The Rift
Robots.
Mike had always had a deep facination with machines, and seeing fifteen of his own humanoids lined up and ready for action sparked something inside of him. He couldn't deny that he felt exhilirated.
They stood tall and motionless, with their limbs pointed outward, toward the Quelnine office buildings. Plated with steel and lined with wire of copper and silver. Their heads were metal globes with a blue light in the center. The rain pattered down upon them.
Mike flicked his head to the side and made sure the last of the scientists were out of sight, and then gazed over the silent city. It was important to know one's environment.
Rule number one.
A whisper of static eminated from Mike's radio.
"Mike, can you hear me?"
His eyes locked on a tram floating horizontal in the distance, as his hand picked out the radio from his waistband.
"This is Mike," he said. Then, feeling a little strange, he added: "All the units are in position."
"Good, Mike," said the voice. It was Calvin. "Is the controller ready?"
"Yes."
"Alright. I'm going to radio over to the troops. You're going to put the humanoids on auto-fire in about five minutes, okay?"
"Sounds good."
"Mike," he said. "You'll be fine."
"I know."
Mike tucked the radio back onto his hip, and watched the tramway wrap through the buildings and out of sight.
A mean breeze whipped through the tall weeds in the field. A lone truck with one headlight wheezed down a road in the far away.
He waited and all was still. There was just the drip of the rain and the wind. He looked to his right where the troops were hidden in the trees on the cliff, and then straight ahead where SIS was preparing the invasion.
Mike had always had a deep facination with machines, and seeing fifteen of his own humanoids lined up and ready for action sparked something inside of him. He couldn't deny that he felt exhilirated.
They stood tall and motionless, with their limbs pointed outward, toward the Quelnine office buildings. Plated with steel and lined with wire of copper and silver. Their heads were metal globes with a blue light in the center. The rain pattered down upon them.
Mike flicked his head to the side and made sure the last of the scientists were out of sight, and then gazed over the silent city. It was important to know one's environment.
Rule number one.
A whisper of static eminated from Mike's radio.
"Mike, can you hear me?"
His eyes locked on a tram floating horizontal in the distance, as his hand picked out the radio from his waistband.
"This is Mike," he said. Then, feeling a little strange, he added: "All the units are in position."
"Good, Mike," said the voice. It was Calvin. "Is the controller ready?"
"Yes."
"Alright. I'm going to radio over to the troops. You're going to put the humanoids on auto-fire in about five minutes, okay?"
"Sounds good."
"Mike," he said. "You'll be fine."
"I know."
Mike tucked the radio back onto his hip, and watched the tramway wrap through the buildings and out of sight.
A mean breeze whipped through the tall weeds in the field. A lone truck with one headlight wheezed down a road in the far away.
He waited and all was still. There was just the drip of the rain and the wind. He looked to his right where the troops were hidden in the trees on the cliff, and then straight ahead where SIS was preparing the invasion.