Doctor Sterling adjusted a few more settings on B-443, typing away at the computer. It was powered down in a wiring harness with a metal clamp that held it in place at the hips.
He clicked a button and activated B-443.
It’s eyes shown a blue and his power cells hummed to life.
“Hello again Doctor.” The robot spoke.
Doctor Sterling turned in his stool. “Hey B, sorry about the arm and leg mix up. Move your left arm for me.”
B-443 raised his left arm and made a fist.
“Excellent, now the left.” And B-443 responded.
“My self-diagnostics are clear, Doctor Sterling.” B-443 spoke.
Doctor unhitched the wire harness and it allowed B-443 to step onto the cold medical lab floor.
It moved and adjusted itself.
It reached over onto Doctor Sterlings workstation and picked up the red delicious apple, tossing it up in its hand, catching and tossing it.
“They say an apple a day keeps the dentist away!” B-443 joked.
Doctor Sterling held out his hand while he smiled, retrieving the red apple to bite into it.
“Okay B,” he said with a juicy piece of apple in his mouth as it crunched. “State your objectives.”
It responded, standing straight with its arms at its sides.
“First, protect the Greywolves. Second, protect the warfighters and members of the United Terran Republic. Third, never harm the innocent people.”
“I see. Your memory core is still intact.” Sterling said.
“Of course. My memory is intact. My primary, secondary, and tertiary power supplies are nominal.” B-443 said as it looked up at the man walking into the lab.
“I see B-443 is awake. Good.” General Mattock said as he held his hand out to Doctor Sterling, and to B-443 – which B-443 graciously accepted the human interaction.
“What is my first assignment, General sir?” B-443 asked.
General Mattock sighed.
“I am not sure how soon you are ready to deploy, but my Greywolves might need some backup.”
Doctor Sterling looked at B-443.
“Has something happened?” B-443 asked.
Doctor Sterling looked over at the General.
“They might be in extreme danger. I lost all contact with them as soon as they got their boots on ground.”
“I’m ready.” B-443 held its right arm up level with the floor, tightening up its fist.
* * *
A rapid series of explosions rocked the ground.
The tatter of rifle rounds, the zaps and the bolts from energy weapons being discharged, the yelling of commands, all echoed.
The Greywolves were in a tight formation, engaging the Seventh Legion Commandos and it’s sentries.
“Get into the fucking building!” As Staff Sergeant Allyn was bleeding from his left leg, firing his automatic rifle.
9 was dragging 1 and 2 by their vest harnesses, as 8 and 4 provided covering fire to help their Medic get the two wounded Wolves into the partially destroyed building. The place swarmed with Terran troops helping to repel the heavy ground attack.
“Don’t fucking die on me…” 9 grunted as he dragged them into the small building.
Major Winters was assisting 6 into the building with their Medic, for he suffered a wound to his left shoulder and left thigh. She settled him inside and put pressure on his shoulder as the tourniquet she placed on his leg stopped the bleeding.
“Doc what do you need?” Major Winters yelled.
“I need time and a fucking prayer.” 9 yelled as he threw his medic pack off and started his medical assessments to keep his wounded warriors alive.
6 grabbed Winters. “Ma’am, I’m fine. Leave me here.” She kept pressure on his shoulder.
“Toss me some gauze.” Winters yelled as Staff Sergeant limped into the small building, and did his best to barricade the door with the rest of the Greywolves team huddled inside.
9 tossed over special blood loss gauze to 8 as 8 handed it over to Winters, and she started packing the wound into 6’s shoulder. He grunted as the coagulant started doing its job.
She stopped to look at Allyn.
“You’re wounded.” She stated.
“I’m fine. We need to get the fuck off this spot.”
The building rocked with explosives.
9 was busy ripping off uniforms on 1 and 2 to get the bleeding under control, and assess for further life threatening emergencies.
Their radio frequencies were jammed, from an outside source. Something was blocking their communication channels
7 was dead. Their electronics specialist. His body was still outside the slaughter. He didn’t have a chance as he took a sniper round to his neck. It almost took his head off from his shoulders.
And that’s when things went haywire.
After Winters finished packing the deep wound on 6’s shoulder, she went over to 9, the Medic.
12 was trying different emergency frequencies to call for close air support and a medical evacuation. It kept falling to static.
“Fucking absolutely nothing guys. I can’t get through. Someone is jamming our shit.” 12 yelled.
“We’re fucked if we don’t get the jamming signal gone. Let us find the damn thing.” 3 said, their assault specialist mentioned. “I’ll go with him.” 4, backed him up.
“I can’t risk more casualties.” The building rocked.
“We’re fucked either way, ma’am. We gotta shut the damn thing down.” 4 added.
Winters stood to look at 3 and 4. “Take some Terran troops with you, find the jamming stations, and shut it down.”
* * *
“B-443, you doing okay in your drop pod?” Sterling said over the speakers in the pod.
B-443’s drop pod was hurling down at a high rate of speed from the sky, it shook violently. B held onto the bars.
“I’m good Doctor. I hope I’m not too late. My scanners detect the Greywolves, barely. I also detect a jamming frequency to my 2 o clock position. I will destroy it.”
“Good luck B, mission priority – protect the Greywolves.” Sterling started cutting out.
“Shazbot.” B-443 violently shook in its drop pod as it entered the jamming frequencies range.
B-443’s war chassis was armor plating over its skeletal form to protect his internals. The color was a matte black, almost to resemble the Greywolves uniform pattern. The Greywolves logo was printed on its chest.
It’s automatic energy battle rifle rattled in the harness as B-443’s pod started to slow its rapid descent onto the war zone.
As the drop pod made a hollow thump, the shaking stopped, and the front door pneumatically flew out with a hiss and a loud pop. B-443 grabbed the rifle and stood outside of the pod.
It scanned its sectors with its eyes, and pinpointed the jamming frequencies. Turning its body, detecting the location of the Greywolves. It moved rapidly towards the building as Terran troops stopped and started to aim down at B-443.
“Do not shoot. United Terran Republic.” B-443 stated as he laid down his rifle.
A sniper round flew and hit B-443 in the back as it barely moved it with a metallic tap. It was enough to convince the local area troops as they ducked and took cover.
B-443 knelt down, as it tracked where the round came from. It picked up the rifle that it dropped and aimed down the sights. With its enhanced zoom vision, the sniper was spotted though its scope. Moving the finger from its right hand to find the trigger and squeezes it, sending a two round burst straight to the sniper – as B-443 watched the head and chest disappear from view.
“Sniper is eliminated. No other marksman have been detected.” B-443 stood up as the Terran troops stayed low.
“What the hell are you?” One of them yelled, still a bit untrusting.
“A marvel of technology and science Trooper. I must find the Greywolves.” B-443 started sprinting past their prone positions and started heading towards the signal that it pinged on sensors. Before B-443 reached the building, it spotted 7.
B-443 knelt down, attaching the rifle to its chest. Reaching down to grab and cradle the dead Greywolf in its arms. Lifting up 7, it walked to the hard infrastructure. B-443 got closer as the door burst open and out came 3 and 4, weapons drawn.
“Where is Major Winters?” B-443 asked, as the remaining blood drained from 7’s body onto its armor. “General Mattock sent me.”
Story Time 