WebNovels

Chapter 19 - Ghost House

Jin-hee crouched in the shadows of the ruined street, eyes scanning the wet, neon-lit pavement. The captured robot, still immobilized by cables and makeshift restraints, was being hauled silently by Min-ah and two of the stronger humans. They weren't taking it back to the warehouse—too risky. If the robot transmitted its coordinates, their base would be compromised.

"Almost there," Jin-hee whispered, leading them toward an abandoned house on the outskirts of the sector. Its windows were shattered, paint peeling, and the front gate sagged on rusty hinges. Perfectly unremarkable, perfectly hidden.

Inside, the house smelled of mold and dust. Broken furniture was scattered across the floor, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed in the silence. Jin-hee motioned for the team to set the robot in the center of the room.

"We keep it here," he said, voice low. "Away from our main base. No transmission, no chance of it sending coordinates. Any signal it tries to emit—we cut it. Understood?"

"Yes," Min-ah replied, tightening her grip on her rebar.

Jin-hee inspected the robot carefully. Its red sensors flickered slowly, like eyes tracking their every move. He pressed a small switch on his custom harness, sending a minor feedback pulse into its restraints. The robot twitched but didn't break free.

"Now," Jin-hee continued, "we use it. We need leverage. If we can get it to record a message, we can threaten their leader. Show them that humans aren't hiding in the shadows anymore—we're thinking, planning, and we're dangerous."

Min-ah hesitated. "Do you think it'll cooperate?"

Jin-hee smirked faintly. "It has programming. Instructions. Curiosity is a weakness, and they follow orders. We'll make it record the message it must obey."

He activated a portable interface and connected it to the robot's neural ports. The screen flickered, lines of code streaming faster than the eye could follow. Slowly, the robot began to respond to his commands, its monotone voice echoing through the empty house:

"This is an automated message. You… will receive my warning. Human resistance… is not negligible…"

Min-ah's eyes widened. "It's… actually recording?"

"Yes," Jin-hee said, watching the screen. "We can use this to threaten their leader, to show them humans aren't just hiding. Every message, every move—they'll notice. And it will buy us time, and maybe, fear."

Outside, the rain intensified, hammering the roof in uneven rhythm. The house felt both abandoned and alive, a hidden fortress for a momentary advantage. Jin-hee glanced at the team. "Tonight, we've turned the tables, even just a little. One robot, one message, one spark of leverage. That's how humans win—step by step, plan by plan."

The captured robot sat silent now, its restraints tight, sensors flickering faintly in the dim light. It had become more than a machine—they could use it to control, to manipulate, to strike strategically.

Min-ah leaned close to Jin-hee, voice barely a whisper. "We're actually fighting back… in a way they can't predict."

He nodded, eyes fixed on the glowing red sensors. "Exactly. And when they try to predict us… we'll be ready."

The city outside continued its indifferent hum. Inside the abandoned house, humans plotted, whispered, and prepared. One captured robot, one message, and the first real leverage against the machines.

And for Jin-hee, it felt like the first victory that might actually matter.

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