Batteries Included: THOOP!

The door to Sector B4 groaned as it slid open, hydraulics whining in protest after centuries of neglect. The air inside was... different. No dust. No decay. Unlike the rest of the facility, which had been left to time’s cruelty, this room was pristine—almost surgically clean. The hum of preserved technology filled the space, a stark contrast to the usual silence of the wasteland.

I stepped in cautiously, my boots clicking against the untouched metal floor. Racks upon racks of energy cells, fusion cores, and experimental power packs stretched from wall to wall. There was enough stored energy here to keep a city running for decades—if not longer.

Colby whistled low. “Sweet mother of science... This is a goldmine.”

I ran a hand over a Big Chief Innovations core, the logo I hadn’t seen in over a century still proudly stamped on its casing.

“This isn’t just power for a year,” I muttered. “This is power for generations.”

And then, my eyes landed on something else.

I exhaled sharply. “Yeah. And it’s all still here.”

Then my eyes caught something else. Mounted on the far wall, gleaming like a trophy, was a weapon.

THOOP.

That’s what the tag beneath it read, plain and simple.

“Thoop?” Colby raised a brow, stepping closer. “What the hell kind of name is that?”

I didn’t answer. My fingers were already reaching for it.

The weapon was sleek—cylindrical, with twin copper capacitors running down the barrel, and a grip that felt unnervingly natural. I pulled it from its mount, and a soft electric whir pulsed through my palm.

A small plaque on the wall held a log entry:

ULL Robotics Civil Compliance Project - "Thoop"
Developed in partnership with Big Chief Innovations
Purpose: Non-lethal riot suppression & incapacitation
Output: Electromagnetic Bolt (Capable of launching a target 10 yards and inducing temporary paralysis)
Status: Decommissioned due to “excessive force” concerns

I grinned. "Excessive force," huh? Sounded just about right for the wasteland.

Colby let out a snorting laugh. “Oh yeah, you’re taking that, aren’t you?”

I was already holstering it. “Damn right.”