"Kappa construct pods one through fourteen, enable."
With that, Construct One-K's eyes shot open instantly. It stepped down from its alcove and stood docile – with other members of it's pod, well over three dozen, waiting for further instructions from the SK network:
"Anomaly detected at Facility Kappa-Prime-Seven. Biological life form readings found. Kappa construct pods one through fourteen are to engage module 'Sentry', find and neutralize life form readings."
As one, the mogu of Pod Seven turned and marched for their halberds. Acquiring them from their racks, they marched in unison out of their chamber and down the hall to the Main Podway – the connection point for all Titan facilities in the Vale. The room was spherical with massive hatches in the floor, where constructs would stand, one by one, and be shot down through propellant tubes to their ordered locations.
Lining up before one such hatch, Pod Seven was soon joined by all thirteen remaining Pods, the hundreds of stone soldiers awaiting the opening of the hatch-ways. Within seconds, all hatch-ways opened and the first soldiers stepped onto them, barely able to get into position before they disappeared in a blur of color.
Eventually, Construct One-K stepped up to the hatch-way and disappeared through the propellant tube.
Within seconds, the construct had arrived at it's destination – Facility Kappa-Prime-Seven, which was designated as an adjutant bio-research area for the Makers to conduct life-shaping experiments. The room was illuminated just as it always was, and the stone legions filed back into their lines as they had been previous, as the remaining soldiers appeared and joined their respective pods. The pod system was first proposed and tested by Watcher Ra, who organized the mogu into sections in order to make various duties more efficiently run – and the technique appeared to work. Pods were now organized into various duties – Pod Kappa, where Construct One-K was assigned, was used for security and infantry purposes, while other Pods such as Pod Omega acted as general repair and integrity units.
As the soldiers of Pod Kappa marched down the hallway, they were sent a series of coordinates via the SK network – directing them to a section of the east wing of the facility. There was no talk, no chatter, no feelings among the Pod – they were soldiers, without fear, regret, emotion – their duty was to obey.
Soon enough, the Pod reached the door leading into the target coordinates. Pausing, the Pod awaited the SK network's update:
"Pod Seven and Nine will enter target area to find and neutralize target. Remaining Pods will act as security for section where target resides."
As one, Pods Seven and Nine marched through the door, which opened into a massive hydroponics bay; a domed room filled with various plant life – massive, breathing trees, color shifting flowers, and the like. Moving swiftly through the rows of research, the Pods paused at the 'target' location and spread out into a circular formation – Pod Seven taking the inner 'ring', while Pod Nine held the outer 'ring'.
In front of them was a being unlike anything seen before. The halberd of a stone soldier lay at its side, but the begin appeared to be breathing. Upon its knees, it gasped for breath, laboriously trying to come to terms with the air it now inhaled. Its skin was blue and shuddered violently as it weakly looked up, finding the two Pods totally surrounding it. The face appeared to be a mockery of the Mogu's own stone face – but something was not right.
"Anomaly located. Subject appears as a biological imitation of construct units. Requesting instructions."
"Pod Seven, initiate bio-scan of target. Upload instructions to network promptly."
"Acknowledged."
Construct One-K stepped forward, pausing in front of the gasping creature. Peering down at it, it activated the bio-scan function subroutine in its programming and reached down, grasping the creature by the arm. The creature continued to gasp and wheeze as it shuddered – the emotions were almost flowing off the target as it shook in fear.
"Bio-scan complete. Target appears to be standard humanoid configuration – possession of lungs, heart, digestive tract, brain, muscle and bone. Target also displays trace amounts of stone in the upper respiratory tract – bio-scan confirms match between stone in target's respiratory tract and stone material used in creation of constructs."
"Acknolwedged, Pod Seven. Biological anomaly unknown to all relevant databases this network has scanned. Hypothesis extrapolates a fifty-seven point five six repeating chance of potential infectious disease upon target. Termination Order Eta initiated. Preserve target carcass and transport to Facility Gamma-Three for autopsy."
With that, Construct One-K grasped the creature's arm harder and pulled it to its feet, the creature now flailing in an apparent attempt to escape. Grasping its halberd with its free hand, it proceeded to plunge the weapon into the target's chest. A reddish fluid exploded everywhere around the constructs as the target gurgled, its life readings rapidly fading. The fluid continued to pour onto the floor even as the target's life readings expired.
"Termination Order Eta executed. Transporting corpse to Facility Gamma-Three."
With that, two other Constructs seized the corpse and the Pods proceeded to drag the body back through the hydroponics bay, the blood of the first living mogu trailing behind them.