Our footsteps echoed off the hallway’s barren walls. The children’s bare feet smacking against the cold floors as we marched past the rows of glass enclosures.
I looked back to watch as the children peered into the various cells, their faces unchanging, numb to the sight. It was hard to understand how they could witness such grim sights without feeling some sort of fear or illness.
To view what they did now and not shy away was a testament to their resilience. Hopefully not their brokenness. Either way, I would have to try and do better for them.
Walking by a particular cell, a pair of eyes watched as I passed by. They look begging me for death, a release from the torment.
I wished I could give it, but I hadn’t the time nor way.
I’m sorry, I thought in its direction as I walked past the sorry creature. I needed to focus now more than ever; we would have to fight before this was over.
I could feel it.
Quickening my pace, we proceeded past the enclosures, past the horrors of man.
I tried to continue at my quickened pace, but a tug on my side from Paris told me to slow myself. Looking back, I could see the children’s faces having grown paler, their bodies shaky. I would have to watch myself or I may end up being the reason the children die, not this place.
I stood for a moment while the kids caught their breath, each inhale was shallow, with each exhale shaky and unfulfilling.
Tom tapped at the other children's backs and signaled them to get moving again. I appreciated not having to make the decision.
I nodded thanks to Tom, he looked away from my gaze, no longer able to hide behind his hair.
It seemed as if the boy felt shame, thought I couldn’t reason why. He had survived so much to make it so far; he had nothing to be ashamed of.
We continued our march, out into the maze of corridors and laboratories.
Using an internal map that I had memorized, we made swift progress towards our destination, the vehicle bay was only a few minutes away. I turned back to look at the kids one last time before all the lights shut off, sealing us in darkness.
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“I swear Harrison, if you don’t get men in those fucking tunnels right now, I’m gonna fucking kill you!” Jane shouted through her mouthpiece.
She rode down the elevator into the underground as she berated the man. Jane had been unable to hold the girl and robot earlier due to social pressure. But down here, she didn’t have such concerns.
“Yes Ma’am, right awa-.” The Lieutenant shot back, Jane cutting the call before he could finish.
Jane tapped her foot impatiently as the elevator descended. Searching her pockets, she let out a pained groan. She had left her cigarettes in the car.
A ringtone blared off in her head, a call from Doctor Illinois, disgusting bastard.
She answered, her words dripping with venom.
“What do you want? It’d better be worth losing your funding over, I'm not in the mood for your shit.”
“A robot just stole all my children! It is kidnapping them, you have to save them! You have to get back my work!” The deranged man shouted into her ear.
Jane could swear the man was on the verge of tears.
“We are aware of the intruder Doctor, unfortunately your kids are now considered collateral.” Jane responded coldly, sending the machine’s location to Harrison as she did so.
“No! You can’t! The amount of work I’ve put into them! They are were to be my magnum opus! Please you must understand, think of the lost investment!” The man cried, his voice strained and cracking, his final statement attempting to dig at Jane business side.
“You will receive new subject Doctor, enjoy the rest of the party.” Jane said, cutting the call before the Doctor could respond.
Jane did not care for the man; he made her uneasy. If he wasn’t so good at his job, she would have had him taken to the sand dunes long ago.
The elevator reached the proper level and the doors slid open. Jane stepped out and started moving in the direction of the rogue bot. A live camera display played in her vision; the bot was being tracked through the security system. After spotting the thing, it was easy to have a tech track it for her.
Following its predicted pathing, Jane was able to guess its target.
“Harrison! It’s heading for the motor pool. I’m going to stall it; you get your men here now!” Jane spoke out, the man having no choice but to listen to her commands, “And cut the lights.”
Jane kicked off her heels and yanked off her suit jacket, tossing them both to the side.
She pulled a small pill out from her pocket and downed it dry.
Jane tensed tightly, her body threatening to burst from the pressure. With a strong pull, she stretched out, the movement almost as euphoric as the drug that now affected her body, her muscles trembling with power.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
The corridor’s lights flicked out, signaling her time to close in on the machine.
She flicked out her fingers and blue flames erupted from each digit.
A soft blue glow lit her way as she rushed down the corridors.
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The red glow from my eyes lit the way for the children as our pace slowed considerably. I had to measure each step to keep in line with the kids’, the group holding hands in a line as Paris connected them to me. The girl was taking her job of watching them seriously.
We had made it within the last ‘block’ of corridors when the blue light lit up the tunnel behind us. The light rapidly grew in strength, peaking as its source rounded the final corner onto our hallway.
A woman stood before us, wreathed in blue flame, her eyes piercing out a cool glow. Metallic sections lined her arms and face, raised plates of armor. She snorted out steam as her hair slowly curled away from the field of heat. Finally, a smell hit my sensors, burnt flesh.
It was the businesswoman from earlier, her name had been Jane. It seemed she wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer, she really wanted to speak to Paris.
“Stop!” The woman boomed out as she walked forward, her stride confident and commanding.
“I’m sorry Miss, but we really don’t have time to talk.” I spat back, chatting to buy time.
I turned to face her.
“Not here to talk this time, tin can. You and the kids are coming with me.” Jane continued, rapidly getting herself closer and closer to the group.
I turned to Paris, “I need you to lead the kids the rest of the way to the motor pool. Find a car and wait for me.” I spoke out rapidly, my tone serious and mechanical.
The little girl hesitated but ultimately nodded her head. She turned to Tom and the pair continued down the pathway. They would have to use the signage to guide them.
I hope they can know how to spell ‘motor pool’, I thought with a sigh. The ridiculous thought did little to ease me.
“The Doctor will appreciate us sparing the kids.” Jane said.
In a sudden rush, the woman flew towards me riding on a jet of flame.
I raised my rifle to meet her, only to have the gun knocked from my grasp, left to dangle from its sling.
Her fist impacted with my head, a flash of blue light superheating the metal.
I shoved forward hard, tossing the woman back, her body heavy with cybernetic machinery.
The woman used her flames and righted herself midair to land on her feet, stumbling only slightly.
I flared my vents to full blast, the metal glowing a bright orange.
The woman rushed forward, I charged to meet her.
I swung forward hard, my right fist flying right over her head as she slid between my legs and behind me.
I moved to turn around but not before a biting jet of flame pierced into my back. Sensors informing me of the damage, some gears and motors had melted together.
I threw my arm back blindly, clipping Jane in the shoulder.
Her body was shoved to the ground from the impact, blood leaked from a crack in her collar bone. I turned to get on top of her.
She rolled to the side as I reached for her.
A jet fueled kick hitting me in the side of my head.
I was rocked backwards, my vision glitching momentarily before fixing itself.
My lack of sight cost me dearly though. An angled hand cut sharp across my face; half of my lenses left shattered under the heat.
I had been blinded on my left side.
Snapping out, I shot my hand forward and grabbed onto the assailing limb, my grip vice-like as the woman tried to break away.
I tossed the woman to the floor in response to a rapid hail of flaming kicks and punches. My metal frame now glowing white hot as I was pumped full of more and more heat.
With a quick stomp I raised my foot and placed it against the woman's shoulder. Mustering my strength, I heaved the captured limb upwards... ripping it off.
Her arm dangled limply in my grasp, fully disconnected from her body.
Blood shot out from her shoulder socket, a look of shock and disbelief frozen on the woman’s face.
I looked at the arm dangling from my hand and tossed it to the ground, a wet squelch accompanying a blood splatter. I shivered in disgust.
I had just torn her arm off.
In my temporary stupor, the woman capitalized. A swing from her reaming arm cauterized her wound, staunching the flow of blood.
I moved to grab her, but her leg escaped me as the blood caused my hand to slip off of her.
We stood a few feet apart, the woman slowly stepping backwards, a crazed grin on her pale face. Waiting in silence for the next move, the crackle of speakers broke the quiet.
“Tom! No!” Paris’s voice rang out from the woman, her own mouth broadcasting the sound.
“What is that?” I demanded, could it be a trick?
“The kiddies are in trouble...” The woman said with a weak chuckle, “You have to decide now, me, or them? I think the answer is obvious.”
I turned towards the woman then towards the motor pool.
The answer was indeed obvious.
I broke into a full sprint towards the motor pool, my legs pumping and slamming into the floor as I rocketed away from the woman. A smile on her face as I ran.
I tried calling myself an idiot for sending the kids alone, but the scorch marks on the wall told me I had done the right thing. I could only hope that I hadn’t sent them into something worse.
I rounded a corner, the doors to the motor pool directly in front of me.
I leveled my gun and shoulder charged through them.
The garage was painted red, half a dozen corpses laid scattered about. Some of them missed faces or lacked limbs. All but one body belonging to men in dark armor, only a grey and red paste remaining of the other corpse.
I scanned quickly for the children, spotting a small hand sticking out the window of an armored truck. The little arm waved and beckoned me forward.
I ran towards the vehicle and found the tear-streaked face of Paris looking back towards me, Tom bloody, unconscious, and limp in her arms. Besides her sat the other children, Noah amongst them.
The little boy was coated from head to toe in red blood and viscera, his eyes wild and mad. His breathing was rapid, his legs bouncing up and down quickly. His whole body was tense and trembling.
“Paris, what happened? Is everyone alright?” I asked her tentatively, fearful of the worst.
“They tried to catch us,” Paris responded with a sniffle, “But Tom and Noah stopped them. They said Tom was just tired but we have to leave really fast, I think he’s hurt.”
The little girl said this with pain in her eyes. She had worked so hard to find her friend. I wouldn’t let her lose him again.
I opened up the door to the front seat of the truck and hopped in, the vehicle was raised several feet off the ground.
I plugged my phone into a panel and called Kassidy.
“Hey machine head, it all going good?” The woman rapped out, ignorant of the situation.
“Kassidy. I need this truck started and the bay opened, can you do that?” I spoke out rapidly, ignoring her question.
“So this is the kind of greeting I get?” Kassidy responded, offended at my speech.
The sound of boots echoed out from one of the hallways, a rhythmic boom accompanying them, signaling the arrival of something bad.
“Kassidy! We are all about to fucking die! Open the bay doors!” I shouted at the woman, the booming steps rapidly approaching along with normal ones.
I knew what made that noise and I did not want to be here when I got here, I refused to be here.
“Don’t talk to me that way shit machine. There is no need to be so mean.” The woman responded lamely.
The armored truck came to life as the engine roared out.
I hit the gas towards the bay doors, the large metal vault opening slowly as I sped towards them, a possible freedom.
I hoped too soon.
Not a moment later a loud crash signaled our demise.
Looking through the rearview mirror I spotted the mechanical monster, a behemoth.
The beast snapped its head towards us and locked eyes with me, a cold glare that promised recompense piercing into me.
I floored the gas pedal.