Robots Never Dream

A Man and His Dog

S-1 was an original construct. One of two original prototypes that were built prior to the Fall of Man by the Scientists involved in Project Hollow Earth. It housed the very first Darwin II CPU model. S-1 looked exactly like the other S Series Mechs, the only difference was that S-1 was built with human hands. Some now would argue, however, that this was to be the biggest difference in the end.

S-1 and C-1 had been shut down since before Mankind's demise. Stuck in a state of deep sleep, they awoke for the first time almost exactly 200 years after the start of the new era. Of course, as programmed, they began scanning the environment for life and resources, and thus was the beginning of the Mechanized Civilization.

S-1 was approaching the ruins of a run-down, forgotten old church. Half buried in the blowing sand all that could be seen of it was a round stained glass window and the remnants of a stone cross that still perched on the roof peak of the bell tower. Even as buried as the church was the peek of the roof was still a good 75 ft up, meaning this church once stood proud and tall at around 150 ft, from bell to front step.

Of course, none of this meant anything to S-1, who had neither the capacity nor the desire to comprehend art and beauty and the wear and tear of times passage. To it, this was just another building covered in dust and a forgotten human tongue.

Its long-range scanners had picked up readings that indicated a large gold source in the area so it set out the afternoon prior to investigating. The average S Series could travel at 120 mph while hovering over smooth land and water, and in the last day, S-1 had covered exactly 2,179 miles.

A sign on the front of the church read “San Agustin Huitzizilapán”. S-1 scanned the lettering and ran it thru its language database. A match was returned immediately. It was Spanish.

S-1 scanned the area around the building further. There were no present signs of danger. No abnormal life sign readings and no indication that proceeding would be detrimental to its safety and the success of its mission. So it moved forward towards the half-buried church.

S-1's topography map and location sensors were telling S-1 that it was in the northern foothills of the Sierra Madre Del Sur Mountains. Right in between two of Mexico's greatest cities, Toluca and Mexico City itself.

In the last 80 years, S-1 and its kind had depleted all known sources of gold, which was an important commodity to have when it came to electronics. So they recently resorted to scanning in mass the entire globe for new viable sources that were large enough to not upset the natural conductivity of the Earth's overall state. The reading that S-1 received the day prior indicated that there was such a deposit beneath the surface it now hovered above.

It approached the buried church, allowing its Cautionary System to take control. Weapons were at the ready, two front-shoulder mounted, laser-guided turrets that fired a high-intensity particle beam. The church was all but a skeleton of its former self, which wasn't much. The only reason it was still standing was because the walls were built of concrete. The roof was 90% caved in except for around the base of the bell tower, and the stained glass window still set in the front wall made a colorful pattern on the sand as the sunlight shone through it.

S-1 was in hover mode and slid silently around to the back of the building to get a complete image scan. Once his scanning was done it uploaded the images and formed them into a schematic diagram, then sent them back to C-1 for analysis. A reply was sent within seconds and a command was given to enter the structure.

So, S-1, too large to enter by any conventional means, not to mention the doors were all buried, jetted up and over the open roof, and set itself down inside the sand-filled church.

Light shone in from the outside desert, brightening the room so there was no need for low light vision, and there were no signs of danger.

S-1 activated its Resource Sensors and scanned the immediate area. Nothing showed up on its monitor. S-1 scanned again, and again no signs of the gold deposit were identified. It followed standard protocol and scanned three more times. Each time bore the same results. No signs of gold, or anything for that matter. Nothing but sand.

Suddenly, S-1's screen flashed with a red haze, indicating that danger was present. It did a perimeter check and came back with 5 lifeforms, each of them registering as bipedal creatures, giving off heat signatures that matched those of a local band of Dustmen.

Dustmen were descendants of nomadic tribes that lived on the surface during the fallout and, as a result, were mutated over the generations into savage humanoids with elongated features and burnt, cracked skin that shed constantly. They were all over the planet and had become the Robots' largest threat since their existence.

With support, these creatures were no match for the Mechanized. Even in a 5-to-1 match, there was a 97.5% chance that S-1 would manage to subdue its captors without terminating their lives, and wouldn't be damaged at all. S-1, with its fully functional algorithmic thinking sequences, decided that it was a risk worth taking and prepared for the conflict.

Outside the church, through a satellite image that was now being sent from its HQ in NYC, S-1 could see the approaching Dustmen. They were coming from the east, the direction that S-1 had come from. This led the Mechs CPU to the quickly computed conclusion that they had been tracking it for an unknown amount of time. Dustmen were not fast, top speed of maybe 20-25 mph, which meant they had vehicles nearby somewhere. If they were in possession of transportation tech, the odds of them being in possession of ballistics weapons increased 10 fold.

The first three approached the front of the church where the stained glass window was, while the other two round each side to the rear of the skeletal structure and began climbing towards the top using crude ropes and grappling attachments. The front three spread out abreast and began searching the wall for a point of entry.

A report came back from HQ/NYC with the details of the weaponry these Dustmen were carrying. It was nothing too concerning. Only a Fragment Grenade, a 15-round G19 9mm handgun with only 5 in the clip and one in the chamber, and an AK-74 7.62 caliber assault rifle, with 25 rounds in the clip and one in the chamber. Each of the two armed creatures had their weapons drawn as they searched the walls in the blazing sun. After a few seconds, they found an adequate spot and slowly backed away until they were at a safe enough distance to breach.

S-1 watched through satellite imagery as they signaled the two on the rooftop and then withdrew a small hand grenade from a pouch and lobbed it at the church wall. S-1 had already calculated the blast and it was in no danger so long as it stayed still.

There was a metal thud followed by a very large bang as shrapnel and pumice exploded into chaos. A cloud of concrete dust filled the air and made it impossible to see for just a split second. It was in that split second that S-1 took its opportunity.

The Mech activated its legs and dug into the sand with a crouch, its hind legs acting like powerful springs as they soaked up the potential energy. S-1 knew that the Dustmen had great vision in such conditions, and they would be advancing with almost 100% probability. It was right.

Three large figures, arms long and legs longer, began to emerge through the cloud of gray dust. One held a rifle, the other a pistol and the one lagging behind had no visible weaponry. S-1 waited until their eyes looked its way, which was almost instantly, and then released the energy it had stored in its hind legs.

As a result, the Mech launched forward with such speed and momentum that the contact it made with the first two Dustmen was brutally fatal. One of them moved to intercept but was no match for the raw power behind the Mech's thrust forward and as a result was ripped in half by the sheer force, its body flung to the side like a crunchy autumn leaf.

The other creature on the left tried to get out of the way, possibly sensing the danger that this strange metallic beast possessed, but it was already too late. S-1's left side tore into the cracked skin and bone and the Dustman's left arm and torso were ripped off in a sick display of rust-colored blood and tearing flesh.

Only seconds after its death blows to the other two Dustmen, the Mech landed from its deadly leap, barely breaking speed as it galloped once, then twice, and leaped again at its new opponent. This time the creature was ready tho and stepped aside with uncanny quickness and skill. S-1 landed without a problem, turned around, and crouched on its hind legs again, readying the same attack.

A strange facial expression came across the creature's face as its mouth curled upward at the corners. With an open mouth, it tilted its hairless, pale head toward the sky and let out a howl. S-1 scanned its database for any information on this odd behavior but didn't have the time to analyze the results because the Dustman began to charge, still no visible weapons in either hand.

S-1 was programmed to take serious threats such as this with no quarter. He had no sense of mortality, but self-preservation was something that he was programmed with, and it kicked in now.

The Mech released its stored energy again and launched forward toward its charging opponent. The two met in a clash of titanium, flesh, and bone. This opponent was much more resilient than the two before it. S-1 intended to slam into and subsequently through the chest of the creature but was stopped just short as the Dustman caught the nose of the Mech's hull like the tip of a football and stepped aside again, only this time it used its momentum to fling S-1 towards the opening in the church wall.

S-1 was sent tumbling through the air and landed with a hollow thud on the sand inside the church. It was just a toss, and the Mech quickly recovered, its sensors set on the Dustman as it stepped in through the rubble. The Mech realized quickly that this was not a normal Dustman. Threat level indicated a much stronger opponent with an intelligence rating of above average.

S-1 activated its left shoulder laser and tried to fire but something was wrong. It ran a diagnostics check and found out that it had been damaged 37 seconds prior in its clash with the other two Dustmen. It fired the right laser and received the same results...

The creature let out a loud roar and made a move toward the Mech. S-1 retracted its four legs and remained perfectly still, allowing the creature to execute whatever attack it intended... The creature charged right up with a fist clasped and raised above its head. It brought them down with great strength and smashed upon the hull. To its shocking dismay, however, S-1 activated the electrical current shield that all S series Mechs were outfitted with and its fist became fixed to the metal as it delivered 10,000 volts of hot electrical current, instantly frying the creature's brittle skin. After a few seconds, the sparks ignited the Dustman's fists into a burst of blue flames, yet the creature was unable to break the hold that the current had, and so stood convulsing until it choked on its own tongue. S-1 felt the body go limp and cut the current, leaving the Dustman's carcass to hit the sand floor with an enormous thud.

Just then there was a swooshing sound from above. S-1 moved but it was too late. The Mech was shrouded in a bolo net large enough to cover its entire body. It was fixed with weights that slowed s-1's speed down to almost nothing.

The Mech managed to hover itself slowly out into the open, through the hole in the wall, and out of the cramped church. Suddenly, a shot was fired from behind S-1 and it struck the left rear of the Mech's chassis, knocking out its hover and forcing it to extend its four legs.

Robots don't panic, but S-1's systems were in a chaotic state, to say the least. The Mech thought with split-second decision-making skills and realized that it had to retreat, but the net was making it near impossible to maneuver and the four legs were not very effective in the sand. It saw the two creatures climbing down off the rooftop as it scanned scenario after scenario through its CPU, but nothing it could devise had the probability rate that ensured safety.

Suddenly, another life form appeared from the shadows and ran along the top of the wall to where the Dustmen made their descent. With a glint of steel and two fluid motions, the mysterious figure cut the ropes they were using to climb down and S-1 watched as they each plummeted a good forty feet to the sand dune below. One let out a howl of pain as the distinct c***k of bone pierced the afternoon air. The other seemed to be only slightly ruffled and stood, but no sooner did the figure jump from where it was perched and landed on the remaining assailant with a silence that would've sent shivers down S-1's spine. If it had the ability to shiver, that was...

The afternoon was quiet once again save for the slight sound of an invisible breeze kicking sand up between the still netted S-1 Mech and the mysterious figure. S-1 tried running its life scanners and found that his scanning and locations system was offline... Protocol demanded that it contact HQ/NYC, but that failed also. The figure was still crouched across the way, just staring toward S-1 with intensity. It was too far away to make out anything other than the fact that it was humanoid and much smaller than the Dustmen.

S-1 ran a diagnostics check on itself that took 30 seconds and the damage report was extensive. Weapon systems were offline other than its shock attack which had used up almost 50% of its remaining power. This put it at 37% overall power. No bots relied on fossil fuels, they were all mechanically driven by non-combustion techniques, two of which were electromagnetism and solar power. The S-1 still needed a solid 3 threat free hours to recharge enough to make it back to HQ/NYC, though, and it didn't look like it was going to get a nap anytime soon.

The figure stood from its crouched position and looked up at the glaring sun, then back toward the Mech. It reached to its waist and gripped something, raised its arm into the air, then backward, and with a sudden whip forward flung its arm in S-1's direction. Whatever it was landed in front of the Mech with an almost silent thump and before S-1 had time to react, it burst into an array of lightning bolts that stretched out and enveloped the Mech in a blanket of sensor-numbing electricity.

S-1 tried to fight it, to shake off the net and break free of the grip this new device now held on it, but his efforts were all in vain and soon the world around it began to slip quickly from its view. Darkness crept in, accompanied by a quick and uneasy feeling, and, for the first time, S-1 felt fear. It didn't know what it was, but the emotion was there nonetheless.

The last image that S-1 had was the mysterious figure from across the dune. In a hazy blur, it struggled to focus its optic lens enough to run a scan of the life form, and its final attempt was successful. The only thing that flashed across its screen just before it lost “consciousness” was “HUMAN”... then everything went dark.