The First Android

PART TWO

"Just call me Link."

"OK Link, I know all the loopholes in enemy base five," Bill responded.

"OK Bill, lead the way. We have to infiltrate the main core and destroy it. Simple and sweet."

"As you wish, Link."

Bill sounded exactly like any other partner I had worked with. Only smarter and more coordinated. The snow kept on falling. That left two pairs of footprints that were covered with snow in some time. Warfare in snow differed significantly as it reduced visibility and range. But it was all the same to Bill. He detected enemies by sensing their thermal signatures. Bill touched the wire in an external protection system.

"Over ride complete. All the external security cameras, thermal scanners and lasers are now useless for about an hour. I over rode it using the program designed by HQ."

That's so fucking cool, I wanted to say. Instead I said,"Good work, Bill." All the tiptoeing and manual cutting of wires, following cameras and masking thermal images was rendered useless in just the first two minutes of infiltration.

At this rate, the mission might not be as difficult as I had expected. Bill infiltrated the external ground and started walking towards the right. I followed close behind.

As we moved, I informed him,"If we meet an enemy, killing him will send a direct signal to the control centre of base 5. Then things might get ugly. The best way is to shoot the enemy on the right of the neck. That way the transmitter is destroyed, therefore no signal reaches anywhere."

"Understood, Link. The right of the neck." Saying so he raised his left arm and he shot from his hand. A sniper fell on the snow below. The white snow around him slowly turned to red as blood flowed from his neck.

"A good shot soldier!" If this goes on I might get an inferiority complex, I thought. General Link, best soldier, my ass. But I kept the joke to myself.

"The honour's mine, Sir!" And whose idea was it to add responses that were so formal? A joke or two might have worked wonders. Maybe in the next upgrades they add a touch of humour.

Bill's right hand rose up and shot another sniper. He didn't deviate from his path or even slow down. He just kept on going.

Bill turned a left. He didn't see either side but raised both his hands to shoot. Two patrol guards fell. There was one aspect I felt different in this mission. Usually company of a comrade generated some level of confidence. They had our backs. Here I was actually a little carefree. Bill was an impregnable shield from any possible enemy fire. Literally. He walked with his back upright. I walked behind him, crouching. This was a stealth mission after all. But Bill could maintain stealth without crouching.

With a comrade we have this primal fear, Don't shoot my comrade or he will be hurt. That is not acceptable. Here it was quite the opposite, to the point it was humorous. I felt like shouting,'Try shooting him punks. You will see what comes of it.'

"Crack a joke, Bill", I tested the research department.

"What do you call a man with a bullet in his lungs?", responded Bill.

"A tough gun?"

"No Link. He will be known as a dead man!"

Bill laughed.

I did not.

Well done, researchers. You think feeding such jokes will lighten the mood during stealth missions? I am a General. Does not mean I take death lightly. Its quite the opposite.

"Crack a joke which isn't grave or doesn't involve death."

"I only know jokes that are grave, Link."