The Mystery of the Missing Drone (Extended)
A short story by Dennis featuring Roberta
It was a sunny Saturday morning when Dennis and Roberta pulled up to their favorite coastal town for a much-needed weekend getaway. The salty air, the sound of waves crashing against the shore — it was the perfect escape from their busy lives.
Dennis, always eager to try out his latest gadget, carefully unpacked his custom-built drone from the trunk. He had been working on this project for weeks, designing it from scratch. This wasn’t your run-of-the-mill drone. With his background in electronics, welding, and IT, Dennis had created a drone that could handle tough conditions, with extended battery life and a highly sensitive camera capable of capturing intricate details from miles away.
“I’m telling you, this drone can fly in almost any weather,” Dennis said, adjusting the rotors and double-checking his homemade programming interface.
“And the footage this thing can capture — it’s like having a helicopter’s eye in the sky.”
Roberta, already lacing up her shoes for a walk along the beach, smiled.
“Just make sure you don’t send it too far out into the ocean this time.”
Dennis laughed.
“Don’t worry. I’ve programmed it to return automatically if it loses signal. But that’s not going to happen today.”
The Disappearance
With that, he powered up the drone and watched as it lifted smoothly into the air, gliding effortlessly over the beach. Dennis expertly maneuvered it, capturing sweeping shots of the shoreline, cliffs, and boats in the distance. But just as the drone reached the edge of its range, the video feed flickered.
“That’s weird…” Dennis muttered. “Signal’s acting up.”
Within seconds, the screen went blank, and the drone stopped responding. It hovered for a moment, then veered sharply to the right and disappeared out of sight — plummeting toward the ocean.
“Oh no!” Roberta exclaimed.
Dennis sprinted to the shoreline.
“Everything was working fine. Something must’ve interfered with the signal.”
But it was gone. Only ripples remained.
The Investigation Begins
Dennis wasn’t one to give up. Back at their rented beach cabin, he transformed the kitchen into a makeshift workshop. Out came wires, laptops, waterproof transmitters, and spare parts. Hours later, he had rigged together a DIY sonar device.
“I’ve built drones, fixed machines, even welded robots. Recovering a sunken drone? Piece of cake.”
Meanwhile, Roberta had noticed something odd during their earlier search — a suspicious, abandoned fishing boat anchored nearby.
The next morning, she jogged by the vessel and chatted with a local fisherman.
“Funny you mention that boat,” the fisherman said. “No one’s been aboard, but last night I saw flickering lights on deck.”
Uncovering the Truth
Roberta returned with the intel. Dennis immediately put a plan in motion. From a small kayak, he launched his sonar, scanning the seabed while Roberta kept watch.
Ping.
“Got it!” Dennis yelled, guiding the grappling hook into the water.
Moments later, he pulled the drone to the surface.
Back at the cabin, Dennis salvaged the corrupted memory card. The recovered footage made his blood run cold — figures on the “abandoned” boat, loading unmarked crates under cover of darkness.
“Smuggling,” he muttered. “They jammed the signal when the drone got too close.”
One crate bore a strange symbol. Dennis sent a screenshot to an IT contact. The reply came instantly — it belonged to a known smuggling syndicate operating up and down the coast.
“This is ■■■■■■ than we thought,” Dennis whispered.
Resolution
The next morning, the couple anonymously submitted the evidence to authorities. Their weekend getaway had turned into a full-scale investigation.
As they packed up to leave, Dennis stared back at the ocean.
“Next time,” Roberta joked, “let’s stick to puzzles and quiet walks.”
“No promises,” Dennis grinned. “But next time… I’m bringing a backup drone.”
The End.
Disclaimer from the Department of Dumbassery
These stories are 100% fiction, written by Dennis for the sheer joy of storytelling, caffeine-fueled inspiration, and occasional dramatic flair.
Do not attempt to reboot haunted Roombas, operate ancient puzzle boxes without supervision, or bring honey near celestial machinery.
Any resemblance to real people, pets, or smart appliances is purely coincidental… unless it’s funny.
Thanks for reading — now go solve a mystery, drink your coffee, and be a little legendary.