The commotion from his sudden struggling attracted the attention of a nearby guard with a tall, sleek metal frame, its eyes glowing a sinister red. The android was carrying a unique firearm. It was secured around his wrist like a palm blast mechanism.
“Target, please remain quiet,” the android said as it prompted its palm blaster toward Vantz’s direction. Vantz stopped, frozen in fear for his life. The android remained motionless, staring at Vantz.
Vantz soon heard the metallic footsteps of more androids coming from the opposite end of the large warehouse. Six more androids emerged, wearing large cloaks, walking through the shadows in a creepy, synchronized motion with only their glowing eyes visible like a sequence from a horror film. Another android stepped out from behind them. It looked like a woman. She appeared to be noticeably more human than the others, especially her face and body shape. She still possessed the same metallic alloy like the others.
The other android models were more male in shape and stature, making it possible for skin grafting. But as they were members of The Sentience, they purposely left that upgrade behind in favor of their more robotic presentation. It was a troubling sign that they were striving to disassociate themselves from the rest of human society.
Vantz’s mind raced faster than lightning. His heart was beating hard enough to crack his sternum. His eyes were wide, unblinking. He envisioned his death at the hands of these androids and he began to scream through the towel tied around his head and mouth once more. The female android stepped forward. As stated before, she was noticeably different in shape and stature than the others. She also possessed an orb sensor on the top of her forehead with mechanical lines that ran vertically down her face. Her lips were full, plush. Her eyes were the most human part of her with long beautiful eyelashes. If androids were his thing, she’d be a beauty. A blue scarf was wrapped around her neck and part of the back of her head frame.
“Calm yourself, Hybrid.” she said.
She spoke with more of a natural human inflection than she did robotic. It was oddly comforting to Vantz. She slowly approached him as he began to tense up. She gently removed the towel from his mouth. He gasped for air.
“What the fuck?” Vantz yelled out. “Why am I here? What is going on?”
“Ransom.”
“Yes, ransom.”
“We were given a target.”
“Yes. Target the son of multimillionaire, Layne Marling,” the androids said in a strange rhythmic pattern.
Vance was worried. “Ransom? That’s what this is about!? Money!? You guys need money, I-I can get you all the money want, just please let me g! I—”
He was abruptly cut off as the lead female android put up her hand, her index finger pointing upward. The sensor above her eyes soon began flashing, as if she had detected something. She turned her head to her followers. They nodded and took off. They were using an internal encrypted communication link to communicate with each other without having to talk aloud. It functioned like a shared consciousness of sorts. The androids took off to the other side of the warehouse where the intruder was.
“Who are you guys?” Vantz asked.
“My name is R.Dash, and we are The Sentience,” the female android stated.
Vantz was confused. Before he could say another word he heard a loud electric shocking noise that echoed through the empty warehouse. The sound of metal bodies dropping indicated the androids were under attack.
It must be the police! Thank god, Vantz said to himself.
His relief was short lived. Out of the shadows behind him emerged ten more androids. They stepped in front of Vantz and formed a blockade, anticipating a conflict with the intruder. Shit! This is fucked! If only I could only break out of these damn cuffs! Vantz thought. More androids appeared out of nowhere as the attack continued. As the fighting got closer to where Vantz was, he slowly began to make out just who the attacker was.
At first, he saw another metallic figure, but with blue glowing eyes, fighting against the other androids. And then a man dressed in all black appeared next to the blue-eyed android, skillfully dispatching one android after the other with the proficiency of a professional assassin. He fought them off with a hi-tech looking sword. He swiftly ducked from one punch, used his defensive momentum and thrusted his strange looking blade into the chest plate of one android. He then struck another android with a powerful back kick, sending it into a group of other androids, causing them to tumble.
He spun around, avoiding a strike from another incoming enemy, and in that time his sword had somehow transformed into a gun. The barrel was aimed at pointblank range. He fired a shock round that sent that android flying backward. Another android caught the man from behind, locking him in a nelson hold while another android landed a powerful punch to his midsection that sent him to the ground. The android then dashed toward his opponent to land the finishing blow.
The man in black had one arm freed from the impact of the fall. He readied his gun and intercepted the airborne android, shooting him in the chest with a shock round before the android could land. He rolled to his left and escaped the grip of the android under him, avoiding the other falling android. As he sprung to his feet, the hood that was covering his face slipped off. Vantz squinted and used his momentum to shove himself forward while still bound to the chair. He struggled to identify the man; there were too many androids in the way.
More androids crowded the man and the blue-eyed android, one after the other. The two intruders were losing ground; the overwhelming number of androids was too great.
