Metal Organism Designed only for Cuddling

MODOC: Part 20 - First Blood

           "Max, what is it? Max?"

           MODOC was met with silence. Perhaps Max had gone offline during the fighting. MODOC's internal diagnostics indicated he had taken some injury from the cat-thing, but nothing vital had been damaged. Justin was just a few feet away and MODOC jumped up on the platform to greet him.

           "Justin?" MODOC voxed as loudly as he could. MODOC found it strange that most of the people in the group had not moved when the cat-thing appeared. They formed a wedge in front of Justin and waited, looking forward with a blank stare. They had not run for cover when the fire-fight had started unlike the third that appeared to still be rational and had moved out of the line of fire.

           Justin was sitting on ground in the back of the group with a young woman leaning over him on her knees.

           "Miss Naomi, I heard my android calling me, do you see him?"

           "I see a mangy white cat covered in some sticky liquid coming toward us but a bunch of people are blocking his path."

           "MODOC is that you?"

           "Yes, it me. Who are these people in front of you and what are they doing?"

           Before Justin could answer, the entire building shook. MODOC turned to look left and saw a main factory wall buckling under some intense force. The humans that blocked his path had turned away from him and reoriented on the damaged wall.

           MODOC seeing the opening ran up to Justin and nuzzled him around the neck and face. "I'm here. I told you I would find you. I will never leave you."

           Justin grabs MODOC tightly around the neck and squeezes with all of his newfound strength. MODOC squirms and slips his grip.

           "Justin, you look different, you smell different. Are you okay?"

           "I've been sick." The wall shakes again, this time with huge cracks forming in the wall and mortar falls away. The firefight had stopped as both sides turn their attention to the crumbling wall.

           "We have to go, Justin. I came to get you and take you out of here. These people are here to help."

           "Where are we, MODOC?"

           "We don't have time to explain, we have to go now. I will tell you all about it if you agree to leave right now."

           "I can't go with you now. I have to go somewhere." And with that Justin jumped up and ran deeper into the factory, dodging the androids which stopped to focus their attention on the wall. Naomi ran  behind him staying close. MODOC was momentarily shocked before stepping over the dead creature and followed him.

           "MODOC, what was that thing? All of the scanners are going crazy. I am seeing chemical structures that I do not recognize."

           "You take care of that Max, I am going to keep up with the boy."

           MODOC hearing a strange sound, turned around to look at what had the attention of the androids and the humans. It was fortunate for him that he did, as a tentacle-like spears of wood pierced the reinforced wall and struck out into the room, destroying two of the androids by tearing through their chests. One of the spears struck the body of the creature he had just killed and only a timely bound straight up saved him from the same fate. The body of the creature was snatched back toward the wall and was dragged into one of the crevasses. Its body snapped and cracked as its bones were pulled through the wall. For a second, that ominous sound was the only thing heard.