Free Web NovelChapter 531: Chapter 531 Infiltrating the Distribution Center (4)
There were several more hidden robotic sentries along the way to Avery and his team’s destination.
Fortunately, after identifying and disabling the first one, it was easy enough to simply continue to report the process this.
This slowed their progress by a few minutes, but they still had plenty of time to complete the missions and return before the Intrepid would be finished loading its cargo.
"We’re close to the auxiliary computer and data storage location. The entrance should just be two corridors over now." Avery said, having been keeping track of their location using a holomap displayed by the terminal attached to his left wrist.
Originally, he had wanted to go after the station’s main computer, but it was simply too deep into the structure to reach in time and would undoubtably better protected.
One of the secondary computers would suit their purposes well enough anyway, so they had chosen the one within the Odium Syndicate’s portion of the distribution center.
There was a chance that it might hold more information pertinent to their mission compared to anywhere else.
"Stop. There’s something up ahead moving."
At Kasandra’s instruction, the infiltration team went still and pressed themselves up against the wall closest to them.
After that Kasandra carefully listened to get a better read on what was making the noise.
"It’s in the corridor next to this one, where our target location is. I believe that it’s eight drones locked in a patrol pattern. From the distinct whirling of their motors, I believe that they are a Tarvram Mk VIII light combat drones."
Havanna and Jervasio were visibly impressed that Kasandra was able to identify the drones just by the sounds that they made.
Avery on the other hand knew that she had been practicing hard to be as useful as possible.
Her hearing was unbelievably sharp, and her biggest strength was that she could detect and recognize even faint noises.
The focus of this talent she possessed had originally been towards reading people, but recently she had been training to identify the noises that potential common threats would make.
She had told Avery that it was not just enough for her to know something was present, she needed to be able to accurately determine what she was hearing to provide optimal support.
"There’s no gap in their pattern to be exploited. They are only focused on area around the room where the computer and data storage are located. We’ll need to disable at least two of them without being noticed to have enough time to sneak in."
This was not an entirely unexpected development, but it was going to be a slight bit more difficult to deal with quietly.
Unlikely the previous robotic guards that were designed with stealth in mind, the sentry drones they were up against now were not isolated from each other.
As soon as one went down, the others would be alerted to the problem and come to investigate.
After that, if the problem was not easily solved, it was likely that a message would be sent out to an actual person who would come to check out what the issue was.
’It would be so much easier if we could just smash our way through. But we can’t allow anyone to find out that something is amiss.’ Avery thought, racking his brain for how to approach their current roadblock.
These drones were not part of the station’s usual security measures, so Jervasio did not have access to them already.
They were not cut off from any outside signals like the robots they had dealt with up to this point, so he could eventually get past their security programs with subtle attacks against weaknesses in the drone’s software, but that would take time. Especially if he did not want to be noticed or leave any traces.
"Jervasio, how long will you need to take two of them out?"
"They aren’t run by the station’s security programs, but they’re still connected to them, so I can access them through there. If I just wanted to overwhelm all of them and shut them down, then I think five to seven minutes would do. However, that would definitely leave evidence that we we’re here. Taking full control without any notice would be difficult. I’d need a couple of hours at least."
The drones that they were up against neither had the best or the worst internal security programs.
With enough time they would pose no problem to someone of Jervasio’s skill, but they were in a bit of a rush.
"If it’s just two of them. Just give me ten, no eight minutes. I’ve got an idea." Jervasio said, obviously having come up with something.
There was added tension in the air as Jervasio swiftly typed away at three different devices that he had brought along.
Neither Avery, Kasandra, nor Havanna liked waiting around in one place for so long in enemy territory. They had prepared as best as they could for this mission, but there was no telling when something unexpected might occur.
"Okay, I’ve finished. After the next one makes its round, we can go. The two after it won’t be able to see us."
What Jervasio had done was fairly simple. He had triggered a vulnerability in part of the drones’ optical subroutines and forced them into an extensive diagnostic check.
For the next twenty minutes, the sensors that they would typically rely on to perceive movement and heat signatures would be disabled.
So long as none of the four of them directly touched one of the drones, they would remain unnoticed.
When the first drone Jervasio had affected came around the bend in the corridor, Avery motioned for them to go.
He kept an eye on the hovering machine that had a sleek oval design and was around one meter long, half ammeter wide, and a third of a meter tall.
If it showed any signs of noticing them, he planned to immediately use his psionic abilities to shut it down.
Fortunately, it continued along its route without any indication that it had picked up intruders. It appeared that what Jervasio had done had worked.
Hastily, their group of four made their way over to the door that would allow them access to the auxiliary computer and data storage in this section of the station.
Having already come prepared for this, Jervasio placed a device over the security panel that regulated access to the area.
Within just a few seconds, all of the alarms were disengaged and the door was unlocked.
"Inside now." Avery said, as the door slide open.
The four of them rushed through the doorway with only a few seconds to spare.
Just as the door closed behind them, the next drone that was perfectly functioning came around the bend in the corridor.
"Whew. We made it."
Avery let out a sigh of relief now that they had reached their destination.
The room was fairly cramped as it was filled with data storage units, computers, and monitors.
There were three stations with chairs for when people came to access the area, but they were all currently empty. This was not a particularly high traffic area of the station. So long as nothing went wrong, there was hardly ever a reason for anyone to come here.
Jervasio immediately went towards the central station and began accessing the computer system. He was going to download everything pertaining to the Odium Scatena and leave a program behind that would transmit new data to the Intrepid whenever they visited the station in the future.
Despite all of the planning and hurdles they had needed to get past to arrive at this point, it only took a little longer than two minutes for everything they needed to do to be completed.
"All the information we’ll want is on this drive, and we’ll be getting regular updates about all ships that come by that have anything to do with the Odium Syndicate." Jervasio said proudly.
"Good. Then let’s get out of here. We shouldn’t have too much trouble since we’re just backtracking and have already dealt with any potentially obstacles along the way."
Their group waited for just a bit until the two currently blind drones were flying by before making their exit.
Rushing past, they made it to the next corridor before any of the other drones could spot them.
From there, it was just heading back the way that they had already come from. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
However, they would not be safe until they made it back to the Intrepid, and this mission had one last complication for them.
"There are footsteps coming from up ahead. There are three of them." Kasandra hissed quietly as they were just about to leave the section of the station controlled by the Odium Syndicate.
Avery activated and glanced down at the holomap displayed on his terminal.
He was hoping to find an alternative route they could take to avoid the approaching people, but there was nothing that would not have them take too much time backtracking. They were cutting it a bit close even as it was.
’We’re going to need something to distract them. I guess it’s a good thing I brought these little guys with us just in case.’ Avery thought, jostling a case slung over his back.
Knowing that time was of the essence, he unhooked the case and brought it in front of him.
When he opened it up, eight small cages that each held and ugly rodentlike creatures inside were revealed.
’No matter how good a place’s security measures are, sometimes pests still managed to find their way in.’ Avery thought, his lips twisting up into a clearly evil grin.
