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"Warning, warning!"
"Power grid shutdown sequence initiated. Transport vehicles are on standby outside the perimeter. All personnel must evacuate in an orderly fashion immediately."
"Repeat: All staff across all departments must evacuate. Proceed to the downtown branch building. Notifications regarding the resumption of factory operations will be issued separately."
Right now, inside the Aurantius Industries complex in the Sokovia suburbs, red and green alarm strobes were flashing alternately.
Researchers, management, and regular floor workers alike were all being ushered out toward the buses waiting outside the base by heavily armed security guards.
In reality, most of the staff had already received a "general leave" notice a few days prior, so there weren't actually that many people left at their posts.
So, even though the security guards were being strict—refusing to let anyone stay regardless of how critical their work was—nobody really had any complaints.
After all, unfinished work is the boss's problem, but paid leave is a personal win. Most people were actually hoping the break would last a bit longer so they could spend some quality time with their families.
Of course, Aurantius Industries was now the biggest industrial titan in Sokovia. Aside from weapons research, they were expanding rapidly into the civilian sector. With such a massive and diverse workforce, there were bound to be a few who didn't really want to take a "vacation."
"Hey, Rovski! What's your take? Why is upper management making everyone evacuate? What are they up to?"
On the plaza outside the industrial base, a middle-aged white man in an engineer's uniform was asking his companion, his face full of curiosity.
Even though the whole base was being cleared out, it wasn't like they were fleeing immediate danger. So, the staff wasn't panicked. Many employees walking toward the plaza were chatting in small groups.
However, the colleague he asked, a guy named Rovski, didn't seem interested in the topic. He was focused entirely on his tablet, giving half-hearted replies.
"Who knows? If the company says rest, we rest. Why worry about it?"
"Come on, don't say that. The key thing is, that human-machine interaction mech for engineering we designed is almost done, right? I was hoping to see the prototype roll out soon. Man, I wish I could test drive that thing myself!"
Clearly, this middle-aged guy was a chatterbox. Even though his buddy wasn't biting, he kept going with enthusiasm.
"By the way, Rovski, did you see that massive mining transport vehicle that pulled into the base a couple of days ago? That thing must weigh several hundred tons, easy. We don't do any mining here, so why did the company bring in such a huge hauler?"
"And now everyone's being kicked out. Do you think the boss is planning to bulldoze part of the base and rebuild?"
"It's a shame. My old college friend who's a supervisor is over at the U.S. headquarters for training right now. If he were here..."
Just as he was rambling on and sharing gossip while his companion gave perfunctory nods, the chatterbox suddenly froze. He tugged at his companion's sleeve, stuttering.
"Rovski! L-Look! Are those Security drones?! What are those... those hyenas doing out here?!"
As he spoke, the middle-aged man pointed a trembling finger at the sky. His companion immediately noticed three small blue-and-white drones flying low and fast toward the plaza.
The moment these three unassuming drones appeared, the chatter in the plaza died down instantly. Everyone stared at them as if they were monsters.
Just as the middle-aged man felt his right hand shaking uncontrollably, the drones flew straight up to the two of them without hesitation!
"I-I-I didn't violate any NDAs..."
The stuttering man tried to explain himself, but he realized the three drones were completely ignoring him. One of them shot a scanning beam directly at his companion.
Immediately after, a cold electronic voice projected from the drone.
"Krzysztof Kieslowski. You are being detained for identity theft, infiltrating Aurantius Industries to steal intelligence, damaging corporate interests, and installing unauthorized listening devices..."
The drone was still listing the 'crimes,' but the man named 'Rovski' suddenly snapped into action.
First, he smashed his tablet into the 'speaking' drone. Then he shoved the chatty middle-aged man into the line of fire as a human shield.
With agile movements, he rolled behind a bus and sprinted toward the distant woods. His athleticism made it clear he was no lab-bound researcher.
Unfortunately, before he could make it more than a few yards with his smooth moves, three faint thwip-thwip-thwip sounds came from behind him.
The spy felt a sudden numbness wash over his body, and he blacked out instantly.
Only then did the security guards responsible for 'guiding' the evacuation approach. Two of them went to the unconscious spy, while another walked straight to the drones.
The guard looked at the chatty man, whose back was soaked in cold sweat, and gave him a piece of dry advice.
"Cut down on the workplace gossip."
Ignoring him after that, the guard began 'communicating' with the blue-and-white drone about the cleanup.
"Roger that... Okay, I'll have two men escort this guy to the branch building... No problem."
Meanwhile, inside the industrial base.
Luca was sitting comfortably in an office, waiting for the evacuation to complete while listening to a report.
"During the clearance of the industrial zone, we captured six spies from unknown factions. Two attempted to hide and uncover the reason for the evacuation, while the other four had planted bugs and surveillance equipment across the base."
"Security will interrogate the six suspects to determine their affiliations..."
"Alright, alright~ You handle the rest. Hakimi will coordinate with you~"
Luca waved his hand dismissively, cutting off the report. He pressed the comms button next to him and issued an order into the microphone.
"Hakimi, fire up the Hex Solar Furnace. Start dispersing the HN Particles!"