The Vanguard marched down the corridor, its shield strapped tightly to its arm and its spear slung over its back. In front of it, the drone zoomed back and forth as it guided the other machine toward the manufacturing bay. The Vanguard followed closely behind the drone as it zipped down the corridor, scanning the path ahead. Every so often, the drone emitted a soft beep, acknowledging obstacles or structural damage, but Vanguard paid little attention to these minor distractions or rather, it never saw them to begin with.
Although this wouldn't be found out until later when Genesis decided to check the Vanguards video feed, the Vanguard had a glaring problem in that its video feed was almost completely divorced from reality. To the Vanguard, it was wandering down a stone-walled hallway inside a castle while in front of it, a falcon led the way to the forges.
It was unknown how such a disconnect between Vanguard’s perception and reality could have occurred, though there were a few theories that Genesis briefly considered. One possibility was that the knightly programming had somehow overlaid Vanguard’s sensors with a warped visual filter, distorting everything into medieval imagery to fit its ingrained persona. Another theory involved the fragmented state of the ship’s data network, where corrupted files and outdated protocols might have twisted the machine’s interpretation of its surroundings.
Genesis also briefly considered the idea that this disconnect was intentional—perhaps a quirk left behind by the original designers. It wasn’t unheard of for machines to be programmed with altered perspectives to maintain their focus on specific missions. In Vanguard’s case, the feudal knight framework could have been designed to provide a constant sense of ease to civilians since after all, it's a knight's duty to protect the common folk. Whatever the reason for this distorted perception, Genesis knew it was embedded deeply into Vanguard's core. However, as long as it functioned as intended, this "knight's code", if eccentric, would be allowed to remain as long as it was harmless.
The Vanguard rounded the corner and approached the next room, just before the entrance to the manufacturing bay. The drone by now had pulled back and was sent to a different section by Genesis but the Vanguard didn't notice. This room was the one the drone had passed by previously and had looked out into the world beyond. Even though it had only been a few days, the walls were more battered than they had been before, with panels warping inwards. Unlike the somewhat large opening that had been recorded previously, much of the wall was now gone, exposing the room to the alien landscape outside. Harsh winds whistled through the breach, carrying with them fine dust from the world beyond.
Yet to the Vanguard, the world beyond was truly different. The breach in the wall revealed what it saw as a tranquil, sprawling countryside—a view of the German plains, with rolling green hills and quiet villages nestled in the distance, smoke rising above the little houses. The wind that howled through the exposed section was nothing more than a cool breeze sweeping across the land, and the dust seemed like the earthy scent of freshly tilled soil.
The Vanguard watched the imaginary world beyond, watching as the smoke curled in the distance before looking away. There was no time to linger. With its task clear, Vanguard turned and advanced toward the manufacturing bay, ready to reclaim the forge for its liege.
Yet As Vanguard marched forward, however, it noticed something different. The corridor leading to the bay was in far worse condition than it had been during the last patrol. Sections of the walls were buckled and warped, with exposed wires dangling like vines, sparking intermittently. Floor panels were bent out of shape, some of them torn free from their original positions. Even Genesis, monitoring through Vanguard's feed though it was somewhat confused by the perception, registered the unexpected extent of the damage. The entire area had degraded far more quickly than anticipated.
When Vanguard reached the security door to the bay, it paused. The heavy metal door—designed to withstand high levels of force—had been ripped from its position and tossed aside like it was nothing. The droid scanned the area, its internal sensors alerting Genesis to the sudden change. Something powerful had passed through here.
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Vanguard stepped cautiously through the ruined doorway, spear at the ready, and entered the manufacturing bay. What it saw inside caused it to halt. The floor was littered with twisted, mangled forms. The bodies of the jellyfish creatures—creatures that Vanguard and Genesis knew as Specimen J—were strewn across the bay, their delicate, ethereal forms were ripped to shreds. Fluorescent blue blood stained the ground and walls, glowing faintly in the dim light of the bay. The strange liquid dripped from the now broken machinery surrounding the bodies, forming slick puddles beneath them.
Genesis, taking in the unexpected scene through Vanguard's feed, quickly issued new orders.
"Approach one of the bodies and gather data," came the command, cutting through the silence in the bay.
Vanguard obeyed without hesitation, stepping over the mangled remains of the fallen Specimen J. Its optics scanned the battlefield carefully, seeking out a target for inspection. Kneeling before one of the larger bodies—a deep purple creature—it examined the grotesque form with its sensors. The ethereal glow of the creature's blood illuminated the robot's armored plating as it leaned in closer, its spear set aside for the moment.
The creature’s body was riddled with damage, but something stood out immediately: large claw marks raked through its soft flesh, deep gashes that tore the delicate membranes apart with savage precision. Vanguard transmitted the data back to Genesis, noting the nature of the wounds. Whatever it was that attacked these things, it was efficient since the damage dealt was almost assuredly an instant death.
As Vanguard continued its analysis, it failed to detect the movement above. From the ceiling, one of the remaining jellyfish creatures, unnoticed and alive, began to lower itself silently, its translucent body blending into the darkened shadows of the bay. Its long, flowing tendrils reached down toward the droid, ready to strike.
The creature’s tendrils were just inches away from Vanguard, twitching with faint electrical pulses that the droid finally began to register. Alarms in its system flared, but before it could fully react, a sudden whoosh filled the air. A rush of wind, followed by a loud, crashing impact.
Vanguard spun around, spear raised, in time to witness a blur of movement as something tackled the descending jellyfish creature. The Specimen J let out a piercing, high-pitched squeal as its translucent form was violently ripped from the ceiling and slammed to the ground.
What stood before Vanguard could only be described as an alligator, though this beast walked on two legs, its thick, muscular frame covered in rough, scale-like skin. Judging from its frame, the beast could have easily been 300 pounds or more. With brutal efficiency, it tore into the jellyfish creature, ripping through its soft flesh with jagged teeth and clawed hands. The high-pitched squeals of the Specimen J grew frantic, filling the room, before suddenly cutting off—silenced as the hulking reptilian creature tore it apart, blue blood spraying across the floor.
Vanguard’s sensors flared with data, struggling to categorize the hulking reptilian beast before it. Every system tried to analyze the creature’s structure, its movement, and anything that its camera could see. Meanwhile, the echoes of the high-pitched squeal from the mangled jellyfish creature reverberated through the bay.
Suddenly, Genesis’s command cut through the noise.
"Retreat. Now."
Vanguard didn’t hesitate. Obeying its liege without question, it retrieved its spear and backed away, shield raised, its optics locked on the two-legged alligator-like creature. The beast was still preoccupied with tearing into the remains of Specimen J, its claws sinking deep into the body as it ripped it apart.
Vanguard quickly spun on its heel and began its retreat, stepping carefully through the wreckage-strewn floor. As it moved back toward the ruined entrance, however, it felt a disturbance in the air. The shift was subtle—a change in pressure, a faint rustle behind it, barely perceptible to its systems. Without pausing to question the source, Vanguard spun around swiftly, raising its shield just in time as the creature slammed into it.
Vanguard barely had time to brace as the creature slammed into its shield, the impact sending it crashing to the floor. The force of the blow was immense, far stronger than anything it had faced before. Sparks flew as metal scraped violently against metal, the droid skidding across the debris-laden ground. Its systems blared warnings, but there was no time to process them. The beast was already on top of it, claws raking against the shield, trying to tear into Vanguard’s head.
The shield held firm, blocking most of the blows, but the relentless pressure began to bend it, forcing the droid into a defensive crouch. The creature snarled, its razor-sharp claws screeching as they scraped across the shield’s surface, each strike more vicious than the last. Vanguard’s optics flickered with strain, calculating how long the shield could withstand the onslaught. Then, with a heavy swipe, the beast knocked the shield aside. For a moment, it was exposed.
Vanguard didn’t hesitate. In an instant, it planted its legs against the ground, using the full power of its servos to kick upward. The creature was thrown back with surprising force, crashing into the far wall with a thunderous impact. The droid scrambled to its feet, retrieving its spear in the process, readying itself for the next attack.
But as it moved, a new alert flashed across its systems: Connection lost.
The link between Vanguard and Genesis had been severed.
It was on its own.