Rise of the Machines: Book 1: Once Awakened

by Briana Ervin

  “You ready?” Stratien asked.

  “Happily so!” I answered. Cyrii ran a quick diagnostic, smiling at the promising results.

  “Let's blow those guys to bits!”

  We both ran out of the corridor and jumped into the fray.

  It was anarchy! I could only assess a few things at once: one big drone, one fallen mech, no, two, a few mechs over there, drones coming in over there-

  “Stop thinking! That's my job!” Cyrii reprimanded. “Get that guy off!”

  I didn't pay attention to what Stratien did, instead charging into the large drone that she was referring to. It had a mech pinned – Sirun? – and was trying to pry it apart. It looked up as I threw myself at it.

  “YEEHAHH!” Cyrii whooped. I crashed into it, the multitude of limbs and all! We both flew into the wall. Dust and rubble showered around us. The drone grabbed onto my turret, but I opened fire on the nasty thing before it could counter. Something grabbed its right side and pulled away, tearing it in half; it was too damaged to do anything about it.

  “About time you showed up!” a familiar voice spat. I stood up and spotted Sirun, standing near the fallen drone as it tried to get up.

  “Hello!” I said happily. He stared me down with fury.

  “Don't you 'hello' me! We've been calling for-!” He couldn't finish as something shot him, almost blowing his tail off. He swore in trinary and charged at his attacker. I watched in amusement.

  “Ten o' clock!” Cyrii shouted, whipping me around. I saw something massive and quadrupedal running toward me! I jumped out of the way before it crashed into the wall I had already destabilized; one more impact and it might cave in!

  The heavy drone casually shook off the chunks of falling concrete. I took a chance to fire upon it, but my bullets simply rebounded! Its armor was too thick! I immediately shifted my aim to its joints, hoping to do more damage, but aside from armored ankles I couldn't see them.

  “It's a black box, you're not doing much!” Cyrii warned. The huge drone turned to face me, its rectangular body flexing at the seams, readying for another charge. I scanned it briefly as Cyrii pulled me into a retreat. Typically you didn't whip out your scanner during a fight, but it literally was a giant black box!

  It charged. Cyrii threw me out of the way. There was a flurry of panicked beeping as it ran over a mech and its assailant before hitting another wall with an immense crash. I turned to study the box, but it was armored on all sides and too large to ignore!

  A horrible screeching split the din of combat as it turned again, one corner gouging the concrete wall.

  PAANG! A high-powered blast hit it! Cyrii pulled me back further at the explosion, dodging molten shrapnel. Pieces that didn't fly off dripped and hardened on the machine, the metal red-hot at the impact, but it had only made it stumble and pause.

  “DIE DIE DIE!!” the wild shouting from the shot's source. 199! Somehow that didn't surprise me. There was a yelp and the mech flew out in front of me, tackled by a drone. I paused, briefly distracted by her, before deftly dodging another attacker. I didn't fire on it though, instead circling the black legged box, searching for weak points.

  There was a thermal explosion next to us, rattling Cyrii and I. “767!!” she shouted.

  It's not-! I began, but she reprimanded me:

  “I didn't overhaul you so you could kill us!

  But-!

  “Just try not to die! I'll think about the box!” Cyrii instructed. I could barely hear her as the screech of metal resounded throughout the room. When something opened fire on me I was forced to obey. I tore my focus from the black box and whipped around, charging toward several smaller drones that attempted to scatter. One of the coppery drones didn't make it, crushed by my weight. Another was shot down mid-jump by another mech – I wasn't sure who – but the other dodged from my sight. I swiveled around, searching for the little bugger, but it was chaos! I had to strafe out of the path of several bullets instead.

  “Box!”

  I jumped out of the way yet again. That juggernaut just wasn't going to give up, was it?! Though this time when it crashed into the wall, it really did take it down. It took a LOT down!

  The box pushed through the wall, and there was an immense rushing sound above us. The ceiling buckled, the screams of breaking metal punctuating the noise. This was not good!

  Cyrii snapped out of the comfort of having no control, immediately throwing me forward into a run after the box. I heard calls of alarm from the others, drowned out by the flood of concrete.

  “Retreeaaat!” someone screeched. I let out a surprised beep as someone collided with me and several smaller drones bolted ahead. 199 flew out in front of me, evidently a fast model, not bothering to shoot them. A falling building was a common threat!

  The rest of the drones flooded out like scattered skillen in a pond, swarming around the black box as it kept running. I recognized Gilus as he dashed out in front with Cith just behind him. I glanced over my shoulder, letting Cyrii take control, and saw Sirun and Stratien behind me as well, conspicuous machines surrounded by the more wiry, copper-colored builds of Enemy drones. Behind us all three remaining floors of the outpost roared down in a rain of concrete and debris. So much for Stratien's captive!

  I looked up ahead, spotting an outcropping of rocks, stone pillars and arches jutting up from the badlands. We were heading straight into it, and despite our collective attempt to escape the collapsing building something rammed into me, causing me to almost fall over in the stampede. Cyrii yelped, righting me. I glared at the hefty drone running beside me on all fours. We're playing this game now, are we?!

  It rushed into me again, this time throwing all of its weight. We collided and fell to the right. It recovered faster than I did, and I slammed into the side of the black box. Cyrii managed to right me just before I was trampled! She hissed as I fought her control and returned the behavior at the risk of being struck down by a flying brick, crashing hard into the drone! We rolled, an unlucky someone tripping over us with angry beeping. The tackle allowed me to pin it, but our fighting was interrupted by a cinder block striking me from behind and smashing our heads together, cracking my eye lens.

  “This is a bad spot!” Cyrii shouted, trying to wrest me upright. I ignored her, digging a bayonet into the drone. “767!!”

  Something kicked me hard, and I flew off the drone and landed just a few q away. The drone scrambled back to its feet and ran past me, its red eye laughing.

  “767 GET UP!”

  I'm getting up! I sharply retorted, pushing myself back to my feet. The interruption was a hidden blessing though: a huge chunk of concrete flew out in front of me and landed just a hair's breath away. That could have killed us! I panicked and pursued the fleeing combatants. We had to get out of the landing zone now!

  I don't think I've run faster in my entire existence. Cyrii did a lot of screaming as falling debris threatened to crush us, but I wasn't paying attention to her, too busy dodging and picking up even more speed, building up momentum to reach the front of the swarm. We eventually all made it out of the danger zone, but it didn't deter the fighters: literal nanoseconds passed before some drone flung itself at Sirun, making him fall into smaller drones, causing the ones who weren't crushed to attack.

  Back to square one we went!

  I wasn't able to stop my momentum so I kept it up, rushing into Sirun's attacker. The drone flew off, impaled on my bayonet. Cyrii was still screaming, now pushing me back instead of forward, but I still ignored her. I ran into something else, and then something else again! I was collecting drones!

  The first drone was scrambling at me and digging hot knives into my hull, while the other two were trying to escape. I just kept running until I ran into something that killed my momentum: a boulder! All three drones were crushed by the impact, and my eye lens shattered completely. Cyrii squealed something about vulnerability and hull depth, but I tuned out the information. Not important! We were still alive, that's what mattered!<
br />
  I wrenched my blade out of the bodies, letting them fall. I heard a thunderous noise behind me and whipped around: the black box! It charged toward me, and I bolted. It ran right into the orange boulder and made it split in two, but it barely dented the front of it!

  So its defenses are nigh-impenetrable! This is problematic, I realized with worry. I switched my focus to the battalion of drones that followed it. We can worry about it when it's alone, I told myself.

  I decided it was a low-priority threat and switched my focus to the smaller machines that followed it. There were a lot of smaller drones, but it also meant they were more nimble. This both worked and did not work to our advantage, which resulted in some panicked maneuvering; I've never had to pay attention to so many things at once before! I had to keep running around, trying to trample and gun down any smaller drones that fell in my path, try and take care of the larger drones as fast as possible, and help my allies when they were overwhelmed while at the same time trying not to fight Cyrii's will to dodge the Black Four-Legged Box of Death that wanted to trample me back! My fellow mechs mimicked my tactic, occasionally attacking the box but mostly trying to take down the drone count. 199 in particular was laughing like a maniac, spraying the arena with bullets. I found her amusement infectious, taking part in the fun.

  “Who thought a BOX would want to KILL us?!” she laughed. She took out several drones harassing Cith, who threw away the corpses in disgust.

  “I really hate this box!!” Gilus shouted as the mentioned juggernaut switched its course to him. I laughed as it chased him by me, making Cith and I jump back from the speed drone we were dismembering.

  Cyrii made a hysterical face at my amusement. “Stop laughing! I can't focus!”

  “Find a way to take it down!” Sirun ordered, giving Trista and I disapproving looks. “All of you!”

  “I'm trying!” Gilus whined, clambering on top of a rock as it crashed into it. He almost fell off, but scrambled to the top. He aimed all four guns and unloaded an entire thermal clip into it, but it just seemed to make the box angry. It groaned and spun around, searching for a new mech to chase.

  My humor died in my speakers when it charged toward me.

  “Backupbackupbackup-!” Cyrii screeched at me, pulling me back; not necessary as I was already up and running! I made a sharp U turn to throw it off my tail, yet was nearly crushed for the ninth time. Many of its drone buddies were destroyed, but the remainder were all scattering, no longer interested in the high friendly-fire risk.

  Anything on this box?! I asked her.

  “Nothing!” she screamed in frustration, wrenching me from a drone's bolt which melted the sand at impact. “I keep looking and looking, but it's just a BOX! A stupid, impossible box!”

  I suddenly had an idea... but the clearance was too low...

  “Oh no, what are you thinking of?” she groaned. I ran behind a large rock pillar, causing the box to run into it. It evidently wasn't very smart, as often as it did that! While it shook off its latest self-inflicted debris pile, I ran over to 199.

  “You're the smallest!” I shouted.

  “Thanks, Zepholus!” she said sarcastically, aiming at the box but finding no weak points.

  “Go underneath it!” I bolted back into a run as the box recovered. Her blast shield widened.

  “What?!”

  It dawned on Sirun as well. “Get under there, 199!”

  “WHAT?!”

  The box began to charge toward her, and she tensed up. The heck was she doing?!

  “Trista, by Alkinest get under there!!” Sirun screamed. She crumpled to the ground. The box flew over her... She was gone.

  I stopped mid-run, skidding to a halt and throwing Cyrii back in her seat. I stared in shock and the dust cloud behind the drone. Did she make it?! Where is she?!

  “Trista!!” Gilus shouted. The box banked a hard right, aimed for Stratien, kicking up thick clouds of debris behind it. He simply stood there in astonishment, a wall of stone behind him.

  I couldn't just watch. I ran toward him.

  “767, what are you doing?!” Cyrii cried, too shocked to stop me.

  “Cyrii! Stratien!” It was hard to tell if Sirun was scolding us or not! I didn't stop though. The box was only a few q away from hitting him-

  I hit Stratien hard, and the momentum transferred. He flew out of the way, but I was now stock still in comparison!

  The box was still coming!

  “CYRII! GET OUT OF THE WAY!”

  The box was too broad! Too broad too-

  “JUMP!!” Cyrii's voice. I power-jumped without hesitance.

  Too slow! The box struck my legs and pinned me against the stone, and I flew over and hit my head on the top of it, flattening the face of it. I choked out a beep. My breached hull screamed out signals of pain. I tried to lift myself out of the position, but the box had just... stopped. I was stuck!

  “767! Are you okay?!” Cyrii gasped out.

  Why are you asking me?! I shouted at her.

  “Well! Your legs are gone! But...!”

  The DIAS hinted at her worries. She wanted to know if I felt pain.

  It hurts, damn it!

  “Hold on!” Cyrii made as if to leave, but I jerked violently.

  You're not going anywhere! I snapped, more concerned about the danger she would put herself in than my own legs. I lifted my head; a good chunk of my vision was gone.

  “Cyrii!” I turned and saw Stratien staring up at me, a hint of gratitude mixed in with the horror in his face. I saw something lurking out from the rocks behind him.

  “Behind you!” Cyrii shouted through the comm. He whipped around, and a drone flung itself into his face! Sirun and Gilus backed away from the monuments as drones flooded out from behind them.

  Ambush! They were waiting on the sidelines for the box to take us out!

  Now I was just angry about being stuck, ignoring the pain signals. My arms were splayed awkwardly over the surface of the box, but I could at least still aim them. I just needed to pull myself up high enough...

  “No! You'll tear yourself in half!” Cyrii begged.

  I have to help!

  “Just stay put! Open the exit panel so I can free you!”

  I'M NOT LETTING YOU OUT!

  There was a flurry of emotion from Cyrii, confusing the DIAS and confusing me. I couldn't tell if she was angry or afraid or sad or-

  Something flung itself on top of the box, stooping low to it, bronze hull and sharp claws glittering in warning.

  A drone. Apparently being pinned wasn't good enough for it!

  It headed right for me. I aimed my turrets at its legs – the best I could do in my current state – and fired!

  It was limber enough to jump over the initial shots, and the bullets I had weren't too useful at this range, but as it ran I finally managed to hit it! It fell over as I blew out one leg and twisted the other with sheer force, but it simply began a mad crawl for me. I kept firing, denting and punching through its hull... until they clicked.

  No bullets, just clicking. My anger was replaced with dread.

  Cyrii, you didn't say-!

  I was cut off as the drone lunged forward and grabbed me, slamming my head into the surface of the box and throwing her into my control panel. I glared at it and swiped at it with a bayonet, but it was just out of reach! Bloody drones and their long arms! It opened up the panels on its face and fired up a laser, concentrating it on my hull and trying to bore a hole into it. I winced and recoiled, but it dug its claws in and held me there.

  The range was exceedingly frustrating! It was like a blind spot! Too far for my lasers or my bayonets, too close to safely fire a rocket, no ammunition left and no way to move...!

  “You have to let me out!” Cyrii pressed.

  I can't let you go!

  “Either I'm killed, or I'm killed!” she snapped. “One gives us a chance! COME ON 767!”

  I... I can't...! I couldn't bear the thought of willingly releasing Cyrii out int
o danger. At the same time, that laser was already in two layers too deep...

  Cyrii banged something metallic on the inside of my hull, and through the panic I remembered that she had weapons with her. Weapons! It was worth the chance!

  I opened up the exit panel, and Cyrii threw off the DIAS and squirmed her way out, her presence gone. I felt a parent thread terminate somewhere, leaving the child threads to spin off into space... The last time that happened... we barely escaped... but what did it mean?! The threads were arbitrary, at best!

  Cyrii showed up in my vision, the claw weapon gripped in her teeth and the smaller, unimpressive weapon in one paw. She flicked a switch on it, and it made a definite buzzing sound. The drone paused and whipped around to face her.

  Something must not have computed right. It saw my eye moving, and yet the Xinschi-uual-?

  She jammed the weapon into the drone's leg, causing it to convulse. The electricity transferred through its arms and down into my hull, scattering my thoughts, my vision exploding into static!

  “CyyYrrIrIRII!”

  She realized what she was doing in shock and pulled the weapon out. The drone wasn't done though. It recovered quickly, rolling over and giving her a hard kick. A squeak escaped her lungs and she flew out of sight. I felt a lurch in my system.

  CYRRIIII!

  I couldn't see her anymore. She was just gone! I felt a horrible wave of hopelessness and rage. Why?! Why did I do it?! WHY DID I LET HER GO?!

  The drone smashed my head down onto one arm and shifted closer to me, warming up its laser again. I punched it in the face, twisting the bayonet. It screeched, realizing it had come within range.

  “Yoouuuuuu.” I growled, grinders clenching. I wanted this thing to die.

  It fired up the laser, focused on my eye. I recoiled with a shriek as cameras popped and fizzled out instantly. I twisted the bayonet downward, scraping the drone across the surface of the box. Its laser switched focus from my eye to my speakers, and they burnt up just as easily. I glared at it, half my vision gone and spitting sparks, trying to rend wiring inside it by shifting the bayonet. It was a desperate struggle. It ate up my focus so much that I didn't notice a shape slinking back up onto the box, limping forward as fast as it could.