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

Take Back the Cluster

Chief Orden glanced at me the same way she'd look at a sand rat masturbating during a table dance.

In short, flummoxed face deluxe.

"Is that really you?"

"Unfortunately. I'm like those cockroaches, you know, throw sandstorms and snipers after me and I'm still coming back for more."

Glitch grinned like a kid.

"Man, you've really come back."

He approached me first and hugged me like a long lost brother.

"I'm so glad you returned. How the hell have you made back here?"

"Later. This cluster is on lockdown. The rest of the Technoid platoon will arrive soon."

My glance swung to the chief who still wrestled with her emotion.

"Orden, give me permission to access all tiers of the locker. Me and my soldier friend need to armor up."

She caught herself and slipped back into her old role, the notorious iron bitch.

"But you're a low-ranking digger with minimal permissions. You don't even have the right to access a tier one firearm."

This woman.

Was the U of unbelievable.

We were in the middle of a hostile siege, and she still made love to bureaucracy. Why didn't the Technoids take her hostage? That would have been a bright spot for once.

"Konforma, care to help me out here?"

The hologram girl nudged the iron lady with her digital finger.

"Chief Orden, given the extraordinary situation that could threaten the future of our beloved Bulwark, I believe we can make an exception."

Orden pondered her suggestion with steady eye contact.

"Fine. I grant you a temporary tier two permission."

Better than nothing.

I said,

"Tell your soldiers to guard the entrances while we take care of the weapon load-out."

"I know basic urban tactics myself."

She then instructed the soldiers with my suggestion. I walked toward the showcase that opened its armored hull.

The wonderland of weaponry unleashed before my eyes.

But given the time pressure, I went basic.

Grabbed the AK-BL8 with the crystalline blade.

Took four mags with fifty rounds each.

A handful of EMP grenades.

And two flashbangs.

"Don't forget the armor," Glitch said.

He pointed toward the armor locker and took out a state-of-the-art armordillo.

Helped me undress myself from the blood-and sweat-soaked digger gear and wrapped the armor around my body. In less than thirty seconds, I was back to being a heavily-armored and weaponized soldier.

And guess what?

I loved every second of it.

"Hostiles approaching from the east wing," the guards said via the intercom on our commcuffs.

"Let them come. We're ready."

Orden still looked as if she was chewing on nails.

"I hope you do have a plan besides blasting everything to smithereens."

"We're liberating the commons section where dozens of soldiers are located."

"Very primitive."

"Orden, the simpler, the better. We don't have time for quality planning. It's shoot 'n' run."

My neck craned toward the geek.

"Glitch, take the military gearback and stuff it with as many firearms, assault rifles and EMP grenades as you can."

Orden swallowed hard as Glitch tore through the weapon's showcase.

"Please respect our resources."

I had to intervene.

"Chill out, Orden. We're going to save lives here."

The guards moved into position.

The tension tripled.

"Hostile contact. Waiting for orders."

"Fire at will," I said over the intercom.

I had suddenly upgraded from lone survivor to squad captain.

Why not?

I seemed to be the only one capable of taking back the cluster.

"Orden, you stay inside the armory and keep it shut from the outside. Make sure no Technoid gains access to it."

Obviously, she did not like that decision.

"You may not believe it, but I went through Basic training as well. I'm a terrific shot. And I have a permanent tier three license."

"No doubt about that, but I need people to follow my commands without question. One protest, and we're deadmeat."

She grimaced, which made me smile inside. She deserved getting put into her place.

"It's for the greater good."

Oh yeah.

Now the action started.

"Fire."

The gunshots rang through the hall.

The war for the Bulwark Cluster had begun.