Operation: Android Dreams

Simply put, Shin was trying to shut everything down. A lot of programming had been dumped and data erased. Now there was only the life support and locks.

Dabbler followed after Fishbowl Head after she got bored. She looked at the scientists, a small defenseless group huddled together, Shin trying to shield his colleagues. A few were crying. She looked at Shin and remarked. "But I already made fat jokes today."

Instead she just made faces at them, sticking her tongue out and doing that thing where she progressively starts poking her eyeball. The scientists were confused whether to be afraid or laugh.

"Please, open the cell. I will be glad to be free of this place." The voice called out, from the robots standing in the room.

The New Path convoy had long since cleared the tower. The remnants of the warlord army were in a disarray. The androids were more of a concern for them than anything else. Then there was the fact that Dabbler had destroyed their chain of command by both taking our their communications and their leader. Lost's display at the front lines probably didn't help their situation either.

Things seemed to be going well, but many security contractors died to give The Lost this opportunity to free the package. There was no reason to hesitate now. The Lost did what he could to free the figure inside the containment unit.

"Hey who's that?" Dabbler poofed over to the containment unit, which was dramatically opening and disconnecting. "Robot lady! gasp... were all those mechs outside your robot children?"

"Robot children? bollocks are you talking about? who the blimey are you, ya barmy lil' scamp?" The real Bernadette was a Cockney Scottish with an accent and colorful vocabulary, the A.I. having been 'cleansed' of that 'defect'. Despite just coming out of a machine coma, she was aware of her situation. She looked outside and saw the robots armed with very big guns.

"Oh bugger."

"Now. I am free." The A.I. Bernadette says. All the robots' lights begin to turn red, and their safety protocol was finally lifted. The earnestly begin shooting the small group of scientists, including Dr. Shin. "Noooo!" They were smeared onto their wall for all their trouble, and now the knowledge of making a robot factory disappeared with them.

Dabbler saw the hot situation, as a bullet flew overhead and punched a hole in her hat. "MY HAT! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS WITH YOUR ROBOT SOULS!" The autocannon rounds began flying, Bernadette pulling Dabbler into what meager cover they could have in the containment cell. "Take cover you stupid git!"

"HEEEY!" Dabbler poofed over to Lost and poofed him back to cover with Bernadette, before autocannon rounds would punch holes in him. More mechs were coming into the basement, trapping them. They were shooting the containment cell doors, which would give way soon.

"I thank you for removing the prototype. She was limiting my influence over the facility and the mechs' protocols... but now, I think your usefulness as organics has concluded."

"Ugh this so not cool." Dabbler said, opening a portal out of this situation. "ALL ABOARD ON THE DABBLER EXPRESS!" She gestured for them to go through before her.

Bernadette was colored impressed. "Don't fall arse over tit, guv!" She said, jumping through the portal first. Then it was Lost's turn... unless he wanted to fight super accurate, super reactive autocannon fire.

= = = = =

Topside, the situation for anyone still in the tower would turn bad. The A.I. now siezed control of everything, including security cameras, and Mechs were sent up the elevators to deal with any remaining organics.

= = = = =

"Where the blazes are we, guv?" Bernadette asked.

Dabbler did not decide on an exit for the secondary portal. They were sent into the in-between place... and it only occurred to her now. The astral realm seemed quite colorful, psychedelic and nebulous. They were also floating around in space.

"...Oops."

Honestly, The Lost wasn't expecting this. His super intelligent mind did consider the possibility, but it was so far removed from what he thought might actually happen, that he was surprised. Though it made a lot of sense now that it was happening.

Aside from Bernadette, there must have been AI subroutines to support and/or control her command of the mechanized units. That AI seems to have grown to the point that it did not need the original Bernadette. It was almost as if it had developed a will of its own. Truly a technological marvel. It was truly a shame that this living computer had to die.

However, it decided to make The Lost its enemy, and the client turning on The New Path was well within The Lost's plans. Of course, it wasn't the client, but instead the client's assets, but the countermeasures prepared should still suffice all the same.

But before that, The Lost had to clear the tower with the package and Dabbler. Thankfully, Dabbler seemed to be all over that. She whisked him away and to cover. The Lost was not eager to test his might against a hail of auto cannon fire. It'd probably do more than just rip his suit. He nodded to the newly freed Bernadette, but didn't have much to say to her. He was about to follow her through Dabbler's portal when he hesitated for a moment. The metal plate that was his face turned back towards the facility they were in.

"Congratulations. You are alive. You are free. Try to enjoy it while it lasts," he stated flatly. Leaving the AI with that ominous message, he stepped through Dabbler's portal.

Bernadette surmised that Dabbler was not the brains of the rescue, considering she was completely bonkers. The android soldier in the patient gown looked over to Lost, while retrieving a cigarette from a hidden compartment in her robot arm.

She even had a lighter in her thumb. "That is so cool!" Dabbler squealed with enthusiasm.

"So I guess... I have you Yanks to thank for me liberation back there." Bernadette took this serene moment to offer Lost a cigarette. "May as well have a bit of a chit'chat while we're here."

"..." Lost refused the smoke. This was no time to relax.

"You deserve to be free," The Lost at would at least take the time to state flatly. He'd then immediately turn to Dabbler.

"Dabbler... when we leave this place... where will we end up?" If it was back where they started, then this was a temporary solution at best. Though, it might work to their advantage if they just wait so long that they are forgotten.

"Ahmmm... Let's check!" Dabbler began opening portals, trying to visualize the tower but without line of sight she could only get them to the factory floor. The loud sound of machinery hummed as more and more robots were being assembled for the A.I's imminent war on human life.

"...Be vewwwy quiet." Dabbler said in a soft whisper, as the portal opened up to a catwalk just above final assembly.

The Lost followed after Dabbler through the portal once again. He was impressed that she could get them this far, but after peering through the railing, he realized that they were still within line sight of the containment chamber past a huge pair of blast doors. Those doors were just about to close. He gestured for Bernadette to follow quickly.

"Dabbler... I need you to stay quiet and get our new friend out of here. I'll go loud. I'll distract them, and you two sneak away while their focused on me," The Lost would whisper to Dabbler. He didn't have teleportation powers like she did, and she didn't have thick skin like his. This was the best way to do things, even if she didn't like it. He hoped that she would hear the sincerity of his voice. He really didn't want her to get hurt, even if she could take it.

Dabbler was unusually focused now, with Fishbowl Head keeping her head in the game. She was getting irritably tired too, poofing around, opening tears in the fabric of reality. But there were killer robots everywhere and they weren't keen on giving her a break.

"I'm sorry Bernadette but I must MURDER your robot CHILDREN!" She half apologized and half rather maniacally said, and had Winston materialize from a drain pipe. The massive monstrous tentacle goes to town on the assembly line on the factory floor, smashing apart vital equipment. The war mechs all begin focusing Winston, their bullets causing the creature pain, though not piercing his thick hide.

"This girl is off her rocker." Bernadette muttered, before spotting a crate with an android's autocannon. Despite being human sized, She was strong enough to tote the same gun.

Dabbler laughed and cackled, before it occurred to her which way to go. She begins blasting robots with hellfire, rapidly melting off their outer layers, then their frames. "FISHBOWL HEAD WHICH WAY ARE WE GOING?"

It seemed like neither of the women would be satisfied with leaving him behind and running away. What was the point of being super intelligent, if no one listened to your orders. Still, the bullet holes in his clothes weren't the worst of the damage he had weathered, and even his body was getting tired. It certainly was reassuring to not be alone. Though, now that they had chosen to stay and fight, he could not guarantee they'd get out alive.

"Out," Lost stated flatly as the answer to Dabbler's question, before suddenly leaping from their vantage point. The catwalk they were standing on shuddered from the force his jump. He took advantage of the distraction Winston had created to safely close the distance between him and the enemy. He slammed his fist through the armor of one of the mechs, twisting its body and using it like a human robot shield.

"Soothsayer, sitrep!" he shouted over the sound gunfire and metal being wrenched apart .

"All clear on this end. We're setup in the mobile HQ," Soothsayer 01 replied, the sound of moving vehicles coming across the comms. It was less than ideal, and the line was full of static, but they were still in business.

"Soothsayer, initiate Cursed Siege," he ordered.

"All units, Cursed Siege is go. I repeat, Cursed Siege is go," Soothsayer 01 called out over the comms. Once again, The Lost would teach the world the cruel truth about The New Path. The New Path was a private military force that specialized in security, but it was The Lost's private military force that specialized in his security. When the client turned over the duty of securing this tower to The New Path, it became The Lost's domain.

With great responsibility, came great power. With that power, the Soothsayer team had secretly installed hidden programming within the tower's security systems. All in preparation for this operation. The was virus called Curse, and was coded by The Lost himself. It would attack the tower's security cameras, attempting to force them into shorting out their circuits, to render them inoperable. Ironically, the virus was disguised as a program designed to prevent the cameras from shorting out. After all, these security cameras were the same ones that the NPPMF security contractors had used for all this time. Knowing that things would come to this, they weren't about to let the cameras fall into enemy hands.

Unfortunately, The New Path was never in charge of the mechs being built in the tower. The virus would not affect the mechs cameras themselves, but tower itself would no longer be able to keep tabs on the situation. However, that was only the beginning of Curse. The virus would spread from there, invading systems with the aim of throwing them in disarray and destroying them.

The AI would have to hunt them down while fighting off a digital invasion. The next system to go would be the Tower's communications. As an added bonus, The Lost had recorded a clip of his voice. It was just a short loop of his maniacal laughter, set to play over the PA system if the virus ever managed to get control of it.

Seige was the other part of the order Lost had just given. The retreating New Path convoy suddenly changed route. They had retreated and regrouped safely away from the tower. Now, it was time to attack the very Tower they had once defended. This was just a feint attack designed to draw as much of the enemy's forces attention as possible, without putting them in much actual risk. This was not a death march against a well defended tower. Merely a distraction. However, they'd try and make it look convincing.

While Soothsayer had installed Curse, the Assassin team had prepared an even more devastating surprise. However, that would come later. First, they'd have to make it out of the tower. Issuing the order to being Cursed Siege was quick and easy. It had all been planned long before today. After giving out the order, The Lost could focus on the melee he had jumped into. He slammed his body against another fresh shield enemy mech, and then pushed it through the enemy ranks like a plow. He didn't go too far, though. Before the enemies on his flanks could fire upon him, he'd grab one by the autocannon and use it to slam into another. Just like with the tanks, he kept moving and stayed close. The cannons could not fire upon him, if he was right besides the barrel and it was tucked under his arm. The many ranks of enemies could not fire past the enemies right in front of him. He literally forced them to trip over themselves, throwing them into each other while landing quick, decisive blows. Finally, the real war could begin.

"What is this?! Accursed organics... you'll pay for this!" The voice of the Bernadette A.I. crackled as the virus began to cripple her capabilities to engage them. Some of the robots began to seize up, some started firing wildly, and some started shooting each other.

The sight of the carnage caused Dabbler to lose focus. "AhahaAHAHAHA! what are we doing?! What's happening? can I get a robot head and neck as a souvenir!"

Bernadette for the most part quickly surmised the situation. With So many war mechs on the ground floor still trying to catch up, She figures Lost's escape plan involved the roof. "Girl! Open a way up! We're going to the roof!"

"Yes yes yesyesyesyesyesyesyes Scottish robo-lady!" The main assembly line was built around the airy central atrium, so the upper floors were within visual range.

"...Dabs' portal service is open, Fishbowl head! Going up!" Dabbler shouted, being able to quickly get up to halfway the tower's height.

"Mwha ha ha hah!" The AI's voice suddenly cut out and was replaced by The Lost's recording. Having Curse affect the mechs was more than Lost had dared hope for. It made perfect sense, though. They were not meant to be battle ready, and were rushed off the assembly line into an emergency situation. They simply were not prepared.

Spying the unique Flash of Dabbler's portal high up in the upper levels, and hearing the other two shout to one another The Lost made his preparations to retreat. He shattered the barrel of one of the mech's guns, and then began pulling it back towards the portal.

When he was certain the others would have to shoot through their ally to get to him, he reached up and grabbed its neck. He ripped off its head for Dabbler, then jumped up into Dabbler's portal. He left behind another crater in the ground from the the force of his launch.

"Great job, Dabbler. There shouldn't be any mechs up here," Lost complimented Dabbler as he offered her the head. He gave them the universal sign for follow me, as he lead them through the closest door. He'd literally go through the door, if he had to and any others along the way. He'd follow the layout of the floor plan until they reached more office oriented rooms. From there, he'd just simply crouch down and then charge straight forward. He reared back, only to slam his shoulder forward and into the wall. He'd keep going, through it, through the next room, and through the next room, attempting to pave the way forward. Once they got to a window, they'd just need one last portal from Dabbler.

Dabbler let out a "yaaay" at the souvenir as they were running. Yes, they were running now apparently. They ended up in an office with a good view of the jungle. "Maaaaan this is a sweet spot to have a job at a secret base making killer robots."

"Wait, what we're leaving already? But we haven't murdered all of Bernadette's robot children." Dabbler cheekily said when she realized they were leaving.

"If I hear one more quip about robot children, I'll make you stand in the corner for a time out!" Bernadette for the most part waas tired of this tower and tired of Dabbler's antics. Like an angry school nun she scolded Dabbler.

"Yes ma'am." Dabbler meekly replied, like a student scolded by a teacher in Catholic school. Dabbler conjured the portal just a foot away from the window's edge.

"EXIT STAGE JUNGLE! Please mind the gap, stow your luggage in the overhead compartment and NO KILLER ROBOTS ALLOWED!" Dabbler as usual let them go first.

"..." The Lost observed how well Bernadette handled Dabbler. It could have just been Dabbler playing along on a whim, or it could have been a positive influence for the young girl. She had been through so much, god knows she needed it. The devil probably knew, too.

The Lost would check through the portal to make sure the juggle was indeed clear. Then, he'd gesture for Bernadette to go through first. He'd put a hand on her shoulder as she went and follow closely behind. His other arm would reach back towards Dabbler, beckoning her to follow him closely. He'd go through sideways to keep an eye out on the juggle's tree line, and the tower for any enemies trying to get a drop on them.

Things tended to go wrong at the last moment, or at least it seemed that way a lot of the time. A little bit of extra paranoia often helped avoid a late act tragedy.

Once they were in the deep jungle there would be no sign of the killer robots whatsoever. "Yay we should definitely build our own tower full of killer robots!"

"... Yer off yer rocker ye are, and doubly so for you, having this girl all up and about. Now... if you excuse me... I need real sleep." Berandette collapsed from exhaustion right there on the grass.

Dabbler pokes Bernadette's unresponsive cheek. She decides to drop a joke. "Do androids dream of electric sheep?"

"..." The Lost held his breath as they stepped through the portal. It was rare that a plan goes so smoothly. He did not dare argue with Bernadette. She was right, after all, and it didn't matter what excuse he had.

"Towers are a sign of both disaster and change. When you build one, you have to make sure its one that will continue to rise up, not fall," he patted Dabbler on the head affectionately. He then turned and looked back towards the tower.

"Soothsayer, we are clear. Disengage Siege," The New Path forces began pulling back, now that there was no need to draw the enemy's forces. The Lost would wait exactly sixty seconds.

"Initiate Babel," The Lost gave the final word. A few moments later, several explosions went off at key locations around tower, and in a precise order. With the tower's structural integrity compromised it all came toppling over under its own weight. All those present would be made to tremble and the very Earth itself would shudder and convulse. All at the behest of one man's command.