1.12 The Machine 3.0 Part 3

I barely register it is the Machine before it unleashes a barrage of those multi-warhead micro missiles.

I hate those things.

I activate my jetpack and zoom through the mud, still on my back. The missiles slam into the ground just below my feet, the explosions chasing after me. I pull up into the sky just before I hit the fence on the farside of the field, but it gets destroyed anyway by the missiles.

Poor farmer.

I focus on the machine. It appears to more heavily armoured this time around and has twice as many missiles launchers.

I am so out of my depth.

“Class 5 threat!” I yell over my communicator, “I repeat Class 5 threat!”

I dodge through the air as more of the micro missiles come at me in a massive swarm. I try to fly away from the motorway in attempt to bait the Machine away from the civilians, but it seems content to hover of the motorway and fire missiles at me.

I wish still had some of my own. But the Machine can’t have infinite missiles and must run out at some point. In the meantime, I try and pick off some of the lasers mounted on the Machine with my own.

Unfortunately for me, it seems to have twice as many lasers as it does missiles and I only knock a few out before it starts returning fire with its missiles.

I’m barely dodging both missiles and lasers though I’m making more of an enough to avoid the missiles as I can take hits from the lasers unlike hits from the missiles. I so didn’t need another two dozen scorpion drones to show up.

Like I didn’t to avoid their humongous amount of firepower as well. Personally it feels like the mysterious foe behind these robots is now making an open and blatant attempt to kill me.

In fact I am actually feeling a bit honoured that the foe feels this amount of firepower and resources is actually necessary to kill me. Given how well I’m faring, it might not even be overkill.

I actually fly towards the closest groups of scorpion drones, dodging their fire as it cuts into the swarm of missiles behind me. The thing about being caught in a crossfire like this is that the two different arcs of fire end up taking each other out if you can avoid.

I smile as the energy blasts from the drone take out the Machine’s missiles.

Hah! I think as the exploding missiles take out even more in a domino effect.

I fire my lasers at the drones, taking out a mere two before I pass through the group. That could have been better. I spin around and yank the tail of one of the drones as it zooms by me.

I toss the tail aside and use the laser on my other arm to finish the drone off.

I hope someone like Lantern or Narszara can get here soon. I go back to dodging again, taking potshots at the scorpions drones when I can. I’m certain I’ve taken four out with a possible two also down or damaged at the very least.

“How close is help?” I ask Janelle.

“Still a few minutes until Narszara can get to you,” answers Janelle, “Lantern will be about ten minutes. He has just entered the base. On the bright side, it appears the Machine has run out of missiles.”

“Thanks for the heads up,” I say before cutting the connection.

A few minutes until one of our heavy hitters can arrive. I can handle a few more minutes of this. 

I aim and fire my lasers at another drone. I allow myself a small grim smile as it explodes. Only the fourteen more and the Machine to go.

“I know this isn’t the most opportune time,” says Janelle suddenly, “But Darrac has just made contact with me. He has an offer I’m sure you’ll find quite interesting.”

“Tell him I’m busy with the killer robot we fought on Spartan’s carrier,” I reply, “Ask he if he’s willing to wait until I’m free.”

“Will do,” answers Janelle before hanging up again.

I rip one of the ‘claws’ of passing scorpion drone off and toss it at another drone. Despite how cool it would have been if I had taken the drone out with it, the claw is blown out the sky by another drone midair.

I fly up and backwards towards the sun in an attempt to gain what us flyers call the “Aerial Sun Advantage”.

It is to no avail as while the glare of the sun might have affected organic opponents, these mechanic foes are unaffected by the light.

“Sorry to interrupt you again,” says Janelle to my somewhat annoyance.

Couldn’t she pick a better time to try and talk with me? A life-and-death battle against killer alien robots is definitely not the best time to try and hold a conversation, no matter what the movies would have you believe.

“I just told Darrac your situation,” continues Janelle, “And he has a potential solution. He recognises the type of weaponry used by the scorpion drones. It is outdated Sektain technology that has a particular frequency that causes the energy within the weapons to become unstable.”

That could work or at least I hope it would. I know the drones are using alien tech, Sektain to be precise, and Neriarr like Darrac are masters of Sektain technology. Darrac has given me no reason to distrust him. In fact, Darrac has saved my life at least once.

With a solution that is all gain and no lost, I set my sonics to the frequency Janelle has just sent to me and open fire.