High Hopes

I tap a sequence of commands into the control panel, summoning all the drones back to their docking stations. "Initiate rapid charge cycle; prepare for deployment," I instruct. The drones, like worker bees returning to the hive, begin their descent, guided by landing lights that flicker in strobic welcome. Their batteries would soon be replenished, vital for the dangerous mission ahead.

My focus shifts to the androids, who are busy fortifying the entrance to our newly hollowed mountain hideout. "Place the light guns and rapid-fire cannons around the cave entrance," I command. In the dusky gloom, their movements are a silent dance of survival. Hydraulic arms whirr as they position the guns, their barrels pointing outward like the spears of an ancient phalanx, poised to mow down any intruder foolish enough to cross the boundary.