Deliver Us Huis

And I would be sure to return the favor.

We flew for what felt like hours. When Petrus finally started bringing the speeder down I dared to look around and see where we were.

Out the windows of the speeder I saw cold hard cement. In the middle of an empty speederlot there stood a dark rusting stone warehouse. It looked dismal, depressing, and sad.

I clutched the precious command computer to my chest as we exited the speeder and walked towards the abandoned building.

It was the only thing that controlled the Anthrolems, it was my only way out of this warehouse and back into the grandeur that was to be our future. If only we could make it that far.

Petrus went ahead of me and squeaked open a side door. I walked in to hear my footsteps echoing through the huge interior. But the warehouse wasn’t empty.

Petrus clapped and lights came on revealing… Anthrolems. Thousands of them.

They stood in perfect rows, a foreboding army stretching through the vast interior of the warehouse. All powered down, staring straight ahead. A lifeless army, my army.

They were awaiting command, and it was time they had a commander.

I lifted my chin and surveyed their ranks.

“Petrus,” I said, “Is there any way to connect the computer and save any of my remaining assets?”

Petrus nodded, taking the computer from me, “On it.”

I then led myself on a tour of the interior of the warehouse. It was obviously the place where Petrus and Nickolai had been producing the Anthrolems.

Nickolai.

I ran to Petrus where he sat at the computer, “Was Nickolai in the house when it crashed? Did he survive?”

His back stiffened, and then his voice came, slow and broken, “No. No he didn’t.”

I wrapped my arms around him and said, “I’m sorry. I’m very sorry for your loss.”

He turned and looked me in the eye, “For my loss?” Then slowly, “Did he mean nothing to you?”

I shook my head, “No, he was my friend. But he was your brother. Brothers are irreplaceable. I mourn for you and your loss more than my own.”

He nodded and slowly turned back to his computer.

I turned and surveyed our army. I thought of all the pain those crowds had caused. The deaths of both Caliban and Nickolai. I placed my hand on Petrus’s shoulder.

“I think we need to let these Class C’s go on a test run, don’t you?” My voice hardened, “Send ten Class C’s to destroy any of the crowd still at the ruins of my house with our most cordial greetings.”

“Ten?” Petrus said, “It would only take three to…”

“Kill them?” I finished, “Yes, but I don’t just want to kill them. I want to watch them suffer the way they made O’Malley suffer. I want them in pain rueing the day they crossed us. After that, then they may die.”

Petrus wordlessly turned back to the computer. A moment later three Class C’s rose and flew out the broken skylight on the roof, their eyes glowing red.

“Watch to see that the task is done, then come see me,” I said, “We have business to discuss.”

I marched off to where a rickety set of stairs led to what looked to be the only room in the warehouse, a large office like room with a long glass window that oversaw the floor below.

Entering I found a dark wooden room. There was a desk in the middle, and random bits of paper and metal trash littered the room.

In disgust I turned to look out the window at my army. I felt a twisted sort of pleasure surveying their orderly ranks. Knowing that I controlled these machines.

Then my gaze fell upon the window I looked out of. My reflection looked back at me, my features hard and stern. But the one thing that interested me were my eyes.

Looking back at me they remained a hard and glowing red. I took a deep breath and tried to think of nothing, exhaling I opened my eyes again and looked in my reflection. Usually this would change my eye color back, but this time my eyes stayed the same unwavering red.

I turned away from the window back on the dirty room. I wouldn’t let my eye color bother me. I wouldn’t let anything bother me. Not anymore. I opened the door and walked briskly down the creaking stairs. I walked over to a Class A and clapped. It’s blue retina display glowed.

“You, clean that room.” I said, pointing. It moved off.

I clapped again, “You, clear this warehouse of everything old, not placed here in the last 20 days.”

“And you,” Another Anthrolem’s blue eyes lit up, “I want you and these two others…” I clapped and two other figures stepped forward, “To go find the best computing system you can and take it, whatever you need to do that. Just make sure you aren’t traced back here. If anyone tries to follow you, lose them or kill them.”

As they marched off I nodded, it was about time we got serious. By next week I wanted to be living in the Capitol building, no exceptions.

I was sitting in the only chair in front of the newly polished desk when Petrus strided in.

“Most of your accounts have been secured. The security encryption held up well and almost all of your assets have been recovered. They are now in an untraceable account.”

I nodded, “Excellent, though what we need now is a plan.”

I pulled out my computer and said, “My goal is to be in the Capitol building by next week. We’ll takeover there first, then spread out quickly, conquest style. Once we’ve destroyed any opposition in one city we can go on to the next with just a few Anthrolems to keep the rest of the city quiet. Any more resistance from that city we can easily retaliate.”

“Even if we had one kind of Anthrolem in every city, together they would be able to destroy the city in a space of a day, provided they weren’t shut down.” Petrsu said.

“With us supervising from the Capitol we can move these Anthrolems around with ease. Retaliation in a city? Simple. The Class C finds and destroys the leader, the Class B starts blowing up buildings, or armies, and the Class A paralyses anyone who comes close to the Class B. All riots can be turned down in a matter of hours.”

Petrus nodded, “In the case of open war?”

“We march against Any army. Class B’s can sweep through any resistance, Class A’s making sure they aren’t shut down, Class C’s taking out the leaders.”

“So once we have the Capitol building we declare rule, gradually extend, any opposition is killed?”

“Exactly,” I nodded, “Hopefully they’ll realise after the first few cities are blown to bits that opposition is futile. Either way we’ve got the power, if used strategically, that will enable us to take over. How many Anthrolems do we have now after our production increase?”

“We were able to increase production so that we now have two thousand Class A’s, three thousand B’s, and one hundred and fifty C’s.”

“It shall be sufficient.” I said, “Now we just need to plan our attack and declaration of rule over the Capital. Once we are settled there everything should fall into place nicely.”

“But first,” Petrus said, “Could, we get some chairs? I know we’re known criminals and all, but we deserve basic furniture in our evil lair. And some beds wouldn’t be bad since we’ll be here the next few days. Not to mention this criminal is craving pie…”

I rolled my eyes, “Fine. If you’re sure the account number is secure I’ll send some Anthrolems shopping. They were made to blend in, so hopefully some country bumpkins won’t notice anything off, but if you get the Planet Guard called on us…”

“I’ll fix it.” Petrus promised.

“That’s what you said last time,” I muttered.

“But this time I promise.” Petrus said, in a mocking voice, “And you can’t break promises.”

“You’re dismissed!” I said, chucking a wad of paper at him, playfully, “Begone!”

He ducked out of the room only to poke his head back in, “You know, you should really do something about those eyes, they make you look evil or something.” He winked and left.

He might have only been joking, but that word evil hit me.

I wasn’t being evil… I was just doing something that would eventually benefit everyone. So what if it was what I really wanted. It would turn out to be mutually beneficial…

Eventually.