Maine took a deep breath, suppressing the chill rising in his heart from this mission involving corporate matters, focusing all attention on the holographic map before him.
The underground facility's complex structure resembled a cold metal beast crouching beneath their feet, every shadow seemingly concealing unknown threats.
"Alright, folks, check equipment, keep channel clean. Let's move." Maine's deep voice resonated in the team communication channel as he first walked toward the southeast maintenance ventilation shaft entrance Cairo indicated.
Heavy tactical boots treading on abandoned concrete ground produced clear, lonely echoes.
Dorio shouldered her heavy firepower following close behind, muzzle unconsciously moving slightly, alertly scanning surroundings.
Falco calibrated sensors, data streams on screen reflecting on his focused face.
"Environmental radiation levels normal, no wide-area life signals yet... but interference here is strong, close-range shielding effect excellent."
Pilar checked firearms while chattering: "Hey, this place gives me goosebumps—like crawling into some old monster's steel intestines."
Rebecca chambered a round with a click, impatiently responding: "Then shut up before you summon its digestive juices."
Sasha silently followed at the rear, sharp gaze beneath her hood scanning every detail of surrounding environment, not missing any anomaly.
Two crudely styled combat servitors radiating cold aura silently followed at the formation's end. Their heavy machine guns and grenade launchers gleamed dangerously in dim light, heavy footsteps forming stark contrast with others.
The ventilation shaft cover had already been opened in advance by Cairo's servo-skull, revealing a rusted ladder extending downward.
A gust of cold wind mixed with stale air, machine oil, ozone, and some indescribable chemical reagent smell surged from below, carrying underground depths' particular chill.
"Skull goes first, environmental scan. Full spectrum." Maine ordered.
That imitation servo-skull's eye sockets lit with ghostly blue scanning beams, silently flying into the passage first like a phantom, transmitting real-time imagery and data below back to everyone's visual interfaces.
Below was a spacious pipe junction—appeared to be one of the old ventilation system's hubs.
The space was large but piled with abandoned pipe parts and equipment casings of unknown purpose. The floor covered in thick dust, spider webs connecting rusted metal structures everywhere.
"Preliminary scan: No immediate heat signatures, no motion indicators. Atmospheric composition: Nitrogen-oxygen ratio normal, but detecting trace volatile organic compounds and inert coolant residue. Recommend maintaining protection." The imitation skull sent scan results to Maine's crew's internal channel.
After confirming no immediate life threats, Maine gestured and the team descended in sequence.
The ladder made tooth-grinding creaking sounds, especially jarring in silence.
Feet landing on dust-covered metal flooring produced dull sounds.
The air was stagnant and icy cold, only the servo-skull's faint scanning hum, everyone's suppressed breathing, and barely perceptible vibrations vaguely transmitted from circulation systems.
"According to structural diagram, turning left ahead should be one passage to main research area." Falco looked at the terminal map, speaking quietly while adjusting handheld scanner parameters. "Interference source stronger now—like some old but still-functioning shielding field."
The team carefully advanced in tactical formation, two combat servitors front and rear providing security, their sensor arrays constantly rotating covering all angles.
Pilar tried accessing a data interface on the wall but shook his head: "Dead as a doornail—physical layer damage. Like something... forcibly dismantled it."
He pointed to several deep scratches beside the interface.
The passage gradually widened. Blurred signboards began appearing on walls, text mostly peeled away—only barely discernible "Research Area B-7," "Strictly No Entry," or radiation warning symbols.
They passed several rooms resembling laboratories or offices. Doors mostly open or damaged.
Inside mostly empty—only overturned desks and chairs, shattered glassware, scattered document fragments showing evacuation haste.
Some terminal screens pitch black, some even burned through with holes.
"Like it was ransacked." Dorio commented, gun muzzle pointing at a pried-open locker.
"Or internal cleanup." Maine said gravely, alertly watching every corner.
Just as they passed a junction marked "Server Maintenance Passage," sudden change!
Several originally dark armor plates on walls suddenly slid open, revealing hidden honeycomb-like firing ports behind! Heavy gun barrels extended out! Without any warning, cold killing programs activated.
"Cover! Automated defense system!" Maine roared, lunging toward a thick cooling pipe nearby.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom—!
Deafening gunfire instantly erupted!
Dense large-caliber kinetic bullet barrages like metal storms instantly poured out, hitting the position they'd just occupied, shattering ground and abandoned equipment—rubble flying, metal twisting and deforming!
Ricochets shrilly whistled in narrow space!
Dorio couldn't dodge in time—shoulder armor grazed by a ricochet producing piercing scraping sounds. She grunted, quickly rolling behind cover.
"Damn it!" Rebecca cursed. Just as she peeked from behind large equipment wanting to return fire, another wave of lethal bullet rain pinned her back down—bullets hitting cover sending fragments flying.
"Combat servitors! Suppress it!" Maine shouted in communication channel, voice nearly drowned by deafening gunfire.
The rear combat servitor immediately reacted. It barely dodged, frontal armor hard-tanking several large-caliber bullets, leaving deep dents and sparks.
Its shoulder grenade launcher quickly raised. Accompanied by a dull firing sound, a high-explosive grenade traced a brief arc, precisely shooting into that weapon nest still spitting firepower.
BOOM!
Violent explosion blasted that weapon station into twisted scrap metal. Parts and armor fragments scattered everywhere. Fire flashed briefly then darkness returned to the passage, only gunpowder and smoke smell remaining.
"Cleared." The combat servitor's cold synthesized voice reported, as if having merely done something insignificant.
"Well done." Maine exhaled in relief, gesturing to Dorio. "How's the injury?"
"Graze, armor held." Dorio moved her shoulder. "Fuck, that welcome ceremony was loud enough."
"Stay alert—this place obviously doesn't welcome guests." Maine checked ammunition. "Continue forward."
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