Dreadnought

Chapter Three: Trial Run

Cybernet Computers

Silicon Valley, Two Days Later

All was quiet outside the Cybernet Computers plant in that part of California known as Silicon Valley for the profusion of computer manufacturers and other high tech industries in the place. Two bored security guards patrolled the perimeter of the plant, which manufactured vital computer components for the US military. They were unaware that they were being watched from the shadows.

Helpless within his mental prison Pete was aware of his machine self - Dreadnought as Ivan Vostok and that mad scientist Dr Karland called it - sizing up the two guards that were patrolling the perimeter taking note of the heavy Rubana laser carbines that they carried. Pete wished that the guards would spot him and fire it would be a release from this hell. He was constantly aware of what was going on except when Vostok powered down the Dreadnought systems then he knew nothing but darkness and time. Which was in fact worse than when Dreadnought was active at least when Dreadnought was active Pete could at least see what was going on around him even if he had no control over anything. When Dreadnought was inactive sensory depravation was total.

The appearance of targeting graphics over his vision caught Pete's attention and he was abruptly aware of his right arm and the heavy plasma-pulse cannon mounted their brought to bear on the guards. Knowing what was coming Pete desperately struck at the mental barrier. The barrier flickered slightly but held so Pete struck again to be thrown back. Undeterred he struck again and again trying to break a hole in the mental wall so he could stop himself from firing. It did no good.

Pete cried out in horror inside his mental prison as the arm cannon fired two glaring blue white streaks of hellfire at the two guards both guards flashed to vapour before they even registered they were under attack. My fault, my fault, Pete thought, I should be stronger than this, I should be able to break this barrier. I must find away. I must. Before Vostok uses me to kill someone else.

He was aware that he was walking forward towards the door. The was closed so the plasma cannon fired again blasting it off its hinges. Pete paid little attention to what was going on as his machine self walked the empty corridors of the building towards the main vault. He hoped that he encountered no one, he couldn't bear to see himself murder someone else.

His prayer was answered he encountered no one as he moved through the building. Within a few minutes he was standing before the vault. Despite himself Pete was curious what could Ivan Vostok want here. His left arm rose and a heavy cutting laser deployed from a slot in the armour. Target graphics appeared again and the laser activated sending a slender but powerful red beam into the tough metal of the door. The paint immediately blistered and a small circle of metal began to melt.

Within a few moments Dreadnought had lasered its way through the outer door and was moving through to the much more flimsy inner door. Pete wasn't surprised when a single kick from his machine self-brought it down.

The vault was empty save for one thing. Sitting on a pedestal surrounded by a cylindrical force field was a narrow rectangular box-like device with a military serial number on the side. Pete wondered what on Earth it was and what Vostok wanted with it.

A slot on his shoulder opened and a small device rose out of its normal docking position. A slender line of multicoloured light shot out and hit the force field, which immediately began to dissolve. Within seconds it was gone.

Dreadnought moved calmly toward the now defenceless object. As it approached lasers fired from slots around the wall of the circular room. Dreadnought's armour glowed softly at the impact points.

A damage schematic caught Pete's attention. Dreadnought's armour was being damaged by medium intensity laser fire. Heat sinks were compensating but they would be overloaded within a minute and the beams would start to burn through. Pete hoped that they did burn through all the armour and circuitry surrounding him. If even one beam got through it would kill him and set him free from this living hell.

But it wasn't to be. Dreadnought's tactical programs were already responding. The plasma cannon was once more brought to bear and fired repeated blasts at the attacking lasers.

Within thirty seconds the automatic lasers had been disabled. Dreadnought moved towards the device once more, picked it up and placed it in a pack slung over his back. Then Dreadnought started walking once again retracing its path through the structure.

Once through the main doors he was confronted by a force of police cruisers and dozens of armed police officers. Go away, Pete thought desperately knowing what was going to happen to the police officers, get out of here. This machine-thing that I've become will kill you all. Get out of here please.

"On the ground now," a voice boosted by a loudspeaker said from the assembled fleet of cruisers. Dreadnought ignored the command and started walking forwards. After a moment a shot was fired hitting the ground just ahead of him in a clear warning. "On the ground now," the voice repeated.

Targeting graphics appeared over Pete's vision and had he been able to do so Pete would have closed his eyes. But he couldn't close his eyes, he had no choice but to see what was going to happen now.

The plasma cannon was brought to bear on the lead police cruiser and fired. The cruiser exploded in a fiery ball catching and incinerating those officers crouching behind it. A hail of gunfire shot back at Dreadnought from the police only to bounce harmlessly off the armour chipping some small sparks but otherwise doing no damage. The plasma cannon fired again and again. With each shot another cruiser and those officers using it as shelter died. Only two cruisers remained now - the officers behind them ran as the plasma cannon fired upon the surviving cruisers obliterating them instantly.

Dreadnought lowered its plasma cannon turned and walked off into the night heading for its pickup point leaving the flaming wreckage of five police cruisers and the smouldering bodies of their occupents behind. Within his mental prison Pete wept silently for the dead and raged at his own inability to stop Dreadnought.