Chapter 1: Escape.
Sirens blared throughout the scintillatingly white metallic hallway, red flashing lights lined the ceiling, creating an awkward rhythm, irregular pulses of scarlet light bursting through the air. Soldiers adorned in camouflage military garb and red berets, toting bulky photon rifles jogged in all directions, their heavy standard military boots striking the unsullied ground with heavy, hollow thuds. A few scientists bustled about, some carrying small handheld computers, others rushed from place to place, activating different alarm switches and chattering nervously with one another in hushed tones, white labcoats in tow. Scanners had detected a hostile presence, throwing the Pioneer 1 Military Defense Complex into utter pandemonium.
A large Racast model android walked at a swift, automatic pace down one of the smooth, featureless walls. Blank, white eyes shifted about quietly as it walked, never pausing. It was close to seven feet tall, with a stocky build, covered in thick armor. It was painted red, though a deep, glimmering ebony paint coated the joints between its massive armored plates, also shining softly along the sides of its chest. Whitish boxes, indicating its experimental status, contrasted the scarlet around them at the front of its shoulder plates, accompanied only by small rings of white around what would be the machine's forearms, and the white, pointed tips of the armored crests rising from the ankle to crop above the knee. Its head bore a strange resemblance to something reptilian or avian, no mouth visible, though the head itself looked somewhat like a birds head with a beak, rectangular and elongated, with a short crest protruding from its back. Presumably, it was used to house large amounts of sensory equipment as well as the CPU. The large android was obviously a combat model, its broad shoulders expanding outwards and bearing a pair of thickly reinforced arms; a large bracket on the back of its left shoulder appeared as if it was supposed to house a rifle. Dashes of white surrounded each pale eye, also at the base of it's thick neck, which was crammed between two thick armor panels jutting up several inches from each shoulder for protection. Both hands of the android were as functional as that of a human's, made of titanium joints, covered in a vinyl substance, the touch pads on the fingers coated in black rubber. This sophisticated android model was one often used in the military, though originally one of the three android models created by humanity on Earth. The Racast had the thick, tank-like appearance characteristic of the majority of Racasts, though its legs appeared more humanlike, not bulky or unwieldy, as they appeared on the majority of such machines.
The android sharply turned a corner, before recoiling back and flattening itself against a wall. A soldier with a large rifle was walking down the hall, his feet tapping steadily. The android waited in silence, careful calculation flitting through its birdlike head; invisible beyond its milky gaze.
Sgt. T. Welch of the Pioneer 1 perimeter defense squadron marched down the hall towards the cargo hold. In this hold were many Sinow units that would be activated to keep the perimeter safe. The lab researchers had sounded the alarm that an experimental military android model had been lost, and could be malfunctioning. He shrugged one shoulder a bit, hoisting his rifle back up to lean against it. It was quite heavy, and the nylon strap was pressing hard against his chest, almost digging into his flesh. Sgt. Welch snorted quietly as he jerked his shoulder forward, letting the gun drop downward into his left hand, while his right gripped its stock, finger poised at the trigger. The android could be anywhere; the hall, however, was silent. The soldier set his jaw as he approached the corner, an abrupt right turn in the hall, leading down towards the Sinow hangar. His finger stroked the trigger quietly as his footsteps slowed. Something wasn't right. Sgt. Welch reached upwards to adjust his deep red beret, suddenly stepping forward to round the corner. Without warning, a red-and-black flash flitted swiftly before him. The man let out a sudden squeal of terror, and all went blank.
The android quietly gripped the collar of the unconscious soldier, dragging him back behind the corner. The elongated head moved about quietly in search of a place to hide him, before it simply cast him aside as one would a sack of grain, the machine's powerful arms dropping the man against the wall. The Racast swiftly removed the equipped rifle from the soldier, holding it by its smooth handle. The rifle looked much smaller when wielded by the Racast; dwarfed by its huge bulk. The machine held the rifle upwards in one hand; almost as one would a pistol. The android continued walking, leaving the man slouched uncomfortably against a wall, a dark, purplish bruise on the back of his neck. The android moved swiftly, his legs letting out soft mechanical whines with each smooth movement. He didn't know why he was doing what he was doing, he knew simply a frantic longing for escape. Must escape, be free. It was all he could think, all he could call attention to. He was not a military drone like the others. He was different. He wanted to be free, he wanted to shed the bonds that held him, he didn't want to be a military machine. He was stronger than all the other androids before him, he knew he was unique, he was something new.
The android looked ahead, spotting a human soldier in his camouflage pants and red beret, a pair of small silver rings arching over each shoulder to signify his rank. At a distance, the machine spotted the dark form of a photon handgun gripped firmly in one tanned fist, while in his vision, a complicated transparent red square locked in around the man. He drew up his pistol, letting lose a photon bolt at the android as it flew through the air like a green streak, searing the particles of oxygen as it flew. The red Racast lurched to the side, leaning backwards as the photon flew past him. The soldier launched a few more shots as the Racast made a dash for a nearby doorway, drawing the rifle he had taken from another trooper. He swerved behind it, stopping abruptly as he saw a few scientists working nearby. Blank, emotionless white eyes moved about with constant watchful motions taking in his surroundings, assessing the situation. Racast concealed himself behind the doorway, gripping the rifle in both strong, black hands. He moved swiftly out into the hall again, and in one rapid, fluid movement, shifted the photon rifle up to his shoulder, leaning his head down towards it, and loosing a single photon shot; a low, airy thump shuddering through the air. In mere seconds the soldier with the handgun was thrown back against the wall by the high-caliber shot, a cauterized, red hole steaming where the shot had struck his forehead. The lurid scent of singed flesh floated through the air, but the android had long since deactivated all scent sensing mechanisms. Another useless sense would be nothing but a distraction here. The android swiftly moved down the hallway past him carrying the rifle in one hand, snatching up the small pistol from the dead soldier's still warm fist. The horrifying, enormous killing machine stalked along the hallway, the long rifle leaned against one shoulder, the metallic pistol gripped firmly in the opposite hand. Sirens continued to sound, though the lights had stopped. The android spotted a large steel door, a computer beside it, the word "Secure Area" blinking in red on a small LED screen, its luminescent pulses matching the pace and tempo of the wailing siren blasts. The android walked in its normal, mechanical stride, the soft whine of its moving legs being heard. As it reached the computer, it held out its arm, white, milky eyes locked on the computer. It opened one articulate, black hand, as a small needle-like silvery shaft emerged from its palm. Small, luminescent green lines turning and rotating at right angles flickered across the shaft's small, gleaming length, as it rotated slightly. The android moved his hand forward, inserting the probe mechanism into a socket in the front of the computer. It began to rotate swiftly, and within moments the "Secure Area" on the LED screen was replaced by the blue bars, rotating at right angles, eventually forming the word's "access granted" as the same words were soon spoken by a low, mechanized, female voice.
The doors hummed softly, then parted with a hiss. The android's white eyes turned up and it walked through the gates into a huge warehouse, small hanging-wracks seen all up the walls. Each wrack held at least 20 Sinow units, large, bulky robots that were run automatically, rather than having their own minds in the manner of androids. They had large, paddle-like front arms for disarming and apprehending enemies, as well as flamethrowers fastened to their burly metallic shoulders. These were the main force of the military security on pioneer 1.
The android stepped in quietly, suddenly crouching as a loud siren went off, both arms moving downwards, firmly gripping their respective weapons. The same computerized, female voice on a loudspeaker droned over and over, "Intruder...Alert...Intruder...Alert..." The wracks lurched. With smooth mechanical movements, the wracks lowered to the ground, as sinow units began to unfold from a crouched position. As they began, the android's white eyes searched the machines, then it raised the photon rifle to its shoulder, quickly holstering the pistol in a small socket at its thigh. With a muffled, airy thump, a heated photon shot forward, piercing through the midsection of a sinow unit, which fell immediately, sparks flying out of the hole. The armored, bulky mass of the security robot collapsed the ground, writhing momentarily before going limp, its large, gorilla-like arms hitting the floor of the hangar with a loud, empty clang. The red Racast began to unleash a barrage of photon shots on the sinow units, which began falling steadily as he did so. The sinows locked onto the intruder while many of their comrades were shot down, and leapt into the air, soaring towards the Racast, a figure roughly their height, though not nearly as heavily constructed. Rocket-boosters flared on the soles of their feet as close to 15 of the Sinows launched in its direction.
The android lurched back its hand, placing the rifle in the socket on its back, hearing it secure itself with a click. It drew back its right hand, as long, green photon blades materialized on the black ridges on the back of its wrist. With a rain of thuds, the sinows landed around him. They were quite bulky, with flat, oval-shaped heads with a small red light on the top. They were mostly painted a dark, dull shade of green, a hue with no sign of the lushness of its natural counterpart. The pea green was mottled with a few spots where a metallic shine came through, chips and dents in their armor.
The ring of opponents around the Racast began to move in, as the android lunged forward, shooting one foot out at the sinow. The armored, crimson boot caught off the sinow's chest armor and cast it back a few paces with the force of the kick, then fell swiftly while the blades cut easily through its hard titanium armor. Sparks flew as it recoiled back, stumbling about aimlessly before tripping and falling to the ground, squirming around with uncoordinated motions, its balance mechanism having been damaged. The sinows all rushed in towards him, slashing vigorously with their paddle-like fists, powerful mechanical arms whirring with effort as the Racast spun about swiftly, striking out with fierce lashes using the photon claws on its hand, felling one sinow after another. The android moved with such extreme precision and speed that each rapid strike from the sinows hit air.
One sinow dove forward and its great steel fist came towards the android, which sidestepped skillfully, letting the sinow carry past it. Shortly after unexpected miss the sinow received a harsh kick to the back, and fell downwards onto metal-clad knees. The bright green photon blades roared by, slicing its broad head clear off. A few photons whizzed by from the shoulder-mounted photon casters on the sinows, shrieking loudly through the air in a merciless hail of smoldering light. The android dipped and dodged with frantic speed and laterally hued a sinow across the center, before using the photon blades to block the flying shots. The blades chirped sharply as they connected to the many pulses of photon energy approaching the android. Its arm swiveled swiftly with precise pivoting motions and blocked the barrage of shot.
The android was struck harshly by one of the robot's disclike fists, a rushing, sudden impact which trembled through its armored carapace with a metallic thud. It stumbled back in shock before righting himself; his torso pivoted upwards with a sharp, mechanical motion accompanied by a soft robotic whine. The harsh, titanium fists of the attacking security drones struck rapidly as it rose, while a heavy combination of deadly strikes from several of the large robots jolted the android's reinforced form and blasting it with an immense blow. The android recoiled after being struck by another harsh drive, already bewildered by the flurry of punches it had received from the mob of automatic machines and their synchronized maneuvers. It hit the ground, rolling with its momentum to settle behind a crate of ammunition and gripped its right arm slightly, for it could sense considerable damage to its armor. This prospect was quickly affirmed by a brief white-eyed glance at the arm, revealing black charred marks and heavy dents in the shell. It ducked slightly as the sinow's searched for their target, the machine striving to conceal its location. The RAcast snapped his wrist back suddenly; allowing the hand to curve back over the wrist in one smooth movement. As this happened, a small, octagonal black cartridge was dispensed from the bulky forearm armor into the android's hand. Letting its black hand return to its normal position, fingers coming back to live and gripping the small object, it drew a small pistol from a holster on its side. The android next abruptly stood from behind the crates in a fluid, upward rush.
Holding one arm laterally before itself as a shield, propping the rectangular barrel of the pistol against that forearm, it loosed yet another blast of photon fire upon the sinows, tearing through a few and leaving steaming holes in their dense armor; those that were hit spun from the force of the blows before plunging into the ground with a heavy, crackling thud. Shortly after the barrage, the sinows opened fire with small photon rifles attached to their shoulders, a chorus of hollow thumps pulsing through the air as they were discharged. The android threw the black cartridge amidst them then ducked behind the crates again in one swift motion, white eyes glowing softly in the dim light. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, the black octagon rotating lethargically through the air, spinning as it crawled its way through space towards the target. Some sinows charged headlong towards the crate to apprehend their target, still others stayed behind to maintain a constant rain of shrieking photon shells upon the crate. Photon shots hissed as they hit the crates, jarring them slightly as they slid a few inches across the smooth metal ground. With a huge flash of light, the octagon erupted in air, sinows were blasted about in all directions, twitching mechanical parts being strewn all about the room; a rush of scalding hot air and a burst of light signifying the deadly explosion. The Racast slowly stood, its head tilting to the side slightly. The sinows had all been desecrated, their parts lying all about, a few more intact machines twitching vigorously on the ground with erratic movements, convulsive spasms in the throes of death. A plethora of opponents had been devastated. A huge blast mark of ebony char laid where the cartridge had, forming a broad circle of blank ground and clearly demonstrating the sheer blasting power of the tiny bomb. The red killing machine stood firmly and its white eyes scanned the wide room as if criticizing destruction it had caused, its head turning with slow, automatic yet precise movements.
The android moved quietly towards the two large doors at the end of the warehouse. His heavy footsteps clanked down upon the gleaming silver floor, riddled with parts of the many sinows that had been slaughtered. The android's milky white eyes locked on a small keypad, and he quietly walked to it, cocking his head as he watched it. The android's mechanical eyes scanned the keypad for a few moments before he paused, and lifted his hand. He reached out a lifelike, black hand and quietly punched in a few keys. With a quiet beep, a blinking red light atop the keypad turned green, and the large doors opened slowly, a low, mechanical whirr resonating through the large room. As the bright red Racast stepped outside, he emerged into a dense forest, but it was obvious this was not open wilderness, as there were small pylons all around, projecting invisible, bubble like shields around the area he was in, preventing wild creatures from entering.
Towards the corner of the room, floating in the air, was a large metallic disk, projecting red circles of light downwards at the ground. It was a transporter. The android paused, standing quiet and still amidst the dense forest around him. A river ran beneath his feet, as he stood on invisible ground some 2 feet above the forest floor. He could hear the subtle trickle of the water as it ran over smooth, cold stones slowly eroded and purified of all impurities by the brooks slow, mesmerizing dance as it moved across the ground. He could see how age and exposure had purified and perfected each stone. The android knew now how his new life would help him, he was but a rough pebble in the river. The more the river passed, the more experience and adventure it would bring. He longed to be a smooth stone. The android now watched a whole new world, one he had never seen before. He could only remember about 25 hours worth of sensory reception, and he guessed this was what he would call his life. From these hours he only saw white walls and scientists with tools. He looked up at the sun, which cast speckled rays of silky white, scintillating pillars of warm luminescence down on him through the canopy of the trees above. He wanted to explore, and he would do so. This was life, this was an environment, this was new. He would see many new things, and this pleased him. He quietly paced over to the transporter and paused another moment to reflect on the beauty of the surrounding jungle. It was something he had never seen before, he was stunned in childish wonderment. Blank white eyes quietly searched again as the android seemed to calm, and he heard footsteps in the distance. Rushed, harsh footsteps, many of them. Soldiers were coming. A high-pitched ringing sound ran through his processors and he stumbled slightly, shaking his head. He could not step forward. The android scanned its body for the source, it was found. There was a security chip in the side of his neck. The android raised one jet black hand, then suddenly jutted it towards itself swiftly. Its hand broke the thin vinyl covering to its own neck, as it yanked its hand back out, leaving a messy wound that constantly shot off sparks. The android held a small, black chip on which red light blinked repetitively. The android tossed the chip to the side, its head ticking quietly over in one direction from the damage of its self-inflicted wound, having rid itself of the tracking device. He was not to be controlled, he was not to be observed. He was a stone, solitary and unowned. His new life awaited. He stepped forward into the teleporter, and with a high-pitched whine, a sudden flash of bright light, a heated flutter of the air, he disappeared.