Junkers

by Benjamin Wallace

  “It looks like it’s still working on its targeting,” Jake said from behind the relative safety of the Beast. Judging from the state the street was in, even the Travelall’s solid steel mass wouldn’t protect them.

  “That bastard lied to me,” Hailey said. “He said it wasn’t operational.”

  “He told us both that having the CPU in the same building was a violation of the treaties.” Jake shrugged. “But, he lied about a lot of things. This really shouldn’t surprise us.”

  Project Cupcake found its footing and aimed dead center at the Beast.

  Mason shouted, “Hit it, Glitch!”

  Glitch pulled the IMP from the roof of the Beast and fired.

  The bloop sounded and kicked and for a moment nothing happened.

  A panel popped open on the machine’s shoulder and a rocket shot into the air.

  The team watched the brilliant arc paint the sky and lost the projectile behind a building. Ten seconds later they heard an explosion.

  Glitch lowered the IMP’s barrel. “That wasn’t me.”

  “It’s shielded, you moron.” Porter was as low to the ground as a snake could get. “Shooting it’s not going to do anything.”

  Mason pulled a shotgun to his chest. “How do you propose we stop it then?”

  Porter shook his head. “You can’t. It’s bulletproof, fireproof, impervious to EMPs, electric shock, missiles and anything else you might use to stop a giant fucking tank.”

  Project Cupcake moved into the street with earthshaking steps.

  Trapped inside, passengers beat against their car windows looking for escape. Jake could see the terror in their eyes and imagined that more than a few of the vehicles were starting to stink.

  “Savant.” Jake pointed at the dead cars around them. “Can you get these people out of here?”

  Savant was curled up next to the tire, pounding frantically on his tablet. “I can’t. Something is fighting me on this.”

  The news drones had begun to gather on the square. They hovered around the military machine, lighting its various weapon systems with their spotlights.

  Hailey pointed to the floating cameras. “Whoever is doing this, they still want it televised.”

  “Savant, can you get control of the news cameras?”

  His fingers moved at impossible speeds across the tablet. “Um, no. I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Look, I’m not really sure how to tell you this—especially after all the gloating I did.” It was the first time Savant had ever sounded unsure of his words. “But, I don’t think I’m doing any of this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  The arrogance returned with a contempt-filled sigh. “I’m saying, I think this asshole is right.” He jerked a thumb toward Colton.

  Everything around them sprang to life. The cars lurched in all directions. They began running into one another in longer and faster bursts as they cleared room around the Beast.

  The robots that had managed to keep up with the convoy began to march toward the team taking shelter behind the Travelall. More began to fill the streets and move toward the place in front of the building.

  Several more rockets launched from Project Cupcake and rained down on different parts of the city.

  Jake looked at the approaching army of machines as the Beast bucked against them with each collision. “Everybody inside!”

  “You’re crazy!” Porter screamed as the rest of the team got to their feet.

  They rushed through the plaza as the machines came at them. Glitch cleared a path with the IMP as the rest of the team held back the mechanical forces with everything they had left.

  The walking tank chased after them with a stream of bullets fired from the mini-guns on its arms. Its aim had improved slightly and the stone tile shattered beneath their feet.

  They cleared the lobby and the bullets chased them inside. The displays left uncrushed by Project Cupcake’s dramatic entrance were now destroyed by its guns. Glass display cases exploded. Displays sparked. And the prototypes on display were shredded as the team raced to the stairway.

  Glitch ripped the handrail from the wall and twisted it into something resembling a lock for the door. Moments later, the fire door began to shudder as the army of robots crashed into it.

  Once inside, Jake took a head count. Everyone had made it. Even Porter.

  “I thought you weren’t coming,” Kat said.

  “I wasn’t going to stay out there. That bitch is crazy.”

  “What bitch?” Jake asked.

  He pointed to the door. “Cupcake.”

  Jake grabbed him by the shoulder and slammed him against the wall. “Who is behind this?”

  “No one. It’s the uprising.”

  Hailey pulled Jake away and smashed Colton across the face with her shotgun, sending him to the ground.

  “Hey,” Jake said. “Would everyone please stop punching this asshole before I can?”

  “There’s a line!” She turned her attention to Colton. “Tell me.”

  Porter closed his eyes and spoke. “It’s that humans first chick. She’s behind this.”

  “Meagan?” Jake asked and received a nod. “How? How did she get access? You?”

  Porter shrugged.

  “Unbelievable.” Hailey kicked him in the ribs. “Why?”

  Porter shrugged again. “Money. She’s loaded.”

  “And let me guess,” Jake interrupted. “She promised no one would get hurt.”

  “We never really talked about that.”

  Hailey kicked him again.

  “Why does Hailey keep kicking him?” Mason asked. “I think it’s only fair that we all get a kick.”

  “All I did was give her access to the signal. Okay? She’s the one doing all the violence.”

  Hailey kicked him once more. “Where?”

  Mason threw up his arms. “There she goes again. Jake, are you going to do something about this or do I need to call my union rep?”

  Porter sputtered something that Hailey understood. She kicked him once more and said, “Follow me.”

  The team followed her up the stairs, with only Mason hanging back to give Porter one more kick.

  20

  Somewhere around the 3rd floor they heard Glitch’s lock fail.

  The party stopped in mid-stride and from below they could hear the sound of a hundred metallic feet charging up the stairs.

  “We’re almost there,” Hailey said as she charged on.

  “Thank God,” Glitch said as he started back up the stairs.

  “Oh, up yours, robot legs.” Mason pushed past him. “You don’t get to bitch.”

  Once on the fifth floor, the team piled everything they could find against the fire door and followed Hailey down the hallway.

  She led them to a command center and Jake held the door open as the team filed in. Down the hall he could see the pile against the door shake as the army pounded against it. It appeared to be holding.

  Jake stepped into the ZUMR command center. A hundred monitors lined the consoles. Each one showed streams of erratic code running at impossible speeds. “Savant, get on it.”

  Without a word the computer scientist jumped into a chair and began analyzing the feed.

  “Uh, Jake.” Glitch stood by the window. The night sky flashed with explosions behind him.

  “What is it, Glitch?” He stepped around Kat and Mason and joined the giant at the window. “Oh. Well, shit.”

  The plaza was full of machines of every make and model, and those that could were scaling the side of the building.

  “Savant?”

  “I’m being amazing as fast as I can, Jake.”

  Kat stood by the door and shouted, “Jake!”

  He rushed across the room and saw the problem. The office drones were at the fire door and they were removing the barricade.

  He opened the door and the two began to fire.

  The fifth-floor bathroom attendant fell before the machines rea
lized what was happening. Half of the machines turned their attention to the command center as the rest continued to break down the barricade.

  Jake called for Mason to join them as the machines charged.

  Voltage and lead filled the hallway as the three of them held back the onslaught of office bots. Coffee drones dropped to the ground. Kitchen monitors exploded with a final desperate plea to clean out the fridge. But as the pile of scrap built in front of them, the pile against the door was cleared away.

  The stairwell door smashed in, crushing a paper shredder between it and the wall, as an army of robots spilled into the hall.

  “Savant?!”

  “Almost there. Geez.”

  “Savant, you’d better hurry,” Glitch called as he backed away from the window.

  Savant grunted and hung his head between his shoulders. “Okay. I need an antenna.” He stood and yanked a cord from the back of the computer console. “Glitch, come here.”

  The cyborg happily stepped farther from the window.

  “Take this cable.”

  Glitch grabbed the cable. He yipped and pulled his hand back. “It shocked me.”

  “It’s going to, but I need you to be my antenna.”

  “Just do it, Glitch!” Mason screamed. “They’re everywhere out here.”

  Glitch grit his teeth against the pain and took the wire.

  “Now I need you to go over to the window.”

  The window cracked as the first machine reached the floor and smashed its way into the room.

  Glitch grabbed it by the head as it charged across the room and crushed its skull. “I don’t want to go to the window.”

  “Glitch, you’ve got to get to that window!” Savant was back at the keyboard frantically pounding in commands.

  Several more machines broke through from outside the building and stormed into the room.

  Jake and Hailey turned their shotguns against them but Glitch was soon overwhelmed as he made his way to the edge of the floor.

  It was only his willpower and cyborg legs that carried him the last few feet as more machines piled on top of him. “It’s not working!”

  Savant screamed over his shoulder. “You have to beep!”

  “What?!”

  “Beep. Like an antenna.”

  “Antennas don’t beep.” Glitch winced as one of the surviving Masseusenators began pounding on his back.

  “Yes they do, you just can’t hear them like a robot can.”

  Mason and Kat ran into the room and slammed the door. “There’re too many.”

  The crash against the door shook the entire room.

  “Beep, damn you!”

  “Beep, beep, beep, beep.”

  The chaos ended. The machines stopped attacking. They backed away from the team and stood waiting for a command as if nothing had happened.

  “Yes!” Savant leapt from the chair with his arms in the air. “My code-fu is…”

  “Can I let go of this now?” Glitch had developed a twitch in his face from the current.

  “Yeah, that wasn’t doing anything anyway.”

  “What?! Then why?”

  “Because you were rushing me. I don’t like being rushed.”

  “And the beeping?”

  “I thought it was hilarious.”

  Glitch threw down the cable and stomped toward Savant.

  Jake stepped in between them. “Savant, is it over?”

  “Yes, it’s over Jake. I shut down her signal and saved the day. Again. All you have to do now is find her and turn her crazy ass in. And I’m out on that by the way. I’m a little tired now and I’d like to go to bed.”

  “Guys.” Mason stood at the window looking out to the street below. “That tank is still moving. And, I’m not sure how, but it looks pissed.”

  Savant turned back to his screen and started typing furiously. “That’s not possible. Everything with an AI should be running through here.”

  “It’s not an AI,” Glitch said as he stared at the machine. He looked into the room and several monitors changed to show his perspective on the screens. Glitch looked back at the machine. He focused on the cockpit and zoomed in.

  Through the thick glass in its torso, the team stared at the screen as Glitch’s visions flicked through several different filters until one revealed Meagan behind the controls.

  “They never installed the processor. Jack wasn’t lying.”

  “Yeah,” Jake agreed. “But remember he lied about a lot of other things.”

  Mason pointed at the screen. “It’s Jake’s uncle’s girlfriend!”

  “She’s driving that thing?” Mason asked. “No wonder it couldn’t shoot.”

  Project Cupcake let loose another salvo of rockets.

  Jake rushed to the window. “It looks like she’s getting better. We have to stop her.”

  Savant folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in the chair. “Sure, let me just grab my tank.”

  Jake waved his hand around the room at the docile machines. “Can you control these things?”

  “I can do anything.”

  “Kiss a girl?” Kat asked.

  Savant blushed. “I haven’t met the right one yet.”

  Jake raced across the room and opened the door. The hallway was filled with hundreds of robots awaiting a purpose. “I need a real answer here, Savant.”

  “Yes, I can do it.”

  Jake motioned for Kat to turn around. The look on her face said she didn’t understand, but she turned and Jake removed her disruptor pack. He crossed the room and held out the pack to Glitch.

  The cyborg took the pack in his hands. “What’s this for?”

  Jake smiled. “We’re going to get her attention.”

  “Jake, are you sure about this?” Hailey asked.

  Mason raised his hand. “I’m with her. This sounds like a terrible idea.”

  Jake ignored their comments and spoke firmly to Glitch. “When I say, you throw that thing at her. Do you understand?”

  “Yeah, Jake, I understand but I’m kind of with these guys on this one. If she doesn’t know we’re here I don’t think we should tell her.”

  “Just get ready.” Jake picked up his shotgun and loaded several fresh slugs. “Everyone else against the wall. Not you, Savant. Stay on the keys.”

  Glitch moved closer to the edge of the window while politely asking several of the robots to clear a space.

  Jake pushed in the last shell and pumped the gun. He stood next to Glitch for a moment before tucking the stock into his shoulder. “Now.”

  Glitch reared back and heaved the disruptor pack into the darkness. The heavy pack arced through the air and began its descent as it neared Project Cupcake.

  Jake followed its path with the shotgun and pulled the trigger.

  In the distance, the pack exploded with a blinding blue ring of electricity as it passed in front of Project Cupcake’s cockpit, causing the machine to stumble and slowly turn.

  “I think it worked,” Glitch said.

  “Dammit,” Mason said as he moved closer to the wall.

  “Get ready, Savant.” Jake watched the walking tank turn toward them. “That’s right. Come over here. Come on over.”

  “Jake, stop talking to it.”

  The massive machine stepped toward the building and raised its arms.

  “Spinny-gun,” Glitch said, and tackled Jake out of the way as bullets riddled the room.

  Savant dove behind a console and yelled, “Well, she’s learned how to aim. What’s the rest of your plan?”

  “Let her get a little closer.”

  “Are you insane?” Kat screamed.

  The building began to shake as Meagan stomped closer. Lead and glass flew around the room. Seats were shredded into plastic and stuffing. The walls turned into powder as the drywall did nothing to slow the rounds. The robots in the room made no attempt to get out of the way and several of them soaked up the bullets until they collapsed.

  The shaking was rid
iculous and ceiling panels began to drop from above.

  The bullets stopped and Jake stood up from behind what little cover there was.

  Meagan was just outside the window.

  Jake moved to the middle of the room. Circuits popped and sparked around him. Parts of the room were still falling in. He stopped in the middle of it all and raised his arms.

  Project Cupcake reached up and put one hand on the edge of the window and pulled itself up to the fifth floor. The right hand reached into the window and opened its fingers, reaching for Jake.

  He stepped out of the fingers’ reach and swept both hands toward Meagan’s mech. “Send them all!”

  Savant shot up in his seat, realizing this was his cue. His fingers slapped against the keyboard in rapid strokes and the dormant army of robots sprang to life once more.

  Every machine that filled the halls and hung from the side of the ZUMR building, every robot in the plaza and the streets below swarmed over Project Cupcake.

  Those that were close climbed onto the mech’s arm and scrambled toward its body.

  The giant hand tried to shake the machines free and shook the building with each swing. But the robots held fast and soon Meagan backed away into the street.

  Jake stood motionless, knowing the flood of machines would flow around him as they rushed to the edge of the window and leapt into the air. Most landed with a clang somewhere on Project Cupcake’s body. Those that missed were replaced by others as machines continued to arrive from around the city.

  The mech began to stumble and flail as it tried to brush the robots away, but the legion covered it from head to toe and began to pull it apart.

  The swarm ejected pieces of the machine as it began to strip away the outer shell.

  Guns fired and rockets launched as Meagan did everything she could to stop the swarm. But soon the weapons fell silent as the robot mass worked its way to those systems as well.

  A minute later they got to the knee and Project Cupcake collapsed in the ZUMR plaza. More machines piled on and continued to tear away. It wasn’t long before the massive machine wasn’t even visible from the command center. But the news drones were seeing everything.

  Jake pulled out his phone and found the news feed. He put the projection up in the room and the team watched as the robots stripped away the cockpit and revealed Meagan Mouret to the viewing public.