Fannec Records - Book 2: Rogue - Chapter 1
Robert’s brow furrowed as a deep, thunderous boom echoed through the corridor, shaking dust from the ancient metal beams overhead. The spaceship hangar they were approaching was a relic of a bygone era, its thick blast doors covered in layers of rust and neglect.
The corridor itself was a darkened tunnel of cold steel and exposed wiring, the floor grated to allow the flow of air from the ventilation system below. Pipes ran along the ceiling in a tangled web, carrying who-knows-what to parts unknown. The air held a metallic tang, like a rainstorm mixed with the must of an old factory.
Robert clutched the pistol at his hip, his calloused fingers tracing the worn grooves in the grip. He could hear Ace hovering nearby, the AI sphere a comforting constant amidst the unknown threat.
As they approached the hangar doors, Robert could make out the faded letters stenciled on the metal: “Hangar 7 - Restricted Access”; the sign appeared faint and chipped, a testament to years of disuse.
Another boom shook the corridor, this one closer and more insistent. Robert’s jaw clenched as he scanned the area, searching for the source of the disturbance.
“Ace, are you getting anything?” he murmured, his voice audible over the moaning of the ancient structure. “This can’t be good.” His hold on the gun tightened as they neared the hangar entrance.
Ace’s orb pulsed as he accessed the security feed through normal channels. Grainy footage flashed across his screen, showing a maintenance robot smashing equipment as smoke billowed around it.
Robert peered over Ace and watched the chaos unfold on the tiny screen. The robot was a hulking mass of articulated limbs and whirring servos, its once shiny chrome now dented and scarred from the rampage. Sparks flew as it brought a heavy appendage down on a control console, shattering the display in a shower of glass and circuitry.
“Well, that explains the ruckus,” Robert said, his voice low. “But what the hell caused it?”
“Unknown,” Ace said. “However, its actions are causing significant damage to the hangar’s systems. If it continues unchecked, it could cause a catastrophic failure.”
Robert nodded, already developing a plan. “All right, we need to turn this thing off before it brings the whole place down on us.”
They creeped to the hangar entrance. The booming crashes echoed louder, reverberating through Robert’s bones with each careful step. Robert kept his body low, pistol in hand, his finger hovering near the trigger, as he led the way. Ace hovered close behind, a silent sentinel.
They reached the open doorway; the chaos was unfolding inside. Robert risked a glance around the edge of the frame. Scattered across the hangar floor were distorted metal and shattered equipment - debris thrown by the raging machine at its center. He motioned Ace forward with a sharp gesture, then slipped through the doorway into the maelstrom.
The hangar was a vast open space, its high ceilings disappearing into the shadows and smoke above. Rows of workbenches and machines lined the walls, their surfaces cluttered with implements and partially constructed elements. In the center of the room, the robot continued its rampage, oblivious to their presence.
Robert’s eyes darted around, looking for a way to approach the machine without attracting its attention. Ace hovered at his side, running calculations and scanning for potential weaknesses.
The robot’s movements were jerky and unpredictable, its limbs flailing in a chaotic dance of destruction. An explosion of sparks erupted as a massive appendage slammed into a nearby workbench, sending tools and components clattering across the floor. The stench of burned electronics and ozone hung thick in the air.
“Yeah, no kidding.” With adrenaline coursing through his veins, Robert’s senses were heightened in the face of danger. “Any bright ideas on how to turn this thing off without getting pulverized?”
Ace’s orb pulsed as he analyzed the data streaming across his internal displays. “Its primary processing core appears to be in the central chassis. A well-aimed shot might be enough to disable it.”
Robert snorted, eyeing the raging machine. “You don’t have to be the one dodging those massive pointed arms.”
Still, he knew Ace was right. Putting the thing down was their only option if they wanted to prevent further damage and potential disaster. Robert took a deep breath, steadying himself as he tightened his grip on the pistol. He could do this. He’d gotten into worse trouble before.
With a sharp nod he signaled Ace to stay put and keep an eye out. Then, low to the ground, Robert crept forward, weaving through the debris and wreckage that littered the hangar floor. His boots whispered against the concrete as he moved, his every muscle taut and ready to react.
The machine came closer with each cautious step, its bulk casting long shadows in the flashing emergency lighting.
He paused behind an overturned workbench and peered over the edge to assess his target. The machine’s central chassis was a tangled mass of servos and armored plating, but he thought he could make out a cluster of optical sensors amid the chaos. If he aimed right…
Robert took a calming breath and looked along the barrel of his pistol. His finger caressed the trigger as he lined up the shot, the muzzle unwavering despite the tremors that shook the ground beneath him. A little closer…
With a sharp exhalation, he squeezed the trigger.
The shot rang out, deafening in the confines of the hangar. Robert held his breath for half a second, sure he’d hit his target.
The machine lurched, one of its flailing limbs knocking aside a pile of scrap metal at the last moment. The bullet bounced off the robot’s armored chassis and into the shadows with a whine of displaced air.
“Damn!” Robert ducked back behind the workbench as the crazed machine swung toward the sound. Servos whined in protest as it oriented itself to his position, sensors scanning the darkness for the source of the attack.
A heavy footfall shook the floor. The machine took a lumbering step forward. Debris scattered, clattering across the floor in its wake. Robert could feel the vibrations in his bones, a deep throbbing that set his nerves on edge.
“Ace, I could use a little help here!” he called over the cacophony, keeping his head down as the machine advanced. A massive shadow fell over his hiding place, blocking out what little light there was.
“Working on it!” Ace’s deep voice echoed through the room, his tone urgent.
Robert risked a glance over the side of the workbench. The robot loomed over him, sensors glinting in the dim emergency lighting. Hydraulics hissed as it raised a massive appendage, joints grinding, to prepare for a devastating blow.
There was no time to move, no chance to find better cover. Robert braced himself, pistol gripped, as he awaited the inevitable impact.
With a burst of static, the outer doors of the hangar slammed shut with a resonant boom. The machine froze in mid-swing, limbs seizing as Ace’s hack took effect. Its sensors flickered and died, the glow fading from its heavy bulk.
A long moment passed. The hangar was silent; the only sound was the rasp of Robert’s breathing and the muffled whir of the servos as the machine struggled against Ace’s override. With a metallic groan, it toppled forward in a shower of sparks and twisted metal.
Robert remained crouched behind the workbench, his heart pounding in his ears as the dust settled. He glanced sideways at Ace; the AI’s sphere was hovering amid the destruction.
“Well,” he said, taking a shaky breath. “That was a thing.”
Ace’s facets pulsed in wordless response, already running diagnostics on the downed machine. Schematics ran across the AI’s display as he analyzed its systems, looking for weaknesses.
“That was a temporary fix,” the AI intoned after a moment. “The robot’s systems are shielded from outside interference. We’ll need a more surgical approach to disable them permanently.”
Robert frowned, watching Ace’s analysis. “You have something in mind?”
The sphere bobbed in a gesture Robert recognized as a nod. “A controlled burst of electromagnetic energy might be enough to overload his central processor. Properly focused, it should stun the robot without causing further damage to the facility.”
“An EMP?” Robert pondered for a moment, reviewing their limited arsenal. “Do you think you can whip something up with what we’ve got?”
Ace’s answer was a bob up and down; he was already gathering the components. Robert allowed himself a grim smile and reloaded his pistol with a decisive click.
At least now they had a plan.
Robert clutched the makeshift EMP device as they reentered the hangar, the weight of it reassuring in his calloused grip. Ace bobbed along at his side, sensors scanning the wreckage for signs of the downed robot.
A groan of twisted metal made them freeze; Robert’s eyes narrowed as he tracked the source of the sound. There, amid the debris, the hulking machine stirred, servos whining in protest as it fought against Ace’s override protocols.
“Heads up,” Robert lifted the EMP in a white-knuckled grip. “Looks like our friend is back online.”
The words were out of his mouth before the robot leapt to its feet, a shower of sparks erupting from its joints. It turned with ponderous precision, its sensors flashing as they locked on to the two intruders.
The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as the machine lined up with them, the hydraulics hissing in preparation. This was it, their only chance to take this robot down before it could wreak any more havoc.
“Are you ready for this, Ace?” Robert asked, not taking his eyes off the looming threat before them.
The AI’s response was a wordless pulse.
With a roar of tortured metal, the robot charged.
Robert had time to react as the machine lunged at them, appendages flailing in a frenzy of motion. He dove to the side, rolling as it roared past, shockwaves of displaced air buffeting him from all sides.
Debris scattered in its wake, a maelstrom of twisted metal and shattered equipment. Shards of something hit his back as he scrambled upright, his boots finding a foothold in the chaos.
The robot swung around with surprising agility, servos screeching as it changed course. Robert could see its sensors flashing, tracking his movements with deadly precision.
There was no time for subtlety, no chance for a targeted strike. If they didn’t act now, the machine would be on them in a second.
Gritting his teeth, Robert raised the EMP and aimed for the center mass. He could feel the device hum in his hands, the capacitors whining as they built up a charge.
He squeezed the trigger. The EMP unleashed a blinding pulse of electromagnetic force, a shockwave that slammed into the machine with the fury of a cannonball.
Time slowed as the energy washed over the bulk of the robot. It hung in the air, its limbs frozen in mid-swing. Then its red lights flickered and died, the servos grinding to a halt with an agonized scream of abused metal.
The machine crashed to the ground in a deafening cacophony, plumes of dust and smoke billowing outward. Robert shielded his face with an arm as debris rained down on him, the shockwave of the impact knocking him back a step.
When the dust settled, the robot lay motionless and dark, a crumpled heap of useless scrap.
Robert surveyed the aftermath with satisfaction as he lowered his arm. The EMP had done its work, and not a moment too soon.
The AI’s lights flashed in a slow rhythm, already running diagnostics to confirm the kill.
Robert wiped the sweat from his brow, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. The acrid stench of smoke and ozone hung heavy in the air, stinging his nostrils with each ragged inhalation.
“Well?” he asked. “What’s the verdict?”
The AI’s facets pulsed in a slow, steady rhythm as it ran a final diagnostic sweep of the downed machine. Code lines scrolled through system readouts on a wall display near Ace.
“The electromagnetic pulse was successful,” Ace said, his deep tones echoing through the silent hangar. “The robot’s central processor is fried. It is inert.”
Robert looked at the crumpled heap of scrap metal with satisfaction. “Good. That’ll teach it to go crazy.”
He shook his head, frowning as he surveyed the devastation left in the wake of their battle. Workbenches lay smashed, their surfaces littered with mangled tools and half-assembled components. Smoke still billowed from the machine’s smoldering chassis, curling in oily plumes toward the high rafters above.
“Any idea what started it?” Robert asked, his mouth contorting in disgust. “I’ve seen my share of malfunctions, but nothing like this.”
Ace’s orb bobbed in a slow, deliberate motion as he processed the query. “Unfortunately, the robot’s memory banks were wiped in the EMP burst. All data related to the initial trigger event has been lost.”
Robert frowned and tightened his grip. “So we have no idea if this was a one-time glitch or if there are more of these things lurking around, waiting to screw us?”
“Exactly.” Ace’s tone took on a dark edge. “While we can speculate based on the robot’s behavior patterns, without access to its core programming, the root cause remains unknown.”
Robert shook his head as he made his way through the debris-strewn hangar, the crunch of shattered glass and twisted metal underfoot. Ace’s light cut through the swirling smoke, casting long shadows that twisted and turned with each staggering step.
“Well, that’s fantastic,” Robert said, keeping a wary eye out for any further signs of danger. “Because one rampaging killer robot wasn’t enough excitement for one day.”
They moved forward, picking their way through the wreckage. Here and there, Robert was able to discern the shapes of other robots in the debris, motionless shells frozen in different stages of assembly or repair. He scrutinized each one with a critical eye, half expecting them to burst into violent life at any moment.
Ace sensed his unease. “I detect no anomalous power signatures or network activity from the other units,” the AI intoned, as if reading Robert’s mind. “They appear to be safely deactivated.”
Robert grunted in acknowledgement, though his grip on the EMP device remained firm. Call it paranoia, but he’d learned the hard way not to take anything for granted, especially with machines.
They moved on in tense silence, the only sounds being the crunch of debris underfoot and the faint whir of Ace’s internal systems. Robert kept his movements measured and controlled, every muscle coiled and ready to react at the first sign of trouble.
The shadows closed around them, enveloping shapes in half-seen menace. Robert strained his senses, searching the suffocating haze for any hint of impending danger.