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

Technoid Terror

Doomed if you do.

Doomed if you don't.

The glorious goal awaited us.

Together with the exposure to gunfire.

Today's weather forecast: sunny, with a chance of headshots.

"What now?" the Bulwark soldier said.

"You suddenly listen to my commands?"

"You just headshot a Technoid with reinforced armor. I'll listen to whatever you say from now on."

And thus, I earned the trust of the military comrade.

But that didn't help much now. We had to enter the open if we were to reach the hatch, which was suicide. Ann-Lyze spied through the hole in the wall we just came through. She screamed.

"More Technoids are coming."

Damn.

Pressure.

Exactly what I didn't need.

I pushed forward to the corner and waved my team over. The hatch lay only eleven meters in front of us, but this short distance was our potential graveyard.

"We don't have much time."

I held out my hand and waved.

Tried to taunt enemy sniper fire but nothing happened.

If the sharp shooter was smart, he wouldn't fall for it.

He didn't.

Which meant: more pressure.

"We have to run now. The Technoids are reaching our position," the soldier said.

My heart roared inside my chest and wanted to break free.

"Let me finally be of use."

The voice seemed surreal.

All eyes fell to Nathan who awoke from his weakened slumber.

"Let me distract the shooters for you."

Ann-Lyze intervened. This must have been hard on her.

"No, father, that's suicide."

"Look at me. I'm a breathing corpse. I've been nothing but an obstacle for the past hours."

I exchanged glances with the digger and the soldier. They gave me a silent nod.

Deal sealed.

Only Ann-Lyze refused.

Of course she did.

"Okay," I said, giving the go.

Ann-Lyze's face twitched.

"Okay what?"

But everyone knew.

Nathan inhaled deeply.

Pushed himself up from the ground.

Neared the corner and stared deep into my iris.

"Promise to take care of her."

He wanted to hush but hesitated.

"By the way, I'm sorry for bruising your face. You're a decent chap."

I nodded.

It was the only thing I could have done.

The old man stormed into the open first, we zigzagged after him and kept a three meter distance.

Ann-Lyze screamed.

I grabbed her arm and dragged her across the open road when an energy blast ripped through Nathan's head and melted it like bloody cheese. I rolled on the ground, opened the hatch with the soldier.

"Nooo," Ann-Lyze screamed, but I pushed her into the shaft.

The diggers followed up.

Another javelin blast burned the sandy ground around the hatch. In the distance, I saw Technoids leaping through the wall hole. They darted through the back alley that we came from and opened fire.

Nathan's corpse leaked a river of blood from the throat where his head used to be.

I closed the hatch and sealed it shut from the inside.

The blasts plonked.

Muffled jib jabs.

Ann-Lyze, the digger and the soldier climbed down below me.

I heard her crying echoing through the tight shaft.

"No, no no," she said.

Stuck in a nightmare that happened to be reality.

The Bulwark soldier nudged her with the boot.

"Move."

Harsh, but necessary.

This was no time for an emotional breakdown.

I climbed.

Into the dark abyss.

The blood made love to the sweat on my palms.

The mix greased the ladder and almost made me slip from the rungs.

My mind shut down.

Only the lizard brain remained.

Yelling,

move down

move down.

More muffled impact rounds sounded from above.

Were the Technoids' weapons able to melt through the metal?

I didn't want to find out.