Tanner stretched as they stepped inside the outpost’s main building. Troy spoke up, glancing at Celene.
“Well… since we already went over the plan — and, no offense, it’s flawed enough — we should probably show him the device, right?”
Celene nodded. “Yeah, good call. I’ll fill Mack and Tanner in. The rest of you, go with Troy and Varryance.”
Vanesa stepped down from the rig, stretching her arms. “Yeah… alright.”
Troy led them out toward a smaller building beside the main structure — the one beneath the helipad Varryance, Vanesa, Jax, and Isabel had landed on earlier. The group followed, leaving Mack, Celene, and Tanner behind.
“This thing?” Kael said, grinning as they walked. “Bro, Troy cooked with this.”
“I didn’t,” Troy muttered, opening the door. “I just improved it a little.”
Inside, the room was minimal — scattered tech parts, tools, wires. More like a stripped-down garage without a door. In the center stood three metal doors mounted in standalone frames, disconnected from any walls but to car batteries on the floor. Wires ran between them, feeding into nearby equipment. On a tray sat several bulky handheld devices.
“This,” Troy said, gesturing, “is the prototype. Slower. Less… refined. But same concept.”
Varryance and Isabel stepped forward, both unfamiliar with it.
“So… what do I do with it?” Varryance asked.
The device in Isabel’s hands looked rough — a chunky circuit board, exposed wiring, a battery strapped on top, a small display in the middle, and keypad buttons below.
“Turn it on,” Troy said, pointing. “Switch on the back.”
The device powered up.
“No AI to crack!”
A loud, repetitive tone echoed through the room.
“Alright,” Troy continued, “those claws on the back — they latch onto nearby keypads automatically. Try it on that door.”
Varryance stepped forward and pressed the device against the keypad. The claws snapped into place with a sharp click.
“AI breaker software required!” the screen flashed.
“That’s because I haven’t activated it yet...” Troy said, moving to a nearby computer. He dragged it closer, fingers already flying across the keyboard.
The device’s buttons lit up red, pulsing in sync with the rising tone.
“Ready?” Troy asked.
“Yeah, go,” Varryance said, giving a quick thumbs-up.
Troy hit the command.
“Cracking…”
The keys began lighting up green, one after another, rapidly. Each flash came with a higher-pitched tone.
“It cycles through possible combinations,” Troy explained, almost excited now. “The code’s stored in the AI — this thing brute-forces it. Like an old analog safe crack.”
Varryance frowned slightly. “It’s loud… and slow.”
“Yeah,” Jax said from behind them, "Troy did what Kael said, actually cooked...The real version’s on that shelf. Way faster.” he said with a proud tone pointing out to a shelf where the computer originally was.
A single key lit up green — steady this time.
“First digit,” Troy said. “Press it.”
Varryance did.
“Cracking… 3###”
The process repeated.
“Okay that’s actually sick,” Isabel muttered.
Troy grinned. “Old tech too. Early 2000s. Government stuff. CIA used versions of this.”
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“Seriously?” Varryance said, surprised.
“Yeah. Hidden tools. Stuff like this existed way before the Flash.”
Another key lit up. Then another.
Finally—
“Cracked! 3487”
The door clicked open with a mechanical clunk.
“Remove it and you’re in,” Troy said. “But it drains battery fast — two uses max. I’ll give you spares.”
Varryance pulled the device off and pushed the door open.
“Okay… yeah. That’s actually insane.”
Vanesa smirked. Jax just scoffed, with a smile on his face.
“These Stormer idiots won’t stand a chance!” Kael said, hyped.
“Yeah… this is heavy tech,” Isabel added.
The door behind them opened. Celene stepped in with Mack.
“You showed him?”
“Prototype only,” Troy said. “He’ll get the real one tomorrow.”
“Good,” Celene said. “Now come on. We’ve been driving all day — it’s almost evening. Let’s eat.”
“Finally,” Isabel muttered, already heading out.
Vanesa slowed slightly, walking beside Varryance. Jax noticed.
“Troy’s a damn genius,” Varryance said quietly.
“He and Tanner built half of what keeps us alive,” Vanesa replied. Varryance visually impressed the two was that techy, they seemed like idiots at first, he thought.
Back inside the main building, everyone settled in. Some dropped onto couches, others gathered around the table. Mack disappeared toward the bathroom. Celene and Isabel moved into the kitchen area, preparing food.
Troy and Tanner were already arguing about something at the end of the table. Jax and Kael sat together, quieter now.
Vanesa and Varryance took seats near the counter.
“What are we eating?” Varryance asked.
“Same as yesterday,” Isabel called out. “Just less spicy.”
“That’s probably smart,” Celene added with a small laugh and a whisper, looking at the bathroom.
Vanesa glanced at Varryance. “I’ve got a good feeling about this raid.”
He hesitated — just for a second.
“Yeah… once we’re inside, it should be manageable.”
“And once we take the control room,” she added, “Barge moves in. Stormers lose comms, lose vision… it’s over.”
Jax let a sigh, his quiet was loud.
“Okay… that actually helps,” Varryance said.
Across the table, Troy and Tanner burst out laughing.
“What?” Vanesa asked.
“Nothing,” Tanner grinned. “Just thought of an upgrade for the keypad thing.”
“Useful?” Varryance asked.
“Not in time for tomorrow,” Troy said. “But later? Yeah. You’ll love it.”
“Food’s ready,” Celene called. “Get over here.”
Everyone gathered for the one last meal before the big heist.
As they ate, conversations filled the room in scattered pieces. Small talk, half-jokes, quiet exchanges. Jax sat beside Varryance — both of them noticeably quieter than the rest.
“You nervous?” Jax asked, eating calmly.
Varryance exhaled. “Yeah… actually. This all feels too easy. Especially against people sitting on a damn nuclear arsenal.”
Jax gave a short scoff. “Yeah… let’s just hope everyone makes it out alive. Fort’ll be ours one way or another. Eventually.”
Varryance turned slightly toward him.
“It’s that important to Barge?”
Jax swallowed before answering.
“You remember what Luci said. We use that place against NURO. That fort’s stacked — anti-air systems, PU suits, laser repeaters… maybe even AEGIS units.”
Varryance nodded slowly.
“With all that… yeah. Government wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Amen to that,” Varryance muttered. “They’ve already done enough damage to this world.”
Jax paused, glancing at him.
“…Amen? What’s that?”
Varryance blinked. “You don’t know what ‘amen’ means?”
Jax laughed. “No? First time I’ve heard it. Vanesa says it sometimes too — never got it.”
Varryance shook his head slightly, almost amused. “Religion. I’m Christian.”
“Oh…” Jax leaned back a little. “That makes sense. I actually found one of those buildings once — with the cross on it. Thought that was the symbol at first, it is isn't it?”
Varryance straightened slightly. “Wait… you found a church?”
“Yeah,” Jax nodded. “Near the aquarium at Marrowbay. Only thing still standing around there. Everything else was gone.”
Varryance went quiet for a moment.
A church… still standing after everything.
“Huh…”
“What are you two whispering about?” Kael called from across the table. Vanesa glanced over as well.
“Nothing,” Varryance said quickly. “Just… the heist.”
Kael grinned, slamming his hand lightly on the table. “Relax. It’ll go smooth.”
The meal wound down not long after.
Mack stood first, leaving without a word — as usual. Celene and Isabel began clearing the table, Felicia joining them shortly after. Tanner and Troy stayed seated, still arguing about something under their breath.
Vanesa got up to help in the kitchen.
Varryance leaned back slightly, then stood.
“Yeah… I’m gonna get some sleep. Need it for tomorrow.”
“Same,” Jax said, pushing himself up.
“Night, Celene. Night, girls,” Jax called out. “And you two idiots,” he added toward Troy and Tanner. “Kael.”
Kael just waved lazily, already half-gone in a food coma.
“Goodnight,” a few voices answered back.
The two of them walked down the short hallway side by side. When they reached Varryance’s door, Jax stopped and held out his hand.
“Goodnight, man.”
Varryance hesitated for a split second — something about him felt… off today.
Still, he reached out and shook it.
“Yeah… night.”
Jax gave a small nod and walked off.
Varryance stepped into his room.
It was cramped, quiet. He pulled the curtain down over the small window, shutting out the dim light from outside. He peeled off his clothes and dropped onto the bed without thinking twice.
“I’ll shower tomorrow…” he muttered to himself.
The room fell still.
And for the first time that day, everything went quiet, spite that, his parasite still messed with his head. Varryance shifted from time to time, hearing helicopter rotors and gunshots, grunting - it was a long night.