Machine God: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller (Final Draft)

Deep trouble

It wasn't a bird, that was for sure.

Although the object came with an organic design, it seemed to be of mechanical nature. The thing blended into the environment and only became discernible when it moved.

Like right now, pointing its feelers at me.

Beautiful, and scary.

What was that thing?

I had to report it.

"Hecto, I found something."

"Clarify."

"It looks mechanical. Makes strange sounds and flies ten meters above my head."

The fizz sound increased, something in its form changed. Two barrel-shaped objects extracted.

Oh no.

The shots impacted the ground before me. My instincts made me roll away.

I stormed back into the forsaken lobby and sprinted across the dusted marble ground.

"I'm under fire."

I hid around the corner, knelt and readied my 15mm. The object flew through the box-sized hole and floated sideways. Zigzagged through the lobby air and located me like a predator.

The greeting?

Auto-fire at my direction.

Sham.

Bam.

Triple-damn.

The energetic javelins pounded the wall space half an arm next to me and shredded the concrete. Pieces blew apart with white dust. The particles battered my face and made me cough. I scrambled for cover and took position near the closest pillar when another volley of shots blasted at my direction. They penetrated the other side of the block where I leaned against. It splintered apart.

Deafening sounds hammered my ears.

What was that thing?

Ceedee chimed in.

"Hecto, I think we've been spotted. I'm detecting movement in the target building, floors 5-10."

"Shit."

He mumbled some order over the intercom but I tuned out. The incoming fire demanded all of my attention.

I scooped around and saw the object flying at my direction. With the finger on my trigger, I took aim and unleashed three bullets. The first missed the flying robot by a finger length, the other two bounced off the armor like rubber pellets causing minimal, or no damage.

So much for the Bulwark's little pride.

Armor-piercing up my ass.

And now Hecto shouted into the intercom.

"Rookie, where the hell are you?"

"I'm kind of busy here."

"We're under heavy attack. Looks like you triggered the metal freaks."

Blame it on the rookie. Thank tech Ceedee shared her progress.

"Shot delivered. Target on the fourth floor down."

At least one of us was successful. With my pillar cover shredding to pieces, I pulled the run 'n' gun maneuver and targeted the steel stairs to the next floor. The fizzz followed me like a shadow. The thing must have fallen in love with me.

It hovered around the corner, I hunkered down, aimed at the stairs below me and unleashed another shot. The bullet hit the thing's center and reflected.

So useless.

My battle mode reacted and made me roll sideways. The energy shots battered the corner next to me, blasted off the pieces. One hit my cheek and brought me down.

Crap.

A numb pain spread through my face and demanded my attention. My head felt as if two steel pillars sandwiched it. Now on the second floor, I darted toward the nearest cover spot when the ground gave way. The rusty steel ground broke apart. I fell into the marble floor of the lobby below. Midway through the flight, I swung out my grapple gun and shot the cabled dart into the steel bars of the floor I just fell through.

The shot connected and pulled me up.

Felt like a certain superhero who spat webs to stick to the ceiling. The flying robot floated through the hole and scanned the area. It turned its back toward me and gave me a chance of surprise. With my free hand, I pulled up a steel bar from the ceiling I clang to. When the robot hovered closer and discovered me, I attacked.

Shooting thingy, meet steel bar.

Steel bar, meet shooting thingy.

The armodillo amplified my swing.

The hit pushed the robot thing back and caused it to readjust its aim. I wasn't going to wait. I jump-attacked the sucker with another bat and brought it down to my level.

Hit it again.

And again.

Pieces of the robot armor burst apart, which showed me the object was vulnerable. It adjusted its cannons one more time but I raged. Shouted my lungs out and struck the object against the nearby wall with all my might. It bounced off, wobbled 'round the ground and slipped through another hole. Its thruster must had been broken, because instead of air-breaking the fall, it plunged into the lower floor like a cranky motorbike. The robot collided with the marble ground in the lobby and splintered into pieces, breaking half of its armor plates. I looked down at the mess and smiled.

That's what you get when you mess with the rookie.

My arms brushed the dusty sweat from my forehead, but I had no time to relax yet. My comrades were in deep trouble.