and tried to steady his breath. Then he slowly raised his head to see the surveillance drone hovering directly over him!

He shuddered. “No, no. It can't be.”

He immediately concealed his face with his hood as the drone lowered down to him.

Sky froze. His eyes turned light blue. His vision was unstable. The data raced like never before, everything was loading before him. Faces of people being tortured. Cries of little children and overall, a voice that sent shivers down his spine.

“We need this to control the world. Once this is done, we would be in control of their–”

“What is happening?” Sky asked as the blue interface raced before him.

Something was loading but he could not tell what, not until the words appeared.

[Hacking into the Drone's Operating System…]

[Reading Surveillance Data…]

[Disengaging Surveillance Lock…]

[Surveillance Lock Disengaged]

There was a crash, followed by an eerie silence. No buzzing sound. No drone hovering above him. Nothing.

He looked down and saw the drone lying in the ground with smoke coming out of it.

What the hell? he said in his mind.

***

After the incident that happened he took the long route home. There was no subway or crowd, just dark alleys.

When he arrived at his building, he removed his clothes and prepared to take a shower. As he stepped one leg into the bathtub, he realized something had been bothering him. It wasn't the fact that he had just hacked into a governmental surveillance; it was something more.

The crying children, the tormented people, and, most importantly, the voice. That voice was familiar to him, he could have sworn that he was not wrong.

As he stepped into the warm water, he felt relieved. He felt a sense of peace and quiet. This was his first time experiencing this since the incident at NeuroCore Industries. Sky wondered if he would ever get to experience something like this again.

He suddenly remembered his intention to return the chip to the government and quickly dismissed the thought. He needed the wealth the system had to offer to take care of his sister's health. Surrendering to them would mean giving up everything which he could not afford to do.

Aside from that, he knew there was a lot of deep s**t connected to the chip inside him. All of the things he had seen and heard had to be connected in some way, and he needed to figure out what they were and who was behind it all.

[Cerebral Interface Activated…]

[Quest Initialized]

Sky looked at the interface. The system could actually read his thoughts. He now had a mission to complete: to learn more about the chip and the reason it had selected him. But amongst all these he hoped the system would help him carry the quest out.

While he was still drooling over the system’s capabilities, a black surveillance drone hovered past the building.