Awakening

by Hayden Pearton

  *

  “Don’t worry Kingston, we’ll be there soon. Once you have your medicine… everything will be fine…”

  The half-conscious hermit gave a small nod in response, which did nothing for Barsch’s confidence. By the time he had returned to Alza, the old man’s condition had grown dire. Kingston had begun to slip in and out of consciousness, and was continuously mumbling something unintelligible under his breath. Barsch only understood bits and pieces, but one word, “promise”, was repeated over and over.

  After reaching the location of the pipes, they turned inland, soon reaching a small forest. Kingston had managed to recover some of his lucidity, but he still continued to lean on his staff for support. His cough, meanwhile, had only grown worse, and more than once they had been forced to stop and wait for him to recover.

  Around midday, the sounds of the forest were interrupted by something that was undoubtedly non-organic in nature: the mechanical hum of a generator. The sound seemed to originate from the north, and grew more intense as they neared its source. After brushing aside a particularly obstinate branch, the end of their journey came into view.

  The building sat low to the ground, with an acid-resistant sloped roof and reinforced concrete walls. A small window, most likely made of blast-proof glass, allowed them to see an interior consisting of beds and medical machines. Engraved into a metal plate hanging beside the window were the words, “MEDICAL STATION PROXA 09”. To Barsch, it was something of an anti-climax, seeing as such a plain building was the key to Kingston’s salvation.

  “Barsch, do you know why this building exists?” Kingston’s voice cut through Barsch’s thoughts, bringing him back into the present. The old man had managed to regain his strength upon seeing the medical station, and was now staring into the single window.

  “Not really… Isn’t it kind of remote for a medical station? I mean, the nearest city is miles away…”

  “True, but this place was not built for civilians. During the South Wars, fights could break out anywhere, at any time. To counter this, countries built hundreds of hidden bunkers where they could hide weaponry, medicine and factories. After the wars ended, most of them were forgotten or destroyed, but this one managed to survive. I was fortunate enough to have access to the Station database and memorised its location shortly before I was exiled.”

  “So that’s how you knew there was a Station here? But what if they don’t have the medicine you need?”

  Kingston started moving towards the other side of the building, cautiously peering around each corner before continuing. “The medicine I need is actually a combination of several other drugs, which individually are quite common. In my case, I was even able to use some local plants as substitutes, but they take several months to grow so I generally use them to complement the main ingredients. Hopefully this place hasn’t been ransacked by travellers or bandits…”

  Finally, they made it to the entrance, although Kingston was still looking nervous.

  “We’re the only conscious humans on the planet, and we’re in one of the most remote places imaginable… what could possibly pose a threat to us? But if even Kingston is worried…”

  “Kingston, what are you going to do after this? I mean, after we find your medicine…”

  “Well, I guess we’ll head back to my hut. Although I think we’ll take the long route next time. I’ve think I’ve had enough excitement in these last few days to keep me content for the rest of my life. And after that, I guess we’ll have to see about getting you into Genesis Station 13 somehow. Alza will also have to decide whether she wants to go with you or stay with… me.”

  From the look on Kingston’s gaunt face, the latter option was one he would rather avoid, although Barsch could not see why. Alza might have been a bit strange, but she was still human, and anyone would be a bit shy if they were forced to travel with two strangers…

  “Don’t worry m’boy! We still have plenty of time before all that. You don’t have to worry about the future all the time, you should spare some thought for the present.” Kingston was right; there were more important things at hand. His decision could wait…

  Their conversation over, the duo returned to inspecting the station’s entrance. At first glance, it seemed to be a solid sheet of dark grey metal, but on closer inspection they found a thin seam in the material. Like the rest of the building, it had obviously been built to withstand anything short of a nuclear blast, possibly even including one.

  Only two other things stood out about the entrance. Firstly, there was a strange heap of metal beside the door, with several cords running from it to the wall. Secondly, there was a small console on the wall, its screen obscured by a thick layer of dust. Kingston wiped away most of it away with a tattered sleeve, before tentatively pressing a few of the keys.

  After a short pause, the console suddenly sprang to life in a series of beeps and clicks. The blank screen was immediately replaced with a rudimentary user interface that displayed several options in glowing blue text. Before Kingston could enter anything, an artificial voice called out from a hidden speaker.

  “Warning, this is a restricted building. By U.N.O.E code 9225-c, all non-authorised personnel must leave the premise within sixty seconds or face forced removal. This is for your own safety. Please enter your authorisation code now, you have sixty seconds. If you have forgotten your authorisation code, please leave a message with the local U.N.O.E embassy. Thank you for your time, and have a nice day… This message will repeat once more… Warning, this is a restricted-

  Kingston pressed a button on the console’s side, muting the voice. “I was afraid of something like this…” he muttered, staring at the console.

  “Something like what?” Barsch asked, “It’s not like it can stop us from actually entering, right? I mean, I doubt a place like this would have automated defences…”

  The sight of the cannons appearing outside Genesis Station 13 was still too fresh in his mind for Barsch to discount the idea completely, but he doubted that a clinic would be outfitted with such weaponry.

  “No, it’s not that. I had heard rumours of governments placing guardians outside high-value buildings, but I never thought that we would be unlucky enough to encounter one. Anyway, we need to leave before the countdown ends.”

  “But why?” Barsch said, hesitantly walking after Kingston. Alza still stood by the entrance, looking almost bored with what was happening. “Who is the guardian?”

  “Not who, Barsch, what.”

  “I still don’t understand, what is going to-

  “Three, two, one, zero. Time limit expired. Recognising that the intruders have not vacated the area. Switching to anti-intrusion mode. Deactivating all lethal combat measures… error, system corruption detected… deactivating all… non-lethal combat measures… deactivation successful. Sending activation code to re-mech number SEC-97, call-sign Erebus. Activating in three, two, one-

  A sudden movement at the edge of Barsch’s vision made him turn towards what he had previously thought to be a pile of scrap metal, which was now expanding and rotating, like a contortionist going in reverse. A humanoid figure began to form, with long arms, a broad chest, and yellow, glowing eyes. It had a black body, with silver lines forming an intricate pattern that looked like some sort of emblem.

  Once assembled, it was clear that it was massive, easily topping out at nine feet tall and three feet wide, with fists that looked like they could punch through solid steel, a perception that was probably true. Despite its width, it had a slim frame, a perfect balance between stability and mobility; however, it had an imposing presence, and Barsch could not help but feel insignificant whilst standing before it.

  Barsch had seen a few re-mechs before the Great Sleep, but never one that looked like this. He had always encountered the home models which were roughly human-sized and designed to give off an air of polite servitude. Growing up, he had always relegated them to the same status as furniture, albeit furniture tha
t weighed several tonnes and could speak. They had always been polite to him, asking if he needed anything, if he was comfortable: truly, helpfulness incarnate.

  But this thing... this giant, elicited feelings of humility from Barsch; as if he angered this metal god it could crush him with one gigantic hand.

  The re-mech spoke then, in a deep, artificial tone, “Attention, intruders, you are trespassing on U.N.O.E property and have failed to leave within the allotted time. I have been ordered to remove you from the premises, using whatever force I deem necessary. I will give you one final chance: leave, or suffer the consequences of your disobedience.”

  “Wait!” Barsch cried, standing between Kingston and the steel-plated monster, “We only came here to find some medicine! Please, my friend is very sick, and he will die without it!”

  “I’m sorry, but my orders are absolute. If you are in need of medical attention, please make your way to the nearest public hospital. If you still intend on entering this facility, I will be forced to act.”

  “Please! We don’t need to enter, we just need some medicine! That’s all we want, I promise!” Panic was already beginning to seep into Barsch’s voice, and his knees felt like they could buckle at any moment. Kingston didn’t have time to go looking for a hospital, not when the medicine they needed lay only a few feet away. If he had to, he would fight, although he had no idea how someone could take down a machine built solely for combat.

  “You have failed to comply with my instructions. Very well, I will use non-lethal force to dispose of you. Please stand still and do not speak, this will only take a second.”

  The re-mech took a heavy step towards Barsch, who was looking less and less confident by the second.

  “Error. Error. Non-lethal weaponry is not available. Data corruption logged in database. Accessing back-up directives… switching to lethal weaponry… error… this action may result in human casualties… error… safety mode disengaged… combat stance engaged. Equipping Mark VII Anti-personnel weapons… Chainsword and Sonic Cannon equipped. Priming firing sequence for ten seconds.”

  With a complicated motion, the re-mech snapped its arm back and rotated it, whilst reaching into a hidden compartment with its other hand. The thing it brought out looked like a nightmarish cross between a broadsword and a chainsaw, with serrated teeth attached to the blade on each side. The small engine which sat above the hilt began to emit a mechanical whirr, like a car revving up. The sharpened teeth, originating from the engine block, began to rotate around the blade in a clockwise motion, gradually building up speed until it became a black blur. A harsh sound accompanied every rev, as if a lion had roared through a loud speaker.

  The blade had been painted black, with pulsing lines of blue light forming a mesmerizing pattern across the surface. The four foot long blade would be more than enough to cut him in two, which made Barsch even more fearful of what its other arm was doing.

  While his attention had been on the roaring blade, the re-mech had reformed its arm, with one major difference: a fist-sized hole had formed from its wrist. The hole was octagonal, and Barsch watched as two pipes from above the re-mech’s shoulder slid out and began snaking their way down to its wrist. Moments later, a greenish fluid began to flow through the pipes, and an eerie glow appeared from within the barrel.

  “Kingston, what is that?” whispered Barsch, in a vain attempt to escape the behemoth’s notice.

  It was then that Barsch saw the look on Kingston’s face: utter resignation. The old man had yet to move an inch, and he wore a small, unsettling smile on his face. “That m’boy is called a Sonic Cannon. They used them to excavate tunnels before the pollution became a problem. If that thing hits us, there won’t even be ash left…”

  “Oh…”

  What else was there to say? When they had faced the storm, there had been something inside him that had kept him going, but at that moment, he felt nothing but fear. He couldn’t move, and Kingston was sick. There was nothing either of them could do…

  The re-mech, finished with its preparations, now turned to face them. The hand holding the blade rose gracefully, until the tip was pointing to the sky. From its stance, Barsch could tell that it was aiming at Kingston; most likely it had judged him to possess the least threat. As the blade began to fall, time slowed, giving Barsch enough time to realise what must be done.

  He leapt towards Kingston, shoving him aside just as the blade came down. He felt the roaring teeth lightly brush his shirt, and his mind went blank, the thought of how close he had come to death consuming him. As he landed on the hard ground, time returned, just as the re-mech took a step forward in preparation for its next attack.

  This time, the blade was coming for him, its spinning teeth seemingly eager to lap at his blood. Whatever luck had saved him the first time was gone. And in the end, Kingston would still die. He had failed. There was nothing left but to close his eyes…

  “ALZA!”

  The though burst into his mind, as if his soul had screamed for her. In an instant, she was there, beside him, with an arm outstretched towards the falling blade.

  Barsch tried to tell her to move, but his words died in his throat when he saw her face. Her eyes were shining from within, as if a supernova had just taken place inside her mind. Barsch turned towards the re-mech and was, for the second time in so many minutes, rendered speechless. The re-mech’s blade had stopped falling.

  Looking closer, Barsch could see that not only had the chainsword stopped falling, its ravenous teeth had been frozen in place, along with the rest of the re-mech’s massive body. If he had not seen it awaken, he would have sworn that it was a statue or sculpture. The re-mech did not have a human face, but somehow it managed to convey a single, overriding emotion through its digital eyes: fear. Barsch thought that it was impossible that he would ever feel pity for something that had only moments ago tried to kill him, but that was what he felt now.

  Alza, apparently, had no such feelings.

  She took a step forward, her eyes burning ever brighter. The violet supernovas almost seemed to pulse with every breath, like a supernatural metronome. When she raised her outstretched hand, the re-mech began to rise from the ground. It continued to rise as she walked forward, her palm facing the panicking re-mech’s chest. Barsch could only watch in silence, as the immutable law of gravity was destroyed by a fifteen year old girl.

  Without a single word of warning, Alza suddenly thrust her outstretched hand to the right, pointing in the direction of the tree line. Almost immediately, the mysterious force holding the re-mech responded, hurling its captive at the trees faster than Barsch could follow. The re-mech blurred from the sudden acceleration, and the last thing Barsch saw was the panic in its eyes, before it was thrown a hundred feet in two seconds.

  The sound of metal hitting wood came first, followed by a thunderous roar as tree after tree fell to the earth. Then came a dull thud, as if something incredibly heavy had finally hit solid earth. Finally, a strained silence descended, as if the whole world was holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen next.

  The entire ordeal had only taken a few seconds, but it felt like it had lasted a lifetime. Alza, meanwhile, had lowered her arm. Barsch unconsciously looked away from it, as one would avoid looking into the barrel of a loaded gun. However, this brought his vision to the treeline, or what was left of it. The unfortunate re-mech had taken down a dozen trees, leaving great shards of wood scattered across the grass. To Barsch, they looked like tombstones, made by Mother Nature for a child that was not her own.

  Wincing, he turned his back on the devastation, and focused on Kingston’s immobile frame. The old man was still on the ground, several feet from Alza. Unlike Barsch’s wide-eyed stare and open mouth, the hermit had a nonchalant expression on his face, as if a teenage girl defeating a nine-foot titan was just another daily occurrence.

  Despite his calm demeanour, Barsch still saw him flinch slightly as Alza stepped past him, on her way to
the Station’s door. However, only a few steps from the entrance, she suddenly stopped. She looked towards Barsch with her normal -non-shining- eyes, opened her mouth, and collapsed.

  “Alza!” Barsch cried, somewhat unintentionally. Apparently his legs had decided to start working again, and he managed to catch her seconds before she hit the floor.

  “Kingston? What do we do?” he asked, hoping that the old man would be able to make sense of what had just happened.

  “Bring her inside. She doesn’t look injured, but if something is wrong, we can use what’s inside to help her.”

  Barsch followed Kingston to the door, where the old man set to work on hacking the control panel. Less than two minutes later, the heavy bulkheads slid open. Inside, they found a reception counter, along with several military cots and padlocked cabinets. He laid their unconscious companion down on the nearest bed, checked her pulse, and covered her with a nearby blanket.

  “I’ll be right back… I need to see… it.”

  Kingston left the room, Solar Staff now extended and in hand, and headed towards the fallen re-mech. In the meantime, Barsch found the main circuit board and switched on the lights and carbon monoxide scrubbers. After pouring himself a glass of slightly acidic water, he collapsed into a plastic chair, and thought about how everything had gone so wrong.

  Kingston entered a few minutes later, cradling something in his arms. “I haven’t seen destruction like that in a very long time. Almost reminds me of the time our squadron’s combat re-mech got caught in a proximity mine… I’m sorry, Erebus. I’m sorry that it had to come to this…”

  With that, Kingston placed the items in his hands on the table. Amongst the various pieces of broken metal, a single part stood out to Barsch. Picking it up, he read the black lettering engraved on the surface of the fist-sized, spherical object.

  “A.I. Core Module SEC-97, call-sign: Erebus.” A large crack extended from the top of the device to the equator, running vertically through the word “Erebus.” As Barsch watched, the module broke apart in his hands, leaving him with two equal halves.

  “She even destroyed the A.I… Kingston, what was that? What is she?”

  “I don’t know m’boy… If we want answers, we will have to wait for her to wake up. But in the meantime, I am going to look for the medicine. I suggest that you get some sleep, it’s been a… long day…”

  Barsch could tell that Kingston was just as uneasy as he was, but Kingston’s wellbeing came first. When Alza awoke, they would learn the truth, whether she was willing to tell it or not.