Zion

11 - The Cyborgs Part 1

General Michael Smith POV 

The great nation of Panes was currently in turmoil. There had been reported attacks from four cities for the past five hours. Three of these cities were known to have the highest number of gadgets, now all left barren and cold. There was no human deaths and no blood as we searched the three cities, people seemed to disappear to nowhere, until now we had no answers.  

The New Nation made a press release warning us about the machines, but they got no answer why it was happening. The production and purchasing of AI gadgets stopped since two days ago, and now we finally knew why. The crazyness wasn't an ordinary virus, it must be more than that, and even more serious.  

"Have you found any survivors?" I asked Nathan, my second on command. He wore a green suit like the others, only that he had a white badge on his right chest. He had orange lenses, he didn't take it off ever since his gadget was junked into Station 6 three years ago. He said it was the only thing that would remind him of his machine.  

"None, Sire." He replied. "The air forces found no trace of Cenythians from the aerial view." 

"And there's no smell of death." 

"And one more thing," he added, "the trackers from the Headquarters couldn't detect the registered GPS." 

"Do we have a word from the Science Peak?" I asked, the scientists from the Maxima had their own backup tracking system for each nation with machines. 

"We couldn't contact them since this morning. NN authorities said they're making a move." 

"This is getting bad." I replied, turning around to face our battleship. I was about to move my feet when I remembered one last thing, I turned to Nathan and asked, "And what about Block 9?" 

"A minor battle is going on in there. There are crazy machines lurking the city, deaths amounting to seventy percent. The city is said to be ruined, but there are human survivors, Sire, a chance to retrieve." 

"Gear up, Nathan, we'll win that city." I said then turned away. 

"Endless leads the troupe, Sire." He informed although I knew it anyway. His intention was not to inform me, but to tell me that there was nothing to worry about Block 9 because Endless was there. I had great admiration for machines, I strongly believed in them, but the situation now was telling me that there should be an end to it. 

"I know. But prepare yourself, he might become one of them." I told Nathan. 

My men and I proceeded to the fourth city, Block 9, and it grieved our hearts to see its great desperation. Almost ninety-percent of the city was now lost, buildings were fallen and houses were shaken. I stepped out of the battleship and I smelled death. 

"The city is cleared, Sire." Someone told me. I just nodded.  

Colored ambulances and helicopters were surrounding the epicenter. I saw a number of colored medics, busy on transferring the dead bodies to their stations, some were still alive and yet shouting for a mercy killing. Such a desperate situation. 

"Sire!" Endless gave me a salute upon receiving me to their tent. I couldn't help but sigh in relief to see that Endless was still fine on his own. No one said that all machines were affected, but there was no guarantee either that combat machines were safe.  

I looked at Endless and said, quite hardly, "What's the situation here?" 

"We cleared fifty machines, Sire. One of them is bound to a voltage room, left for your interrogation. Survivors are being treated physically and psychologically."