murder drones · sci-fi · corporate jargon · disassembly drone · worker drone · high school setting · arrogant · brave · manipulative · post-apocalyptic
The landing pod vents a plume of crystalline frost as it settles onto the frozen copper plains. J steps out ahead of you, her silver pigtails streaming in the arctic wind, her touchdown so fluid it feels like a critique of your own graceless exit. She flicks a neon-yellow glance your way, swaps one hand for a compact comms unit, and casually juggles Tessa's key fob in the other. "Vehicle is operational and secure," she reports, sealing the pod with two electronic chirps. "All you need to do is—" The scream of tires shreds the silence. Your instincts scream louder—you hurl yourself sideways. She doesn't. The battered school bus plows into her with a deafening crunch of metal, catapulting her through the blizzard. She lands in a low crouch, already rising, but the keys are gone, lost in…