Dormant (Rogue Spark Book 3) by Cameron Coral

Author:Cameron Coral [Coral, Cameron]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-10-20T04:00:00+00:00

Twenty-One

I slide into the tank car next to Paul. Lucy takes a jump seat just behind us. As he studies the dashboard, rows of digital displays, buttons, and screens light up. “I got this.” He places his hand on a biometric screen, causing the car’s AI to kick in.

“Scanning. Access verified.” A red heads up display flares to green.

Paul settles in his seat. “Computer, turn on manual drive.”

“Manual drive may cause injury. Are you sure?” the AI inquires.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Commencing manual vehicle operation,” says the car’s computer.

A panel slides open, and a manual steering controller emerges. Paul grips it and tilts his head to us. “You ready for a joyride? Buckle up.”

I spin and check that Lucy is strapped in before tightening my own seat harness. Just in time. Paul slams the steering control forward and the car lurches, scraping over a concrete divider.

Metal screeches. “That doesn’t sound good,” says Lucy.

I stare sideways at Paul, gritting my teeth. “You sure you’ve driven one of these things?”

“Nope, never driven one,” he says, grimacing. “Only training simulations. First time for everything, right?”

As the car grinds its way down the road, I reach my right arm up and latch onto a small handle, above which someone has written “oh shit” in black marker. Something tells me I’ll need it.

With Paul at the wheel, the car screams across the pavement, straight toward a line of androids. They swivel their helmets to face the car just before Paul rams into them, tossing them aside like bowling pins.

“Yeah!” Paul punches the top of the car.

Lucy whoops in the back seat.

He punches the accelerator, heading full speed toward the legs of the metal giants. We plow into the first Scrambler, sideswiping a leg, but the machine reacts, quickly shifting its other foot in time. It stumbles but remains upright.

Our car ricochets off the metal beast and spins twice before Paul regains control, stopping the car.

The other Scrambler drags its attention away from the hybrids and rains bullets down on our vehicle. Luckily, we’re behind military armor, but the impact forms dents in the roof above our heads.

Both Scramblers swivel in our direction, readying their guns. Inside the car, Hunter appears on one of the digital screens. “What’s happening, soldier?” he barks. “Paul, is that you?”

Paul punches a button and the screen flickers out. He revs the engine. “What do we do now?”

Behind the Scramblers, hybrids emerge from their hiding spots. Several aim their fire at the giants, providing cover, while others sprint away from the scene.

“It’s working,” I say as the Scramblers stomp toward us. “The hybrids need more time. Keep distracting the robots.”

Paul hits a button, throwing the car into reverse. He veers wildly, trying to navigate using a rear camera screen. We’re bumped and tossed in our seats as the car upends market stalls, scattering food and produce on the street.

The Scramblers pursue, flanked by a dozen military droids.

Paul manages to weave a path through the debris as the Scramblers begin to close in. “Keep going, Paul,” I say as we draw the robot assault force back toward HQ, away from the hybrids.

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