Erich and his companions glided silently in their Hover-Tec over the streets of the Southern District, passing neon lights and abandoned structures, heading towards the Khan family's bazaar. Erich drove the vehicle, his gaze focused on the road, while Stella and Greg sat in the back, with suitcases of credits and fake "Cinnamon" next to them.
"Stella, why did you join the Warlord in the first place?" Greg asked curiously.
Stella leaned back in her seat, looking out the window at the passing buildings. She was silent for a moment, as if weighing her words, then replied quietly.
"They were like the family I never had. I joined because I was looking for a place where I could find myself – somewhere beyond the chaos of Interpolis. But our leader... he had his scores to settle with the 'Architect'."
"'The Architect'?" Erich asked, looking at Greg. "The same one Douglas mentioned?"
"I think so," Greg replied. "What happened between them?"
Stella sighed, unzipping her jacket and taking a capsule with an Implant from an inside pocket.
"Wait a minute..." Greg was speechless. "That's..."
"Class I Information Implant," she replied, zipping up her jacket. "Our leader stole it from the Void a long time ago."
"Where did you get it?" Erich asked curiously. "Did you steal it from him or hide it?"
"I stole it from the Rat Gang when I escaped," Stella said, handing the capsule to Greg. "They took it from the our leader earlier – he was supposed to return it to the 'Architect'. But Maus was too busy trying to break me, so it never happened. I've been carrying it with me ever since."
" 1st Class Implant... That's something for the Void elites," Erich said confidently. "What exactly does it do?"
"I don't know everything, but the Warlord leader said it was the key to something bigger... Something the 'Architect' needed to maintain power," Stella said. "Maybe data, maybe access to the system... He didn't have time to tell me before the Rats killed him."
"It must be something important if Void wanted it back so badly," Greg said, turning the capsule over and putting it in the suitcase with the 'Cinnamon'. "We should give it to Atkinsons – they have to figure it out."
"If the 'Architect' really wanted it back, Void won't be happy we have it."
Erich, focused on driving, glanced in the side mirror and squinted. In the distance, he saw a black car – a massive, familiar silhouette that accelerated, approaching them with disturbing speed.
"What is it?" Greg asked.
"We have company," Erich replied, nodding towards the mirror on his side.
Greg turned around, looking through the rear window, and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Fuck, them again..." Greg said, annoyed. "Where did they come from?"
"Look in your..."
Greg glanced in the right side mirror and froze – another black Volga appeared on the adjacent street, parallel to them, trying to flank them. Stella, sensing the danger, pulled a revolver from the holster under her jacket and cocked the hammer, ready to act.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of them," Stella replied, opening the window.
"Just don't screw it up," Erich said.
Stella leaned out the window on her side, aiming at the first Volga, which was already dangerously close. She fired several shots – the bang echoed through the cabin, and the bullets hit the windshield and the driver. The black vehicle swayed, losing control, then crashed into the wall of a nearby building, exploding in a fireball.
"Nice shot," Erich said in admiration. "Model 27, I guessed?"
"Yes, the good old reliable Smith & Wesson," she replied, securing it and putting it back in her jacket.
Greg looked at her with a mixture of admiration and unease, but before he could say anything, Erich glanced in the mirror again. The second Volga was still chasing them, and in the distance, more black silhouettes appeared – Black Volga reinforcements were coming from various streets, as if coordinating an ambush.
"We have company, and not just one Volga," Erich replied. "Let's go back to base."
"What about the Khans?" Greg asked anxiously.
"Well, not today... We'll take care of it tomorrow."
After these words, Erich accelerated, provoking a chase. Instead of running in a straight line, Erich turned sharply into a narrow alley in the Southern District, forcing the Volgas to maneuver abruptly. He accelerated, deliberately driving into a crowded street full of passersby and stalls, where the Hover-tec's anti-gravity nozzles stirred up dust and garbage. The Volga drivers, surprised by the sudden change of route and the chaos, became disoriented – one of the vehicles hit a stall, overturning it with a bang, and the other turned too late, hitting the wall of a building. Erich took advantage of the confusion, turning into another side street, then accelerated at full power, heading towards the Central District.
"I think we lost them," Greg replied with relief. "How do you do it, Erich?"
"Years of practice. Volgas are fast, but their drivers are scatterbrained monkeys. All you have to do is confuse them."
The Hover-tec calmly reached the Central District, passing high skyscrapers and busy streets. Erich directed the vehicle towards a discreet underground entrance – a narrow tunnel hidden behind the facade of an old warehouse. The machine slid down, and the surrounding darkness was illuminated only by the headlights and subtle lights on the tunnel walls.
As the Hover-tec drove into the tunnel, Stella looked out the window, frowning in surprise.
"Where are we anyway?" she asked. "What is this place?"
"This is the entrance to the our facility," Erich replied, not taking his eyes off the road. "It's located under the Stock Exchange."
"Under the Exchange? Seriously? How come?"
"The Exchange belongs to another corporation," Greg explained. "Void controls most of Interpolis, but the Exchange is their weak point. FirCor holds it in their grip, and Douglas used it to his and our advantage. He found old underground hideouts for documents under the building and rebuilt them into the Vectron base. It's an ideal location, in the heart of the city, yet out of Void's reach."
"Quite clever," Stella replied. "You're hiding under Void's nose, but in an area where they don't have full control."
"The Exchange is a neutral zone – neither Void nor FirCor wants an open war here. We're the shadow, that no one looks for."
"Douglas told us yesterday how he lost the previous Vectron hideout and many of his agents."
"Infiltration? When was that?"
"Before we joined Vectron, but Douglas mentioned it when he introduced us to this facility."
"Clever," Stella said. "But if Void ever infiltrates this place... What then?"
"That's why we have eyes in the back of our heads," Erich said. "After what happened at the 'Brighton Belle' and Bulleid Plants, Volgas know we're not an easy to catch."
After the garage door opened, Erich parked the Hover-tec. After that, Erich took the suitcase with the money, and gave the suitcase with the cinnamon to Greg.
"Greg, take this to the Atkinson's. And don't forget to tell them there's a 1'st Class Implant inside."
"Alright" Greg replied, heading towards the laboratory.
When they all entered the corridor, Stella was surprised at how small the facility was. A moment later, Erich and Stella stood in front of the "Brain" door.
"This is our 'Brain'."
"'Brain'?"
"Our command room," Erich explained. "Wait here for a moment, I'll just file a report and call you in."
Erich opened the door to the "Brain", where Douglas and Robert were.
"I see you came back with more than just trouble," Douglas said, seeing Erich with the suitcase. "What did you find?"
"A lot happened," Erich replied, putting the suitcase on the table. "We tracked a transaction at the Bulleid Plants between the Rat and Robinson Gangs."
"Probably 'Cinnamon' for money?"
"A million credits for 'Cinnamon', but the goods turned out to be fake – it was just a regular spice."
"And the money is fake too?"
"I don't know, but I intend to find out."
"Anything else?"
"Well... we recruited a new member."
"Where is this 'new member'?"
"Is waiting in the corridor," Erich replied. "Call?"
"Alright, call"
After a moment, Erich opened the door and brought Stella into the room. When she entered, Douglas raised an eyebrow in surprise, and his eyes widened in amazement.
"A new member? It's you?"
"Yes, it's her," Erich replied, then turned to Stella. "This is Stella. A former member of the Warlord. She's the only survivor of the massacre committed by the Rat Gang."
"The Rat Gang?" Douglas asked. "The ones who made the deal with the 'Robinsons'."
"Yes," she replied uncertainly. "I want to help you fight Void and avenge my comrades."
"Welcome to the ranks of Vectron, Stella," Douglas replied, shaking her hand. "I appreciate you wanting to help us."
"I convinced her to join us."
After that, Erich continued his explanation.
"She had a Class I Information Implant with her, which the 'Rats' stole from the Warlord's leader – she says it was supposed to be returned to the 'Architect'."
"The implant and credits will go to the Atkinsons for analysis," Douglas replied, looking at the suitcase, then looked at the two of them. "If what you say about the 'Architect' is true, Stella, we have something in our hands that could mess with Void's plans. Rest now – we have a lot of work to do tomorrow."
"I know," she replied.
After a moment, Erich spoke again, remembering something important.
"Douglas, there's one more thing."
"What is it?"
"When we were driving to the Plants, Greg mentioned something about his brother," Erich said. "He said, that he had documents about some railway system – something Void really wanted to hide. Greg's brother stole them before they caught him."
"Railway system?" Douglas asked curiously. "Do you know where those documents are?"
"As far as he told me, his brother gave them to the Khan family," Stella replied. "He left them there for safekeeping before Void eliminated him."
"If those documents are important to Void, we need to get them. What are your plans?"
"We intend to take care of it tomorrow," Erich said confidently. "After what happened today, we decided to return to the facility and regroup."
"Alright," Douglas replied. "Then take care of that tomorrow."
After these words, they thanked Douglas and took the suitcase to the laboratory, where the Atkinson brothers and Greg were examining the Implant that Stella had shown them.
"Bill, Gill – can you check the authenticity of these banknotes?" Erich asked. "I suspect they're fake, but we need to be sure."
"Sure, we can do that, but only if we find a moment," Bill replied. "But for now, the Implant is our priority."
"That's not ordinary 1st Class Information Implant," Gill replied. "It's an enhanced version – an analyzer. We haven't seen anything like this in years."
"Analyzer?" Erich asked. "What's that about?"
"Standard 1st Class Implants are for the elites – they store data, give access to systems, sometimes enhance physical abilities," Bill said. "But this one? This one analyzes the environment in real time – it collects data from sensors, predicts impending dangers, even suggests movements in combat. An extra sense that warns you of danger before you see it."
"Imagine – it detects enemy movement behind walls, temperature changes, even vibrations in the air," Gill said. "It can predict a Volga attack before you hear them. But there's one catch..."
"What exactly?" Erich asked.
"It probably has encrypted Void tracking software," Gill said. "If we implant it now, Void will know where you are and what you're doing. But we can 'disarm' it, or in other words, 'recalibrate' it, or simply remove their code and synchronize it with our systems."
Erich looked at the capsule, then at the Atkinson brothers.
"I volunteer. If you can recalibrate it, I want it."
"Why you?" Stella asked, surprised.
"Something in my body might save our asses if it would be needed," Erich replied calmly. "Who knows what other threats might be lurking in this city..."
"Good decision," Greg replied. "At least with it, we'll know if danger is coming."
"Absolutely," Erich replied. "The 'Volgas' won't even move because of it."
"You're absolutely right, Erich," Bill replied. "So, we'll let you know and prepare you for implantation, when everything would be ready."
Meanwhile, Stella approached another table – her eyes stopped on something familiar. On a tray next to the implant capsules, lay the Fazorite, which Erich had given to the Atkinsons for analysis earlier. Stella froze for a moment, her paw hovering over the fragment, as if afraid to touch it.
"Something wrong?" Erich asked, approaching her. He noticed her gaze and frowned.
"My parents... used to have one just like it," she raised her eyes to Erich, her eyes shining with uncertainty. "It looked almost identical, only... kind of faded."
"Faded?" he asked quietly, his tone becoming serious. "Where did they get it?"
"My mother told me once..." she began slowly. "They were fleeing the British People's Republic, from a militia roundup. She said my father found something in the forest, in a crater after an explosion. He held it in his hand as they ran... When they were suddenly surrounded by a militia cordon, the stone suddenly flashed and they teleported to Interpolis."
Bill and Gill, who were listening from the side, exchanged glances. Gill approached the scanner, and Bill leaned over the Fazorite, his paw hovering over it in hesitation. Erich tightened his lips, his gray eyes narrowed in concentration.
"Teleport..." he muttered to himself, then looked at Stella. "I think that crystal, the Fazorite, might have teleported them to Interpolis."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"The Atkinsons analyzed it earlier. The machine said it's a remnant of something that fell from the sky – it's not known exactly where from... It looks like your parents might have activated it by accident – they were holding it while running, and it teleported them here. And it faded because it might have lost all its energy."
"I don't know if it's a portal itself," Erich replied, shaking his head. "But it might be a key. Void uses them for their interdimensional technology, and the Atkinsons said they have power we don't understand. If yours fell into their hands at the wrong moment..." he trailed off, looking at her carefully. "It's no coincidence that you're in Interpolis."
"If that's true, my brother's documents might be about the same thing," Greg said quietly. "The railway system... might have used Fazorites."
"Alright, enough for today," Erich said, straightening up. "Bill, Gill, examine it. We're going to rest. We have an important mission tomorrow."
"Good luck," Gill replied.
"Same to you, guy's" Greg replied.
After an intense day, Erich, Stella, and Greg left the technology-filled room, heading for a well-deserved rest. In the Vectron facility, hidden under the Stock Exchange, there was an extra room – a modest room with three metal beds, mattresses and blankets, prepared for team members after long missions. The walls were bare, concrete, but in the corner stood a small heater that gave the interior a bit of warmth.
"Sleep well," Erich said. "We have a important mission tomorrow."
"I don't remember the last time, when I slept on something that didn't smell like gasoline," Stella replied sarcastically. "Alright, good night everyone."
The trio quickly fell asleep, exhausted by the day's events. In the room, there was only the quiet hum of ventilation and the distant buzzing of technology from the laboratory.