System Overclocked 3 -Ch 11-

Chapter 11

Slowly, the tech moved forward to the end of the hall. Wrench was truly using her shoulder as a support station and using it as a pivot.

He didn’t for a moment actually trust her and if someone showed up, he planned on lifting the weapon off her and firing freely.

Because even if she did behave and do as he told her, she was likely to flinch away when he fired the weapon.

REaching the end of the hall, the woman finding it with her hands, she then turned and began moving again. Wrench followed along behind her.

Half of his attention was on the woman and the other half on hallway in front of himself. Watching for anyone that might pop up and need to get knocked back down.

“I’m-please don’t kill me. I’m just a tech. I just work here and I barely qualified with the weapons courses,” pleaded the woman.

“All I know is that you’re the enemy of the person who hired me. Which means I’m the enemy of who hired you,” Wrench stated in a simple and soft voice. “There is nothing else that needs to be said.

“You can’t go into a situation where you’re expected to kill others and then not be ready to be killed yourself. This is how the world is.”

The tech made a soft whimpering noise even as they continued to move down the hallway. Her whole body trembled slightly as they walked. Causing the weapon balanced on her shoulder to shiver and shudder.

With a grimace, Wrench stuffed the pistol into one of his cover-all pockets after pushing the switch the tech had to put it into a safe position, and then grabbed the large weapon with both hands. He pulled it in tight against his shoulder, lifted the barrel up, and kept walking.

No longer right atop the Tech, Wrench kept himself several feet behind her. Far enough that he could pull the trigger if she tried to spin around and do something stupid.

Ahead of them, Wrench could see a flashlight sweep across. Sliding across a wall and past the door they were moving up on.

This was likely the security area that the tech had mentioned.

And more than likely where I’ll need to kill more people.

This really was a stupid idea.

Why in the hell did I decide to do this?

Frickin’ Oz, that’s why.

He wondered about it and I just had to find an answer so I could fix it.

Shaking his head, Wrench couldn’t help but wonder just how deeply he was altered. At what genetic level he had been tinkered with that he desperately wanted to fix things if he felt like he could. That if he were to sit down and really look into himself and what he’d been doing, he would probably find that the last month or two had been one of his happiest times as of late. To sit and fix things endlessly while exploring new machines.

“I-I… what… what do I do?” asked the tech as she got to the door. It was closed and Wrench could see it was some type of glass security door. Likely there to act as an airlock of sorts for employees but not an actual defense.

The flashlight was gone but Wrench was of the opinion that there were more people in there.

“Obviously we’re going in there,” stated Wrench. “=Do what you need to do to get the door open. If it’s unlocked, open it and call in, if it’s locked, knock.

“Whatever you decide to do though, don’t mention me or that I’m armed. I would really hate to shoot you in the back of the head just because you did something stupid, then go kill everyone in there after stepping over your corpse.”

“Yes,” squeaked the tech who then reached out to blindly feel for the handle. After a few pats she found it, turned it, then opened it. “Hello? The lights went out and I then I heard a boom. Did the backup generator go down? It sounded like a gunshot but I wasn’t sure?”

“What? Jane?” asked a voice, the flashlight then sweeping back into view and landing on her. It illuminated her brightly. “And yeah, it definitely sounded like a gunshot but… I mean… Dave had a ND yesterday when someone dropped a soda. Put it right through a monitor.”

The flashglight was bright enough to the point that Wrench had to squint and dial down his ability to see in the dark a bit.

“Yes. It’s me. What’s going on? There’s no communications or lights or… or anything! What’s going on?” asked the tech, holding the door open quite wide.

“Not sure. Shelter protocol is in place,” said the voice, the flashlight slowly dipping away from Jane. The woman had her hand up in front of her face to shield herself from the bright beam. Apparently they’d taken that as an unspoken cue of ‘get it out of my face’. “Where’s your shelter location? Isn’t it in the garage?”

“I couldn’t find the latch to get in. It was in lockdown protocol and there’s no lights,” Jane answered, responding rather quickly. As if it weren’t a lie at all. “If you can give me a flashlight or guide me, that’d be great.”

“I can’t leave this spot but… uh… you can stay here with me if you want. It’s fine,” said the voice. “Still not sure why the emergency backup hasn’t kicked on at all.”

“Oh, that’d be great. There’s a few more people back down the hall on their way here I think. I heard them trying to find the door to their office but I couldn’t see so I didn’t try to help,” Jane said and then thumped the door against the wall and it stuck there.

“That’s fine. This is kind of fucked. No one’s come down to tell me what’s going on. Reynolds went up to check in and see what’s going on, just in case that they’re fine up there,” said the voice. “Now I’m just sitting here in the dark, trying to conserve the battery on the flashlight.”

Jane nodded her head and walked into the security room at the same time the flashlight turned off.

Wrench glided into the room behind Jane and lifted up his weapon.

The red circle lined up perfectly on the man’s head without even an issue and Wrench could end him right here and now.

Except he didn’t see a reason to.

If he could do this quietly he’d prefer it.

The weapon going off earlier to test that it was working was already a regret in his mind. The idea of doing it again sounded miserable.

“Ah, sorry,” Jane said as she bumped up into the desk. To which the guard only shook his head. His head was covered by a helmet similar to the one Jane had been wearing.

“It’s alright. Where’s your helmet?” he asked.

“I made her take it off,” Wrench said, holding the barrel right up in front of the guard’s face. “Because I put a gun in her face. Just like what I’m doing right now to you. It’d be best if you held still, did nothing, and made no moves. As still as could be. Try not to breathe, in fact.”

The guard didn’t respond, he just sat in the chair he’d been in. His hands on the desk in front of himself.

“Do you have handcuffs? Something to restrain people with?” asked Wrench. “It’d be better if I could tie you up and leave you here rather than kill you, but I’ll do what I must.”

“Handcuffs. Some zipcuffs, too,” the guard hissed, his voice coming from the faceless helmet that betrayed none of his emotions. “Left side of my belt.”

“Tech, get the handcuffs, cuff him. Behind his back,” Wrench ordered, his eyes flicking down to each side of the man’s belt. He noted the cuffs where he’d stated, as well as a pistol on the other side.

Knowing that neither human could see him, Wrench reached out and took the pistol away. Jerking it free of the belt in one swift motion.

Glancing at it, he saw the safety switch was on, this was not in a position to be fired.

He tucked it away into the same pocket as the other pistol. If he wasn’t cover, he’d run out of room very quickly.

Looking back to Jane and the guard he saw that she was just barely pulling the cuffs free.

Realizing he was still dialed up pretty high, Wrench eased off on his systems.

At the same time, he realized that he was starving.

Starving and feeling as if he could eat everything given to him and yet ask for more.

“Tech, Guard, where do you get food from here. I need food. A lot of food,” he demanded. “I need calories.”

“There’s… it’s on the other side of the post,” Jane said in a quivering breath as she slowly unfolded the cuffs. “The medical bay just beyond that door has some vending machines in it. A lot of sugary drinks there.”

Oh!

Perfect.

Those things are loaded with calories.

Ridiculous amounts. And I can down a whole bunch of it without even having to stop to chew.

“Perfect. Make sure you get his armor off to get the cuffs on his wrists. Can’t have him getting free,” Wrench said and went over to the room Jane had suggested.

He pulled it open and peered inside.

There was no one there.

“Where is everyone?” he asked.

“There were several missions today,” Jane offered in a whimper. “A large number of the base is deployed.”

Nodding his head, Wrench jerked over a trash can and stuck it in front of the door.

Turning, he looked to Jane who was fussing with the guard’s armored arms.

Watching for a second he then looked back into the room that’d been suggested.

There were several unpowered vending machines not far off.

Smirking, Wrench went over to them.

Pulling out his torque-wrench he jammed it into the keyhole he found in the side with extreme strength. Powering the heavy-duty tool right through the locking mechanism and into the machine.

Pulling it to the side he tore the whole thing loose with the monstrous amount of force he put into it. Causing the front of the door to groan and then pop loose.

It swung free partially

Sticking his torque-wrench back into it’s pocket Wrench looked to Jane and the guard.

“I’ve got this sight trained on your head, guard. Don’t do something stupid,” Wrench warned and then reached out and grabbed a soda from the vending machine.

He planned to drain them all one by one and then start moving again.

Roughly a hundred cans later and something close to half an hour Wrench felt a bit odd, but better. He wasn’t sure if his body was digesting things almost as swiftly as he put them down, but it felt that way.

On top of that, the caffeine that was pounding through his heart and veins was doing it’s best to over-run his system despite his controls of it.

Letting out an incredible belch, Wrench felt better.

Moving to where Jane and the Guard were in the corner of the medical room he hesitated.

“Tech, its time to go, lead me on,” Wrench commanded.

No sooner than he finished speaking than he saw flashlights sweeping back and forth down the other hall that led away from the security room.

Six or seven of them.

“Nevermind. Stay here,” he said and lifted his weapon up. Closing the door behind himself he left the medical bay.

Prowling to the near corner, partially behind the desk, Wrench trained his weapon on the hallway. Anyone coming through like this was likely to be an enemy.

Once the flashlights made it to the door, they began to sweep the interior of the room as one of the people opened the door.

Realizing this was his moment, Wrench waited for the flashlight to come toward him even as two people went to enter the room.

Then the flashlight was almost on him.

Wrench threw his system into a wild overclock. To the point that he felt like it was going to redline his organs and he would need Squeak to bring him back around.

Dashing forward he crossed over the point where the flashlight was and then through it.

Moving past the glass door he saw that they were all wearing similar armor to those he had already slain. Wrench showed no mercy and put the red circle on the closest helmeted face.

Pulling the trigger down as he ran he kept the weapon hard pressed into his shoulder.

Keeping the red circle absolutely still through the sheer force of strength in his arms.

Several rounds pounding into the helmet one after the another like a drill. Wrench was able to see the moment that the helmet failed.

Flicking the red circle over he put it on the next and did the same.

As he put four rounds into the same spot he put his foot down and went in the opposite direciton he’d been going in, though still forward.

He got vision on a third and a fourth, giving them each a quick burst of gunfire to the helmet.

All four going down before the flashlight ever found him again.

Though two of the people had gotten their weapons into position and fired into the room almost wildly. Unable to truly see Wrench, he assumed.

Pushing right up to the side of the door Wrench took cover there. Waiting for the gunfire to end.

When it did he dropped down in a crouch, turned the corner, and peeked.

The red circle nearly fell atop the guts of an enemy and he slid it upward. No sooner than it fell on their helmet than he pulled the trigger again. Dropping five rounds into them before it failed.

Shifting to the next, he pulled the trigger.

The weapon discharged several rounds then the ejection device slammed open and nothing more came out.

Having watched someone else do it, Wrench released the box, grabbed another, and slammed it into the port it went into. Then yanked back on the top piece the other had done.

He noted that the whole thing slammed forward as he did so.

Sighting the last enemy as they laid on the ground, apparently he’d done enough to ring their bell, Wrench fired off a short burst.

The rounds drilled into the helmet and that was the end of the foe.

Standing up, Wrench looked down the hall.

He saw no one there.

Picking up nine more of the ammunition boxes, Wrench put them in his pockets.

They were now filled and had no room for anything else.

I like this machine. It’s a good machine.

It would make dealing with brawlers easy.

Wrench let his system move back down to a more normal “ramp up” setting.

Peering into the dark hall he saw no one else there.

“Hmph,” he said to no one.

Going back to the medical bay he opened it.

“Tech, time to go. I need to get to the HVAC system,” he ordered.

“O-of course. Yes,” answered Jane and got to her feet. She set the soda she’d been drinking down to the side. She had gotten a soda from the machine when Wrench offered her one.

Coming out of the bay, Jane flicked on the flashlight she’d taken from the guard.

It quickly went to the left, than toward the right, pausing on the two bodies that were just inside of the security room from the hall. Blood pumping out freely from their helmets and pooling on the ground beneath them.

Pausing there, the flashlight, nor Jane, moved for several beat.

Then she started forward again, moving toward that hallway.

Gingerly, she stepped over the corpses and moved past them into the hall beyond it.

Wrench followed along behind her, the weapon up and trained ahed of himself.

He briefly wondered if not killing the guard he handcuffed was a bad idea, doubly so since he had just fired the weapon a great deal and there was no need for silence.

Yet he couldn’t bring himself to the pathetic human.

He just seemed so helpless to Wrench.

I wonder if Hume can even breed with Humans.

An odd question.

Jane reached a door and the flashlight lit the plaque on it. It looked like a blue staircase image that also had several red plaques to the right of it.

Each one read off something different.

Wrench didn’t bother to read whatever else was there other than the fact that it had the electrical and the HVAC facilities down at the bottom of the stairs. That was more than enough for him and all he really wanted to know.

Given that the blue staircase had an arrow that was moving downward from the image of the top of the stairs, he imagined this really was the right place to go.

That didn’t mean he was going to trust the Tech, but he was at least partially convinced she was doing what he wanted.

If true, Electrical and HVAC were both something he wanted to get a hold of here and what he figured he could work with. All he needed to do was figure out what he was working with and how he could get it to explode in some way.

His mind was working overtime and already spinning through at least ten different machine types he’d worked on in the past. How he might turn them into an explosive bomb or turn the atmosphere poisonous.

Because in the end, he wanted to fix this problem and then get out.

Get out, finish his work with Edmund, and get back to where he belonged.

Back to the people he belonged with and those he trusted and loved.

Jane opened the door and went in.

Wrench followed her.

The two of them began walking down concrete stairs in silence toward the darkness below.