“Fuckin what is this?” Kaylee’s head jerked up at the voice of her friend, wiping a layer of mud and powder off her forehead she threw her hands out in a circus performer’s stance. “Just the beginnings of an evil lair, what else.” Still scowling Laura slowly scanned the low space, it was barely enough height for the two of them to stand with several pillars dotted throughout the space, by the look of them they were just leftover from the excavation process, making it seem like the structure had been grown rather than built. The organic appearance ended however with the presence of a fabricator and two more mines, along with several boxes of some sort that were barely visible in the dim light.
‘And just what the fuck is this all for?”
“Well we need that warchive back, and if I can’t get it with a hammer, I’ll just run em through with a sword.” A low chuckle slipped from Kaylee’s lips. “That’s why I’m going to do it a little more tactically.” At that there was a clacking and from the darkness emerged a crouched figure, standing about 6 feet tall, its lanky body was a mixture of skeletal armour over bundles of artificial muscle one of it’s arms was replaced by a large blocky barrel, it’s end casting a dull blue glow on the floor, there was hum as the fabricator started up again, slowly constructing a cube-like shape.
“So Laura, I was wondering if you could help me with a couple of things?”
“What?” Laura growled her face dark.
“I need a ghillie suit, or six. And also I’m gonna need your van for a bit longer.” Laura continued to glare at her.
“I get the feeling you aren’t fully on board with this.” Kaylee asked.
“No! I’m not in any fuckin way on board with this shit! We got chased out of a forest by a horde of spiders for fucks sake. I am fuckin out!” With that, she turned and stormed away out of the cutout space. Frowning, Kaylee turned back to the fabricator, a snarl crossing her face.
“Yeah, but what can you really do? Anyway are you sure these bots are up to the task?”
“Power issues we can deal with.” Kaylee snapped. “Can they achieve the objective or not?”
“In that case the main issue is transport.”
Meanwhile.
“Sir, we have uncovered a ‘warchive’, just as you described, however at the current time it is well out of our reach, at least not without attracting considerable attention. At this time it is recommended that we remain undercover until the situation becomes more favourable” The balding technician trailed off as he completed his report, he swallowed as the figure before shifted, before rising, and continuing to rise. Its shadow slipping over the quivering man.
“That is all right, whilst it is far from optimal, it is wise to only pursue resource streams that can guarantee a proportional return. As such we shall stay the course, at least as long as we are able.”
The figure stretched to its full height, its mass balanced delicately on three gangly mechanical legs, its body shrouded by a long, sweeping cloak that hung from its square shoulders. As it turned, a single glowing red eye appeared. Its banal eye scanning over the quivering man.
“How does production progress?”
The man swallowed. “We have successfully produced over 2000 units produced as of the last count with production continuing at a sustained rate, though we have no way to expand production at the current time due to a lack of space for more energy collectors.”
“No matter, we should be more than capable of acquiring the necessary area for further operations. Continue as you have been, call me if anything changes.”
The technician nodded briefly before practically sprinting from the room. As soon as the door was closed the figure hissed and lowered itself back into its seat. Turning towards the back of the room the figure waved a hand and a looming screen lit up, bright blue light washing over him and highlighting his face, or the lack thereof. Opening it’s fanged ‘mouth’ the creature inhaled the cool air, tasting the sterilised dryness of it all. Flicking its hand again it activated one of the many cameras lining the facility, the screen revealing rows upon rows of robots, simplified designs of course, stripped of most of the armour, the manipulator arm and the legs had been replaced with a monowheel configuration. “Rise” It intoned. There was a low hum as the machines suddenly jolted to their feet, visual receptors lighting up blue as row after row of robots began rising to their ‘feet’, they straightened up and raised their blaster arms into a ready position. The Commander leaned back in its chair, causing the mahogany and leather to creak under its weight, it threw its arms out and roared in laughter. The machines began to perform a series of movements, shifting their torsos and stretching their limbs experimentally. All of a sudden there was an electronic whine followed by a clunk coinciding with the lights flickering and then dying. The Commander remained completely still for a moment then waved its hand the screen flickered, before producing a flickering statistical display.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Of course, the power supply, that technician understated the issue it seems. That will have to be dealt with. In time.” Leaning forward the Commander sent another mental command, cancelling the start-up sequence. For the most part, as the lights came back on, several rows of bots continued their system checks. He was interrupted by the sound of the door bursting open and the technician’s ensuing babbling.
…
“Yes, that is absolutely wrong you steel-loving fool! If one of those ‘infected’ starts spreading, then your world is already doomed!”
“Calm down, its not like she’s going to take over the world. She’d get sick of it way to quickly.” He let out a low chuckle. Nidi continued to stare at him with burning eyes, her face a cool mask hiding a raging storm.
“That .” the alien intoned. “Is even worse.”
“How is it worse?”
“Lack of responsibility, no ability to control the machines and the intrinsic corruption of their nature, would you like me to continue?”
“No, no I’d like to stay innocent of the universe’s horrors thanks.”
The alien seemed even less impressed.
“Anyway, we need to figure out how we’re going to deal with this, I don’t think my commanders are going to be particularly with, well any of this.”
“Then we will not involve them.” The alien insisted, eyes still burning with that conviction. Garrett released a low sigh and shook his head. “that won’t work out the way you’re hoping.”
Nidi’s eyes narrowed and Garrett continued.
“As much as it is a pain in the ass we don’t really have any other choice, they have tonnes of resources and it would be a lot better pointing the artillery than having the artillery be pointed at us. Which they will be if we decide to try to go around them, if we go to them, it will take a stupid amount of time but we can get something done.”
Nidi continued to stare at him, her mind clearly weighing up what Garrett had said, she exhaled heavily. “Can you be certain they will act?”
Garrett smiled grimly, “If even half of the shit you showed me is shown to them then I think we can get even their fat asses into motion.” The alien nodded, and reality crumbled to dust.
Garrett gasped as his eyes flew open, sucking in lungfuls of air as he found himself lying in the grass, for the briefest of moments he allowed himself to breath. Only for said breath to be slammed out of him when a medic jumped on him, yelling something about him not breathing.
“I’m not fuckin dead yet get off me!” he bellowed, shoving the well-meaning medic off of him he rose to his feet. Turning around he caught sight of Nidi, now surrounded by over a dozen very nervous-looking soldiers who seemed to be quite divided between covering her and gaping at the wrecked chopper, Nidi, on the other hand, was mercifully not force-choking anyone or throwing around aircraft, which was unfortunate as someone he was absolutely not prepared to deal with, with a dull repetitive roar a Seahawk swept over the battlefield, it performed a sweeping half orbit of the clearing and settled at the edge of the clearing. Straightening and trying to appear at least somewhat presentable, Garrett stepped forward towards the opening rear ramp. From the ramp spilled a full squad of marines, followed by two significantly more important-looking individuals, as the squad of marines set up a cordon around the helicopter, the two officers, a very heavy set American and a slightly smaller Australian Colonel. Stepping forward Garrett snapped a salute, the officers responding in kind. Inhaling he was about to give a report only for him to cut off by the colonel launching into a diatribe:
“Jumping out of a helicopter, completely separating from your unit and fighting?! I am speechless.”
For someone who was supposedly ‘speechless’ he went on for several minutes, lambasting every moment of the incident, American on the other hand stood there with a slowly growing grin on his mug, mercifully the officer’s wrath subsided and Garrett began his report.
Basic Infantry
Speed: 6 m/s
HP: 100
Damage: 10
Capacity: 60 shots + 6 hours operation
Modified Basic Infantry: Tactical.
Speed: 6 m/s
HP: 90
Damage: 10
Capacity:60 shots + 4 hours operation
Improved processor and sensor package: Increased situational awareness, increased energy demand, slightly decreased armour.
Modified Basic Infantry: Economy
Speed: 15 m/s
HP: 50
Damage: 10
Capacity: 40 shots + 12 hours operation
Reduced processing: all non-vital operations (communication, threat id, planning) outsourced to central computer, reduced power draw, reduced reaction speed.
Reduced armour: lower hp, increased speed
Optimised supply: reduced ammunition, increased operation length