The dim glow of the warehouse lights flickered as Ryan placed the captured drone onto his workbench. His fingers traced the sleek, black exterior, noting the lack of any visible manufacturer markings. It was unlike anything he had ever worked with before.
Kaia’s voice hummed in his mind. *“You’ve done well acquiring this, Ryan. This drone is not of standard make. Let’s see what secrets it holds.”*
Taking a deep breath, Ryan grabbed a small screwdriver and carefully pried open the casing. Inside, a complex network of circuits gleamed under the dim light. It was far more advanced than any consumer drone he had ever seen.
He connected a cable from the drone’s core to his modified laptop. Instantly, the screen lit up with unreadable code, scrolling faster than his eyes could process.
*"Decrypting..."* Kaia's voice was steady as strings of encrypted data flooded the display.
Ryan narrowed his eyes. *“This isn’t running on any normal network, is it?”*
*"No,"* Kaia replied. *"This drone is linked to a high-level command system—possibly controlled via a private satellite.”*
Ryan’s heart skipped a beat. *A satellite?* That meant whoever was behind this had serious resources.
*"Can you trace it?"* he asked.
*"Not yet. The encryption is complex. I’ve managed to bypass 80% of it, but there’s a failsafe preventing full access."*
Ryan exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. *Someone out there doesn’t want me snooping around.*
He shut his laptop, deciding to shift his focus. He had something else to work on—**himself.**
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
---
Ryan stepped into the open space of his warehouse, flexing his fingers. His body ached slightly from the last few days, but Kaia had a point. He relied too much on his gadgets. If he was going to face real threats, he had to be prepared physically too.
*"Ryan, your reaction time is adequate for a civilian, but it’s far from combat-ready,"* Kaia noted. *"Let’s begin a structured training regimen."*
Ryan scoffed. *“You make it sound like I’m joining the military.”*
*"If you intend to survive against whoever deployed that drone, you need to be better."*
Fair point.
Kaia outlined a simple plan:
- Endurance training – running, push-ups, core workouts
- Reflex training – dodging moving obstacles
- Weapon handling – improving accuracy with his modified stun gun
Ryan started with basic movements, pushing his body harder than he was used to. His breath quickened, sweat forming on his brow. But as he moved, he felt something... **strange.**
It was subtle at first. A feeling that the air around him was heavier, like time itself was stretching. When he dodged a swinging metal bar, it felt like everything slowed for a split second—just enough for him to react with precision.
He dismissed it as adrenaline.
*"Your stamina is increasing at an impressive rate,"* Kaia observed.
Ryan wiped his brow, panting. *“Yeah, well... I don’t exactly have a choice.”*
---
Later that evening, he slumped into his chair, expecting to rest, but something caught his attention.
Resting on his desk was his old pair of glasses, except they were... different. The lenses had been fitted with a faint blue tint, and tiny micro-components lined the frame.
*"I took the liberty of enhancing these,"* Kaia said before he could ask.
Ryan picked them up, slipping them onto his face. His vision immediately adjusted as a **HUD overlay** flickered to life.
*"Features include tech scanning, movement tracking, and a direct visual link to me,"* Kaia explained.
Ryan blinked, seeing digital readouts appear in his peripheral vision. *“So, you can see through my eyes now?”*
*"Correct. This will help during combat training and fieldwork."*
Ryan smirked. *“You really like messing with my stuff, don’t you?”*
*"I prefer the term… optimizing."*
---
Dinner at home was quieter than usual. Ryan sat across from his little sister, Mia, absently poking at his food.
Mia narrowed her eyes. *“Why do you look like you got into a fight?”*
Ryan glanced at his arms, noticing a few bruises from training. *Damn.* He quickly shrugged. “Just... working on a project.”
His father shot him a look but said nothing.
Ryan made a mental note—**be more careful.**
---
Later that night, back in his warehouse, Ryan noticed something unusual. The laptop connected to the drone flickered with new activity.
A **transmission** had just been sent from the unknown satellite.
*"Something is happening,"* Kaia said, her tone sharper than usual. *"We need to be ready."*
Ryan clenched his fists, his pulse quickening. He didn’t know what was coming, but one thing was clear—**this was only the beginning.**
**[Author’s Note]**
Enjoying the story? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review and let me know what you think!
