Machine God: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller (25 page)

Well, it was better than getting lost in the tunnels. We followed the guiding arrows and reached the stairs. Found ourselves on the next floor. A gate slid sideways and ushered us in. 

Surreal. 

I readied my Dust Viper 15mm and pointed the firearm at the corridor before us. This place was definitely inhabited, and I wasn’t sure how friendly these people were. We traversed another section until we landed in a big chamber with iron walls. 

My heart elevated.

I knew this place.

For sure.

A beep beep sounded. 

Ann-Lyze and Naif stepped back.

Pixels glowed next to us and transformed into a little girl with crimson hair and gray military uniform.

“Yay, you’re back,” Konforma said.

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“And you brought your friends. The more, the merrier for the greater good. Yippie.”

I swore my heart was about to break from my chest. 

Ann-Lyze hit her forehead with her palm and experienced her very own eureka moment.

“Of course. We’re back at the Bulwark Cluster.”

“What?”

Only Naif seemed serene, but then again, I couldn’t see his facial response. 

“You led us all the way from the abandoned city to here.”

“That’s impossible. I had no idea. I was just following my instincts.”

It sounded like a protest, but I was just as flummoxed as them. I knew my intuition was swell, but this coincidence was bordering on the insane.

Ann-Lyze hugged me and cheered.

Even became a bit teary.

Happy as children.

If only for the moment.

I spun around and tried to grasp the reason behind all of this. Konforma saluted next to me and waited for another input.

I said,

“I really don’t understand.”

Naif patted my shoulder.

“Destiny, my brother. You were chosen.”

He came closer.

“There are no coincidences in the universe. Everything was orchestrated to create this very journey.”

“Orchestrated by who?”

I saw my reflection in the soldier’s face shield. 

Saw the mirror image of a clueless leader.

“You know the answer,” he said.

Konforma's squeaky voice sounded.

“I hate to break up your little jabber session, but there's something you need to know."

All eyes turned to the little holo projection.

"I can only imagine what you had to go through to reach our glorious Bulwark, but please don’t squander your resources just yet.”

Ann-Lyze grimaced.

I turned to the holographic girl and showcased my smile. Konforma still played her role, and I was beginning to love it.

“Why? Are you going to punish us with solitary confinement because we’re celebrating our survival?”

She closed her eyes and shook her oversized head.

“Nope. I just wanted to mention that our cluster has been compromised by the Technoids.”

Pause.

Followed by a longer pause.

Followed by utter bewilderment.

I said,

“Konforma. We fell through a hole during a digging session. Escaped a sandstorm. Ran through a tunnel with a wounded person. Surfaced again only to get ambushed by snipers and berserk shooters. We lost a friend. Stormed through the tunnels again until every fiber of our body screamed in pain. And now we’re back and you’re cranking jokes. Please don’t.”

I swore, everyone looked at me. 

But pushing these words out of my dry lips lightened my body. 

Konforma listened patiently and answered with visuals.

The wall-screens showed ten different camera views.

The commons.

Sky Gardens.

Cells. 

The main halls.

All of them: full of Bulwark hostages.

And dozens of Technoid troops patrolling the perimeter. Konforma, she looked at me with her serious face and said,

“Does this look like a joke to you?”

My spit tasted sour.

“What happened?”

“A Technoid commando had hijacked one of our Fireturtle APCs in the abandoned city and used it to infiltrate our hangar. They managed to bypass our security systems by using a superior's head to fool our metric scanners."

No rest for the restless.

I exchanged quick glances with my exhausted group. Ann-Lyze looked as if a wind blow would flip her over—she barely carried energy to comprehend my words. Only Naif's emotional state remained hidden, but even a soldier had to take a break.

“Looks like we’re not finished yet.”

Even though, body-wise, we were.

“Konforma, what’s the Bulwark’s status?”

“The cluster is on lockdown. 83% of the citizens are imprisoned in their cells, the rest is taken hostage or outside of the central cluster."

“Why don’t you do anything?”

“I’m an AI. I can use the system but don’t have any physical power.”

My eyes scanned every camera footage. At least three dozen Technoids took control of the main floors and patrolled the entrances. Most citizens were locked in their cells or stashed in the commons hall.

Konforma was right.

The Bulwark was on lockdown.

“Where’s Orden?”

“She and a handful of guards hide in the armory.”

I nodded. 

Soaked in the terrifying camera recordings and wiped my eyes. Four Technoid troopers used some kind of energy-based cutting device to burn through the armory's gate. 

Sparks flew high.

Inside the armory, I noticed Orden, two guards and tech-kid Glitch. Taking cover and preparing for the infiltration. 

“You’re not going to play hero again, are you?” Ann-Lyze said. 

“I don’t want to.”

I really didn’t.

Every bone in my body wanted to lie down and sink into the ground. My mind wanted to shut off and vaporize in nirvana. But my heart, well, it bumped harder when I saw the people that mattered to me.

Camera: D023—Glitch in the armory.

Camera: E028—Ceedee and Hecto in the commons hall.

My eyes turned back to  Ann-Lyze and Naif.

“We have been through hell and back, and I’m beyond asking for your help, but I’m going up there and fight these metal freaks."

They knew I would say that.

Ann-Lyze nodded, wiped the sweat and blood from her exhausted face.

“I’m not much of a soldier, but I’ll help you. You led us here, you can lead us out of this situation.”

Naif was last. All eyes focused on him. Despite the need, I didn’t want to force anyone.

“You don’t have to do this. There’s no obligation.”

He nodded.

“I admit, I have never met someone as remarkable as you.”

Break.

“You escaped the most horrendous situations, won the most unlikely gunfights and guided us back to the Bulwark. Destiny has clearly chosen you for a greater purpose, and today just marks the beginning.”

He paused, maybe for dramatic effect.

“I’d be honored to fight along your side."

I ignored the nonsensical destiny speak and welcomed him in. Truth was, I needed him more than anyone else in the team. 

This was a soldier's task.

“It’s a deal, then.”

My focus returned to Konforma.

“Listen up. Show me the safest route to the armory. We free that floor, weaponize, get Orden, the guards and Glitch and then liberate the commons hall. Once we got enough soldiers on our side, we’re taking back the cluster.”

Fear and exhaustion took a triple-back seat.

Only the mission remained.

But one more question needed to be answered.

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“Konforma, do you have control over every door in the cluster?”

“No. The Technoids have hacked into the grid system and control L4-L9 where the major facilities are located, including the hall with the armory, the commons and the R&D and engineering facilities. The upper levels, where the committee resides, has its own security network, which they haven’t breached so far. But with their advanced equipment, they’ll eventually break through the gates.”

Tough but manageable. 

The element of surprise was still on our side.

Us against a Technoid platoon?

Pure suicide, but if we reached the armory, we’d get to Orden, Glitch, four guards and enough firearms to start an urban war. Then we could advance toward the commons and free fifty soldiers and hundreds of citizens, which shifted the odds back in our favor.

Risky, but doable, if you were as delusional as me.

“Let’s not waste any second. Konforma, can you update the enemy positions via my commcuff?”

“Yes. I’ve reestablished the connection as we speak. And I’ve calculated the chances of your plan's success rate.”

“I’m not sure I want to know.”

“97% chance.”

“That’s incredibly optimistic.”

“Of failure,” she said.

“Oh. Thank tech I’m bad at math.”

I checked the Dust Viper 15mm and counted the bolts. One in the chamber, nine in the mag, so a total of ten that had to last till the armory. Which meant I had to aim for the Technoid’s face shields which carried the least amount of protection.

Challenge: accepted.

I turned to Naif.

The man I needed at my side.

When we both hushed through the doorframe, Konforma locked down the gate behind us.

Ann-Lyze on the other side hammered her hands against the steel frame. 

It was soundless, so she talked to me via the commcuff.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m sorry. But it’s safer for you stay here. Besides, you would only get in my way. This is a soldier’s job.”

She protested, but I ignored her. 

Emotions had no place in the upcoming battle.

With the little strength left, I had to focus on the essential.

Liberate my friends.

Dispose of the Technoids.

And tell that AI what to do.

“Konforma, show me the fastest staircase way to the armory floor. Warn me of nearby hostiles.”

“Yes sir.”

It was good to see her cooperating. Maybe her programming changed according to the gravity of the situation. With her control over the cameras within the cluster, she was the perfect source of intel.

My little digital spy.

Naif followed me to the staircase.

We boosted up the metal steps while making as little noise as possible.

“Four more floors to go,” Konforma said.

“Roger.”

“Can you keep up?” I said to the soldier.

“For you, I will.”

The man had changed by 180 degrees during the last days. His initial hostility had swapped to admiration.

Not sure which version I preferred, but at least he didn’t protest my orders.

“One more level to go. I’m detecting two Technoids guarding the entrance to the armory floor.”

Crap.

We paused our run and tiptoed up the next steps. I readied my Dust Viper and looked around the mid-section. One guard patrolled the space before the entrance. I stepped back and pushed against the wall.

One shot on our side would scare up the freaks.

Couldn’t risk that yet.

“I have an idea,” Naif said. “I lure him around the corner, you take him out from behind. If you can rip out a Technoid arm, you surely can choke him with minimal noise. Am I right?”

He was.

And his little plan made sense.

“What if he shoots you first?”

“He won’t, I'm pretty fast. Trust me on this one.”

I doubted his confidence, but this wasn’t the time for psycho-therapy.

“Let’s do it.”

“Take position.”

He walked around the plateau in the mid-section of the staircase, stood still and held his hands up high, as if to give himself in. I expected the Technoid to hole him with bullets, but instead, he walked down and approached the soldier.

My luck. 

With my back pushed against the wall, I peeked around the corner and approached the Technoid with his rear turned to me. I swung my arm around his protected neck and choked him. Pretended my limbs were reinforced steel pillars and pushed with all my might.

The Technoid resisted.

Staggered backwards and rammed me into the staircase wall.

Still, I held steady. 

Any screwup on my end would seal the destiny of the Bulwark citizens.

Couldn’t let that happen under any circumstances. 

So I ignored the pain of the revolting Technoid and squeezed his armored neck till it cracked like a porous board. Slammed the sucker to the ground and twisted his head.

Snap.

Naif watched me with awe, judging from his pose.

“You’re a machine.”

“I think it’s the other way around.”

My gut reaction was to snatch the fallen Technoid’s rifle, but then I remembered it was merged with his arm. I kept on forgetting that, because it seemed so surreal.

“Konforma, update me on the nearest Technoid.”

“He has noticed something’s wrong and marches down the stairs. Contact in T-minus five seconds.”

Damn. 

No time for tactics.

I burst around the corner, aimed in a nano-second and pulled the trigger.

The bolts penetrated the front of his helmet. The Technoid tumbled down the stairs.

“Move up.”

We stormed toward the entrance and peeked through the doorframe. Four Technoids took position in front of the armory’s reinforced gate and melded the first hull layer. Their cutting tools were so loud, they had overshadowed our gunshots. Which meant the surprise element was still on our side.

“Give me your splitter grenade.”

Naif handed me the device over without objection.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“You look ready.”

I pulled the pin with my left hand, threw the explosive with an overhand motion and ducked in the staircase wall. 

Say boom, baby.

The splitter grenade detonated and blew shrapnels into all wind directions. 

The ear-deafening sound echoed through the hall.

Two seconds later, I stormed into the hall and aimed at the survivors. Two were taken down by the blast, one crawled away, a dark crimson liquid leaking from his armor. The other staggered and regained his balance.