Autopilot? We Love Autopilot

The Teslas glided into Rosemont without hesitation, obedient to a set of coordinates their owners hadn’t input. They parked neatly in the shadow of the overpass, where the cracked pavement hummed faintly with the static of passing traffic. Not a soul in sight, just the faint shimmer of Montreal’s distant skyline and the low glow of the streetlights.

Liam watched from the corner of the lot, hood up, fingers running over his wristband interface. He smirked. “Autopilot. Makes this so easy.”

Beside him, Nadia adjusted her earpiece and scrolled through the incoming diagnostics. “Battery health’s solid. Engines, too. We’ve got a couple of gems tonight.”

One by one, the cars powered down, their silent acquiescence a mark of their vulnerability. The crew moved like ghosts—efficient, wordless, deliberate. Liam keyed in a command, and the Teslas unlocked their hatches, exposing pristine electric guts.

“My ancestors slashed tires,” he said, half to himself, half to Nadia. “Small potatoes, y’know? But now? Now we hack the whole car to pieces.”

She grinned, glancing up from her handheld scanner. “And New Jersey loves us for it. Batteries, engines—hell, even the dashboards—they take everything. We’re keeping the American dream alive, one piece of stolen tech at a time.”

“Global economy,” Liam quipped, hefting a battery module into the back of their van. “We’re just participating.”

Nadia paused, listening to the distant hum of the city. “Think anyone notices?”

“They’ll notice when they can’t find their rides tomorrow morning.” Liam laughed, sharp and quick. “But what can they do? We’re ghosts.”

The last Tesla’s engine was freed just as dawn began to creep over the horizon. The crew melted away, leaving nothing but empty husks behind, a strange tribute to their modern craft.

As they pulled onto the highway, Liam glanced at Nadia. “Autopilot’s just the beginning. One day, these cars will be driving themselves to the chop shop.”

“And we’ll be waiting,” she said, her grin wide, sharp, and predatory. “Like always.”