Lieutenant Harrison slammed down on the behemoth suit’s kill switch and screamed into his communicator, “76! I ORDER YOU STAND DOWN NOW!”
Harrison watched in terror as Pilot 76 continued to climb out onto the city’s surface, completely disregarding his order. The manic man fighting against the suit’s kill switch.
“PILOT! THE BOT HAS REACHED THE SURFACE! YOU CAN NOT PERSUE! PULL BACK NOW!” Harrison ordered again, his voice growing more and more desperate.
“I dON’t CaRE! I’m KiLlInG It!” Came the scrambled response from the Pilot. Lieutenant Harrison had heard that broken speech before, his body growing ridged as the Pilot spoke.
The man had fully succumbed to the behemoths will.
Harrison tried to get control of the suit, the man in the machine fighting against his every action.
Harrison used the suit’s safeties against Pilot 76, watching as the man was beaten down again and again, the human in the mech slowly being torn apart.
Harrison held out hope he could still stop the man, but it was for naught.
“LeT Me GOoOO!” The pilot roared into his relay.
A notice appeared indicating the imminent fracture of the suit’s remote control.
The Lieutenant swore and entered a command into his UI, ‘Activate Pilot 76 Neural Discharge’. With a hesitant finger the lieutenant sent out the order, his hesitation cost him though.
With a single *pop* all control over the behemoth suit vanished. Pilot 76 was now completely rogue, leaving Harrison with no way to regain control.
A mad behemoth had been unleashed in the city.
“Oh God...” Harrison muttered out to himself, falling against the nearest wall, sliding down to rest on the floor.
Harrison had been ordered to keep the rogue bot underground.
The bot had escaped.
Harrison had been ordered to keep Pilot 76 in check.
The man was now rampaging through the city.
In addition to the previous embarrassments he had doled out under the command of Red Door... He was as good as dead.
The Lieutenant threw his face into his hand, pulling them backwards and through his short black hair.
Harrison sat in place, throwing his head backwards into the wall repeatedly. The man stayed like this until the pain in his skull grew numb. The barrage against his head staying itself as his communicator released a buzz.
Reluctantly the Lieutenant raised his head to view the call, an unknown caller.
Harrison planned to ignore it, what point was answering what was surely his death. It was one of the most common to relieve someone of their command, the moment he answered the call a virus would deploy and rupture his cortex, killing him.
No. Harrison was fine with waiting for a real bullet to kill him.
He let the call ring out
The UI flickered and glitched, static blaring to life in Harrison’s head, blood leaking from his ears.
“You should have just picked up Lieutenant.” A distorted voice said from within Harrison’s mind.
The Lieutenant wiped the blood from his ears and composed himself. By not killing him instantly, it seemed that he would be allowed a death with dignity, he was grateful to have earned this at least.
“I’m sorry,” Harrison replied, “I didn’t know who had called.”
In all honesty, Harrison still didn’t know who he was speaking to, but he didn’t want to mention that.
Besides, he had a suspicion.
“Don’t worry about, I'm sure the runny ears were punishment enough, besides, it's not your infractions I am here to speak to you about.” The person said, the voice constantly shifting tones.
The Lieutenant sat upright, not me?
“Of course. What would you like to discuss?” The man replied to the unknown caller.
“Jane Davenport, your boss.”
Harrison hesitated, he still wasn’t sure on who had called him, it would be foolish to speak poorly of Jane. But the way the unknown had so easily forced him to answer the call scared him, if they could infiltrate his OS just like that, it was very likely they could kill him with the push of a button.
He would have to be careful.
“Yes, what would you like to know?” Lieutenant Harrison asked tentatively.
“Frankly, she has proven herself to be too emotional when it comes to managing the city, often perusing her own ventures... like this recent case, I’m sure you are aware.” The caller told him, pausing a moment.
“We have also received reports that she has acquired the bad habit of blaming her subordinates for failures that arose from expecting unreasonable results. Is all this accurate? Here at Red Door, we value those that that responsibility.” The voice finished.
Perhaps he could find a way to live.
“Yes, it is true. Unfortunately.” Harrison answered.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
“Yes, very unfortunate indeed. Thank you for your statement. As for Miss Davenport, she is to be reassigned to private research after her arm is reattached and regrown. In the meantime, we would like you to lock down the city and focus defenses.”
Her arm? Harrison thought in shock.
“Wait, why do I need to prepare defenses? Is the city under attack?” Lieutenant asked, his thoughts snapping back to the immediate. It had been several years since the city had had an attack levied against it.
“Not exactly so, fortunately, else we would have sent a regiment already. A shipment of next generation behemoths has been stolen in transit on the way to the city. I cannot stress how catastrophic these new devices would be against the city, were it left undefended.” The voice said.
“Prepare your behemoth pilots in case they move to attack the city, we don’t know the thieves' intentions, but if it is to hurt Red Door, now would be the time to do so. We expect a five to one pilot death ratio.” Finished the caller, the voice leveling out to imply the gravity of the situation.
“Five to one?” Harrison asked in disbelief.
“Yes. Are you able to perform?” The caller asked.
“Yes, I will prepare defenses immediately.”, Harrison shot out.
The man was on thin ice and had just been tossed a rope. Even if the end of the rope held nasty teeth, he had no choice but to take it.
“Good, we have several units dispatched to track the behemoths until we can subdue them. Until then, keep the city shutdown and safe.” With those final words, the call ended, and the sound of the world returned once more to Harrison.
The man leaned his head back and let out a deep sigh of relief, his life back in his hands, even if momentarily.
Now he just had to keep the city safe.
He would have to make some calls.
----------------------------------------
Jane limped lamely down the long underground corridor, her blood smearing itself across the walls, staining the pure white. She emerged out into the motor pool, opening the push doors with her remaining arm.
The room had been repainted since the last time she saw it, the dark red making the room unnaturally dim, she found it in bad taste. She watched as soldiers and workers in scrubs picked at the walls and piles of mush like children kicking rocks.
She was about to shout, but the smell hit her first.
Jane nearly vomited as the strong metallic scent hit her nose.
Her vision suddenly became sharper, Jane looked about the room once more.
The walls were painted with blood, drawn from the corpses that lay like mush.
Jane snarled her lip.
“How, did you all manage,” Jane slowly drew out to the people before her, “To make such a mess out of those kids?”
Many people could do nothing but stare at the mangled form of their city's director unwilling to speak. Several more simply turned from the woman, an attempt to avoid her gaze.
Jane took their gawking and back-turning as an insult, instantly filled with rage.
“Is there something on my face?! Tell me what happened here!” Jane shouted, “Now!”
The crowd flinched at her every word but just kept their heads down and continued on with their work.
Flames burst from Jane’s fingers as her temper flared. The woman marched down to a soldier and placed her fingers on the man’s chest. Slowly burning into his armor, cooking him.
“You! Tell me what happened here.” The woman spat out, sick of her employees' charades.
The soldier gulped as sweat quickly built at his brow, his face flushing red.
“These aren't the kids.” The man said hesitantly. “Ma’am.”
Jane felt something in her snap, she threw her hand upwards, the flames on her fingers scorching the man’s exposed face and eyes.
The soldier let out an agonizing scream and collapsed to the ground clutching his face.
Jane turned to another man, this one in white scrubs.
Carefully enunciating each word, Jane asked the man a question.
“Tell. Me. Everything. Now.”
The flames on her fingers slowly inching towards the man’s torso.
He told her everything... and died for it.
----------------------------------------
Morning broke over Las Vegas, the city silent in light of the lockdown.
Jane sat shadowed in her office, feet kicked up upon her desk, a cigarette in her mouth. The Ceo of Red Door sat across from her, the projected hologram shimmering in the light.
“Jane, you understand why we as a company have come to this decision. Correct?” The man asked her, acting like he cared if she did.
Jane flicked the ash off the tip of her cigarette and leaned forward, her haggard form entering the light.
Her face was unwashed and covered in bloody ash. Her right arm missing from its socket, a burnt and festering stump left in its place.
The woman placed the cigarette directly onto the desk and broke into a large, exaggerated grin.
“Of course, I do. Sir.” Jane replied, her eyes and tone betraying her true answer.
“You know this as well as I do Jane, I’m just a figure head. While I don’t think you have anyone to blame but yourself, if you must levy your blame at someone... I’m not that person.” The man replied with a look of pity on his face.
Jane stood up and slammed her fist against her desk, scattering ashes across the room.
“EVERYTHING I do is for this city. I've dedicated my whole life to this company, and this is the thanks I get? Not even the courtesy to get ‘fired’ by a real man?” The woman cried out.
She continued her tirade.
“I don’t need your pity you phony bastard, nor your reassignment. I quit.” Jane spat out, actually spitting at the man’s hologram.
The Ceo stood from his seat and mocked brushing himself off. He turned to look at her, a false smile adorning his face, “Sorry Jane, but you don’t have a choice.”
“The hell I don’t!” Jane shouted, an inkling of confusion entering her mind.
“We found out about your deal with Martyn.” The Ceo said.
Jane froze up for a split second before relaxing.
Maybe he doesn’t know it all?
“So what? I hired his company to clear out a vagrant town that had been stealing our materials. That was well within my right, hiring private contractors in common practice.” Jane answered, choosing her words cautiously.
“We both know that’s not what I mean, Jane.” The man stated looking down at her in disappointment, “Believe it or not, I’m not stupid.”
The man continued, pacing as he did so.
“We planned to show off the new behemoths during the festival last night. Your personal vendetta against some random rogue machine seems to have lost us our only prototypes. In addition, we have had to put the city into a fake lockdown to cover for you.”
Jane had grown more and more deflated as the man spoke, her already pale face turning a stark ghost white.
“You belong to the company now, Jane.” The Ceo said.
With a flicker the hologram cut out, leaving Jane to sit alone and consider her new prison.
----------------------------------------
“You let the woman off too easy Stenson.” Howard rapped out.
Stenson turned his head to the geezer, “She still has her uses. Besides, you have to admit, she was on to something with that bot.”
“Maybe, but it doesn’t excuse the destruction of Las Vegas on a majorly publicized holiday, not to mention the theft of three prototype behemoths. They weren’t cheap you know.”
Stenson rolled his eyes, “Yes, yes, I know all about your ‘babies’.”
Richard interrupted the pair, “Be quiet you two, it’s in the past, we have units tracking the suits down anyways, once in range, they will handle it. I’m more curious about the machine, frankly, Howard, for its size, it puts your behemoths to shame.”
Howard was taken aback, “Even the old model smashed it to pieces, I wouldn’t say it was that impressive.”
“Stubborn as always old man, at least Richard's gained wisdom along with his years.” Stenson shot back, eager to poke more at man.
“I said stop bickering!” Richard snapped; his patience having grown short as of late. The pair’s constant taunting finally getting the better of him.
Both Stenson and Howard quieted, stiffing slightly at the shout.
“I simply meant to say, I want it looked into. We need to reduce our reliance on the behemoths. We don’t manufacture the suits ourselves, if you remember, Howard.”
Richard looked at the man pointedly.
“Besides, I had thought that with Jane so dead set on finding the damnable machine, let her deal with it for all I care. Just stop stalling with all your idle chatter.” Richard stated.
The long speech took out more from the man than he had expected. He had to take a moment to catch his breath, a coughing fit overtaking him as he did.
Stenson moved to offer him aid but was shooed away.
“Leave me alone boy, I’m fine,” The old man hacked out, his eyes watery.
The trio sat in silence until the man’s coughing fit came to an end.