Cara
"Is he crazy?!" Matt gasped, when Ben launched himself at the Drone.
"I've probably rubbed off on him," Madiza commented. Kestrel un-slung his plasma rifle, and began blasting at the Drone.
"Hurry! I'll help him!" he cried. Without stopping to argue, we headed to the Computer and ATM. Without pausing, Madiza began typing on the small pad in front, fingers dancing feverishly across the keys. As she worked, doing something too complicated for me to understand on the screen, she was humming feverishly. It was something about a General, and vegetables, as far as I could figure out. We stood around her protectively, in case the Drone should overpower both Ben and Kestrel. The way things were going, it seemed a possibility.
I don't want to insult their prowess in fighting, but the truth is, they were no match for that Drone. Even with one arm, all it had to do was look at them, and make that droning sound, and they fell to the ground, nearly immobilized. Which was why they stood on opposite sides, so it would only get one at a time. Unfortunately, the Drone was apparently not all that dumb, because while it turned on Ben, the rifle thing on its' back unslung itself, and began blasting at Kestrel. He ducked, dodged, and finally went for its' legs. The Drone jumped, and smashed down on his chest. He must have either been very tough, or wearing some kind of protective armor underneath the uniform, because he shoved the Drone off, and got up, without any evidence of being hurt.
Now they were cornered. The Drone, to our surprise, turned its head up into the air, and began making that awful noise upwards.
"It's calling for reinforcements!" Kestrel cried. "We need to stop it NOW!"
"Almost done!" Madiza sung out. Ben leaped onto the Drone's back, and grabbed its' head, trying to wrench it free, as he had with the robots down in the tunnels. But this Drone was made of tougher stuff. It reached up with the free arm, and grabbed him by the neck, pulling him down. And then, just like magic, the light died out of its' eyes, and it slumped down.
"KillCode activated!" Madiza proclaimed happily.
Showing posts with label Drones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Drones. Show all posts
Monday, February 13, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Freegans part 51
Matt
The Tower produced some helmets, and tossed five to us.
"You'll need these if you want to blend in. It's part of the standard dress code." I decided that I liked the Tower. The helmets, I was not so enthusiastic about. It felt like my friends and I were being swallowed up by the black evilness of the consumerists. I felt kind of claustrophobic with the thing on, even though I could breathe just fine. I looked through the viewing lens at my friends, and couldn't even see them. I just saw soldiers; rather small ones, but soldiers nonetheless. It creeped me out.
The one closest to me turned its helmeted head in my direction, and said, "For a group of people obsessed with fashion, these guys sure are negligent when it comes to their soldiers' outfits." Never had I been so glad to hear Cara give a smart-alecky remark.
Ox gave us a final briefing.
"Whatever you do, you MUST not give us away. To do so would be fatal. Do not speak unless you absolutely have to. Try to avoid being seen at all costs. And keep an eye out for Drones."
Then, slowly, he turned the wheel to the submarine door. With a loud, ominous creak, it swung open.
We filed out in a neat, orderly fashion, trying to act as natural as possible. My palms were sweating, and my mouth was incredibly dry.
You are not a spy, I kept telling myself. You belong here.
Yeah, right, my brain replied.
The Prison Sanctum was really big and metallic, kind of like a hospital. Or, at least, like I imagined a hospital to be, never having actually been in one before. I wondered why the consumerists were so fond of long corridors and metal walls. The Ox gave us a silent message with his fingers, splitting us up into three groups. His group headed off one direction, the group led by Le Masque in another, and our group, led by Kestrel, went the third. Our mission was to find the Computer and ATM of Light, and have Madiza type in the KillCode. I was sure it was much easier said than done. For one thing, how would we know it when we saw it? I had seen computers and ATMs in books before, but never in person.
I looked around the corridors as we walked, searching for any clues. I don't know what I was expecting; maybe a sign post with an arrow pointing in the right direction. No such luck. It seemed like we had been walking around for hours upon hours, and my feet hurt. Suddenly, Madiza reached out and yanked on the Kestrel's sleeve. He turned, and she pointed to a passage on the left eagerly. Nodding, he turned our squadron that direction. We walked along, looking confident and self-assured. And then, we stopped short. The Computer and ATM of Light was there, all right. It looked like the two machines morphed together somehow, which was pretty weird. However, we had a small problem. The entrance was being guarded by a Drone.
The Tower produced some helmets, and tossed five to us.
"You'll need these if you want to blend in. It's part of the standard dress code." I decided that I liked the Tower. The helmets, I was not so enthusiastic about. It felt like my friends and I were being swallowed up by the black evilness of the consumerists. I felt kind of claustrophobic with the thing on, even though I could breathe just fine. I looked through the viewing lens at my friends, and couldn't even see them. I just saw soldiers; rather small ones, but soldiers nonetheless. It creeped me out.
The one closest to me turned its helmeted head in my direction, and said, "For a group of people obsessed with fashion, these guys sure are negligent when it comes to their soldiers' outfits." Never had I been so glad to hear Cara give a smart-alecky remark.
Ox gave us a final briefing.
"Whatever you do, you MUST not give us away. To do so would be fatal. Do not speak unless you absolutely have to. Try to avoid being seen at all costs. And keep an eye out for Drones."
Then, slowly, he turned the wheel to the submarine door. With a loud, ominous creak, it swung open.
We filed out in a neat, orderly fashion, trying to act as natural as possible. My palms were sweating, and my mouth was incredibly dry.
You are not a spy, I kept telling myself. You belong here.
Yeah, right, my brain replied.
The Prison Sanctum was really big and metallic, kind of like a hospital. Or, at least, like I imagined a hospital to be, never having actually been in one before. I wondered why the consumerists were so fond of long corridors and metal walls. The Ox gave us a silent message with his fingers, splitting us up into three groups. His group headed off one direction, the group led by Le Masque in another, and our group, led by Kestrel, went the third. Our mission was to find the Computer and ATM of Light, and have Madiza type in the KillCode. I was sure it was much easier said than done. For one thing, how would we know it when we saw it? I had seen computers and ATMs in books before, but never in person.
I looked around the corridors as we walked, searching for any clues. I don't know what I was expecting; maybe a sign post with an arrow pointing in the right direction. No such luck. It seemed like we had been walking around for hours upon hours, and my feet hurt. Suddenly, Madiza reached out and yanked on the Kestrel's sleeve. He turned, and she pointed to a passage on the left eagerly. Nodding, he turned our squadron that direction. We walked along, looking confident and self-assured. And then, we stopped short. The Computer and ATM of Light was there, all right. It looked like the two machines morphed together somehow, which was pretty weird. However, we had a small problem. The entrance was being guarded by a Drone.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Freegans part 49
Cara
We were in a submarine! I had never seen one before, except in books, so this was a really exciting experience for me. As I peered out one of the portholes, I saw several species of fish; this was unusual, since I'd assumed they'd all be extinct by now. Then again, maybe the consumerists needed them as a food source.
Us kids (well, all except Madiza) sat on a bench in front of the Ox, who explained what was going to happen when we got there.
"We need to go in quickly, and quietly. If any Drones catch us, it will be disastrous."
"Why?" asked Lucy.
Kestrel pressed a button on his watch, and a hologram appeared. It was a giant creature, about 8 feet tall, and because it had some kind of levitation boots, it wasn't touching the ground, making it look even taller. I craned my neck, getting a look at its face. The Drone had a hard face that looked vaguely like a human's, except it had no mouth. That, and something about it just looked creepier. Probably the fact that it was obviously not human. It's arms reached down past it's knees, sort of like a chimpanzee. The hands on those things looked incredibly strong. I was not liking this thing already. My low opinion increased when the hologram slowly turned to reveal the guns on it's back. I was reminded of a scorpion's tail. The overall effect of this Drone gave me the creeps.
Suddenly, Matt said, "Doesn't look too bad." I gave him an 'Are you insane?' look.
"What?!" he protested. "All we have to do is-blast them with plasma rifles or something! I mean, it's not like they have secret weapons or anything, right?"
"Why do you think they're called Drones, Matt?" asked Kestrel.
"...Like the male bees?"
"No. It's because of the low moaning noise they make. It messes with your inner ear, making it impossible for you to run away. If you try, you stumble and fall, every time. Also, these Drones are incredibly strong. Once one grabs you, it would be nearly impossible to make it let go. They are the ultimate capturing machines."
Matt sat silently for a moment. Finally, he said, "I would like to retract my previous statement."
"So, what do we do about them?" asked Lucy.
Kestrel pressed another button, changing to a different hologram. It looked like a cross between two different machines.
"This is the Sacred Computer and ATM of Light," announced the Ox. "We need to get to it, and then Madiza needs to punch in the KillCode. That will give us an extra hour in which to find Deep Thought, and any of our other comrades, and set them free. If we don't manage it in the alloted amount of time, we are lost."
Something in the finality of his words sent chills running along my spine. I knew he wasn't talking about not finding the way back. I involuntarily shivered.
We were led to separate rooms, and given new clothes. They were in black, and made out of some weird material. I wondered if they were mithril, and had a small chuckle with myself. I changed clothes, but kept the levitation boots. Call me sentimental, but since they'd saved my life at least twice, I felt a kind of attachment to them. When we came back, I smirked at how Matt and Lucy looked: like little kids playing at being ninjas. At least, until I realized that I probably looked the same way. The dark coloring made Madiza look even paler than she was, so that she was practically the color of snow. Ben, despite his emaciatedness and matted hair, looked dashing, but that was what came of coming from the consumerist community. There was no such thing as an ugly person there, at least on the outside.
Matt asked, "Do we get any weapons?"
"You shouldn't have to. At all times you will be protected," was the Ox's reply. Matt looked crestfallen. At that moment, Madiza cried, "Ooh, it's a giant squid!" We went to see what she was looking at, and realized that we were here. At the Prison Sanctum.
We were in a submarine! I had never seen one before, except in books, so this was a really exciting experience for me. As I peered out one of the portholes, I saw several species of fish; this was unusual, since I'd assumed they'd all be extinct by now. Then again, maybe the consumerists needed them as a food source.
Us kids (well, all except Madiza) sat on a bench in front of the Ox, who explained what was going to happen when we got there.
"We need to go in quickly, and quietly. If any Drones catch us, it will be disastrous."
"Why?" asked Lucy.
Kestrel pressed a button on his watch, and a hologram appeared. It was a giant creature, about 8 feet tall, and because it had some kind of levitation boots, it wasn't touching the ground, making it look even taller. I craned my neck, getting a look at its face. The Drone had a hard face that looked vaguely like a human's, except it had no mouth. That, and something about it just looked creepier. Probably the fact that it was obviously not human. It's arms reached down past it's knees, sort of like a chimpanzee. The hands on those things looked incredibly strong. I was not liking this thing already. My low opinion increased when the hologram slowly turned to reveal the guns on it's back. I was reminded of a scorpion's tail. The overall effect of this Drone gave me the creeps.
Suddenly, Matt said, "Doesn't look too bad." I gave him an 'Are you insane?' look.
"What?!" he protested. "All we have to do is-blast them with plasma rifles or something! I mean, it's not like they have secret weapons or anything, right?"
"Why do you think they're called Drones, Matt?" asked Kestrel.
"...Like the male bees?"
"No. It's because of the low moaning noise they make. It messes with your inner ear, making it impossible for you to run away. If you try, you stumble and fall, every time. Also, these Drones are incredibly strong. Once one grabs you, it would be nearly impossible to make it let go. They are the ultimate capturing machines."
Matt sat silently for a moment. Finally, he said, "I would like to retract my previous statement."
"So, what do we do about them?" asked Lucy.
Kestrel pressed another button, changing to a different hologram. It looked like a cross between two different machines.
"This is the Sacred Computer and ATM of Light," announced the Ox. "We need to get to it, and then Madiza needs to punch in the KillCode. That will give us an extra hour in which to find Deep Thought, and any of our other comrades, and set them free. If we don't manage it in the alloted amount of time, we are lost."
Something in the finality of his words sent chills running along my spine. I knew he wasn't talking about not finding the way back. I involuntarily shivered.
We were led to separate rooms, and given new clothes. They were in black, and made out of some weird material. I wondered if they were mithril, and had a small chuckle with myself. I changed clothes, but kept the levitation boots. Call me sentimental, but since they'd saved my life at least twice, I felt a kind of attachment to them. When we came back, I smirked at how Matt and Lucy looked: like little kids playing at being ninjas. At least, until I realized that I probably looked the same way. The dark coloring made Madiza look even paler than she was, so that she was practically the color of snow. Ben, despite his emaciatedness and matted hair, looked dashing, but that was what came of coming from the consumerist community. There was no such thing as an ugly person there, at least on the outside.
Matt asked, "Do we get any weapons?"
"You shouldn't have to. At all times you will be protected," was the Ox's reply. Matt looked crestfallen. At that moment, Madiza cried, "Ooh, it's a giant squid!" We went to see what she was looking at, and realized that we were here. At the Prison Sanctum.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Freegans part 38
Lucy
The Ox looked at each of us carefully, almost like he was searching for something. Then he asked,
"Madiza, do you know what the KillCode is?"
Her eyes widened, and I could practically see the gears inside that warped brain of hers turning. She looked up at the man, and nodded.
"Can you tell me?"
"I could, but should I? After all, three can keep a secret, if two are dead. Hee hee hee!"
The Ox nodded, looking slightly pleased. "Good idea. You can reveal it when the time comes."
Seeing our perplexed expressions, he said, "It's a special code that can shut down the Golden Church's Security Drones for at least an hour."
We knew what the Golden Church was. About the same time the Amish had been eliminated, the consumerists created a new church advocating the idea that their wealth was a gift from God, and that they should revel in it. It was very similar to some of the ideas of the tycoons of the early twentieth century. We'd learned about it in school. The Golden Church, or the Church of Golden Light, was one of the main problems the Freegans were facing. Because of the faux religious fervor, they were better able to spread their propaganda against us.
"Isn't the Golden Church full of a bunch of wacko flagellants?" asked Cara, with her typical bluntness.
"Some of them. More importantly, they have a Prison Sanctum, where they store heretics and anyone who opposes them. It is guarded by vicious robot-androids known as Drones, which are controlled by the Sacred Computer and ATM of Light. Madiza happened to see the KillCode, therefore memorizing it, and if she types it into the computer, she can shut down the Drones."
"What will that do?" Matt wanted to know.
"It will help us to enter and save our missing comrades-" The Ox stopped talking with a small gasp. He was looking down at the floor. We followed his gaze, only to see more of Madiza's scribblings. In the middle of them, she had written the number 42, which was also circled. She looked up at him with a smile.
"Yes," said the Ox unsteadily. "Exactly."
The Ox looked at each of us carefully, almost like he was searching for something. Then he asked,
"Madiza, do you know what the KillCode is?"
Her eyes widened, and I could practically see the gears inside that warped brain of hers turning. She looked up at the man, and nodded.
"Can you tell me?"
"I could, but should I? After all, three can keep a secret, if two are dead. Hee hee hee!"
The Ox nodded, looking slightly pleased. "Good idea. You can reveal it when the time comes."
Seeing our perplexed expressions, he said, "It's a special code that can shut down the Golden Church's Security Drones for at least an hour."
We knew what the Golden Church was. About the same time the Amish had been eliminated, the consumerists created a new church advocating the idea that their wealth was a gift from God, and that they should revel in it. It was very similar to some of the ideas of the tycoons of the early twentieth century. We'd learned about it in school. The Golden Church, or the Church of Golden Light, was one of the main problems the Freegans were facing. Because of the faux religious fervor, they were better able to spread their propaganda against us.
"Isn't the Golden Church full of a bunch of wacko flagellants?" asked Cara, with her typical bluntness.
"Some of them. More importantly, they have a Prison Sanctum, where they store heretics and anyone who opposes them. It is guarded by vicious robot-androids known as Drones, which are controlled by the Sacred Computer and ATM of Light. Madiza happened to see the KillCode, therefore memorizing it, and if she types it into the computer, she can shut down the Drones."
"What will that do?" Matt wanted to know.
"It will help us to enter and save our missing comrades-" The Ox stopped talking with a small gasp. He was looking down at the floor. We followed his gaze, only to see more of Madiza's scribblings. In the middle of them, she had written the number 42, which was also circled. She looked up at him with a smile.
"Yes," said the Ox unsteadily. "Exactly."
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