The Planet 4.1

4.

4.1 Seek

One thing about Machete, his interface with the droids was exemplary. The unit rolled on its track with limbs spread out for any confrontation. We marched down the corridors to the first reported machinery failure unit. It was the main coring unit and those things were expensive to replace. During the walk, we passed other droids at the machineries but none intervened on us. The droids were doing their assigned works.  Duggan was all worked up and with his finger staying near the trigger. I was lagging behind and with my eyes looking around.  It was dusty all over the place.

It was maybe my instinct or was it fear.

Hey, I may be an experienced soldier with construct parts but fear is something we cannot ignored. It exists in our mind and at times it reinforced us sometimes. Well, at times made us cowards. I have retreated from battles in fear. It was fear then which made me looked everywhere; if I had eyes behind my head it would had helped but I was restraint by that. So I shifted my body and then saw the droid standing there. It was holding a wrench in its left upper limb and a can of lubricant in its right upper limb.

I don’t know what happened next but next thing I saw was the droid there with its upper body blown away. It was my instinct. I aimed the rifle I was holding and blew the droid at its head. I guess the PH375-2 will live up to its reputation. I also guess fear for worked for me. I was so worked up that I got the pull of the trigger.

“What happened?” Duggan stepped back by my side. The whole squad was on alert.

“I thought it was going to attack me.” I replied. “It’s not my …”

“Stiff it, John. We are all nervy here. So let it ride.” Duggan was re-assuring. He directed Machete to check the damaged droid. The experienced mercenary crouched before the blown out droid while he placed his blade on the flooring. He removed a panel at the left thigh. He then plugged in the cable.

“Hey why can’t you just assimilate like the other?” Duggan asked the other.

“John blew the main unit processor. So this is the only way in. Unless you want me to plug in through the butt I don’t think they have a rectum like yours. ” Machete sighed. The bastard was mocking me. My rectum was still intact since birth and it was never subject to any penetration before the arrival of Machete. He held an affinity to bury those large needles in there, and I disliked it. I will not allow him to indulge his other form of affinity inside me. He then glared at me. “So do you? Next time, shoot below way below the balls.”

“I never noticed it. Those I plug held no balls there. They have alternates in the upper front side of the chest but I doubt you ever felt one before.” I had to hit Machete below the belt to get him riled up. He was eating at my guts since we started on the task.

“Don’t get your bowels stuffed on my behalf.” I ignored the comment and went to recon the corridor while Machete went to work. I was down the corridor when I saw the other droid there. It was hidden in the corner but it held no menacing tool. I was to move on when I heard the howl from the other end. I rushed back with the rifle raised and saw Duggan standing over Machete. The other was seated on the flooring nursing his forehead. There was a wrench there on the flooring.

“Hold it down. Machete had his head swiped.” Duggan explained. He then looked at Machete. “How did it happen?”

“I don’t know. The unit was supposed to be deactivated. John blew its main processor.” Machete shook his head. “One moment I was checking the unit and then thing I knew the wrench hit me. I managed to move in time but it sure hit me bad. I think it’s not active anymore.”

I looked at the blown unit. Its limb was still holding the wrench close to the body as if it taken a swing. I was to reach for it when Duggan snapped us to attention.

“It could be a secondary processor.” Duggan explained while slashing the blade on the processor on the thigh. “Let us continue our search.”

“What about the droids I saw earlier?” I wanted to caution him.

“Ignore it if it was not moving.” Duggan replied. “I am here for the main task.”