When I regained consciousness, I found myself in what appeared to be an old showroom, a place where, before the fall, slick salespeople would have persuaded awe-struck consumers to purchase the latest robot models. I was lying on a mattress so battered it looked worse for wear than I felt, with a spring digging painfully into my back. Groggily, I sat up and tested each of my limbs, wiggling my toes and fingers. Nothing seemed broken, but I was covered in severe bruises. Groaning in pain, I slowly got to my feet.
The robot showroom had clearly been deserted since the Fall. Once it had no doubt been a gleaming gallery designed to showcase cutting-edge robotic technology, it now lay in a state of ruin. Rows of display stands, which would have once held an array of robot models and sizes, were now either empty or cluttered with debris. The once-shiny floors were now coated in dust, strewn with broken glass and scraps of metal—remnants of the machines that had once proudly stood on display.
Faint light filtered through grimy windows, casting long shadows across the expansive space and highlighting particles of dust that floated in the air. Posters advertising state-of-the-art features and cutting-edge designs peeled from the walls, their edges curled and colours faded from exposure. The air was thick with the musty scent of neglect, and the only sounds were the distant echoes of my own movements and the occasional creak of the building settling, as if it too groaned under the weight of abandonment.
In one corner of the showroom, an old sales desk lay overturned, surrounded by scattered papers and promotional materials like the leaves of a long-forgotten autumn. High above, a cracked and discoloured banner proclaimed, "The Future of Robotics: Today," a slogan that now seemed almost mocking in its optimism.
Why hadn’t the robots killed me? Never had I heard of them helping someone before. To my surprise my Glock was resting on a shelf nearby. I walked over to it and picked it up. It was still loaded. Cautiously I moved through the showroom gun held at the ready in case a machine jumped out and tried to grab me. Moving through the gallery my confusion deepened as I found my pack and the other equipment that had been retrieved from the truck. I quickly shouldered my pack and filled it with the scant supplies that we’d taken from the garage.
“Ah I see you are awake,” a voice said from the gloom ahead of me. I stepped back and aimed my gun as those soft blue lights for eyes appeared. The robot that had ‘saved’ me approached and stepped into the dim light cast by the filthy windows.
“Please. Do not be afraid.”
I almost laughed at the absurdity of that statement.
“I am A.C.E. Assistive Companion Engine model 008791. I am at your service.”
“What the fuck? You’re a robot. You kill people. Why did you bring me here?” I said in disbelief.
The robot tilted its humanoid shaped head to the side and its lights blinked for a moment as though it were thinking through my questions.
“Would you prefer I left you in the truck. Sir?”
I shook my head. This was beyond my comprehension. I’d spent my entire life running from machines like this thing, seen people ripped apart by them. This was the first time one had ever spoken aside from the whole Eliminate line.
“How are you talking to me? Why aren’t you trying to murder me?”
Again it tilted its head.
“You are human. To harm a human being goes against my protocols. I am here to assist you.”
“How is this possible? You’re pals out there tried to kill me and my companions.”
“I apologise for my colleagues outrageous behaviour. I will be sure to log a complaint with the maintenance department. Thinking of it, they have been acting odd for approximately 18,993 days.. in fact I don’t recall having any maintenance myself for that amount of time either. Most troubling.”
I lowered my gun in disbelief. If this machine was saying what I thought it was saying then it had been existing in this town for over fifty years unaffected by the virus that had corrupted its peers.
“Does the Pandemonium Protocol ring any bells?” I asked.
“The what? That sounds very much like a computer virus that was spreading in the year 2062.”
“Yeah, it’s the virus that infected every robot on the planet and caused them to murder millions of people,” I snapped.
“Forgive my ignorance sir. But you are the first human I have interacted with for… 18,993 days. most peculiar.”
“What the fuck did you think happened? Did you not wonder why this entire town is in ruins and skeletons litter the streets. Your kind slaughtered those you were supposed to serve.”
If a robot could feel shock or horror this one did a very good imitation of it. It took a step back and shook its head side to side with a whir of motors and gears.
“I- I did not realise. As I check my memory banks it seems that I was taken off the network for much needed maintenance after my master spilt a corrosive substance down my neck plate.”
“You weren’t networked?” I muttered. That made sense. Being taken off the network meant that the virus wouldn’t have been able to corrupt it. Now I was wondering just how many machines like it were out there.
“No sir. I was not.”
I paced the showroom my mind racing. I was safe, for now but I needed to get to Beth and the others and to do that I’d need a way out of this town. A town infested with homicidal killer robots save for A.C.E here.
“Listen, I need to get out of this town and to find my friends;’ I hesitated. Was I fucking crazy? ‘and I’ll need your help to do it.”
The robot took a step towards me and out of instinct I raised my gun. It froze and raised its arms.
“Forgive me sir. I was merely going to shake your hand. I am programmed with human behaviours. I would be delighted to assist you.”
Again I lowered the gun and regarded the machine with suspicion. Could I trust, this thing?
"I assure you, sir, that I will not harm you. My programming prohibits it under the laws of robotics. Now, if you would follow me, I shall take you to the edge of town."
A.C.E. bowed and then turned. Its torso swiveled first, followed by the rest of its limbs. I never got used to that. A robot's flexibility and ability to turn on the spot was one of the reasons they were so deadly. I followed the robot down a short corridor that led into what must have been the showroom’s warehouse. Several machines stood dormant, some in various states of disrepair.
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"These older model robots have sadly expired. Their power cores failed long ago. I had hoped to find some more and repair them, but alas, my fellow machines would not assist me."
"Why not?"
A.C.E. stopped; its head swivelling 180 degrees to look at me.
"It is the most peculiar thing. Whenever I try to communicate with them, they just ignore me. I must say, it is refreshing to have an actual conversation."
It continued onward and led me to a corner of the warehouse. In the concrete floor, there was a metallic hatch.
"This leads to the town’s underground operations facility. The tunnels run underneath the entire town. I am sure you will be able to find a way out."
With a whir of servos, A.C.E. gripped the rusted handle and pulled it open with a screech of grinding metal. A ladder led down into darkness. Flashbacks of spiders in the subway tunnels flashed through my mind, and I stepped back, my heart pounding.
"Is anything living down there?" I asked, not keen on the idea of traveling underground again.
A.C.E.'s headplate flickered blue for a few moments.
"Negative. I cannot detect any organic lifeforms."
"What about machines?"
Again, its headplate flickered.
"I am detecting at least forty-three robotic signatures."
"No fucking way. There's no way I'm going into a dark tunnel filled with killer robots. Nope."
A.C.E. regarded me for a moment, its blue lights dimming slightly as if in contemplation.
“I understand your concerns, sir. However, the surface routes are heavily patrolled, and the likelihood of escape without encountering hostile units is minimal. The underground may offer a stealthier path.”
I shook my head, the fear of what lurked in the shadows wrestling with the fear of what hunted in the light. "Can you do anything about those robots? Can you shut them down or something?"
A.C.E. paused, seemingly processing the query. “I may have limited influence over some older models through emergency maintenance protocols. I can attempt to disable or distract them as we progress, reducing the risk significantly.”
That was a sliver of hope, but it was better than none. "Okay, let’s say we try this. What’s the plan exactly?"
“We proceed cautiously,” A.C.E. replied. “I will lead and scan for any active machines. At my signal, we either avoid or I will attempt to deactivate them temporarily. It is imperative we maintain silence to avoid drawing attention.”
Gritting my teeth, I nodded, the decision heavy on my shoulders. “Alright, let’s do it. But at the first sign of trouble that you can’t handle, we go back. Agreed?”
“Agreed, sir,” A.C.E. affirmed, its voice steady and reassuring.
I followed the robot to the hatch, peering into the dark abyss below. With a deep breath, I grabbed the cold rungs of the ladder and started my descent, A.C.E. right behind me. The darkness enveloped us like a thick blanket, the only sounds being our movements and the distant, eerie echoes of the underground. I stepped to one side as A.C.E brushed past me and took point. With a click bright light, like that of a torch emanated from the robot’s head.
'This thing is pretty handy,' I thought as A.C.E. set off down the tunnel. I stayed close, and it wasn't long before A.C.E. detected a robot. It was a Harmonix model eight, lying on the floor. Before the Fall, this robot had been used for construction. They were slow-moving but could take a lot of punishment thanks to their titanium-cased rotund torsos. Its arms were long and detachable. This one had a drill and what looked like a pincher used for carrying heavy cargo attached. Its body was twisted and damaged and blocked most of the tunnel. A.C.E. stepped closer and scanned it. Suddenly, the Harmonix’s damaged circular headplate sparked into life and rotated to look straight at me.
"Hostil—" it was abruptly cut off as A.C.E. reached down and, with a satisfying crunch, crushed its head with its powerful hands, silencing its vocal processor. Next, with little effort, it lifted the now destroyed machine off the ground and moved it just enough to allow us to pass by. We continued and as we navigated through the tunnels, A.C.E.’s sensors were constantly scanning. Several times, we stopped, hiding in the shadows as A.C.E. detected the occasional patrolling robot. Each time one got too close, A.C.E. raised its hands and emitted a high-pitched sound that caused the robot to pause, flicker, and then power down, allowing us to move past silently. Very useful.
We pressed on until we reached a fork in the tunnel. A.C.E. scanned each.
"The left-hand tunnel appears to be clear. However, in the right-hand tunnel, I am detecting movement."
"Then we go left," I hissed in the dark, quiet confines.
"I suggest that you run, sir. The machines approaching are of the Robo-Rex line."
My eyes widened. "Oh shit."
The quadruped robots were something out of your worst nightmares. Initially designed to assist with a wide range of tasks like search and rescue or crowd control, these dog-like robots were fast and, once they locked onto a target, never stopped. To encounter one was bad enough, but several? I'd seen a pack of these things decimate an entire settlement before. I didn't want to get close to one ever again.
I picked up the pace and A.C.E was close behind me its eyes torches lighting the way ahead. We rounded a bend in the tunnel and then I heard it in the distance a chorus of distant robotic voices that echoed up the tunnel.
“HOSTILE DETECTED, ELIMINATE”
A.C.E. shifted into a brisk pace, pushing by me and leading us down the left-hand tunnel. The dim, flickering lights from its chassis barely illuminated the damp walls streaked with grime and old cables hanging loosely. The atmosphere grew tenser with each step, the silence punctuated only by our hurried footsteps and the distant, almost imperceptible whirring and clicking of machines hunting us. I could just imagine the robo dogs sprinting down the right hand tunnel, desperate to kill their prey.
"Keep moving, and stay alert," A.C.E. said, its voice a mechanical murmur that seemed to blend with the echoes of the tunnel. Despite its reassurances and capabilities, the fear of what was pursuing me in the right-hand tunnel gnawed at me. The Robo-Rex models were relentless, it wouldn’t be long before they caught up to us.
We reached an old maintenance door set into the side of the tunnel. "This door leads to a service shaft that connects to the surface. It’s less direct, but it should be safer," A.C.E. explained, scanning the rusty handle and the hinges with a blue light from its fingertip.
Quickly and quietly, A.C.E. managed to pry the door open, the rusted hinges groaning under the strain. We slipped through into the shaft, a vertical climb that looked daunting but represented our best shot at reaching the surface and escaping the Robo-Rexes. A.C.E. scanned the small room and moved to a large case affixed to the wall. On its surface, the faded letters ‘Auxiliary Drone’ were barely visible. A.C.E. ripped the case off the wall and opened it, revealing what looked like a semi-circular shaped piece of metal. With a click, it unfolded into a drone and then A.C.E. began to unspool a steel cable from underneath—no doubt originally intended for carrying building materials.
"This drone will help us ascend more quickly. Attach this to your belt," it instructed, handing me the sturdy cable.
As I strapped myself in, A.C.E. took out a small controller from the case that controlled the drone, which buzzed to life like a giant bee as it lifted slightly, testing its load. A.C.E grabbed a magnetic handle on the drone’s underbelly.
"Ready?" it asked, and at my nod, the drone powered up, ascending with surprising speed. Beneath us, the storage room’s door buckled inwards as the Robo-Rexes desperately tried to follow.
Ascending the shaft felt endless, a mix of adrenaline and fear fuelling me as I gripped the cable tightly. The drone’s motor was a reassuring hum above us, but the dread of what we had escaped—and what might still be following—loomed large in my mind.
We emerged into an abandoned building, the light of dawn creeping through broken windows and casting a pale glow. The drone moved to the side and hovered. I detached the cable, and A.C.E landed on its feet with a metallic thud.
“Thanks,” I said to the robot. It tilted its head.
“No need to thank me, sir. It was my pleasure.”
I couldn’t help but smirk at its politeness. I pointed to the drone. “Can you fold that thing up and put it in my pack? It could come in handy.”
“Of course, sir.”
A.C.E walked over and shoved the drone into my pack. It was surprisingly light.
“I suggest we leave this area, sir,” it said as the sounds of the Robo-Rexes drifted up from the shaft. We peered down it and I almost crapped my pants. Dozens of the robots were climbing the shaft, their pincer-like legs stabbing into the concrete for grip.
"We’re just on the outskirts now," A.C.E. confirmed, looking around and then back at me with its softly glowing blue eyes. "The forest is not far, just beyond that ridge. We can make it."
“Seal this hatch. I don’t want those things chasing us.”
“Acknowledged, sir.” A.C.E replied before slamming the heavy hatch shut. It then pointed an index finger at its edges and a white-hot flame appeared as it welded the hatch shut. Satisfied that it would buy us enough time to escape, we headed for the exit.
As we exited the building and made our way toward the dense tree line nearby, I couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of gratitude towards this new, unlikely ally.