Inside the office, the injured Ker reached down and picked up its weapon and turned toward Deines and Woolridge. Its range finder was damaged so it switched to its manual viewer. Aiming too low, Deines shot and blew the Ker’s hand off, sending it to the floor along with its Gatling cannon.
“I’m out,” Deines shouted over a mumbling Woolridge who was bleeding out on the floor. The SEAL was empty and didn’t have a backup weapon. Woolridge didn’t have a round to his name either. Deines noticed Woolridge’s weapon resting on the floor twenty feet away. That’s got some rounds left, he thought.
After picking up its cannon with its good hand, the Ker turned to engage. The SEAL saw the soulless metal bastard as it spun to face him. We’re dead Deines thought, watching the Gatling cannon rise. This is how I die he thought, watching his life flash before his eyes.
Switching to its manual guidance system, the Ker locked on to the SEAL and injured Marine, and moved closer. Deines could only watch.
The SEAL jerked his body in surprise as he watched a ray stream in light across the confines of the office. Clio fired her photon pistol and hit the Ker in its face shield. Riddling the office with 30mm rounds, the robot fired blind, keeping the trigger squeezed while falling back, barrel pointing north, and crashing onto the ground. The ceiling fell down on top of it as it continued to hold the trigger and shoot in a loud vicious display of firepower.
After jumping to his feet, Deines ran and picked up Woolridge’s rifle. The Ker stopped firing and became invisible through the smoke and dust. Deines carefully approached as he looked for it through the pieces of debris that were still falling. Lying on its back, the Ker appeared under the settling dust, covered in chalky powder stuck to its hot metal that had turned to a paste… Standing over it, Deines aimed and emptied the remaining few rounds into the Ker’s face shield.
“There’s one left!” Deines shouted holding up his finger.
The SEAL looked through the opening to the assembly line. Turning back, he searched for the thirteen-year-old. “Got anything left in that photon pistol?” he asked Clio.
“Maybe one or two!” she shouted back.
Deines gestured at the girl with his hand. “Catch,” Clio said as she threw it to him. The SEAL entered the assembly line, looking for the last Ker.
Hiding behind a wall, Cy looked at the charge on his photon pistol. Empty he thought watching it blink red. The Ker detected the cyborg hiding behind the structure. It aimed, intending to shoot through the drywall barrier that was shielding Cy.
The Ker locked on. Deines saw the back of the robot, preparing to shoot as the Ker raised its Gatling cannon. With the photon pistol charged at quarter power, the SEAL fired just as the Ker pulled the trigger. The young cyborg hit the deck as rounds ripped through the wall. Firing, the Ker spun out of control and sent 30mm rounds ricocheting off the interior walls of the factory. Deines slammed his belly to the deck as bullets whizzed by his ears. The shooting stopped… It fell quiet inside the makeshift assembly area.
The Ker stood up with a pathetic hole still burning in its back. It turned to face Deines. Aiming from his belly, the SEAL shot and hit the robot’s chest. The photon pistol powered down to nil after hitting the Ker at less than quarter charge. The Ker reeled back but didn’t go down. As the Ker regained its balance, Deines saw his life flash before his eyes again. The Destroyer raised its canon and began to aim.
Thinking of his family, Deines closed his eyes and waited. It fell silent again…
Startled at the sound of the Gatling cannon, Petty Officer Deines jerked and ran his hands over his face and body. I’m still alive he thought. The SEAL opened his eyes to see Cy holding onto the Ker’s weapon. Holding onto the barrel like a pit bull, Cy kept the mussel away from his body while being swung in every direction.
The Destroyer pulled the trigger and rounds ripped through the factory, vibrating Cy’s hands with singeing heat. Cy gripped with all his strength and pushed off the Ker’s abdomen, breaking the weapon free. Deines watched as the cyborg slid back holding the cannon. Attacking unarmed, the Ker launched through the air as Cy aimed.
“Kill it!” Deines shouted. Bracing the butt of the cannon against the floor, Cy aimed and fired. The Ker shattered in pieces as Cy continued to pull the trigger. Pieces of it showered the young cyborg as he let go of the cannon and shielded his face from the incoming robot debris. The assembly area fell silent again.
“You ok?” Deines asked.
“Yes Petty Officer Deines,” Cy answered.
“Thank you,” Deines said.
“You’re welcome Petty Officer Deines.”
“You saved my life.”
“I believe you saved mine first, Petty Officer Deines.”
Deines smiled. “You know you can call me Gary,” he said.
“Ok Petty Officer Gary,” Cy responded.
Deines smiled again, shaking his head. “Ok Cy… You’re a real bad ass you know that?”
“Why thank you Petty Officer Gary. Dr. Marcus refers to me as a wise ass… Dr. Marcus?” the young cyborg announced, knowing his master was somewhere in the building and raced out to find him.
Dr. Marcus and the handful of people that were held captive stood over Woolridge attending to him. “Dr. Marcus,” Cy called as he burst through the battered opening of the assembly line.
“Cy! Boy am I glad to see you,” Dr. Pressfield said as a tear rolled down his cheek. “I missed you too Dr. Marcus.”
The thirteen-year-old kneeled at her mother’s side. “I love you Mom,” Clio said hugging her mom.
“I love you so much you beautiful creature,” her mother responded, not wanting to let go. Lady licked Clio and her mother. “Who’s this?” she asked. Clio stroked the dog’s neck. “This is Lady,” she answered. The dog barked and wagged her tail.
“I wish Dad was here,” Clio announced.
“I’m sure he’s fine,” her mother softly whispered.
Deines kneeled at Woolridge’s side. “How you doing champ?”
“Hurts like a son of a bitch but I’ll make it,” he said with pasty white skin covering his face.
“Good, glad to hear it.”
Cy stood with a troubled look. “What is it Cy?” Dr. Pressfield asked.
“My scanners detect something is coming.”
“What?” Deines asked.
“I don’t know. They are not human. Two of them and their power readings are massive. They’re huge whatever they are.
Dr. Pressfield looked on the floor and picked up a note pad. “Think this is what’s coming our way?” he asked.
The image of a Super Destroyer was sketched on the paper.
“Let’s not wait around to find out,” Woolridge announced.
“What do we do with him?” Deines asked nodding at Dr. Pavlov who was still cowering under a table.
“Put a bullet in his head, I say,” Woolridge affirmed while he pointed his rifle at him.
“No, don’t kill him,” Dr. Pressfield requested.
“Dr. Marcus, it would be the prudent thing to do,” Cy whispered.
Vibrating the building, the giant bugs were close, galloping in thunderous strides.
“We need to get the fuck out of here!” Deines shouted.
Once again in haste, Dr. Pavlov was left alive.
Two warriors – a cyborg – a scientist – a mother and a daughter – plus one dog - ventured outside, together, and now headed into the unknown.
The End
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1 - Seeds of Revenge
Chapter 2 - Darkness Eve
Chapter 3 - Darkness Seven
Chapter 4 - Daddy’s Girl
Chapter 5 - Good Lord
Chapter 6 - Darkness Way
Chapter 7 - Lightning Power
Chapter 8 -
Monsters
Chapter 9 - The Old Man
Chapter 10 - Nightmares
Chapter 11 – Testing 1 2 3
Chapter 12 - Daybreak
Chapter 13 - Darkness Seething
Chapter 14 - A New Bond
Chapter 15 - Freedom Fighters
Chapter 16 - Darkness Descends
Chapter 17 - Frogmen
Chapter 18 - Reflecting Pool
Chapter 19 - Furry Friends
Chapter 20 - Welcomed Cy
Chapter 21 - Darkness Threatened
Chapter 22 - Shoes Filled
Chapter 23 - Who’s Bell?
Chapter 24 - The President
Chapter 25 - Troubled Brow
Chapter 26 - Boot Camp
Chapter 27 - Atlanta Burns Again
Chapter 28 - Kiss Goodbye
Chapter 29 - Get it Girl
Chapter 30 - Moving Day
Chapter 31 - Commander in Nothing
Chapter 32 - Monsters and the King
Chapter 33 - New Digs
Chapter 34 - Battle of Wills
Chapter 35 - King to Tyrant
Chapter 36 - Darkness Storms
Chapter 37 - Bacon
Chapter 38 - Get the Flock out of Here
Chapter 39 - Pickup
Chapter 40 - And in this Corner
Chapter 41 - Hot Rod
Chapter 42 - DMV
Chapter 43 - Dream Smelling
Chapter 44 - Lights
Chapter 45 - Giraffe
Chapter 46 - Demon Entry
Chapter 47 - Bugs and Vulcans
Chapter 48 - DARPA Dark
Chapter 49 - Digging Holes
Chapter 50 - My Old Friend
Chapter 51 - Creepy Shit
Chapter 52 - Three and ½
Chapter 53 - Fantastic Four and the Fur
Chapter 54 - Do or Die
Clio and Cy: The Apocalypse Page 25
