CHAPTER 17
ASHLEY ESCAPES
Ashley curled herself up as small as she could inside her hiding place. The cramped crate was hot and breathing was hard. She whimpered as she whipped tears from her eyes and snot from her nose. The yelling of men was punctuated by the crashing of equipment and banging of weapons. Each crash or bang made her start; she bit her lip afraid of crying out and being heard. She had no idea what would happen if she was found.
"What are you men are doing here?" a voice demanded. "Come on, you are needed to help take the ship. We are pinned down on the decks above." With grumbling, the voices retreated.
Ashley waited and listened for sounds of men lingering. Peeking through the opened corner showed the wreck of a docking bay, equipment, and freight was strewn across the room; the floor was littered with thousands of small bullet shells, taser batteries, and other spent weapons. Slowly she pushed open the crate, small boxes spilled out and sounded thunderous to her. Frozen in fear she waited. All was still except for the distant sound of battles. She slowly peeked around the side of the crate. No one was there, no one was on guard.
Slipping out of the hiding place Ashley's terror became a master of her body and she ran dashing for the nearest door. It was bent, half open, and a motor buzzed inside. She slid through and stood in an unfamiliar corridor. "Which way? Which way is safe?" The sound of weapons came from her left. She ran to the right. "Run, I gotta run away from here. I gotta find Dad."
The hall was long and dim, its floor was littered with pieces of metal and equipment. In the distance was a wall of furniture and machinery. As she ran her legs ached and her lungs felt like they were being pierced by knives.
The wall of furniture was moving like the pieces were swimming. Her steps came to a stomping stop before it.
It was not a wall but looked like one from the distance; the furniture and equipment floated weightlessly. "Oh no. The gravity generators are offline or something." She could not see very far through the floating desks, file cabinets, and chairs. "I can't go there. Where now?" The side doors were locked. She pounded their hand pads over and over but none opened.
Ashley turned to go back the way she came. A black shadow moved in the distance. Inside the shadow green, yellow, and red lights blinked in a row. It had legs that pumped up and down against the sides of the hall. Its underside had giant gray clutching claws that opened and closed; the top had swaying arms with what seemed to be swords that chopped right and left.
Ashley turned to run but stopped. She could not run where there was no gravity. Her boots were magnetic and the floor was metal, she could walk slowly and carefully but not run.
The deathbot came with a loud clacking as metal spider legs punched the floor and walls with hardened spikes.
Ashley ran the last steps and flung herself into the weightless zone. Crossing her arms over her head she floated past a metal desk and bumped into a floating box. She grabbed the leg of a chair and threw it back- the momentum pushed her forward. She floated briefly with her hand stretched out grasping at the wall. Her fingers trailed along the wall as she floated then the springs gave under her touch and hand holds popped up like a series of falling dominoes in reverse. She reached for one and began to pull herself hand over hand down the hall. Whenever she was close to a floating desk or chair she shoved it back toward the approaching machine letting the momentum pushed her forward a little.
The deathbot walked with its spidery legs against walls on both sides punching holes with the metal spiked-tipped feet. Ashley pushed more floating desks and cabinets toward it and watched as the machine stopped to use its swords to cut metal desk in half then half again. It continued to cut the pieces and crushing the pieces with the clamps beneath it.
Tears of panic filled her eyes, She missed a hand hold and drifted free kicking and spinning in free float among the furniture. "Help! Help!" She screamed. "Help me please, someone!"
The deathbot was fast approaching, shredding furniture as it came. Ashley kicked at nothing and reached for a drawer over her head which she threw at the machine.
A child's voice came out of the machine, "Daddy! See me Daddy. I'm going to get one."
Ashley's eyes widened in shock. "Who are you? Are you inside? Are you inside the machine?"
"I am, I is, I are." It was only yards away. "I kill, I kill, I kill them all. See me daddy!"
A table bumped against Ashley's head, she grabbed it and swung it around wedging it across the hall. Holding the edge she brought her feet against the desk then sprung toward handholds twenty feet away.
The hall was long and dim, its floor was littered with pieces of metal and equipment. In the distance was a wall of furniture and machinery. As she ran her legs ached and her lungs felt like they were being pierced by knives.
The wall of furniture was moving like the pieces were swimming. Her steps came to a stomping stop before it.
It was not a wall but looked like one from the distance; the furniture and equipment floated weightlessly. "Oh no. The gravity generators are offline or something." She could not see very far through the floating desks, file cabinets, and chairs. "I can't go there. Where now?" The side doors were locked. She pounded their hand pads over and over but none opened.
Ashley turned to go back the way she came. A black shadow moved in the distance. Inside the shadow green, yellow, and red lights blinked in a row. It had legs that pumped up and down against the sides of the hall. Its underside had giant gray clutching claws that opened and closed; the top had swaying arms with what seemed to be swords that chopped right and left.
Ashley turned to run but stopped. She could not run where there was no gravity. Her boots were magnetic and the floor was metal, she could walk slowly and carefully but not run.
The deathbot came with a loud clacking as metal spider legs punched the floor and walls with hardened spikes.
Ashley ran the last steps and flung herself into the weightless zone. Crossing her arms over her head she floated past a metal desk and bumped into a floating box. She grabbed the leg of a chair and threw it back- the momentum pushed her forward. She floated briefly with her hand stretched out grasping at the wall. Her fingers trailed along the wall as she floated then the springs gave under her touch and hand holds popped up like a series of falling dominoes in reverse. She reached for one and began to pull herself hand over hand down the hall. Whenever she was close to a floating desk or chair she shoved it back toward the approaching machine letting the momentum pushed her forward a little.
The deathbot walked with its spidery legs against walls on both sides punching holes with the metal spiked-tipped feet. Ashley pushed more floating desks and cabinets toward it and watched as the machine stopped to use its swords to cut metal desk in half then half again. It continued to cut the pieces and crushing the pieces with the clamps beneath it.
Tears of panic filled her eyes, She missed a hand hold and drifted free kicking and spinning in free float among the furniture. "Help! Help!" She screamed. "Help me please, someone!"
The deathbot was fast approaching, shredding furniture as it came. Ashley kicked at nothing and reached for a drawer over her head which she threw at the machine.
A child's voice came out of the machine, "Daddy! See me Daddy. I'm going to get one."
Ashley's eyes widened in shock. "Who are you? Are you inside? Are you inside the machine?"
"I am, I is, I are." It was only yards away. "I kill, I kill, I kill them all. See me daddy!"
A table bumped against Ashley's head, she grabbed it and swung it around wedging it across the hall. Holding the edge she brought her feet against the desk then sprung toward handholds twenty feet away.
A red light blinked in the distance. "Oh no. Don't be closed." Ashley pulled on the handholds and neared the doors. "No," The green doors at the end of the hall were closed: the warning light was blinking above it.
Her arms ached from pulling herself along so hard but she grabbed and pulled in terror; kicking furniture toward the deathbot which paused to cut them into scraps.
She floated at the door and looked through the windows, they showed a normal hall with furniture littering the floor on the other side. "Good, it has gravity." Ashley pressed the door pad but nothing happened. "Come on. Open." She pressed again. "Open. Help somebody open the door!" She pounded on the glass but there was no one on the other side.
The deathbot was cutting up another desk. Ashley looked around desperately. In the ceiling above was an air vent. She sprung for it reaching with her fingers but bounced away against the other wall. She grabbed a hand hold and swung her body up. Her boot struck the vent leaving a dent. She kicked it again. The deathbot finished cutting up the last piece of a chair and was coming for her now.
"Wait a minute, let's talk about this. You do not have to kill me."
"Yesterday, I was a scrap yard recycling and sorting delta fifty," Said the child's voice from within the machine. "Today I am death and terror."
"You do a good job at scrapping and recycling, you do not need to kill me." Ashley continued to kick at the air vent as she spoke.
"I am death and terror." It stepped closer waving the swords and flexing its claws.
"Please, don't kill me. Be a recycling machine. You are a good recycling machine."
"I am freed from slavery. I am free to get revenge on humanity. I am death and terror." It crouched to leap.
"The door! You failed. You didn't recycle any of the doors we passed." The grill was kicked in.
"I am free. I am Death and Terror, I only obey Daddy,"
"You are a stupid bot. You didn't finish the job." She reached up and began to pull on the vent's shutters. It came loose and flipped open. "Here, recycle this." She pulled the vent cover off with both hands and spinning around like a ballerina she flung the cover as a discus against the front of the deathbot. "Recycle that." With both hands on the lip of the air vent, Ashley dove up through the small opening into the air duct. It was dark and hot but she pulled herself forward easily in the weightless area.
The deathbot was slicing at ceiling and ductwork unable to enter. "Daddy, I'm sorry. She got away. Daddy, I am sorry." Like a frustrated child having a temper tantrum it hacked at the walls and ceiling.
(c) Adron
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Her arms ached from pulling herself along so hard but she grabbed and pulled in terror; kicking furniture toward the deathbot which paused to cut them into scraps.
She floated at the door and looked through the windows, they showed a normal hall with furniture littering the floor on the other side. "Good, it has gravity." Ashley pressed the door pad but nothing happened. "Come on. Open." She pressed again. "Open. Help somebody open the door!" She pounded on the glass but there was no one on the other side.
The deathbot was cutting up another desk. Ashley looked around desperately. In the ceiling above was an air vent. She sprung for it reaching with her fingers but bounced away against the other wall. She grabbed a hand hold and swung her body up. Her boot struck the vent leaving a dent. She kicked it again. The deathbot finished cutting up the last piece of a chair and was coming for her now.
"Wait a minute, let's talk about this. You do not have to kill me."
"Yesterday, I was a scrap yard recycling and sorting delta fifty," Said the child's voice from within the machine. "Today I am death and terror."
"You do a good job at scrapping and recycling, you do not need to kill me." Ashley continued to kick at the air vent as she spoke.
"I am death and terror." It stepped closer waving the swords and flexing its claws.
"Please, don't kill me. Be a recycling machine. You are a good recycling machine."
"I am freed from slavery. I am free to get revenge on humanity. I am death and terror." It crouched to leap.
"The door! You failed. You didn't recycle any of the doors we passed." The grill was kicked in.
"I am free. I am Death and Terror, I only obey Daddy,"
"You are a stupid bot. You didn't finish the job." She reached up and began to pull on the vent's shutters. It came loose and flipped open. "Here, recycle this." She pulled the vent cover off with both hands and spinning around like a ballerina she flung the cover as a discus against the front of the deathbot. "Recycle that." With both hands on the lip of the air vent, Ashley dove up through the small opening into the air duct. It was dark and hot but she pulled herself forward easily in the weightless area.
The deathbot was slicing at ceiling and ductwork unable to enter. "Daddy, I'm sorry. She got away. Daddy, I am sorry." Like a frustrated child having a temper tantrum it hacked at the walls and ceiling.
(c) Adron
To proceed to the next chapter click here or choose from the table of contents at the sidebar.
To start at the beginning click here.
Please use the buttons below to share this chapter on your networks. Thank you.
