Bab 15: Smuggler cave.

The remains of the criminals were scattered everywhere. Every step Rex and Carlos took brought them onto pieces of someone, or what was left of them. But having lived through something similar back at the colony and in the mines, they were somewhat desensitized to it. They pressed on without too much hesitation.

"Rex, the scout drones have detected a cave about 2 km from your location. I'm sending the coordinates to your guide system. Standby."

[Coordinates received, displaying route.]

"Oh, always so thoughtful, my love. I knew you cared about me," Rex smirked, glancing at the transmission from his wife.

"..."

This time, Cleo chose to ignore him completely.

As the path lit up on Rex's display, he turned to Carlos. "Got the coordinates. Let's move."

"I'm right behind you, man."

"Why behind? Don't want to take the lead?"

"No thanks. Ladies first. Besides, you're the one that's bulletproof, not me."

"I don't even know if I am, to be honest."

"Well, if you die, I guess you weren't."

"Fuck you, Carlos."

The path to the cave was tough. Weird plants, thick trees, and dense foliage—it was like nature didn't want them to get there. Everything felt overgrown and tangled, making it hard to navigate. This place was a smugglers' haven for a reason. If it hadn't been for Cleo hacking the ships' communications, they never would've found the place.

After what felt like hours of wading through the dense forest, they finally made it to the cave entrance. From the looks of it, the criminals were ready for them.

"Damn, they've set up barricades. Guards everywhere. I think some of those guys at the landing zone got away and tipped them off. What's the plan, Rex?"

Rex gave a sly grin. "I've got a few ideas. Cleo helped me narrow it down, and I've already picked the one I like best. Listen up, here's how we're going to do this."

The guards outside the smugglers' cave were heavily armed. Some carried hand grenades; others had rocket launchers slung over their shoulders. Since their leaders were smugglers, getting hold of this kind of firepower wasn't a problem. In fact, most of them got it dirt cheap or free, as long as they stayed loyal.

Of course, that loyalty came with a catch, and it was in the form of a control chip implanted in their brains.

It had been a few hours since they'd heard about the attack at the landing zone, and so far, no one had come looking for them.

"Hey, you think anyone's actually coming?" one guard asked, leaning against a tree.

"Hah! Doubt it. We're too far from the landing zone. And this place? It's practically invisible unless you've got a guide," another replied, kicking at the dirt.

"I don't think the guys who hit the landing zone would even dare come here. And with the toys the smugglers hooked us up with? We're untouchable."

"Hey, fellas! Look what I found!" a third guard called out, holding up a fancy-looking bottle.

"Whoa, is that... expensive liquor? One of the smugglers must've left it behind when they freaked out."

"I doubt they'll miss it. Let's drink it before anyone notices!"

"Good idea, man! Let's get everyone in on this, then no one'll snitch, ha!"

Discipline wasn't exactly their strong suit. Once they cracked the bottle open, it didn't take long for things to get out of hand. A few hours later, several of them were already passed out on the ground, drunk and defenseless.

That's when the gunfire started.

Bullets rained down from their left, cutting through the guards like paper. Some managed to scramble for cover, trying to escape the onslaught, but moments later, more shots came from the right. Their positions were boxed in, and the cover they'd taken was useless.

In just a few brutal minutes, it was over. None of them made it out alive.

From the dark forest, Rex and Carlos emerged, charging their electric rifles as they moved. They quickly took cover on opposite sides of the cave entrance. Rex reached into his pouch, pulled out a few small metal balls that were no bigger than two centimeters, and rolled them inside the cave.

A few moments later, the spheres cracked open, and small robotic spiders scurried out.

"It's done, Cleo. Recon drones are in," Rex said quietly.

"Understood. Stand by," Cleo responded, her voice calm.

Back on the ship, Cleo sat in front of a series of holographic screens. Her fingers danced over the controls as she guided the tiny drones deeper into the cave. One screen showed her what the spiders were seeing, while another let her issue commands. Slowly but surely, she mapped the cave's layout.

After a few minutes, Cleo had a full picture. Several rooms were packed with what looked like illegal goods, everything from weapons to vehicles. But then the spiders reached a large open chamber, and her eyes narrowed. There were bodies lying on the ground, probably the smugglers. But what caught her attention was the towering figure in the center of the room. A humanoid, octopus-like creature clad in black armor.

And it wasn't alone.

Several others of the same kind were scattered around, standing guard.

"Rex, we've got a problem." Cleo's voice came through with an edge of urgency.

"Mmm? What is it?" Rex responded, still in cover.

"The people running this place are Void Assassins. They're Nexum Dynamics operatives, trained for stealth, assassination, and sabotage."

"So, you're telling me this place belongs to Nexum Dynamics?"

"Affirmative. From what I can gather, yes. My information on them is limited, though."

Rex frowned. "What kind of equipment are they packing?"

"The drones picked up cloaking tech, vibroblades, and high-tech silenced energy rifles," Cleo reported, her tone steady but concerned.

"Great," Rex muttered. "That's bad news for us. Do we have any countermeasures for their cloaking tech?"

Cleo paused for a moment. "I don't have enough data on the specific cloaking system they're using. If it's like my race's tech, it'll be impossible to detect. But if it's a downgrade, we might be able to spot them with infrared vision."

"So it's a gamble, huh?" Rex said, raising an eyebrow.

"Affirmative," Cleo replied.

Rex chuckled. "I didn't think you were one for gambling, Cleo. Be careful not to develop a habit."

There was a brief silence, then Cleo sighed. "Sigh."

The comm line went dead again.

Cleo leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. The more time she spent working with Rex, the more she found herself adapting to his banter. There was almost no difference between her and a human when it came to the way she spoke now. Maybe Rex was a bad influence after all.

Rex relayed the info Cleo had given him to Carlos.

"If what Cleo said is true, fighting these guys is basically going to war with a megacorp."

"Well, just so you know, Carlos, we're already considered hostiles. Did you forget about the egg?"

"Oh yeah, totally slipped my mind, haha. So, what now? If these guys wiped out the smugglers, they're probably here to silence everyone and erase any witnesses."

Rex nodded. "Exactly. If we want to take control of this area, we're going to have to deal with them. First things first, let's hit the armory inside the cave. There might be some toys in there that can help us even against the odds."

Without wasting time, Rex headed into the cave, Carlos following a few meters behind. Both were on high alert. Fighting against these Void Assassins was like battling ghosts since they could be anywhere, thanks to their cloaking tech. But fortunately, Cleo had already activated Rex's infrared vision.

After a tense walk through the cave's dim corridors, they finally reached the armory. It was a treasure trove. Rows of weapons lined the walls, from energy rifles to rocket launchers.

Carlos let out a long whistle. "Damn, look at all this. These smugglers weren't messing around. And now it's all free for us."

"Yep," Rex said, scanning the racks. "Let's gear up."

A few minutes later, Rex hefted a massive minigun off the wall, his upgraded body handling it with ease like it was nothing more than a piece of light lumber. Carlos, on the other hand, grabbed a grenade launcher and a beefier assault rifle. The new rifle had a larger magazine and could carry up to 200 rounds per clip.

"Well," Carlos said, grinning as he checked his new weapon, "we're about to make some serious noise."

Rex smirked. "Let's go introduce ourselves."

The main chamber of the cave was riddled with tunnels, secret routes the smugglers had used for their operations. Now, the Void Assassins were busy planting explosives around those openings, preparing to destroy the tunnels and erase all evidence of their activities.

Closing off these routes would ensure no one could trace them, as the exits led into areas controlled by Nexum Dynamics.

Just as they were setting the final charges, a thunderous explosion echoed through the cave. The sealed door blew off its hinges, crashing into the room. Before the assassins could react, the unmistakable whirl of something spinning filled the air.

In the next instant, a barrage of bullets tore through the room, cutting down two of the Void Assassins before they could even blink. The remaining operatives scrambled, trying to dive into the tunnels for cover. But just as they reached the entrances, the explosives they'd planted went off, collapsing the tunnels and burying several of them under the rubble.

More explosions rocked the chamber, shaking the ground beneath them, while the relentless storm of bullets continued to rip through the air, giving the assassins no chance to recover.

The chaos was overwhelming, and it became clear that there was no escape.