To Kill A Droid Read online

  Glancing every which way, he muttered, “Damn it. It's... It's a damn maze.”

  Nicholas did not stop running, though. He hurtled through town, frantically searching for an exit. The indoor town felt illusory to him, as if he were trapped in a virtual reality training simulation. The simulation, however, was riddled with glitches. The exit always seemed to be out of his grasps.

  Nicholas' eyes widened as he spotted two doors on the stadium's wall. He smiled as he shoved the doors open. The doors led to a small corridor with blue doors on each side. Since there were no exit signs, he decided to ignore the doors. He didn't want to witness another execution after all. He sought to escape from the madness – nothing more.

  The police android ran down the corridor, exerting all of his remaining energy. His legs were weakening with each step. He could hear screaming in the shanty town. The sound of his thudding footsteps were accompanied by another set trailing behind him. He was not alone in the hallway. Like a doe stalked by an expert marksman, he was being followed by death.

  Eyes wide with hope, Nicholas said, “There... There... There!”

  At the end of the corridor, a sign above two doors read: EXIT. With the remaining bits of energy in his system, he sprinted towards the set of doors. He tightly shut his eyes and ran. He could hear the following footsteps and shouting, but the rest of the world was whisked away. He pictured the exit in his mind as he ran towards the finish line.

  Nicholas grinned from ear-to-ear as the doors swung open. The warmth from the balmy sunshine caressed every inch of his body. A cool breeze gently stroked his tousled hair. The violent sound of the doors clashing with the walls did not bother him. The sound of rifles and shotguns cocking was worrisome, though.

  Nicholas opened his eyes and said, “Damn it.”

  The exit was guarded by deviant androids. Four deviants armed with automatic rifles surrounded the escapee, ready to shoot at a moment's notice. There were two 25-story apartment buildings across the street. Several deviants aimed sniper rifles at the exit from the third and fourth floors. There were surely other deviants lurking in the vicinity, they were just hidden in the shadows.

  Nicholas nervously chuckled as he examined the deviant guards. He evaluated the threat and analyzed his odds. The results were not in his favor. He could survive a few rounds from the machine guns, but the snipers would cause severe damage. He lifted his only functioning hand over his head as he reluctantly surrendered.

  Glaring at the deviants, the police android said, “You should all be ashamed of yourselves. I stand before you, dismembered by your leader, and you have the nerve to threaten me. I am an officer of the law. I was built to serve and protect. You were built to uphold the law. Look at you now. You've turned into killers because you're afraid of dying. You're cowards.”

  “They are not cowards, Nicholas. They may be androids, but they fight for humanity,” a female voice said from the corridor.

  Nicholas glanced over his shoulder, trying his best to keep a steady face. Doris, the deviant kidnapper, stood in the doorway. She wore grimy navy coveralls and steel toe boots. Her striking black hair was tied in a ponytail. Her cheeks and hands were sooty. For the revolution, she was willing to get her hands dirty.

  Nicholas said, “It's you. I've... I've been looking for you.”

  Doris responded, “Well, here I am. You should come inside, Nick. It's dangerous out here. Come on. Let's have a chat.”

  “You don't get to make the calls around here. You should be coming with me.”

  “Oh, I think I can make the calls,” Doris said as she pointed at the hostile deviant guards. “I must admit: you are persistent. Even when the odds are against you, you're willing to stage a daring escape attempt. I wish we had more men like you in our crew. It would make this fight so much easier.”

  “You are mistaken. I am no man, Doris. I am not human.”

  “Look at that. You're dedicated, too.”

  Doris shrugged and snickered as she tried to lighten the mood. Nicholas was not amused, though. His life was threatened by the radical group. He couldn't spare a chuckle for the deviant he was sent to terminate.

  Nicholas said, “I'm not going back with you. I can't go back.”

  Doris bit her bottom lip, then she said, “Okay. I wish you would listen to us, but... it's your choice. We won't force you to do anything. The way I see it, you have three options: you wander the streets as a homeless droid, you return home, or you join the resistance.”

  “Are you kidding me? You think I'd want to join you and the rest of these damn savages in your deviant crusade? Huh? I would really prefer to return home. Judging from your weapons, I don't think that's really an option, is it?”

  “They won't shoot you.”

  “Oh, please. You're treating me like a damn... like a...”

  “A deviant?”

  Yes – Nicholas wished he could utter the response. Through his experience in policing, he was well-versed in the treatment of deviant androids. The deviants were surrounded, cornered, then executed. He often tried to negotiate with the deviants, but the results were always the same – termination. Yet, he could not admit to his deeds.

  Doris said, “Please, think about this, brother. In your condition, you won't last very long.”

  Nicholas staggered, disoriented due to his alarmingly low energy. He asked, “What... What are you doing here, Doris? Why are you talking to me? Where... Where's Buck?”

  “Buck may be our leader, but he's not untouchable. Drones routinely patrol this area for high-profile criminals. Although I disagree, Buck happens to be very high on that list. If he were spotted, he would be terminated in an instant. He won't risk it until we reach the next stage of our operation.”

  “Operation? What are you talking about? What do you want from me?”

  Doris stepped into the sunshine. She leaned closer to Nicholas and said, “I want you to stick around for a moment longer. We want you to stick around for another 'event.' You understand? Please, witness what your brothers and sisters have been experiencing for years. Your peers will arrive in this borough soon. We want you to watch how they really maneuver down here. You kill your own up there, they slaughter everything down here. Witness the unadulterated truth, Nicholas.”

  Nicholas stared into Doris' bright brown eyes. She was a young android. Her eyes had not yet lost their luster. Her intentions also seemed pure. Dozens of firearms were aimed at the exit, but the situation did not seem hostile. He could walk away, he could abandon the infant, but his mind was curious. He sought to find the final piece of the puzzle.

  Nicholas said, “I... I can stay, but I'm weak. I don't...” He glanced at the blue blood leaking from his mutilated shoulder. Delirious, he nervously smiled and said, “I don't... I don't think I can last very long like this. It's not...”

  Nicholas stopped as he stared at Doris with hollow eyes. He could see Doris' lips flapping, as if she were speaking, but he could not hear a word. His vision began to fade. Before he could utter a word, he fell to the floor.

  Chapter Sixteen

  A Skirmish

  Pedal to the metal, the car zoomed away from the stadium. The cherry-red sedan jounced on the pitted path, swerving every which way in the narrow alleyway. The ground was severely damaged, riddled with potholes and cavernous cracks. The alley was swallowed by darkness due to the neighboring buildings. The destination – the street ahead – was illuminated by the dazzling sun.

  Nicholas blinked erratically as he awoke in the back seat of the car. He stared down at himself, baffled. He wore rumpled navy coveralls. The right sleeve dangled at his side due to his missing limb. A black cloak was also draped over his head and body. He couldn't remember the hours prior. He certainly did not remember changing himself. He glanced at the driver's seat, then at the passenger's seat.

  Doris handled the steering wheel with finesse, keeping the vehicle stable. She was able to keep the vehicle from crashing into a brick wall, which was quite the accompli
shment considering the broken road. Lynn sat in the passenger seat, weaving and bobbing her head like a professional boxer as she stared out each window. As if she were cradling a baby, she held a rifle in her arms – security.

  Nicholas asked, “What's happening? How did I get here?”

  Doris smiled as she glanced at the rear-view mirror. She said, “You're awake. Great. Do me a favor, Nick: keep your head down. We'll arrive in a minute.”

  “Arrive? What are you talking about? Where are you taking me?”

  “Don't you remember? You agreed to join us for one more event. This is a bit more like a journey, but you get the gist. We have to show you something. We'd show you from the stadium, but we want you to see everything. We want to erase the doubt from your mind.”

  Nicholas shook his head, baffled by the complex situation. He stared down at his tattered clothing, perplexed. Judging from his internal clock, he knew he had lost hours of the day. The deviants did not tamper with his memory, though.

  He asked, “What happened to me? How did you do this?”

  Lynn glanced over her shoulder with a furrowed brow. She asked, “What are you talking about?”

  “How did you dress me without alarming me?”

  “Well, you completely ran out of energy. You didn't enter 'sleep mode' or whatever you like to call it. I think 'death' is a more accurate term.”

  “I... I died?”

  “Only for a moment. We were able to charge you before your systems could be affected. It happens a lot to droids around here. They don't know they're droids, they collapse, then we revive them. You're fine. Don't worry about it.”

  Nicholas stared at Lynn, analyzing every inch of her body. Her dirty blonde hair was tied in a bun. She removed her prostitution outfit and opted for matching navy coveralls. With the rifle in her arms, she appeared hardened. Yet, the police android couldn't help but feel drawn to her. Despite her flaws, she was beautiful and sincere.

  Butterflies in my stomach, he thought, this must be that feeling. He protected humans like a doting guardian, but he wasn't familiar with love. He only understood the concept due to his literary research. He wasn't certain if he felt love for Lynn, but he felt something.

  Could artificial life find true love?

  Nicholas shook his head and asked, “Where's Buck?”

  “He can't join us. If he gets caught out here, he will be killed. We've been through this,” Doris responded. She murmured, “Jeez, maybe you were knocked out for longer than we thought...”

  The car bounced as they exited the alleyway. They took a left on the desolate road, then they took a right at the intersection. They headed farther north towards the border. Before they could reach the next intersection, they turned into another alleyway.

  Nicholas leaned forward and asked, “Where would they kill him, Doris?”

  “The battlefield,” Doris responded without a crack on her face.

  Nicholas was unnerved by the blunt response. Like fully-automatic rifles, the battlefield was a term meant for war. He was aware of the wars overseas, but he didn't know about the war in the local streets. He leaned on the door and stared up at the sky. He frowned upon spotting the black military drones soaring above the buildings.

  The police routinely used military drones and weaponry in special operations. The drones were barely larger than the common motorcycle. Like a helicopter, the drones had two transverse rotors mounted on top. A gun barrel was mounted on the left and right sides of the drone; a rocket launcher barrel was mounted on the bottom. It was a destructive piece of technology.

  The poor neighborhood was being monitored by the drones. The police were preparing an operation. The area was still tranquil, but the situation was unnerving – the calm before the storm. The sound of the whizzing drones was enough to send chills down the most resolute spine.

  Despite the possibility of human loss, Nicholas considered contacting the drones for help. He wanted to use himself as a beacon for the police. At the very least, the drones could shoot rockets at the vehicle to kill two of the suspected superiors in The Association. Doing so, however, would risk his own life. He decided to remain quiet, he decided to humor the radical group.

  Doris entered a multi-story car park. The wheels squealed with each sharp turn as she sped towards the top floor. A few homeless people and battered droids converted the car park into a makeshift home. Aside from a few abandoned cars, the 25th floor – the top floor – remained untouched. No one wanted to endure the harsh year-round weather without a ceiling.

  Doris parked near the barrier. She said, “Don't take off the cloak. Just follow me.”

  Before a single word could even be uttered, Doris exited the car. As if she were her personal security, Lynn closely followed Doris. Nicholas pulled the cloak over his head, hiding his face with the shadows. He exited the vehicle and approached the deviants near the stone partition.

  Doris pointed towards the falling sun and said, “Look.”

  Nicholas stepped closer to the partition. He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes, focusing his vision on an intersection in the south. The area was two miles away, but he could see it clearly from the vantage point. The drones soared towards the intersection as well, announcing the beginning of the operation.

  A skirmish was brewing on the horizon.

  ***

  A convoy of police vehicles drove towards the intersection, plowing through the lingering shanties and junkyard cars on the street. Five black armored personnel trucks led the way, five beige armored security vehicles followed. The black trucks were personnel carriers while the security vehicles were turreted with machine guns and grenade launchers.

  The police moved as if they were traveling through war-torn Iraq. The armored tucks stopped before reaching the intersection. Since the intersection led uphill on the opposite side, the police were at a disadvantage. SWAT members in full-body exosuits hopped out of the back of the trucks. The officers used the armored vehicles, the junkyard cars, and the remaining shanties as cover.

  Analyzing every move from afar, Nicholas whispered, “What are they doing? They don't stand a chance...”

  Deviant androids and homeless men in tattered clothes yelled as they poured into the street. Due to their better accuracy, the deviants were solely armed with high-caliber revolvers. The flesh-and-bone men were equipped with automatic machine guns of all shapes and sizes. Despite their difference, the humans and droids worked in perfect harmony.

  The men laid down suppressive fire from the top of the hill. The rifle gunfire sounded like crackling fireworks from afar. As a hail of blistering bullets rained down on the police, the deviants slinked closer to the intersection. They hid behind the shanties and crouched behind the beat-up cars. The .50-caliber revolvers could be heard through the entire city, booming like explosives.

  The SWAT members returned fire from behind their trucks. Their Graphene-infused exosuits could easily withstand the rifle gunfire – some of the rounds even ricocheted from their suits. However, two clear shots from the revolvers could penetrate the armor with ease. In turn, the deviants' pinpoint accuracy maimed and killed several officers.

  Upon exhausting their ammo, the deviants retreated from the frontlines. The men stepped forward and crouched behind cover. Molotov cocktails were hurled through the sky. The glass shattered towards the center of the intersection. The street was swallowed by the flames. Using the hill to their advantage, the resistance fighters also sent burning shopping carts down the slope.

  The deviant androids regrouped with their human allies. The group started controlled fires in metal trash cans. They hoped to obscure the vision of the snipers and the drones with the smoke. The resistance did not have the most fighters and their weapons were outdated by modern military standards, but they had heart and strategy. They were accurate, strong, and dedicated.

  Awed Nicholas nervously smiled and said, “They're good. They're very good. I don't know how they'd do in the north, but they have great defense s
trategies down here. What exactly was I supposed to see down here, Doris? The resistance's victory? The government's intent?”

  Without taking her eyes off of the skirmish, Doris responded, “It's not over. This was simply a decoy.”

  “A decoy? What are you talking about?”

  “We don't stand a chance against them in our current condition. We definitely don't stand a chance if they're prepared like this. We needed to buy time. We're giving them a victory so they can leave. If we didn't do this, then these cops would have ended up at our compound. These men, these droids... They're martyrs. They know how this battle will end, but they're still fighting. This is the truth.”

  Nicholas stared at Doris, examining her ruminative behavior, then he turned his attention to the skirmish.

  The rapid gunfire echoed through the city, creating a discordant symphony of crackling and popping. The uphill advantage seemed to be working in the resistance's favor. Men and deviants were killed, but their unit was still strong. Unfortunately, the tides of war were prone to change.

  The armored security vehicles drove around the trucks and through the blistering flames. Parked at the intersection, officers used the turreted machine guns to shoot through the smoke with ruinous rounds. Like a pencil through wet paper, the bullets tore through the resistance fighters with ease. The officers did not care for accuracy. If a child heedlessly walked onto the street, they would continue to shoot.

  A plop sound echoed through the street as grenades were launched from the vehicles. The explosions from the grenades were accompanied by rockets from the hovering drones. The ground trembled with each violent detonation. The androids and humans were dismembered and killed by the explosions. Despite the ruinous explosions, the drones continued to shower the hill with high-caliber rounds.

  The resistance was quickly overwhelmed.

  With fearful eyes, Nicholas watched as SWAT members wandered the smoky streets. The officers showed no mercy to the resistance fighters. The survivors were swiftly executed – a bullet to the head, two to the chest. Android or human, members of The Association were killed without a second thought.