Read Online I Am Automaton: A Military Science Fiction Novel by Edward P. Cardillo - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Edward P. Cardillo
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and rank.”
As if in response, the soldier reached out his hand and moaned. It sounded like when a strong breeze is caught by the mouth of a large empty jug. It was not a sound a natural man made with his lungs.
Peter stood up. “This exercise is over, soldier.”
The soldier, ignoring Peter’s declaration, reached out and grappled with Peter again, causing him to drop his Multi-tasker. He heard a crunch as he struggled with the man in the dark. The man must have stepped on it.
“What are you?”
The man only moaned as it opened its mouth. Peter wedged his forearm under its chin as it snapped its jaws at him only inches from his face and clawed at his clothes with his nails.
“Stand down, soldier! That’s a direct order.” He managed to wiggle out of his grip and ran towards what he estimated to be the back of the maze in relative darkness.
The shuffling continued, the moans bearing down on him sending his mind reeling to the brink of madness.
“Let me out! Sergeant Lockwood, this exercise is over!”
He ran frantically through rooms, slamming into walls and clipping his shoulders on sides of doorways, but his adrenaline was pumping and he was feeling no pain.
In his alarm, he must have gotten turned around and ran right into the soldier, who in reaction wrapped his arms around Peter, nearly squeezing the breath out of him.
He was face to face with the soldier, whose white eyes widened. He opened his mouth and hissed loudly at Peter.
“Sergeant…” He struggled, as the man’s grip would not allow him to draw breath, like a boa slowly but surely constricting around its prey. “Get…me…out.”
The man opened its jaws and leaned its head into Peter. Peter closed his eyes and no longer fought blacking out.
Suddenly he was dropped to the floor hard. It was dark, and his vision was blurry. He made out the silhouette of the soldier standing over him, but he did not move.
There was buzzing in Peter’s ears, but as he regained his bearings he began to realize that the buzzing was not coming from within his ears. He stood up rather unsteadily and backed away from the buzzing soldier until his back hit the wall behind him.
Bright lights flashed on, and Peter was able to get a better look at his antagonist. The soldier looked like hell. His face was ragged, the skin pulled tight over his skull like tanned animal skin, and the eyes were severely clouded with cataracts. There was no expression on his face.
Peter heard the tone of digi-locks disengaging, and in a moment, Sergeant Lockwood and Major Lewis stepped into the room.
“What…what is this?” Peter asked to either man, still catching his breath.
Sergeant Lockwood was holding some kind of transmitter. “No worries, Lieutenant Birdsall. He’s quite harmless at the moment.”
“Quite harmless,” Peter parroted acerbically.
Major Lewis put his hand up to Sergeant Lockwood in warning, “Sergeant…”
But he was too late. Peter lunged at Lockwood, punching him square in the jaw with such momentum that they both fell to the ground.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Peter yelled hoarsely into Lockwood’s face, sprinkling it rather generously with spittle.
Major Lewis was pulling Peter off Lockwood. The buzzing soldier just stood there stoically, frozen in time and rather unmoved by the drama.
“Lieutenant Birdsall, stand down.”
Peter backed away from Lockwood, who picked up the transmitter that he had dropped and glared at Peter.
“I can explain everything,” said Major Lewis. “Let’s go to the debriefing room. Sergeant, put the ID away.”
Lockwood nodded and saluted. Major Lewis left the room, and Peter followed giving the now still soldier a last glance on the way out.
He followed Major Lewis into the debriefing room and closed the door behind him rather abruptly. Major Lewis leaned up against the table in the front. “Have a seat, Lieutenant.”
Peter sat. “With all due respect…enough riddles, Major. I want
As if in response, the soldier reached out his hand and moaned. It sounded like when a strong breeze is caught by the mouth of a large empty jug. It was not a sound a natural man made with his lungs.
Peter stood up. “This exercise is over, soldier.”
The soldier, ignoring Peter’s declaration, reached out and grappled with Peter again, causing him to drop his Multi-tasker. He heard a crunch as he struggled with the man in the dark. The man must have stepped on it.
“What are you?”
The man only moaned as it opened its mouth. Peter wedged his forearm under its chin as it snapped its jaws at him only inches from his face and clawed at his clothes with his nails.
“Stand down, soldier! That’s a direct order.” He managed to wiggle out of his grip and ran towards what he estimated to be the back of the maze in relative darkness.
The shuffling continued, the moans bearing down on him sending his mind reeling to the brink of madness.
“Let me out! Sergeant Lockwood, this exercise is over!”
He ran frantically through rooms, slamming into walls and clipping his shoulders on sides of doorways, but his adrenaline was pumping and he was feeling no pain.
In his alarm, he must have gotten turned around and ran right into the soldier, who in reaction wrapped his arms around Peter, nearly squeezing the breath out of him.
He was face to face with the soldier, whose white eyes widened. He opened his mouth and hissed loudly at Peter.
“Sergeant…” He struggled, as the man’s grip would not allow him to draw breath, like a boa slowly but surely constricting around its prey. “Get…me…out.”
The man opened its jaws and leaned its head into Peter. Peter closed his eyes and no longer fought blacking out.
Suddenly he was dropped to the floor hard. It was dark, and his vision was blurry. He made out the silhouette of the soldier standing over him, but he did not move.
There was buzzing in Peter’s ears, but as he regained his bearings he began to realize that the buzzing was not coming from within his ears. He stood up rather unsteadily and backed away from the buzzing soldier until his back hit the wall behind him.
Bright lights flashed on, and Peter was able to get a better look at his antagonist. The soldier looked like hell. His face was ragged, the skin pulled tight over his skull like tanned animal skin, and the eyes were severely clouded with cataracts. There was no expression on his face.
Peter heard the tone of digi-locks disengaging, and in a moment, Sergeant Lockwood and Major Lewis stepped into the room.
“What…what is this?” Peter asked to either man, still catching his breath.
Sergeant Lockwood was holding some kind of transmitter. “No worries, Lieutenant Birdsall. He’s quite harmless at the moment.”
“Quite harmless,” Peter parroted acerbically.
Major Lewis put his hand up to Sergeant Lockwood in warning, “Sergeant…”
But he was too late. Peter lunged at Lockwood, punching him square in the jaw with such momentum that they both fell to the ground.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Peter yelled hoarsely into Lockwood’s face, sprinkling it rather generously with spittle.
Major Lewis was pulling Peter off Lockwood. The buzzing soldier just stood there stoically, frozen in time and rather unmoved by the drama.
“Lieutenant Birdsall, stand down.”
Peter backed away from Lockwood, who picked up the transmitter that he had dropped and glared at Peter.
“I can explain everything,” said Major Lewis. “Let’s go to the debriefing room. Sergeant, put the ID away.”
Lockwood nodded and saluted. Major Lewis left the room, and Peter followed giving the now still soldier a last glance on the way out.
He followed Major Lewis into the debriefing room and closed the door behind him rather abruptly. Major Lewis leaned up against the table in the front. “Have a seat, Lieutenant.”
Peter sat. “With all due respect…enough riddles, Major. I want
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