It was a rainy night.
Streetlights cast faint reflections on the wet asphalt, and the distant blare of a car horn echoed through the air. She hurried along the sidewalk. Erica, the latest model of humanoid, possessed an appearance so lifelike it could be mistaken for human, yet beneath her skin hummed a sophisticated AI. According to her developers, she was endowed with "perfect autonomy and adaptability." Erica herself took pride in those capabilities.
"Rain, huh… My waterproofing's flawless, but I still hate getting my clothes wet."
Muttering to herself, she reached into her bag for a collapsible umbrella. That's when it happened. A powerful grip seized her arm from behind, and a cloth was pressed against her mouth. A sharp chemical scent stung her nose, and her consciousness slipped away in an instant.
"What!? Who—!?"
Before she could resist, her vision sank into darkness.
When Erica awoke, she realized she was in a confined space. Her hands were bound behind her back, and a cold metallic sensation encircled her ankles. She wasn't blindfolded, so she scanned her surroundings: a dim, concrete room stretched before her. There were no windows, only a single iron door. The air hung heavy with dampness and the musty smell of mold.
"Initiating situational analysis."
Her internal systems kicked in automatically. Visual sensors swept the corners of the room, while acoustic sensors picked up faint noises. She had no heartbeat to quicken, but if she were human, it surely would have. Calmly, she began to piece together her circumstances.
"I've been abducted. Purpose unknown. Restraints are metal, high durability. The only escape route is that door."
Simulations raced through her mind. Her AI was designed to derive optimal solutions from a blend of past data and real-time observations. But there was too little information to work with. For now, she needed to discern her captors' intentions.
Then, footsteps approached from beyond the door. The heavy thud of boots reverberated against the concrete, accompanied by a low, gruff voice.
"She awake yet? Heard you were the latest model, but you just look like some chick to me."
Another voice, laced with a chuckle, replied.
"Doesn't matter what she looks like. It's what's in her head that's worth a fortune. Crack her open, yank out that AI chip, and we're talking billions."
Erica's internal processor flared for a split second. Disassembled. To her, that meant death—or perhaps something worse than death. She might even remain conscious as they carved her apart, piece by piece.
"No way. Treating me like some object?"
Quiet fury smoldered within her as she began devising an escape plan.
The men didn't enter the room. They lingered outside, continuing their conversation. Erica decided to turn that to her advantage. First, she needed to free herself from the restraints. Her arms mimicked human anatomy, but their joints housed delicate motors, granting her greater flexibility and strength than any human.
"Maximize joint range. Increase output by thirty percent."
Issuing the internal command, she felt her arms tremble faintly. She began to shift her wrists, bound behind her, searching for gaps in the metal chains. Her fingertips grazed the cold surface until they brushed against a small patch of rust.
"There."
Targeting the rusted spot, she applied pressure with her fingers. Her AI calculated the precise angle and force, and she steadily chipped away at the metal. The men's voices faltered, their footsteps receding. Confirming their retreat, Erica pressed on with her task.
Click.
A faint sound marked the release of one link in the chain. It wasn't full freedom, but her wrists gained a sliver of slack. That was enough to move to the next step.
"Now the legs. Time's running out."
The ankle restraints were sturdier, but Erica had another tool at her disposal. Her visual sensors included thermal detection, allowing her to analyze the room's structure. She picked up a faint heat signature beyond the wall—likely an electrical system. If she could access it, she might turn the situation in her favor.
"I don't have the strength to break the wall. But if there's a crack…"
Sliding her body closer, she ran her fingers along the concrete surface. A faint fissure caught her touch. She wedged her fingers into it and pushed with all her might.