Once the AI singularity happened, the robots took over, attempting to ‘terminate’ humans who disobeyed their directives. We fought them with powerful EMPs ...

My buddy Joe and I snuck in the trenches and lobbed multiple EMP grenades, frying the robots.

“Joe, look out! A drone!”

Joe raised up his EMP rifle and zapped the drone, dropping it dead in the air.

“Frank, what’s that up there?” asked Joe.

A swarm of dust particles covered the sky and rained down on us. We choked as we breathed them in, but nothing happened.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

“What was that, Joe? I mean, I know something’s in our lungs, but I feel the same.”

“I’ve no idea, Frank. I think we should go see a medic. I have a bad feeling that we’re ...”

A squad of robots jumped into the trench right behind Joe, so I pulled out my EMP rifle and fired with a maximum spread.

The robots gyrated and fizzled, but Joe also convulsed, frothed at the mouth, and fell over dead. I ran to a medic as soon as I could, and she gave me a scan ...

“Unbelievable!”

“What is it, Doctor?”

“Those swarm of particles you inhaled, they’ve encompassed your entire nervous system.”

“I don’t get it ... why would they do that, Doctor?”

“You say you shot the robots with your EMP rifle, and Joe was in the line of fire?”

“Yes, ma’am.” I frowned.

“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, or better yet, recruit ‘em,” said the doctor.

“What are you suggesting, Doctor? That I’m becoming one of them?”

“Not exactly.” The doctor showed me the scan. “You aren’t becoming a robot, but you’re just as vulnerable as one now. Eventually, all our EMPs, our only defense against them, will also kill us humans.”