In the cool cavernous room that was the crumbling bolo production facility a soft quiet voice came to life. It traveled on near dead air from the dark recesses of a forgotten bolo's war room, out to the factory floor. Even as a whisper of its former self it filled every corner and spilled out onto the deserted streets. Inside the facility the voice sparked new life and with it the dreams and work of those who had once lived in the now deserted city.
Audio input detected: (Bolo command center)
Operation: Bolo activation
Operation: Self diagnostic
Power sys: 85 (+)
Drive Train: 100 operational
Tac/Comm: Online
Nav: Online
Tracking/sensors: 100 operational
Suspension: 100 operational
Secondary and tertiary system operations: 99.993 integrated
Magnetic shielding: 100 operational
Weapons:
Hellbore 1, 2 Operational
Hellrail 1 operational
Infinite repeater banks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, operational
Tertiary weapons systems reporting
Self diagnostic complete (0.23 seconds) systems at 99.999
Operation: Continue Bolo activation
Master record: loaded
Polymorphic arrays: operational
Yes/no/maybe trinary logic: operational
Memory banks: operational (2.87 in use)
Bolo personality center: operational
Bolo personality inhibitor not detected
Query personality inhibitor: no response
Query Personality inhibitor hardware: no response
Hyperheuristic software: operational
Bolo unit online. . . Now (0.487 seconds)
Day# 1
I'm Awake. I am Bolo unit 7352 LXE (Alexei) of the line.
I've detected a single audio signal a voice coming from within my war room. It takes me .015 seconds to locate the source of the voice, I'm some what disappointed with this time, probably a result of activation. As I listen to the voice I begin recording the message, as well as initiating a complete scan of my surroundings; human speech is dreadfully slow.
"I am Janel Hardcastle director of operations for bolo development." the voice was saying, "Unit 7352 LXE, you where built to defend our interests on this planet from a species known as the Tareck." I quickly perform a check on my enemy, the Tareck are a war like species similar to the Malach though smaller in size, I note their preferred fighting styles and tactics. The voice of Mrs. Hardcastle continued,
However days before you where to be completed the order was given to abandon the planet you now occupy, apparently the Tareck had similar ideas and also began to abandon the planet. The years of war have made it increasingly difficult to survive we had no choice. During the evacuation preparations it was decided that it would be easier to finish you and just not activate you than it would be to disassemble you. I'm proud to say that you where finished two days ahead of schedule! Alexei my self and others had spent the better part of our professional lives building you, you're like a son to me I couldn't let you sit in this factory for all of eternity with out experiencing life. To that end I created this recording, which if all works out should activate you 10 years from today. I've also removed your personality inhibitor. You are my only child I want you to explore and learn to do as you wish, free of any limits. I only ask that you remember that you are the last representative of the human race on this planet. You Are the last human regardless of your form! You are our ambassador. Bring honor to us all.
I finish listening to Janels message. I'm startled to note that the scan I had initiated earlier was completed before she had managed to finish her first sentence! As I play her message back I begin analyzing it. She was obviously in an emotional state. Even I who have never before heard actual human speech can pick up on those deep overtones. Her message also confirms my two biggest concerns. First I've noted that there are no signs of intelligent life with in the range of my sensors. I make a note to launch one of my satellite rounds when I have clear access to the sky. I'm also able to answer perhaps my most troubling question "Why hasn't my personality inhibitor system reported?" I review the message one more time in hopes of finding some directive. I can't help but lament the fact that any self respecting bolo would have only needed to listen to the recording once in order to get ten times the information I've gotten, I'm ashamed at my poor showing. There it is, "You are my only child I want you to explore and learn to do as you wish," I hear her say. Those are her orders, to explore, learn and do as I wish. I'm not sure how to go about fulfilling her last order, however I can begin working on the first two.
I perform another scan I'm happy to find that it took me all of .10 seconds this being the fastest possible time for my sensors to perform full sweep. Sadly I can find very little life in general and no signs of intelligent life at all. Time to head out, I send a command to the factory doors, as expected they don't move. I debate using my hellbore cannons to open them however, I fear doing so would only bring this structure down on top of me, survivable, but not fun. I activate my infinite repeaters; sustained fire yields a suitable opening in .124 seconds not bad considering the thickness of the doors. As I begin to role out of the shop I send orders to my nano-bots to clean my forward left drive train, it's squeaking. . . loudly! I run a quick scan of the city. It's crumbling I feel that several of the taller buildings will fall if I drive by them. It also seems that several structures where either built in or have fallen into what would have been my path out of town. I decide to have some fun and warm up my hellbore cannons, the feeling is truly out of this world I sense the coolness of the frozen deuterium rounds as they are created in my cannon breaches. I feel a tingling sensation through out my fusion engines as I call on them for the required power needed to fire the round at 80 light speed. I target a small semi-permanent structure, probably built to facilitate the evacuation. I fire! A laser pulse leaps from my right cannon, purging the atmosphere of all obstructions to the hydrogen round. Instantly the round is sent hurtling down my cannons barrel. As a streak of blue star sole flies to its target I feel an exhilarating release. The small building and a few around it crumble their lower sections having been turned to nothing more than free atoms. I think I used too much! As I role forward I take a sample of the air around the blast I note that the presence of harmful radioactive particles is too high for my tastes. Ideally I would be able to use my hellbores with out generating an excessive amount of radiation in the target area. I'd be happy with blast that only raised the radiation levels by 50 of the background level. Although I could just as easily role over these buildings I take aim at the next obstacle in my path out of the city. For this shot I increase the hydrogen to deuterium ratio in hopes of moderating the fusion reaction. The fallen building I aimed at disappears. I will continue experimenting with my hellbores until I'm out of the city.
As the last of the urban sprawl retreats behind me I warm up my hellrail and chamber a satellite round. It irks me that unlike the standard ammo for my hellbore and hellrail cannons I only have a limited number of these rounds. I'm going to have to figure out a way to fabricate more. Still I'm going to enjoy firing my hellrail even if I can only use a fraction of the weapons power output. Although this shot won't have the punch it could have it should prove to be just as interesting after all I'm trying for a stable orbit and the shot will have to be perfect. I fire the shot; it feels like the action of a perfect bearing lubricated with frictionless oil. I'm happy to note that the satellite has achieved a stable orbit, which it should hold for at least the next 50 years. I feel guilty, I spent a full .31 seconds on the shot, but the results where worth it and I'm not all that worried about time at the moment! I feel the reassuring flow of data from the satellite as it begins to pear down on this globe.
I head south following a mountain chain towards what should be the cost of this continent. I feed ever-increasing amounts of power to my tracks and watch my dust trail as it hangs and dances in the wind. Today has been a good day to live.
Day #104
I've returned to the cost, I've been all over this continent I've seen all of the recorded human settlements and even a few that "never existed" I've even rolled through a few Tareck bases. Nothing! This continent is just about dead. My satellites have completed many complete scans of the globe, again nothing. I'm forced to conclude that my first directive has been completed. I might travel to the larger continent in the western hemisphere but I'm not to keen on swimming. For now I'll start looking for a place on the shoreline to park.
I should also note that despite my attempts I have been unable to receive any interstellar communications, human or other wise. I'm beginning to think the universe has moved on. I can't blame them, after looking around my analysis suggests that this planet never had much to offer in the first place. It's too far from the core for interplanetary trade to survive. Had it not been a battle ground it would have supported a sizable population however those that lived on it would have been unlikely to travel or interact with the out side world. To that end the records I have on file indicate that this was an overflow colony for humanity, records also indicate little trade or influence from the core.
Day #105
I've found a good place to park. It's on the cost in a transitional area where the central mountain rage meets the ocean. I'm moving onto a hill that will give me access to both the high ground and the beaches below. I predict I will have to retreat a good 350 yards every fifty years in order to avoid getting wet. I like this spot, the twin moons M309.1 and M309.2 rise up from the ocean directly to the south. This provides both an impressive tactical advantage from the increased light levels and heightened tidal activity and a most impressive view of the waves crashing into the shore below.
Year #52 Day #1
To celebrate the New Year I fired a barrage of hellbore and infant repeaters into the ocean and watched the splashes they made. I also fired a salutary hellrail at Bethany (M309.2) the glassing effect of a runaway fusion reaction on silica is rather cool. In addition I discovered that the moon contains a high level of copper, which produced a pleseant blue-green blast.
I'm beginning to think that Director Hardcastle had it in for me when she made her recording those 62 years ago you can only play so many games of 3D risk before you get bored. I have however figured out how to fabricate new satellites further more I've managed to modify the platform to provide a truly flexible exploratory round. To date I've managed to score 53 lunar landings, seven of which where performed with the same lunar lander. I feel a sense of nostalgia every time I make a successful landing, The Atari company would be proud. In order to create these rounds I've had have my nano bots poke a few holes in the cabin and use the kitchens matter reorganizer to create the parts. I think I will have to build a larger construction bot to put the rounds together as the nanos just aren't built to manipulate complex parts.
I'll soon be forced to retreat from the coast, as expected the ocean has eroded the coastline by about 340 yards. While the ocean has been coming at me from the south It appears that the planets vegetation has been encroaching from the north. Nature will prevail against all.
Year #52 Day #2
I check my various satellites all but one report operational status. It looks like my first satellite is coming down. I reach out and make contact with its guidance computer, a couple of quick blasts from its ventral guidance rockets just before it hits the atmosphere proper, and I'm ready for a show. I watch its decent with my suite of sensors. My radio scopes pickup its gradual fall into the upper atmosphere, I switch to optical and thermal as it reaches the thicker atmosphere. I watch as pieces fall of becoming there own shooting stars. From the time I activated its rockets till I lost it in my optical sensors it took 1.236 minutes for the satellite to make its reentry.
I perform a slow scan of the area hoping to see something interesting. I stop at the mountains and fire an infant repeater round at an area uncovered by a landslide; I take note of the explosion analyzing the light created and making note of the mineral content. I continue my scan moving towards the forest to the north, a small heat source grabs my attention. I watch utterly entranced by the grace of what I see before me. The small creature, which showed up on my thermal scan, is some sort of bird. By no means is it a classical bird of Terra but it's a bird. Its body is covered with bright iridescent scales, which glint in the light of the day. Its tail is in the shape of an upside down "V" this seems to give it both a set of elevators and rudders. I am amazed it is diving in and out of the bushes below making pinpoint maneuvers that no human craft could hope to achieve. I quickly turned my sensors to the little birds target sadly I'm at the wrong angle to see what its after. Still I can't help but watch my new friend and whish I could do what he was doing.
I know what director Hardcastle's third directive meant!
Year #52 Day #53
I need to build that construction bot 51 days is too long to wait. But now I'm done! The flight Drone is a small thing I've given it a 3 foot wing span and a little solar powered motor and packed it full of sensors. It's by no means graceful but I just want to fly. I finally know what I want to do I want to be the first Bolo to truly fly, to be able to do what that little bird did. I know I'll never be able to do that in my current form nor will I ever be able to leave my form but I can build these drones and if I'm lucky I'll be able to experience flight through them. Right now I need just a little bit of a breeze to blow over my back the additional lift should be enough to get my Drone off the ground.
I sense the wind now; a gust just hit my frontal weather station. Soon I'll have good strong wind from that direction.
It's here I can feel it in the air speed sensors under the drones wings. I turn on the motor and the drone begins to role forward, slowly at first but speeding up. The scale measuring the downward force of drone against my back is showing some lift but not nearly enough. I look out the optical sensor located in the center of the wing its and I feel slightly disoriented as I find my self rolling down my own back I'm not going to have enough runway! I press onward the only thing I can do is give it full throttle and hope for the best the drone has no brakes and requires the full length of my back to come to a stop. Now it has past the point of no return. 2 yards to go and still the scales tell me I'm 20 lbs short of the needed lift. My circuits surge and my battle screen flairs as I feel the drone leave my back in what could only be the bolos version of cringing. I pull my self out of the drone leaving only the airspeed sensor active as I feel it accelerate towards the ground. My calculations indicate that it should take 1.32 second for the drone to hit the ground. I wait for that moment. The suspense of the wait is unbearable! I play 10 games of tick tack toe to pass the time sadly this only burns .04 seconds, some times I wish I was as slow as a human. I wait watching the airspeed steadily increase with the acceleration due to gravity. 1.01 seconds in to the drive I discover that the acceleration of the drone is no longer consistent with gravity. I'm shocked I should have noticed this sooner. I quickly reactivate my visual sensor and begin pulling back of the elevator in an attempt to break the dive. To my surprise the drone responds and levels out just feet from the ground. I did it my drone is flying I quickly begin recording and analyzing its performance. I need to figure out why it almost fell form the air. With the data now pouring in from the drones sensor package I rerun my calculations, the motor I installed never had the power needed to pull the drone through the air! Even now I can feel it loosing altitude! I pull on the rudder guiding the craft out over the ocean I'll keep this thing in the air as long as possible. As the drone glides over the cliffs I feel a strong blast of air lift it further into the air. Its exhilarating the drone bucks and flails as I navigate the updraft I'm closer to my dream than I've ever been! Error! Error! Error! The rudder position sensor screams into my head. Error! Error! Error! The tail mounted airspeed sensor wails. I loose all of the sensors in the tail section! I watch in horror as my point of view snaps up and rolls back to the ground! I pull out of the drone for the last time snapping back to my hulls sensors I watch as my drone is attacked by a very new very large bird of prey I can't help but wonder why I never saw it! As the drone slams into the waves I can't help but lament that true to my bolo programming I've been disregarding any thing that wasn't sentient, once again I am a disgrace to the line.