G.I. Joe: Doomsday Protocol

Chapter 6: Unlikely Penpals

Even damaged the B.A.T. was fast. It began covering the distance as soon as the bullets entered the air, returning fire with its embedded handgun. Shooter spun behind cover as soon as she saw the android raise its arm. Sparks lit up the room as bullets poked holes into the servers.

Firewall's shuffle behind the rack to the B.A.T.s left was too noisy, bringing the android's heavy footfalls her way. She began running down the aisle, the server racks forcing her down a direct path, allowing the B.A.T. to have a direct line of sight on her. Right as the B.A.T. was about to fire Shooter surprised it by slipping around a corner and popping off several bursts with her handgun, hitting it in the chest.

The impact unbalanced the B.A.T. just slightly, just enough to keep it from hitting Firewall. Then Shooter dove for cover as the B.A.T. turned back on her, unloading.

Almost as if frustrated, the B.A.T. stormed over to Shooter's last location. But as it turned the corner, Shooter was gone, using the maze of the server room to her advantage. Unfortunately for her, B.A.T.s could read heat signatures.

The thinking machine patiently watched Shooter move to cover, putting several servers and empty rows between the two. Shooter stopped - her back to a rack - keeping her breathing minimal as she listened for the B.A.T. It was on the move, slowly hunting. She knew if it found her, she would have nowhere to go; to her left was the only direction the B.A.T. could approach from, and immediately to her right was a cracked window leading to the outside and a twenty-story fall.

The B.A.T. stopped, and leaned forward, perfectly lining Shooter's right shoulder in its sights between the openings; between the rows; between the stacks of servers.

It fired its two remaining bullets.

Shooter let out a brief scream as the two bullets ripped clean through her shoulder, one lodging into a server several feet away.

Shooter fell to her chest, using her good left arm to push her to her feet and get her moving before the B.A.T. could come in for the kill. She knew the bullets hadn't hit any bone, but her deltoid muscle was Swiss cheese. Fortunately, she could still hold and fire her rifle, and hopefully, that would be enough. She stumbled backward as the racks of servers started tipping forward, domino-ing toward her. The B.A.T. had intended on crushing her, making the hunt easier when dealing with a trapped prey.

Shooter threw her back against the cracked window, hoping it would hold up, hoping she was thin enough for the falling rack just to miss her. It did. The room vibrated as the racks all slammed into one another and eventually the floor.

Shooter stood there, pressed against the window as she looked at the B.A.T., no longer anything separating the two of them but a short distance. Shooter raised her sniper rifle to fire. The window behind her finally gave way. Her arms spread to the side, fumbling for anything to grab, to stop her inevitable fall. But the window frames were too large, out of reach in either direction. Shooter went backward through the breaking window, silently falling from sight, the wind from outside rushing in to replace her absence.

"SHOOTER!" Firewall watched in horror as she showed up before the elevator doors, unloading her rifle on the B.A.T.'s defenseless back. She was too scared to aim straight, so she opted for the widest part of the Battle Android's body. Even then, her accuracy was still off.

The B.A.T. didn't move, just kept its back to Firewall as she quickly approached, firing. She had little effect on the mechanical foe other than chipping away small, inconsequential, parts of it.

CLICK! Firewall's rifle ran out of ammo once she was only a couple of feet from the B.A.T. It spun around, its embedded gun now replaced with its combat knife. The blade hit Firewall's left forearm, cutting it deep enough to cause her to drop her rifle. She reeled backward, stifling her pain-filled scream and fearful of another swipe. She fell to her back, landing right next to the tablet she had left on the floor.

The B.A.T. slowly approached, standing over her, raising its wrist embedded bayonet up and back, ready for a killing stroke.

Firewall looked at her tablet sitting next to her. She saw that the server had reached out again; several seconds ago. She remembered hearing it, just before they fired on the B.A.T., just as the B.A.T. exited the elevator, but before the B.A.T. began trying to kill her and Shooter.

Just before all of that, the server said, "Are you here?"

Here. The word ran through Firewall's head a million times in the split second she was thinking about it. Hereherehereherehere. Why here? Why not there? Why not, are you there? Then something clicked in Firewall's brain. She grabbed the tablet and began typing. I'm right here.

The B.A.T. jerked to a sudden stop, its bayonet slowly lowering to its side.

The silence held for a few seconds. Then Firewall's tablet came alive again with an audible reply. -- Are you Firewall?

The B.A.T. She realized it was the B.A.T. - not the server - she had been talking to before she came to the island. It was the B.A.T. that was reaching out for contact with someone. I am Firewall, she typed. Are you who I have been talking to?

-- Yes. Its audible reply emitted from Firewall's tablet.

"Yes, huh?" Firewall mumbled to herself as she typed, I have been looking for you.

-- I have been here.

But why, Firewall thought. So she typed, Why are you here?

-- This is where I am supposed to be.

She wasn't getting very far. How long have you been here? She typed.

-- Always.

Be specific.

-- 7889531.49 minutes.

She quickly did the math. A little over fifteen years. "I'm not getting anywhere," she said aloud. "Gotta phrase the questions differently. Okay, it's a soldier, and every soldier has a purpose. But it's a robot, and I've seen enough movies to know every robot has..." What are your directives? she typed.

-- There are two.

It worked.

-- Protect Cobra Island. Spread father's word.

Yes, its father. Firewall had almost forgotten. Is your father here? She typed.

-- He is here.

On Cobra Island?

-- On Cobra Island.

Firewall then realized she might be able to stop this insane B.A.T. before it killed more Joes. Can you take me to him?

-- .......

It wasn't biting. She assumed it didn't trust her. I am not a threat to your father, she typed.

-- Incorrect. Only Battle Android Troopers are not a threat to father.

That didn't work. Firewall needed to find a way to connect with the B.A.T. A way to connect using its Prime Directives against it. She had it. She began typing again. I would like to spread father's word.

The B.A.T. seemed to shut down, not sure how to respond.

Firewall feared she had made the B.A.T. mad. Or maybe she confused it. To be safe, she couldn't let up. Will you take me to meet father so that I can spread his word? she typed, not waiting for the B.A.T. to reply to her last statement.

There was silence from the B.A.T., yet again. It was calculating something. Trying to reason things out as much as a giant, sophisticated, yet heavily outdated computer could. Then -- I can take you.

Firewall took one long look at the window Shooter disappeared through. Shooter had died saving her but she couldn't do a thing to protect Shooter. Firewall's eyes began to tear-up as her face went flush with anger. At that moment she knew that she was going to destroy the B.A.T. For Shooter.