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Book: The Pandora Chronicles - Book 1 (A Scifi Adventure Thriller) by Ryan Attard
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Authors: Ryan Attard
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the inside of the breastplate at an angle which sent it flying the other way, ricocheting inside the automaton’s ribcage. The bullet tore through tubes of liquid until it embedded itself into a little piece of machinery which, like a heart, pumped some sort of liquid into the automaton.
Smoke billowed from the automaton’s chest as it crumpled and fell, motionless.
There was stunned silence, and a few crew members let out a sigh of relief. The automaton had almost reached them, ready to inflict upon them the same punishment it had on the first mate and quartermaster. Finally, the threat was gone.
The disembodied voice resounded once again.
“Evolution Protocol initiated.”
From his position, Finnegan saw five chambers hidden at the opposite end of the room, and embedded into the cavern walls, suddenly light up. Whirring and mechanical thumping echoed like distant war drums and a blast of cool air exploded outwards as the chamber doors opened.
From behind the hovering orb, Finnegan saw five pairs of automaton eyes light up all together, and stare directly at him.
Chapter 11
Insanity erupted as five new automatons came to life, slowly advancing towards the crew. Outnumbered nearly two to one, the automatons still attacked, waving their metallic arms like scythes. These new ones were more robust than the first and bore metallic plates on their limbs as well. Their movements were more fluid, and they seemed to manipulate the battle ground with relative ease.
They have learned , Finnegan realized. These machines are capable for knowledge .
But their weakness should remain all the same.
The pirates now knew to pierce their hearts, wedging their swords and pistols in between their exposed ribs to reach the delicate wiring beneath. Finnegan saw one pirate stab home, but as smoke and buzzing shook the automaton, the pirate screamed in pain. Moments later vast amounts of electricity passed through the poor sailor, killing him instantly.
“The orb,” Tier screamed as she ducked beneath a bludgeoning blow from another automaton. “Shoot the orb. Dislodge it.”
No man was in a position to do so, save Father Rodriguez.
Finnegan placed his pistol on the floor and slid it towards the priest’s direction. It bumped against Rodriguez, who was now on his knees with a rosary and the red book in his hands. He mumbled like a mad man, and Finnegan realized that he had reached his limit, with his faith broken, and his mind consumed.
“Shoot it,” Finnegan roared over the commotion of battle.
His voice reached the priest, who turned to look at Finnegan and slowly took the gun with shaking hands.
“You are a man of God,” Finnegan continued. “Do not let anything else corrupt your mind.”
Rodriguez’s eyes flashed with newfound courage. He took aim and shot the hovering orb.
The lead bullet flew straight and true, towards its target.
Suddenly it bent off course, encircling the orb without hitting it, and was spat back with twice its original force, right into the priest’s skull.
There was a moment of stunned silence as Rodriguez fell dead. The surviving crew members fled from the automatons in sheer panic. There were only two metal men left, but the crew had been reduced to a scant number, and all of them had given up hope that they could ever win this battle.
A hissing sound came from the chambers that housed the automatons, and two more emerged. The crew screamed and cursed the Devil. Some ran into the wall of lightning, preferring a quick death rather than be mutilated by the sinister metal abominations. Two of them turned their flintlocks on themselves in a fit of suicidal despair.
“We are doomed,” Tier mumbled.
Blood gushed from her nose as she stumbled and dropped her cutlass. The toll of using her powers was getting too much for her.
Finnegan stepped in front of her and picked up her discarded weapon. He refused to give up. There had to be a way to survive—that lesson
Smoke billowed from the automaton’s chest as it crumpled and fell, motionless.
There was stunned silence, and a few crew members let out a sigh of relief. The automaton had almost reached them, ready to inflict upon them the same punishment it had on the first mate and quartermaster. Finally, the threat was gone.
The disembodied voice resounded once again.
“Evolution Protocol initiated.”
From his position, Finnegan saw five chambers hidden at the opposite end of the room, and embedded into the cavern walls, suddenly light up. Whirring and mechanical thumping echoed like distant war drums and a blast of cool air exploded outwards as the chamber doors opened.
From behind the hovering orb, Finnegan saw five pairs of automaton eyes light up all together, and stare directly at him.
Chapter 11
Insanity erupted as five new automatons came to life, slowly advancing towards the crew. Outnumbered nearly two to one, the automatons still attacked, waving their metallic arms like scythes. These new ones were more robust than the first and bore metallic plates on their limbs as well. Their movements were more fluid, and they seemed to manipulate the battle ground with relative ease.
They have learned , Finnegan realized. These machines are capable for knowledge .
But their weakness should remain all the same.
The pirates now knew to pierce their hearts, wedging their swords and pistols in between their exposed ribs to reach the delicate wiring beneath. Finnegan saw one pirate stab home, but as smoke and buzzing shook the automaton, the pirate screamed in pain. Moments later vast amounts of electricity passed through the poor sailor, killing him instantly.
“The orb,” Tier screamed as she ducked beneath a bludgeoning blow from another automaton. “Shoot the orb. Dislodge it.”
No man was in a position to do so, save Father Rodriguez.
Finnegan placed his pistol on the floor and slid it towards the priest’s direction. It bumped against Rodriguez, who was now on his knees with a rosary and the red book in his hands. He mumbled like a mad man, and Finnegan realized that he had reached his limit, with his faith broken, and his mind consumed.
“Shoot it,” Finnegan roared over the commotion of battle.
His voice reached the priest, who turned to look at Finnegan and slowly took the gun with shaking hands.
“You are a man of God,” Finnegan continued. “Do not let anything else corrupt your mind.”
Rodriguez’s eyes flashed with newfound courage. He took aim and shot the hovering orb.
The lead bullet flew straight and true, towards its target.
Suddenly it bent off course, encircling the orb without hitting it, and was spat back with twice its original force, right into the priest’s skull.
There was a moment of stunned silence as Rodriguez fell dead. The surviving crew members fled from the automatons in sheer panic. There were only two metal men left, but the crew had been reduced to a scant number, and all of them had given up hope that they could ever win this battle.
A hissing sound came from the chambers that housed the automatons, and two more emerged. The crew screamed and cursed the Devil. Some ran into the wall of lightning, preferring a quick death rather than be mutilated by the sinister metal abominations. Two of them turned their flintlocks on themselves in a fit of suicidal despair.
“We are doomed,” Tier mumbled.
Blood gushed from her nose as she stumbled and dropped her cutlass. The toll of using her powers was getting too much for her.
Finnegan stepped in front of her and picked up her discarded weapon. He refused to give up. There had to be a way to survive—that lesson
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