Jinx stared at the firing pin that had snapped cleanly in two. It was a custom part she had spent a fortune on in the black market. Then she looked at Cade, who sat calmly in his chair.
"Hey. Pay up."
Jinx holstered her hand cannon and hopped onto the greasy workbench, swinging her long legs. All the murderous intent from seconds ago had vanished, replaced by a rogue's nonchalance.
"That chip is worth 50,000 Credits," Cade pointed at the screen. "Plus, it came with a truth that saved your life. You profited."
Jinx blew a pink bubble with her gum, her eyes playful. "Fine. Since we now know we are just livestock waiting to be slaughtered... this pig is very unhappy. I want to break something."
Her mechanical right eye whirred and locked onto Cade. "How do we tear it down?"
Cade stood up and walked out of the shadows. Behind him, the crimson countdown on the screen hit zero.
"The Cyan Tower has an 'Awakening Hall' in this district." Cade's voice was soft, but it carried a bone-chilling coldness. "Tonight is the ceremony for the new batch of 'lucky ones'. There will be massive amounts of Raw Star Energy and... the gene archives of every Outland resident."
Jinx stopped whistling. Her amber left eye narrowed dangerously. "You want to hit that place? That's suicide. There's at least a full squad of Enforcers and Heavy Mechs stationed there."
"I know." Cade casually picked up a modified tactical knife from the table and tucked it behind his waist. "That's why I need you." "Your eye can see energy flow nodes. And I..."
Cade raised his hand. A stream of white, unanalyzable data floated above his palm. The air around his fingers twisted, as if reality itself was forced to bend to his will.
"I will make their rules... fail."
Jinx stared at the white light for three seconds. It was a power she had never seen before. Not a gift from the Tower, not a mutation from the wastes. It was a pure, unreasonable "Rejection."
"Hah." Jinx suddenly laughed. A manic, delightful laugh. She pulled a high-explosive EMP grenade from her jacket and tossed it in the air. "I like working with crazy people. Especially the calm ones."
"Deal." Jinx jumped off the table, her combat boots thudding heavily. "But I have one condition." "What?" "After we're done, the Star Energy is mine. Even one vial can keep my eye running for three months."
"Agreed," Cade nodded. "I want their Core Database."
In that dim, dirty container, two people with their own agendas—and equal amounts of madness—shook hands on the most dangerous heist in New Terra's history.
Night. 22:00 Hours. District 9. Perimeter of the Awakening Hall.
A massive hologram floated in the sky, playing a holy propaganda film on loop: "Join the Glorious Evolution. Become the Foundation of Order..."
Below, countless ragged civilians knelt in the square, looking up at the magnificent building with fanatical eyes, praying to be chosen.
Meanwhile, in the shadows of the high walls behind the hall. Two figures hung silently from a ventilation duct.
"If you fall, I'm using you as bait," Jinx's voice came through the bone-conduction earpiece. She was chewing on a lollipop, a massive, custom-built heavy sniper cannon strapped to her back. The gun was almost as tall as she was.
"Shut up and work," Cade whispered. He pressed his fingers against the electronic lock of the vent.
[The 0th Law: Deconstruction]
No hacking. No code-breaking. Cade simply "Refused" the state of the lock being "locked."
Click. The high-security alloy shutters opened obediently, like a tamed pet.
Jinx raised an eyebrow. "Tsk. The perfect thief."
The two slipped into the hall like ghosts. Inside, it was a palace of gold and steel. Huge transparent pipes pumped glowing blue Star Energy through the ceiling. In the center, rows of trembling civilians were strapped into chairs. Massive mechanical arms stabbed thick needles directly into their spines.
It wasn't a blessing. It was branding livestock.
Seeing this, the red light in Jinx's mechanical eye flickered violently. Her grip on her gun tightened. "Disgusting."
"Patience." Cade held her shoulder, his gaze locking onto the Main Control Console in the center of the hall. That console controlled the district's surveillance, defense turrets, and the data center.
"That's the 'Brain'," Cade whispered. "I'll handle it. You find a vantage point. In three minutes, no matter what happens... if anyone points a gun at me..."
"I'll turn their head into a rotten watermelon." Jinx grinned, revealing sharp canines. "Don't worry. Killing is my specialty."
They exchanged a glance and split up. Jinx moved like a cat, disappearing into the steel rafters above. Cade straightened his hoodie and walked out of the shadows.
Right into the open.
A Patrol Captain immediately spotted him. "Who's there?! This is a Restricted Area!"
Instantly, dozens of Star Energy Rifles aimed at him. The civilians undergoing surgery screamed in terror.
Cade walked under the gunpoint of an entire squad. His steps were steady. He strolled toward the massive Star Energy storage tank as if walking through his own garden.
"Freeze! One more step and we fire!" The Captain roared, finger on the trigger.
Cade stopped. He looked up, his pitch-black eyes meeting the Captain's arrogant gaze.
"Your security system is set to 'Kill on Sight' for unauthorized personnel, correct?" Cade's voice echoed in the hall.
The Captain blinked. "What? Yes! Die, trash!"
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT! Muzzles flashed. A storm of energy bullets rained down on Cade.
And in that instant. Cade snapped his fingers.
"I refuse... to be hit."
A bizarre scene unfolded. Three meters away from Cade, every single bullet hit an invisible wall. They stopped mid-air. Then, clatter, clatter, clatter. They dropped to the floor like useless pebbles.
Dead silence. Everyone stared, eyes wide with horror.
"Is this your so-called 'Divine Punishment'?" Cade shook his head mockingly. He raised a hand and pointed at the massive glass tank above their heads—the one holding tons of high-concentration Star Energy.
"Since you love this energy so much..." "Drink your fill."
Cade's hand slammed down.
[The 0th Law: Gravitational Collapse]
BOOM—!!!
The reinforced glass tank shattered instantly! Tons of glowing blue liquid crashed down like a tsunami, carrying terrifying impact force, drowning the Enforcer squad below!
Chaos. Screams. Explosions of short-circuiting machinery.
High above in the rafters, a blinding red light flared. Jinx's manic laughter echoed with the thunderous roar of her heavy cannon.
"Party time, scum!"
BANG! The Patrol Captain's head exploded in a mist of red and white.
Cade stood in the middle of the blue flood. Around him lay wreckage and wailing enemies. Not a single drop of liquid touched his clothes. He walked to the unguarded Main Control Console and jammed his decoder into the port.
The reflection of cascading data streams danced on his cold face.
Tonight. The lie of this city was torn open. And the perpetrators... were just two lunatics who refused to be food.