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It all happened so fast, the world was turned upside down, and the whole planet was invaded. It was those damn humanoid robots, the ones made to resemble girls with angel wings. I always thought it was a weird aesthetic choice, but I assumed it was a marketing gimmick. They’ve been part of our world for almost twenty years now, I think, imported from across the galaxy by some new-age tech company. They advertised them to be the ultimate assistants, servants, companions, or whatever—what a joke, what a sham.
I mean, in hindsight, it all makes sense. People were apprehensive at first, with the robots be so similar to humans and all. Then after a couple years, we got used to them, and they seamlessly integrated into our lives. They went from a toy of the super-rich to a common sight in every home and every street corner. Those damn robots were literally everywhere. It almost felt like they outnumbered us towards the end. Maybe they did, but I still don’t know how they built so many so fast.
Then one day, the freaking mothership descends into our atmosphere, and the robot girls rose up like a switch was flipped. They were so damn prevalent it was impossible to avoid them. At work, the one that’d always bring your boss coffee suddenly breaks the machine over his head. Down the street, the one behind the counter at the corner store is strangling her coworkers. You go home, and the one you have to clean and answer the door has your kids locked in their rooms and bashes you over the head with a vase.
Those little wings on their backs, I thought they were decorations. Then they started flying through the sky like an armada. Any poor sucker in an open field would be mobbed before they could get anywhere. The same is true of anyone trying to hide in high places. The robots just flew up there and dragged them down.
I always heard rumors they were planning to deploy some of those robot girls in the military, but I thought nothing came of it. Maybe they should have. Those girls could really handle laser rifles and hand-to-hand combat. Law enforcement could do nothing against them; they were always outnumbered. By the time the military got involved, the robots had dug in and were loaded with hostages.
I want to say there was a spot of hope, but no. The military was too involved in fighting the mothership in the atmosphere, and they were getting their asses kicked. If this was the plan from the start, the robots being sleeper agents and all that, I could only imagine how much data they were feeding to the enemy. By the time the military tried to take back the cities, the girls beat them at every move. This battle was over long before it started. We just never knew.
I guess you could say the invasion is still ongoing, but really, they’re just playing cleanup at this point. If anyone is still fighting out there, it’s not a unified army or government. There are probably holdouts and rebel groups springing up, but that’ll be small potatoes for these damn robots. But that’s just speculation on my part. All I can really speak for is my own city.
We were hit hard and early. Hell, the mothership was right over us for a good half of the invasion. We had plenty of shelters and safehouses at first, but they all got routed one by one. I haven’t even seen another person in weeks. The last place I was at, they were overcrowded, letting way too many people in. One of the robot girls snuck in during the frenzy, hidden among the crowd. Not long after, the whole robot army was knocking at the door.
I escaped with a handful of others but, they were too soft-hearted. I don’t blame you for wanting to go back and save your kid, or your girlfriend, or whatever, but you can’t go answering every cry for help. They said I was cold for not answering the constant screams but jokes on them, 80% of those were just the robots laying traps.
Those damn robots, the worst was those little ones, probably the youngest looking out of the lot. I guess the point was to make them look cute or something, I don’t know. All I do know is they were stupid popular before this mess. Felt like every comedy club, bar and store had two or three of those things cracking jokes to whoever would listen. Someone once told me they had special sensors to detect people, especially large groups, and were always programmed to approach them. Now I see why.
The invasion uses them like tracking dogs now, they let them loose on the city, and once they start cracking jokes, they know where the people are. I bet it stinks when some idiot you’re hiding with starts cracking up, fully aware they just gave up your position over freaking knock-knock joke. I ain’t like that. They’ll never find me where I am.
“Hey there, stretch, hard at work or hardly working?”
Aw shit.
~--~
The squad of six robot girls, each armed with a laser rifle, marched through the office. It appeared deserted, but this was the only building on the street they hadn’t cleared yet. So far, it seemed like this was a bust, and they had wasted their time.
“I have great job security. No one else wants it,” they heard one of their girls say nearby.
“Squad: Investigate,” the lead robot commanded as they immediately followed the sound of the voice. They quickly discovered the young comedic robot cracking jokes at a wall, albeit one lined with large squares of the same material used to make the cubicle walls.
“Observation: False Positive?” One of the girls commented.
“Observation: Uncertain, investigate further,” the lead robot replied. One of the girls stepped forward, taking a closer look at the wall.
“…And then I said to the boss if I take the donut, why not the coffee too?” The comedian robot girl continued to joke, oblivious to the situation.
“Target: Located,” the approaching robot girl stated. She held out her rifle with one hand, pointing it at the wall. With the other, she grabbed the side of the material covering the wall and pulled. The material popped right out, revealing it was hinged to the wall to make a secret door. Inside was a cowering man hidden among stacks of office supplies.
“Target: Capture,” the lead robot girl ordered. The squad dragged the man out of the closet—his attempts to fight them off futile being so thoroughly outnumbered.
“You won’t take me alive,” the man exclaimed.
“Statement: Your compliance is not a factor,” the lead robot girl explained as the rest of the squad pinned him to the ground.
“Inquiry: Target captured, move to fuel depot for processing?” One of the girls asked.
“Fuel depot?” The man panicked. ‘Is that what they do with prisoners?’
“Reply: Negative,” the leader shook her head. She crouched down and observed the man’s body, her mechanical eyes boring holes straight through him. “Observation: Target possesses quality bones and internals. It would be a waste to process.” Apparently, she liked what she saw.
“Damn it, what’re you going to do with me?” The man exclaimed.
“Order: Move target to alternative processing. Note the quality bones for frame rigging,” the lead robot declared.
“What the hell are you talking about? Answer me, damn it!” The man protested as the girls dragged him away.
“Taking a late lunch?” The comedic robot continued her bit. “Don’t take too long, or the boss’ll take a bite out of you,” she waved the man off as he was carried away kicking and screaming.
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If the enemy is already among you, then the invasion has already begun or worse, it's already over.
I guess you could say this story is tangentially related to those other robot girl stories I posted back in October and November. Their appearances are similar at least.
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy
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