by Taylor Buck
As the body gave way, the juggernaut immediately came into clear view—standing behind him. Its head was down, body poised. It stared directly at Danner through the glass.
Danner stared back at the robot, absorbed— as if they two were both meeting for the first time. He certainly hadn’t known this version of juggernaut. This robot was frighteningly responsive and astutely aware. It appeared to stare into his eyes as if reading Danner’s reaction and physical response.
A moment passed while the two of them stared at each other. Then Danner slowly brought his keychain up to the receiver to open the door. He aimed his revolver out in front of him—his barrel pointed low and fixed on the juggernaut’s belly. He gripped the pistol tightly and exhaled.
The keychain touched the receiver and Danner listened for the beep, signaling the opening.
It never came.
He tapped the keychain against the receiver once…twice. Nothing.
Danner shifted his eyes slowly from the robot up to the key receiver. He was touching it dead center, but it wasn’t recognizing his key. It wasn’t even registering an error tone.
The juggernaut remained on the other side of the door, awaiting Danner’s move. Danner looked closely at the receiver and noticed the power indicator light was out.
The receiver was broken—probably from the impact of Covington’s body against the door.
Danner hooked his keychain on his belt and gripped his gun with both hands. He readied himself upright and assumed an attacking stance. With his gun steadied, he thrust his right foot forcefully into the center of the door, attempting to kick it down. The room shook around him but the door stayed intact. Danner gave it another go… kicking the door harder this time.
Still nothing.
The juggernaut took a few steps back and watched on as Danner pounded on the door of the atrium repeatedly. The door wouldn’t budge. It was locked into place and he wasn’t moving it at all.
Danner stepped back away from the door and moved aside. The juggernaut mimicked his movements and moved sideways—positioning itself directly across from Danner.
…Motion mirroring…
Danner knew about this. The robot was utilizing its ability to mirror movements and learn from its subject. It was an enhancement program that was part of the A.I. onboard the robots. The robots would mimic the movements of a subject as a way of learning new functions. They also used the functions to identify subjects. The juggernauts were primarily trained as transporters, but they were also programmed for search and rescue. Part of the training was learning and identifying characteristics of the various subjects they encountered. It would mimic behavior and store it’s findings in case the subject needed identifying in a future instance.
The robot was reading him. It was learning his movements.
Danner felt helpless behind the glass wall. All he could do was stare back at the robot. He knew if he left the atrium and went through another exit, the robot would disappear. He couldn’t lose it now. It was right in front of him. Danner became irritated and began pacing around the room. His fury boiled up and he yelled at the top of his lungs directly at the robot.
“Aaaaahhhuh!” Danner kicked the glass again.
The robot just stood there, moving slightly back and forth in a rhythmic sway. It was an eerie movement and almost gave the effect that the robot was breathing.
Danner holstered his revolver. He walked up to the glass and placed his palms upon it, resting his weight. He stood there for a moment catching his breath.
The robot took a step forward and moved in close to the glass as well. It cocked its head to the side as it watched Danner, studying him. Danner was amazed at how the robot portrayed remarkably lifelike behavior. It had such catlike mannerisms. Danner almost found himself seeing it as exactly that—a living, breathing animal.
He had never taken the time to inspect them up-close like this. The aesthetic detail was fairly minimal. Up-close it was easy to determine that it was a robot and not an animal. However, just stepping a few paces back and looking at the creature—its movements and mannerisms—Danner supposed it could fool someone who didn’t know better. The scientists noticeably modeled the robot’s movements after an actual cat and took great measure to ensure authentic characteristics. Its natural posture, which was slightly crouched, head down and shoulders raised gave it the appearance that is was in hunt mode…akin to a cat stalking a mouse.
Danner knew the name, Juggernaut, was given due to the robot’s size, strength and ability to maneuver through difficult terrain. The juggernaut models were intentionally separated from the WildCat family of robots. Perry didn’t want to group it with the other catlike robots they were creating. Although the structural foundation of the robot was taken from the WildCat models, he made a conscious decision not to name it after a feline species. He wanted to make it clear that it wasn’t a cat; it was a machine of warfare. However, looking at it now, Danner couldn’t help but see it as a living predator—it was certainly killing like one.
The sound of an approaching vehicle grabbed Danner’s attention. He looked to the right to find an old pickup truck pulling up the driveway. It was Tegan’s truck.
Tango had arrived.
Through the chaos, Danner had forgotten that Tegan was on his way over. Good timing, he thought. He couldn’t afford to have Tegan scare the robot away, though. Danner knew this was his opportunity to catch Lorry. In fact this may be his only chance.
He had to warn Tegan.
Danner retrieved his cell phone and dialed Tegan’s number. He watched through the glass as Tegan exited his truck and began walking through the parking lot toward the building.
Pick up the phone Tegan!
It rang once, then twice. Tegan didn’t seem to notice his phone ringing. He continued across the gravel lot toward the door.
Danner looked back at the robot...which was still fixed on him. Then, as if it sensed something, the robot turned its head and locked eyes on Tegan.
Tegan stopped walking and reached into his pocket. He must have heard his phone ringing finally. He held it up to his ear. “Rick, I just got here, I…”
Danner cut him off. “Tegan listen to me. The robot is here. We’re on the east side of the building and I can see you right now. Stop where you are…don’t move.”
Danner watched as Tegan froze and slowly shifted his eyes over to the atrium. Danner continued calmly instructing Tegan what to do.
“Walk slowly back to your truck and get in. Be absolutely quiet. Don’t make any sudden movements.”
Tegan began to slowly turn around and head back the other direction. He quickly calculated his distance. From where he parked the truck to where he stood was roughly thirty yards. Danner and the juggernaut were standing about fifty yards away.
Danner watched the robot which was still locked on Tegan—studying him, but not pursuing.
Tegan walked slowly back to his truck. He had taken a few paces forward when his phone slipped from his left hand and dropped to the gravel.
Tegan stopped…he cursed under his breath.
The robot sprang from where it was standing and entered a full out gallop, flying toward Tegan. Danner yelled into the phone. “Tegan, run!” The phone was on the ground, and Tegan was unable to hear him. Danner realized that Tegan couldn’t hear his warning.
The robot was closing in fast—amazingly so.
THEY WERE FAST…FASTER THAN HUMANS.
Danner knew he had to get his attention. Tegan’s back was turned to the advancing robot.
He had no idea what was going on.
Danner began pounding on the glass walls and screaming. “Rrrruuuunnnn!”
Tegan must have heard the banging because he turned around quick and faced the oncoming juggernaut. He saw the robot closing in and immediately turned a
nd ran.
Tegan was in top shape, a quick runner. He burst across the parking lot at a fast pace and made a straight line for his truck. Danner watched from afar, the robot gliding through the air at a remarkable pace. It was closing the gap quickly—only about thirty yards from him.
Run Tegan! Come on! Danner continued yelling from behind the glass wall.
Tegan was getting close, only ten yards from his truck now while the robot was already halfway across the parking lot. Tegan ran hard all the way to the truck, pumping his legs as fast as they would go. He reached out his left hand to grab the door handle. The robot leapt through the air, soaring—lengths above the ground. Tegan ripped open the door and threw himself into the cab just as the robot’s massive body came tearing down onto the open door. It slammed hard into the metal with a shrieking metal-on-metal CLAANNK, knocking the door clean from its hinges. The robot was sent tumbling to the ground, pinning the metal door beneath it.
THEY WERE POWERFUL—FRIGHTENINGLY SO.
Tegan stared at the robot for a moment and then watched as it pulled itself up and gathered its footing. Then the robot locked sights on him again. Tegan turned the ignition and started up the truck. The entire drivers door was missing leaving him completely exposed. He had to move. He slammed on the gas pedal, spitting gravel in all directions behind him. The truck fishtailed and spun in a circle—an exhaust cloud billowing into the air behind it.
Danner, meanwhile, had run back into the building and was making his way to the front entry. He reached the lobby and exited the front doors to find Tegan driving circles in the parking lot. He ran out toward the parking lot and stopped just clear of the truck’s path. He could see the robot through the smoke, crouched in the middle of the parking lot, watching the vehicle.
Tegan straightened out the truck and screeched to a stop on the far side of the lot. He sat idling in the corner, his headlights lighting up the robot in front of him…the reflection of the lights glowing like fire in the juggernauts eyes.
Danner now realized he was exposed. He had nothing but his revolver, which at the moment felt rather inadequate. The robot switched its gaze back and forth between the two men, as if calculating its next move.
“Tegan, now!” Danner yelled out.
Tegan floored the gas pedal and the truck lurched forward. The tires shot gravel high into the air as the truck moved forward, gaining speed. The robot held its ground and lowered its body. Tegan steered straight at the robot and kept on the gas. Danner watched on, anticipating a collision. Deep down he knew the robot would move though.
THEY WERE PROGRAMMED TO AVOID CONTACT.
The truck closed in on the juggernaut, which held its ground and stayed completely still.
10 feet away.
The truck came bearing down. Just before impact, Tegan yanked the steering wheel to the left, swinging the body of the truck toward the robot like a quarter-ton baseball bat.
The robot still didn’t move.
As the truck body swung around fiercely, Tegan watched for the robot to jump. He estimated that he would have a better chance at connecting if he broadsided the thing. The truck drifted across the gravel—gliding sideways towards its target. It seemed to coast across the surface in slow motion.
The truck connected.
It hit the robot hard, swatting it across the parking lot in a trail of dust. Danner couldn’t believe it. Tegan had actually hit the robot.
Tegan struggled to keep control of the truck as it continued momentum, tilting up on its right side. He hung from the steering wheel as the truck continued tilting. He attempted to balance out the weight inside the cab. The truck paused for a moment in the air, hanging sideways, then came back down on all four tires with a loud clanging sound.
The robot came to a stop on the far side of the parking lot. It remained still in a jumbled heap on the ground.
Tegan exited the truck. Danner walked over to meet him.
“You ok? That was some hit,” said Danner.
Tegan looked down, checking for any visible wounds. “Yeah, I’m good. Can’t say the same for her.”
They both looked over at the robot, which was still motionless.
“That had to have done it in, right?” Tegan asked in his thick, Texas accent.
“It certainly damaged it. There’s no way it could’ve come out of that clean,” Danner replied as he looked up toward the horizon.
The sun was dropping down behind the mountains and the tree canopy cast a dark shadow over the parking lot. They were losing light. Danner knew they had to move quickly.
“I’m going to grab the net from the supply room. You stay out here. Pull your truck over and light her up so we can see her better.”
“You got it.”
Tegan headed to his truck and Danner ducked into the building. When he returned with the net, Tegan was standing over the robot—silhouetted in the floodlights of the truck.
“I half expected this thing to be in a million pieces. She was built solid,” Tegan said.
“Yeah. Carbon nanotube framing and an adaptive coat make her bulletproof too.” Danner kicked the juggernaut over revealing the underbelly of wires. “Except for right here. This is the kill zone.” He reached in and pulled forth a handful of red wires. “This is her heart. You take this out and she’ll stop real fast.”
The robot was in great condition considering the impact it had just taken. The frame was intact, head and limbs still connected. The furry camouflage adaptive outer coating was peeled back in places revealing the carbon nanotube honeycomb plating underneath…but overall the juggernaut appeared undamaged.
“It got Kane...and Jim too—crushed him. I couldn’t get there in time.” Danner said, pained. He shook his head in disgust.
The two men stared at the pile of metal in front of them. Dust particles and tiny bugs fluttered in the beams from the headlights around them. The sunlight quickly faded behind the mountains
“Two good men gone…enough is enough,” Danner said. He disconnected the vital cords powering the robot and Tegan slipped the net around its large frame. The two men dragged the juggernaut across the parking lot and into a nearby supply shed. They shut the door and walked back to the facility.
“This way.” Danner directed Tegan over to the atrium. “I could use your help moving Jim’s body.”
Night fell over the island. A dark legion of clouds slowly crept in and hovered over the mountains. The air became heavy and humid.
A storm was fast approaching.
CHAPTER 28
HILO OUTSKIRTS
15 OCTOBER, 10:02 P.M.
The air outside was sticky and wet. Kelly rolled up her passenger window as Bennett drove down the highway toward the CERTA headquarters. Night had come quickly—bringing with it dark, ominous clouds.
“I really hope it doesn’t rain,” Kelly said peering up into the sky.
“Yeah…me too.” Bennett looked out the window at the black sky. By the looks of things, a storm was looming whether they liked it or not.
“In and out. We’ll be quick. I’ll take some shots and you can be on lookout,” Kelly said.
Bennett laughed. “I’m not letting you go in there alone, Kelly. I’m coming with you,” he said reassuringly.
Kelly looked over at Bennett. She saw the small butterfly bandage across his cheekbone…she looked away and smiled. Tom reminded Kelly of her older brother, Colin—always the protector. She was constantly the one getting into trouble and Colin was there to bail her out.
Not anymore, she thought.
Kelly missed her brother deeply. A little over a year had passed since the accident and she still found it difficult to not have him around. It was the small things. Like not being able to pick up the phone and call him whenever she felt like it. It saddened her that she hadn�
��t cherished the time they had spent together when they had it. Colin had been a great brother, always allowing Kelly to tag along. She did everything the boys did, including getting in fights and starting trouble. Colin had made her tough, but most of all he taught her not to put up with being treated wrongly. He knew he wouldn’t always be around to protect her and he wanted to know she would be ok.
She wished she could go back to those moments and relive them again so she could tell him how proud she was of him—how much she looked up to him as a brother and advisor. He had been such a supporter in whatever Kelly chose to do.
He was gone now, though…and Kelly ached inside when she thought about it.
Bennett turned off the old highway and rounded the corner to the hidden access road. The truck bounced up and down, splashing over potholes as it squeezed down the narrow road. The broad roadside ferns caressed the doors as they drove, scraping the mud clean off like car wash flaps.
“We’ll hide the truck along the access road and both go in together.”
“What about the front gate?” asked Kelly.
“Hopefully the keychain will get us in and we won’t have to worry about it,” Bennett said.
They rounded a corner and approached the large shock fence. “The gate should be just up here,” Kelly pointed out.
Bennett found a turnaround about fifty yards past the entrance. He parked the truck just within the tree line, out of view of any passing vehicles. He turned off the engine and looked at Kelly inquisitively. “Ok, are you sure you want to do this?”
“Tom, yes. I couldn’t live with myself if there were any mistreated animals caged up inside there. It’s my job to protect them. I need to at least go in there.”