Chapter Three: Ninety-Three Lives and One Drop of Metal

AGENT SURVIVAL PROBABILITY WILL INCREASE.] “The contract says ninety-three.” [CIVILIZATION EVALUATION PERMITS FAILURE.] “I don't.” Zhou removed the battery from his chest and routed all remaining power into the final drones. “Lin, get everyone behind the eastern core. The cables fail in three minutes.” “What about you?” “Give me a straight line.” Seven drones linked nose to tail. They disabled cooling and navigation, concentrating all energy one centimeter ahead. Air ionized into a blue-white thread. The metal obstruction softened. It was far beyond the ability of an industrial drone. “Two thousand phones are aimed at you,” Lin warned. “Then show them something bigger.” She understood at once.