Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14
Part 15
Part 16
Part 17
Part 18
Part 19
Part 20
Part 21
Part 22
Part 23
Part 24
Part 25
Part 26
Part 27
Part 28
Part 29
Part 30
Part 31
Part 32
Part 33
Part 34
Part 35
Part 36
Part 37
Part 38
Part 39
Part 40
Part 41
Part 42
Part 43
Part 44
Part 45
Part 46
When the minigun ceased spitting fire, spinning down to a halt as the men operating it whooped and hollered with relief, I realized the gunshots were now all coming from the far side of the compound. Gunshots, and panicked shouting.
Madeline rushed around the lodge towards the commotion, as did the six man team, minigun in tow. Another breach! The pair with the minigun went about setting it up again, but not nearly fast enough. The first man whose ammunition ran dry was seized by a ragged but still functioning military robot, which promptly crushed his throat.
Another fellow managed to reload and bring his weapon to bear in time to avoid the same fate, spraying bullets into the bulky, tan humanoid’s mid mounted battery pack. The armor held out for the first couple of shots, then failed spectacularly.
It toppled forwards, pinning the legs man who scrapped it. He howled in pain, begging to be pulled free. A buddy of his rushed to his side and struggled with him to roll the heavy mass off him. That’s when the next military robot stepped through the gap in the fence, broke one man’s neck with a single punch, then casually crushed the pinned fellow’s throat.
Reinforcements arrived from the front. Too little, too late. The robots, having achieved critical mass, now streamed in through the fresh opening. Single file, silently advancing, killing anybody within reach in whatever manner they concluded would be quickest.
I backed away on the verge of dry heaving. It’s nothing like the movies, where the robot throws you into one stack of boxes after the next like a cat toying with its prey. Instead the instant they got ahold of someone, death immediately followed either by crushed throat or broken neck.
They don’t even pause afterwards, it’s just one after the next. Anywhere men lay inured, robots silently approached, knelt, then finished them off before abruptly moving on to the next target. It then turned to face me, and began to advance.
I stood there frozen in my tracks. I willed my body to move but the mutinous thing wouldn’t obey. Just as it was nearly on top of me, open hand outstretched towards my throat, its head came apart. The injury stunned but didn’t stop it.
I fell backwards, scooting away from it but never taking my eyes off the now headless creature as Helper put round after round through it. The exit wounds bled lubricant, fitful bursts of sparks and acrid smoke with a familiar scent.
I rolled out of the way as it fell forward, upper body shell coming apart into several pieces on impact. It caught fire as I scrambled to my feet and sought out Madeline. She was arguing with Big Red about something or other as the last of his men rained bullets on a swarm of military humanoids, now inside the fence, using our own cover against us.
I shouted at Big Red for direction. “FALL BACK!” He barked. “EVERYBODY UNDERGROUND!” The sturdy wooden walls of the lodge might’ve kept out domestics, but it would offer little to no protection against armed military robots able to see our heat signatures from outside.
I joined Madeline and the remains of Big Red’s militia in concentrating gunfire on the advancing horde as we backed our way into the lodge. Madeline slammed and locked the front door. Not sure why, it would buy us an additional four or five seconds at best.
I called out to Helper, still sniping upstairs. A moment later she bounded down the steps, rifle slung over her shoulder. “Did I do a good job?” Of all the times to ask! I hurried her towards the back of the lodge, hot on the tail of Big Red and Madeline.
The hatch to the concrete stairwell looked to be made from an inch thick slab of solid steel. Something like the internal hatches of a submarine, locked or unlocked by a wheel mounted to the inside surface. Once we were all inside and on our way down the stairwell I saw Big Red scope out the darkened interior of the lodge one last time.
A bullet sailed through the open hatch and dislodged a chunk of concrete behind him. He yelped, then hurriedly pulled the hatch shut and spun the wheel until secure. No sooner did he finish than the metal rang with ricochets. Bullets striking the other side but failing to penetrate, though for how long I couldn’t say.
“They don’t have anything that can puncture steel that thick, surely?” Big Red answered that he had no idea. That when we retreated into the lodge there were still more robots coming out of the woods, and in all possibility some of them might carry explosives.
We descended the rickety metal stairs into the bunker, metallic plings of bullets striking the hatch growing fainter. As if the problem would vanish once we could no longer hear it. There’s no escape, I realized. We’d put all our eggs in one basket. A basket with but a single point of entry and exit!
There was at least a second hatch at the bottom of the stairwell, though if they had the means to breach the first they would surely have the means to breach a second. Any way I looked at it, we were trapped like rats.
I counted the survivors. Nine remaining men not counting Lars, Big Red or myself. The women and children were sent down here the moment the incoming robots were spotted, a decision consistent with what I knew of Big Red’s mindset but also one I couldn’t bring myself to argue with right then.
I passed chamber after chamber lined with foam padded bunks on which children fearfully huddled, their mothers reassuring them that the men will take care of everything. Lying through their teeth the way parents often do in situations beyond their control, to at least spare their children the same gut wrenching terror that they’re struggling to conceal.
Dust fell from the ceiling and the lights flickered. We all stood still and held our breath. The layer of dirt above was just thin enough that I could faintly hear footsteps, floorboards creaking under the weight of so many robots.
The lights flickered again, and I briefly wondered whether the author of the virus might’ve had the foresight to include special instructions for blocking the air intakes of buried bunkers. When I asked Big Red he assured me there were multiple intake pipes, the openings disguised as plants and that in the event that the intake fans fail, there was a bicycle operated pump we could take turns on.
I took the opportunity to thank him again for taking us in, now feeling ungrateful for scorning his attitude earlier. If not for this bunker, we’d be dead. Lars, Madeline and I would be upstairs now, choking down our last breath through crushed windpipes or waiting in some pitch black, locked room for the marauding machines to bust in and snap our necks.
“Not at all son, you did alright out there.” Helper added to the praise, then leaned in and pecked my cheek. Big Red frowned. “...Been meaning to talk to you about your robot though. It looks like we’re gonna be stuck down here for a while. I’d appreciate it if you two could keep the weird shit to a minimum, I don’t wanna see that.”
I told him we were simply both scared, and relieved that the other hadn’t come to harm. “Hey, I’m scared too” Big Red quipped. “Of watchin’ you play grabass with that thing for the next couple hours. I don’t need that right now. For all we know, this whole mess is a judgement from God for that sorta behavior.”
I asked him which specific verse prohibits relationships between humans and machines. He heaved out a deep, disgusted sigh. Then he sat down next to me and began to give me a spiel. “Look. You’ve done right by me for the most part. You dress funny but I’m sure you got reasons. I don’t care much about that. What I care about is, I need to know you’re a strong Christian man.”
The way he stressed those last three words led me to suspect it’s code for something unspoken, but which I could guess at the nature of. I told him I didn’t mean to step on his toes, and that there’s nothing I have to say on the topic that he would like.
“Don’t you get out the nice doilies for me. You give me too little credit if you think I can’t stand to hear something I disagree with. You don’t successfully guide, comfort and organize loads of scared, hungry people by refusing to listen to them except when they blow smoke up your ass. Lay it on me.”
Stay Tuned for Part 48!
this minigun stopped the robots to advance... Big red think you for sharing
Unfortunately neither this minigun stopped the robots to advance. They breached the fence and now they are heading his direction. Their only choice is to head to the underground. Unfortunately, they all know it’s only temporarily, except for children, who were assured everything will be just fine😞.
Their conversation when it comes to Christianity didn’t surprise me at all. Non Christian don’t like Christians because they have a different view. At the end we are all just a humans. Who are we to judge anyone? I don’t! At least I’m trying to do my best not to.
Alex that more complicated situation in which our friends have been, there must be some way or explosive to get out of there.
Big Red is a great guy, I really like his character.
I'm dying to continue reading.
What if robots dominate humans. It's a thing to concern.
This episode is the best so far. Sh*t is actioned packed. Reading it, to me, is like play Call of Duty. This is good stuff you've got going here @alexbeyman
The robots can outrun the humans in every field but they can never out smart humans. So we have the upper edge
Domestic robots are a little easier to evade for their few avilities in combat, but nothing compares to military humanoids, which are strongly dangerous in their normal state, imagine with a virus that alters all its functions by skipping its restrictions, without fear to hurt people, animals or any living being. Where it is necessary to have the greatest caution and this bit network that many would say is crazy for making an underground bunker and more to take any precaution such as the bicycle that can generate some oxygen if they cover the air inlets that come out the surface. Bit network you are great all those people are saved now thanks you.
It is the least you could do to thank the big network, to see offered to stay, imagine you are wandering around with these loose robots, you had a bit of luck because the robot could not catch you well because you were not there to tell. Fortunately, there was that bunker because the cabin had already been destroyed. You know how to behave and tell helper to calm down his desire, "There are children at home."
Where is lars?
the robots detect people so they are easier to attack and men felt like trapped rats you can see that the robots had more agility and speed than men so much that they cornered them in an underground ship
the relationship between man and the robot was created a war in which man is harmed because the robot has more agility and speed than the man so much that I caught him to see it
Big red there did save u from the wrath... They were coming so hard... Had there not been multiple intake pipes, it would had been a severe problem...
As i have already mentioned in your previous parts of little robot that little robot us becoming intresting part to part..
This time there is new charater Big red, he really did a great effort to accomplish
his jod with helper to save madeline..
There is god please contain the moment is not to be things, I think that the moment to ask Mr. bit network that thinks about their relationship, things are a little tense and he also respects you as a man and the decisions you make will be things of yours, but you still wait for the approval of the people to follow with helper, and I am glad they are safe and it was not one of you who stopped breathing up there.
Veteran of war had to be, their ideas and precautions are something that not many would have, look at those details simple years but very important as the entrance of air camouflaged with plast, of course that is one of the first objectives of robots or of the naciera in covering the nitrada of air towards the bunkers, they would not be eliminating one but a whole group of people in one place.