Her words turned out to be prophetic; as just a second after she spoke, a heavy impact slammed into the rear of the truck sending us spinning out of control. I struggled frantically to keep us straight, but the force of the collision was too much. Clutching the steering wheel tightly, I braced myself as the truck was violently flipped into the air, everything around me shifted into slow motion. Then we struck the ground. Hard. As the truck struck the ground with a deafening crash I felt the blood rushing to my head and I vaguely recall my own screams. The jolt was brutal, shaking every inch of my body; my head hit the steering wheel, darkness briefly sweeping over me as I lost consciousness.

When awareness crept back in, the first thing I heard was the rapid staccato of panicked gunfire and the panicked shouts of Ethan and Trevor. My vision blurred and refocused painfully, and as I turned my head, a sharp ache coursed through my neck. Next to me, Beth was slumped in her seat, unconscious. A trickle of blood ran down from a wound on her forehead, staining her face.

More gunfire erupted, and then I saw Ethan crouching next to me outside the truck. I tried to speak, to ask him how he and Trevor were unharmed—they should've been thrown aside or crushed by the truck. My words came out as groans as he struggled to unfasten my seatbelt.

"I can’t get it loose," he shouted.

"Try and get Beth," Trevor called out, firing another burst with his rifle.

The robots would be upon us in moments; we had to get out. Ethan heeded Trevor's command and ran around to the other side of the truck. He yanked open the door, leaned inside, and checked Beth’s pulse.

"She’s still alive," he sighed with relief. Next, he set about trying to free her. Like me, she was stuck upside down. The smell of gas and smoke began filling the cabin, sparking a new fear in me. I didn't want to burn to death inside some Marauder’s dilapidated pickup truck. The world spun in my vision, and I couldn’t focus or even feel my limbs. Panicking, I struggled desperately within the confines of my seat. I could see that my legs were trapped by the dashboard, and the seatbelt was twisted, pinning me in place.

"Get her out of here," I managed to gasp.

Ethan managed to unclip Beth and caught her as she fell forward.

"We can still get you out, man," Ethan said.

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I shook my head. Although I couldn't see them, I knew that dozens of robots were descending on us. The increasingly frantic gunfire was a giveaway.

"Get the fuck out of here. Get to the supply cache. I’ll be fine," I panted.

Ethan looked as though he was going to argue but Trevor’s urgent shouting soon changed his mind. I nodded as he pulled Beth out of the truck. Trevor appeared and together they carried her away and out of my field of vision. I sighed in relief, at least Beth had made it. I tried to free myself but I was wedged in way too tightly. The seatbelt was digging into my arm and I could feel warm blood oozing from the wound. Then I heard the sound of clanking feet approaching. They drew nearer and nearer and then stopped directly outside. I tried to turn my head but all I could make was a pair of metallic legs. Of what model robot I didn’t know. I let out a cry as suddenly the truck lurched violently and was pulled back upright where it struck the ground with another crash of twisted metal and broken glass. The jolt caused pain to lance up my legs and arm. I sighed, I could wiggle my toes and fingers. Slowly I looked to my left and came face to face with the robot that had righted the truck. I tried not to scream as it tilted its head to the side. What was it doing? A whirring sound and then a click.

“You are injured. I will provide medical assistance.” It said in an ai male voice.

“What the fuck?” I groaned.

Behind this strange robot came an assortment of others. I spotted a few Optimus 6’s, an Atlus and other humanoid models. I almost pissed myself. Beside those were the freaky dog like machines that walked on all fours.

“I am A.C.E a personal assistant robot. I am here to serve you.”

My eyes widened as I turned my attention back to the robot now standing close to me. It stood at the height of a tall man, with a sleek design that was both utilitarian and approachable. Its chassis was a clean, polished silver, untouched by the grime and damage typically seen on the other robots I’d encountered . A.C.E’s head was rounded, with a friendly, expressive faceplate that included eyes capable of displaying simple emotions, adding to its benign appearance.

The robot was equipped with a series of articulated joints that allowed for smooth, precise movements, making it adept at handling delicate tasks. Unlike the more militarized robots, Buddy had no weapons systems or intimidating features; instead, it was designed for assistance and medical aid, evident from the various compartments along its arms that housed compartments for medical supplies and repair tools.

The machines demeanour was calm and methodical, a programming choice that helped it to effectively assist humans without causing alarm. As it stood by the overturned truck, its eyes glowed with a soft blue light, signalling its operational status and readiness to help, a clear indicator of its purpose to heal rather than harm. This was a machine designed to be empathetic and provide assistance. Was hard to believe it was a killing machine.

I flinched as it reached across me and cut the seatbelt as though it were paper. It then used its other arm to push me forward and then it scooped me out of the truck. I tried to resist but I could only flail weakly. My vision swam and I blacked out again.