Escape from Metal

Location: Outskirts of the slaver camp.

The advanced hunters ran as fast as they could. Ducking, diving and weaving between the debris of the deteriorating buildings. They were hot on the heels of Gwen and Akilina.

During the extraction of Gwen’s sister communication was lost with the rebel base. They assumed that it had been overrun by the machines. So, they decided to meet them at the rendezvous point. Only problem was is Jake was still unconscious and so was Gwen’s sister and no transport would be able to pick them up, not this time.

Gwen insisted that she carry both Jake and her sister because her enhanced body enabled her to carry much heavier loads with ease. Akilina being as stubborn as usual insisted she should least carry Gwen’s sister, seeing that she is much light. Gwen reluctantly agreed.

However not too long after they had left the spire Akilina spotted advanced hunters in the distance. Like wild animals waiting to strike their prey.

They quickly took the hint and started running as fast as they could to the rendezvous.

“Bet you wish you let me carry both of them now?” Gwen said as she zig-zagged between debris.

“I can handle myself just as well as you can.” Akilina said struggling to speak and run at the same time.

Gwen just gave Akilina a smirk.

“We should stop up ahead we won’t be able to outrun them for much longer.” Akilina said as she slowed down her pace.

They stopped in a somewhat enclosed area with a degrading roof above them and walls with several large holes in them.

“Over there.” Gwen said pointing to a protruding piece of metal.

“If we really want to fight them now, we should put them behind some cover.”

“Good idea.” Akilina said as she carefully laid down Gwen’s sister next to Jake.

“Is your coilgun ready?”

“Of course, robo girl, is your bow?”

“Of course.” Gwen said as she narrowed her eyes.

The hunters had arrived.

“There’s only two of them. They must think we aren’t that important of a target.”

Instead of a firing one of her arrows at the hunters Gwen charged at them with her bare hands.

“What the hell are you doing?” Akilina said as she started charging her coilgun.

Even the hunters seemed slightly confused by Gwen’s actions. They were not used to their prey running towards them. Gwen had figured out after the last fight with the sentinel that her strength far exceeded most machines on this planet. These hunters should be no problem for her to deal with, two quick punches and it should be over.

Gwen skidded next to the hunter closest to her and lunged upwards as she punched it. Instead of the hunter’s head flying off into the distance. She was met with a dull thud. The hunter slowly turned its head to stare directly into her eyes.

The hunter slashed at her. Gwen dodged the hunters blow but in doing so she unbalanced herself, tripped and fell on her back.

The hunter loomed over her. Ready to end their chase. Winding back its four arms as it prepared to cut through her. Akilina fired a fully charged shot at the hunter, but the advanced hunters armour composite simply absorbed the shot like it was nothing. Akilina fired a shot again, nothing. She fired again this time not fully charged nothing.

Gwen knew what would happen next. She was going to die. This was not some fairy tale where someone sweeps in and saves the day. As much as she would have liked that. Anything to be on a normal planet with trees, grass and birds.

Gwen closed her eyes. Waiting. Nothing.

Then a loud thunk of metal.

Gwen opened her eyes and looked where the hunter used to be standing. Except it was no longer standing. Both hunters were lying on their backs. Unmoving and with no red eyes to be seen, only empty heads.

“What kind of shot did you fire at them?” Gwen asked Akilina.

“Nothing different than usual but there’s no way I could have done that. I mean I could have if I had more time, but I was only firing at the hunter in front of you. I couldn’t have you stealing my kills. Obviously, I wouldn’t try to save a robo girl like you. Speaking of which what was with that weak punch? Did you forget to change your batteries.”

“Not sure if I am being honest but we should probably get moving. Not sure if these things are going to stay down.”

A half an hour later they had reached the outskirts of the slaver camp. By the looks of things Dan and the other rebels had already reached the camp. There had been a battle outside the camp by the looks of things. A few downed machines. Some of them caught on fire and injured people being treated. It reminded Gwen a lot of the initial outbreak of the rebellion.

Gwen and Akilina both still carrying Jake and Gwen’s sister went around asking whoever they could where Dan was but no one seemed sure. Just pointing in a vague direction.

They followed the vague directions given trying to squeeze past the bustling of people moving supplies and medics treating the wounded. The battle had certainly taken its toll. People yelling and waving trying to get everything done as quick as possible. Unfamiliar faces rushed passed them.

When they were finally able to get inside the camp, there was quite the racket. All the slaves that were left after the self-proclaimed slave queen had implemented a scorch earth tactic after Gwens escape.

The slaves were uneasy with this new group of people coming to take over the camp. They were all huddle in a massive crowd talking and by the looks of it ready to fight the rebels. They didn’t trust anyone, not after they had been slaves so long.

There on the edge of the pit Gwen saw a figure of a man standing. Staring into the distance. Dan.

Gwen and Akilina walked over to Dan but as soon as the slaves. Now ex slaves noticed them. Their uneasy talks changed into soft whispers. Gwen and Akilina stopped wondering what had happened.

This awkward and somewhat exchange lasted for a few seconds.

Then as if a wave building to its peak cheering started. First one slave then another and another. Until all the slaves were cheering. They started chanting. “Iron angle, iron angle, iron angle.” Over and over again.

“Looks like they are talking about you robo girl, you must have made quite the impression on them.” Akilina said.

After the cheering had calmed down Gwen and Akilina made their way over to Dan.

“Looks like you did some pretty impressive things here, Gwen.” Dan said as they approached.

“I did what I had to escape.”

“I talked to some of the locals here. They said you faced the queen of tyranny and won. Apparently, you held back an invasion class Tripod with your bare hands, broke its leg off and rode into the sunset.”

“Well, you know how people tend to exaggerate.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter.” Dan said breaking his gave from the tower in the centre of the camp. “All’s well ends well, right? Onto more important matters I assume by the state of your sister that the operation was successful.”

“Yes, it was. Thanks to Akilina and Jake. Jake has been severely injured though can you have someone tend to him?”

“Of course.” Dan said calling over a medic.

“My sister is still recovering from the extraction process, and it would be best if someone was sent to retrieve the additional consciousness they are still in the tower.”

“Of course, Akilina can you take a few men with you and go get them, take the transport.”

“I’m on it.”

After Akilina had left a massive ship appeared above the slaver camp, its shadow engulfed the entire camp. It seemed to be a machine ship and a brand new one at that. Fear raged through the camp. Extermination was certain with this kind of vessel. Similar to the ships used in the outer colony wars except much more advanced.

Dans communicator was beeping, an incoming communication on a unknown frequency.

“Who is this?”

“What it’s your old buddy your old pal Ben.”

“We are kind of in a crisis Ben this isn’t the time for jokes.”

“What aren’t you happy I brought you a ship, one that’s cable of traveling faster than light.”

“You… you what. That’s you above the slave camp? You brought us a ship with a star storm drive? You are one crazy man, how did you get it.” Dan said quite happy about the situation.

“Well.” Ben said as his voice turned sombre. “Sol found it and told us where to get it, but she was determined to get the machine behind all this we… we couldn’t stop her and the price for something that important was a life. She’s the reason all the machines went offline, they’ll probably come online again as rouge machines, but they are much easier to deal with.”

“I’m sorry Ben. I guess she wanted to make sure she did something commendable in her life.”

“Only problem is this ship is built mostly for machines, there’s barely enough facilities for one person on this ship never mind hundreds of them.”

Dans smile dropped.

“Are you saying we still have to build this junker ship? With the temperature dropping there is no way we can get it done in time.”

“I may have a solution to that and a bit of a crazy plan to go along with it.”

Turns out Ben had found a device similar to the relay units. It could transmit orders to machines, and it seemed to have a fairly large range.

Ben and Lee decided it would be best to continue the conversation on the ground instead of talking over a static filled communicator. Most of these FTL cable ships would have some form of interplanetary transports. This one was no except, much like the one the rebels were using.

“You were right your plan is crazy.”

“I understand your hesitance but according to the slaves they lost about half their workforce after Gwen had escaped. Seems the queen of slaves or whatever they call her went a bit off her rocker and started killing a lot of the slaves. We don’t even know if all of them want to help us. We can’t force them otherwise we will be no better than the slavers.”

“But still, we don’t even know if this knockoff relay device works. Do you even know how to control it, Ben? If you slip up for a moment, just a moment it would be a death sentence for everyone here. No one here wants another battle or another dead friend we’ve been through enough already.”

“How about this.” Ben said turning to the Tripod of which Gwen had torn off one of its legs. The Tripod now immobile and not a very big threat.

“That Tripod, even though it’s an invasion class its basically useless without one of its legs. Im aware it still has its guns but it’s the easiest machine to test this one.”

“Why don’t we just test it on one of those you brought with you.” Dan asked.

“How would you like your mind to be hijacked and told what to do without your say-so?”

“Point taken. Alright if everyone else is in agreement we can do a small test.” Dan said looking over at Akilina, Lee and Gwen.

No one protested.

Ben quickly turned on the mobile relay. He scanned the immediate area for the Tripods frequency. Success, it connected. The red eye of the Tripod came to life and whatever machinery sufficed for its engine burst to life.

“Invasion class number 302185: Online.

Status: Damaged... Immobile.

Orders: None… Standing By.”

“There you have it, it works but just for in case I’m going to turn it off. It has got pretty big guns.”

“That would be a good idea.” Dan said. “You can proceed with your crazy plane now. Don’t get us killed.”

Ben’s plan in essence was a bit crazy. Their biggest problem right now was the impending cold. It was going to kill them pretty quickly and they didn’t have enough supplies to keep themselves and the slaves warm.

Deep in the depths of this planet. The graveyard stricken with the abandoned, forgotten and insane. The place were machines died. The pit twisted and turned, past the barrier that kept all inside of it. It is from there where Ben survived against impossible odds. It is there where he conquered impossible odds and it is there where their salvation lay.

An ocean of uncountable machines drifted in the rotting core of this planet. Purposeless and meaningless. Decaying ever so slowly. Wishing for any end that would be quicker. Now discounted from the network after Sol’s actions. Now they had no one to think for them, no one to share information with. They wandered aimlessly. Searching for parts to keep them going. Not because they wanted to keep surviving but because something in there programming compelled them to do so.

With the relay perhaps Ben could give them one last sense of purpose. With an endless stream of machines at his command he could replace the lost slave’s capacity far beyond what it originally was and far beyond its original efficiency.

Ben activated the device, connecting to all the machines that were still functional in the sea of lights. Only those within a 50km radius of the device. If Ben wanted to extend the range even further, he would have had to setup more devices in tandem with this relay device. Each controlling their own sector.

About a dozen minutes or so later there was a faint rumbling in the distance and a faint line on the horizon, growing larger and louder as each minute passed.

Then from the opposite direction another line in the distance and from another direction. Until the line could be seen from all sides.

Another dozen minutes later and the pebbles on the ground started to bounce. The dome of the pit started to tremble. Small loose objects hopped around, and everyone stopped to move outside to see what was happening.

Even Ben had not imagined this many machines would answer his call. All of them called out of their darkness and given purpose once more.

Not too long later all the machines stood around the slave camp. Watching and waiting for orders. Some barely functional as they fell apart where they stood. Others still in pristine condition.

Ben although slightly terrified at the prospect of controlling an army of all sorts of machines, started to instruct them to assemble their junker ship. The machines quickly started moving towards the hanging pieces of the ship. Like ants they worked in unison without a word between them.

The slavers and the rebels stood aside not sure what to make of the machines helping them but could not deny that without them they would most assuredly not finish in time.

The slaver camp had morphed into a semblance of the factories that used to exist before they were taken. Not the factories on well off worlds, the factories on worlds that were barely clinging on. Their workforce was not automated machinery but people. Sparks would fly everywhere, people covered in grim and the constant bustling of workers moving around.

This was much like machines bustling, the slaves and the rebels would help here and there but mostly with giving direction and orders.

“Dan.” Ben said walking up to Dan. “We’ve finished most of the ships construction and only have two main bodies left to connect but we don’t have the precision machines to do that. Well, we do but we need permission to use it.”

“Ben, why are you trying to ask machines for permission?”

“Its B.T. he’s a loader model but technically only the control unit. Basically, he has to climb inside a bigger shell of himself except with arms.”

“Well, what are you standing around here for get it done. Surely B.T. will understand if we don’t get out of here, we are dead.”

After some back and forth with B.T. he agreed to help them

. With Nio as the translator of course. There was not much to understand with B.T.’s deep beeping noises.

The shell B.T. had to get into was much like B.T.s own body. Much larger however and complete with arms. The shells were mainly used for loading and moving of bigger objects. Many of them were present in the early days after the people were taken. Mainly to assist with the building of the spires but since the invention of the maintenance bots were not as needed.

B.T. in his much larger upgraded version now approached the ship slowly putting his enormous hands on each segment of the ship. Slowly bringing them together. The other machines standing on the precipice of each side. Welding and doing whatever other work that was required of them to finally connect the ship.

The ship was now ready. Only a few hours remained before the temperature levels would drop to a low beyond what they could sustain.

“What’s next?” Gwen asked Dan.

“Only one thing left to do.” Dan said as he stood on a podium gathering all the slaves and rebels around him.

“With the help of the machines and all your efforts over the last couple of months since we rebelled, we have finished a FTL cable ship. Now I know some of you may have been wondering why not use the one already hovering above us. Unfortunately, the machines built it so that it could not support more than one person on the ship. However, we have designated someone to direct the ship, I use the word direct because according to our analysis the ship is capable of flying itself with as little as vague instructions from the person flying it. The heads of the rebels and myself included have had a meeting to discuss who will be flying the ship and after some debate we decided Ben he who is most familiar with machines will be the one flying it.”

Some hushed whispers and short conversations floated throughout the crowd.

“But I am not here to tell you what to do. I am not here to be like those who came before us and told you to follow me while I sit back and watch. So, I offer everyone here a choice machine, rebel and slaves alike. Come with me on the junker ship or stay here. A warning to those who stay you will die before the day ends.”

“Why would you give us a choice like that?” Someone yelled from the crowd.

“Because I was not given a choice in my life before we were taken. We leave in half an hour. For those who want to follow take your belongings and board the ship.”

The inside of the cockpit of the ship was reasonable spacious. Having stations for the captain, navigator, tactical officer and various other roles. Gwen’s sister all though considered the pilot of the ship acted more like an interface. Relaying commands from the crew to the ships almost alien language.

“Systems check.” Dan said as some piping above him blew out some steam.

“Checking systems, all systems green.” Gwen said.

Dan had appointed her head of the engineering console owing to her ability to think quickly, remember and understand almost anything she encountered.

Akilina although begrudgingly so excepted the tactical officer’s post.

“Navigator, engage engines and prepare for launch.”

“Aye Captain, preparing engines for launch.”

The navigator pressed several buttons on the mismatched consoles.

The ships poorly aligned and misshaped engines sputtered to life but quickly turned off.

“False start, restarting engines.”

The engines once again sputter to life and burst into action as they roared.

“Disengage from clamps and prepare to move out of the doom into the upper atmosphere.”

The ship slowly moved forwards as it ripped off the clamps that was holding the ship in place. They had no time to implement systems for an auto release, but this would have to do.

Gwen had access to a small console on her dash that allowed her to access various cameras throughout the ship, one of them included an exterior camera. Gwen switched to it and watched as they slowly drifted away from the few that decided to stay behind. She would never be sure why they stayed perhaps they left someone behind and could not go on without them. Perhaps they were simple tired of living. Nonetheless by nightfall the hyperthermia would start.

Even though Gwen felt some sort of distance sadness for those they left behind. Her mind kept drifting back to Jake. Even though he had been stabilised he never woke up. The local medic told Gwen what she already knew to be true. Jake was in a coma, and they couldn’t tell when he would wake up. Not with the equipment they had here. For now, though they kept him in the ships medical ward.

“Entering upper atmosphere, Captain.”

“Excellent, comms contact Ben and tell him to form up on us.”

“Aye Captain.” The comms officer said as they contacted Ben’s ship. “Positive confirmation from Captain Ben, sir.”

“Alright put me on the ship’s internal comms. Attention everyone all preparations on the ship are completed prepare for travel into space. Prepare to escape the metal hell.”

“Navigator take us out of here.”

“Aye sir.”

Slowly the two hulking giants flew away from the planet. There was some turbulence inside Dans ship mostly because of its makeshift nature but nothing serious had occurred as they made there way out of the planet’s atmosphere.

“We have left the planet’s atmosphere.” The navigator said.

Cheers throughout both ships could be heard. Finally… finally they did it.

“Gwen check the ships systems.”

“All systems holding steady, sir.” Gwen said after a moment.

“Navigation what is the status of the space we are currently in?”

“It appears we are in orbit of a star sir, no planets detected and…”

“What seems to be the matter?”

“Sir there are no other stars. We can’t detect any other stars… it’s just void.” She said with a shocked face.