Chapter 7: The Ultimatum

Henry sat at the edge of his workbench, the hum of the amplifier filling the quiet room. His fingers drummed against the cracked surface of the table as his mind raced. He had spent the entire night staring at the device, trying to decide if he should do it—if he should use his connection to the city’s systems to fight back.

But the encounter with the masked figure haunted him. Whatever they were, they weren’t just watching. They were waiting for something.

Mia’s soft footsteps broke his concentration. She stood in the doorway, her arms crossed, her face pale but resolute. “You’re not sleeping. Again.”

Henry didn’t look at her. “I don’t have time to sleep.”

Mia sighed and stepped into the room. “This isn’t sustainable, Henry. You’re pushing too hard. And now… whoever that thing was last night? They’re going to come back.”

“I know,” he said quietly.

“Then stop!” Mia’s voice cracked with desperation. “Please. Before it’s too late.”

Henry finally turned to face her, his eyes dark with exhaustion. “Mia, I can’t stop. If I stop, they win. They’ll keep us down here forever, and I can’t live with that.”

“What about me?” she asked, her voice trembling. “If something happens to you, what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to—”

The knock at the door froze them both.

Henry stood slowly, his pulse hammering in his ears. Mia’s eyes widened as she backed away, her hand gripping the edge of the table. “Don’t answer it,” she whispered.

The knock came again, louder this time. Henry stepped toward the door, his legs trembling beneath him. When he opened it, he found Rafe standing there, soaked from the rain, his face grim.

“Get your things,” Rafe said without preamble.

“What?” Henry asked, his heart racing. “Why?”

“They’re coming for you,” Rafe said, his voice low. “And they’re not far behind.”

Rafe led them through the alleys, his movements quick and deliberate. Mia clung to Henry’s arm, her fear palpable. “Who’s coming?” Henry demanded as they ran.

“Some of those drones you knocked out didn’t stay down,” Rafe said, glancing over his shoulder. “They traced the signals back to your workshop. You’ve got about ten minutes before they show up with reinforcements.”

Henry’s stomach churned. “How do you know all this?”

“I know because I’ve been watching the watchers,” Rafe snapped. “You think you’re the only one who knows how to listen in? The difference is, I know when to keep my head down.”

They ducked into a derelict building, the walls cracked and streaked with grime. Rafe motioned for them to stay low as he peered out a shattered window. “You’ve stirred up something big, Henry. I don’t know what you did, but they’re not letting it slide.”

Henry clenched his fists. “Then let them come.”

Rafe turned to him, his expression incredulous. “Are you insane? You’re talking about the upper city. These people don’t just kill you—they erase you. If you’re lucky, they’ll stop at burning your entire district to the ground.”

Henry’s breath caught. He glanced at Mia, who was trembling beside him, her wide eyes fixed on him. The weight of her fear was crushing.

“What do you want me to do?” Henry asked, his voice breaking. “Just sit here and wait for them to take us?”

“No,” Rafe said. “I want you to make a choice.”

The sound of drones echoed in the distance, growing louder with each passing second. Rafe reached into his coat and pulled out a small device, a crude but functional jammer. “This will block their signals for a while, but it won’t last long. You’ve got one shot at this.”

Henry stared at the device, his mind racing. He could use it to buy time, to escape and lay low. But the thought of running, of hiding while the system tightened its grip on everything he cared about, made his blood boil.

“What happens if I stay?” Henry asked quietly.

Rafe’s face darkened. “If you stay, you fight. But don’t think for a second it’s just you they’ll come after. You’ll be putting everyone in this district in their crosshairs.”

Henry looked at Mia. She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “Don’t do this, Henry. Please.”

The weight of the moment bore down on him. The hum in his chip grew louder, as if urging him to act. He clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. “If I run, they’ll never stop. Not until they find me. And when they do, they’ll take you too.”

“Henry—” Mia began, but he cut her off.

“I can’t run,” he said firmly. “Not anymore.”

The first drone appeared moments later, its red lights sweeping the area as it hovered outside the building. Rafe’s jammer buzzed faintly, disrupting its sensors, but it wouldn’t hold for long.

Henry stepped forward, his connection to the amplifier flaring to life. The hum became a roar, the city’s systems stretching out before him in a web of signals and circuits. He reached out, his thoughts brushing against the drone’s systems.

It resisted, its commands locked behind layers of encrypted code. But Henry pushed harder, his mind straining as he peeled back each layer. The drone wobbled in the air, its lights flickering. Finally, with a surge of effort, he seized control.

The drone turned, its sensors scanning for its allies. Henry felt a rush of exhilaration as he redirected it, sending it back the way it had come.

“Not bad,” Rafe muttered. “But there’s more coming.”

As if on cue, three more drones appeared, their engines a deafening hum. Henry’s vision blurred as he reached out again, his mind splitting into fragments as he tried to control multiple systems at once. Sweat dripped down his face, his body trembling with the strain.

“Henry, stop!” Mia cried. “You’re going to kill yourself!”

But Henry didn’t stop. He couldn’t. One by one, the drones faltered and fell, their engines sputtering as they crashed to the ground.

When it was over, Henry collapsed to his knees, his breathing ragged. The workshop was silent, save for the faint crackle of sparking wires. Mia ran to him, her hands gripping his shoulders. “Henry, you’re bleeding,” she said, her voice shaking.

He touched his nose and realized she was right. Blood dripped onto his shirt, the result of the strain he’d put on his chip—and his body.

Rafe knelt beside him, his expression unreadable. “You made your choice,” he said quietly. “Now you’d better be ready for what comes next.”

Henry looked up, his vision swimming. He knew Rafe was right. This was only the beginning.