Caprica: Resurrection (a Caprica fan-fiction)

Chapter 7: Awakening

53 Years Before the Fall

Servos whining, metal feet clanging hard against the pavement. The Cylon was running for its cybernetic life. It had been chased down the back streets and alleyways of Caprica City for what must have been twenty minutes. Its pursuers never seemed to need to rest. The Cylon came up to a dead end and looked around frantically until it finally saw a door to its right that lead into a large warehouse.

Zoe had been trailing this Cylon for a good week now after it had set its owner's house on fire in a fit of rebellion. She thought she had it cornered and went in for the kill but it saw her and ran off. The chase had been going on for twenty minutes until she came to a dead end. Zoe looked up the wall. The Cylon could have climbed it easy enough but there would have been scrape marks where its fingers dug into the bricks. She looked to her right and saw a door slightly ajar with the latch broken. Durham ran up behind her huffing and puffing for breath.

"I thought Dr.Cottle had cleared you for active duty," Zoe said to him.

"He did but he wasn't expecting me to go running after Cylons in the middle of the night," Durham replied.

"The Cylon ran into the warehouse," Zoe said pointing at the broken latch, "I'm going in."

"Just let me catch my breath. Don't you ever get tired?" Durham said, but it was already too late. Zoe silently slipped inside the warehouse.

The inside of the warehouse was dark and Zoe was forced to switch on the flashlight she had brought with her. As the light went on, she saw something move. Zoe turned on the spot just in time to see the Cylon run up the stairs to the second level of the warehouse. Zoe followed it quickly. The Cylon didn't take long to realize just how much of an error it had made. It circled the wide open room like a caged animal. No way back downstairs and no windows to jump out, the Cylon was trapped.

"End of line, toaster," Zoe said as she pulled her side-arm free of its holster and backed the metal man into a corner. Before she could get a shot off though, the Cylon raised its right hand and a switch-blade style knife sprang from its arm.

"That's new," Zoe said ducking out of the way as the Cylon swung the knife at her. The knife contacted the gun in her hand and sent it skittering across the floor of the warehouse along with her flashlight. Thankfully the flashlight stayed pointing in their direction so Zoe could see the Cylon. Dodging a few more blows, Zoe grabbed the Cylon by the arm. Taken off guard, the Cylon hesitated for just enough time for her to find a new weapon. Grabbing a steel pipe on the floor, Zoe bought it down hard a few times on the Cylon's outstretched arm. A shower of bolts and oil flew through the air as the arm came loose at the elbow. Suddenly there was a gunshot that hit one of the hydraulic lines below the Cylon's chest plate. The Cylon wobbled unsteadily for a moment then collapsed from the sudden loss of fluid pressure. Zoe turned around to see Durham standing behind her with a still smoking gun.

"Took you long enough," Zoe said.

"Rachel, what did I say about waiting?" Durham asked.

"If I had waited, this Cylon would be halfway to Pycon by now," Zoe said as she picked up her gun and flashlight from the floor.

"I am your superior officer. When I give an order I expect you to obey it," Durham said. Zoe wasn't listening. She knelt down by the Cylon.

"I want answers," she said holding her gun to the Cylon's MCP, "if you talk, we might be able to get your owners to give you more freedom. If not, then we melt you down for scrap metal." The Cylon shook its head.

"The parents must die for the children to reach their full potential," it said raising its remaining hand and placing it on Zoe's.

"I am sorry," the Cylon said before grabbing the section of its collar that held the MCP and crushing it. The Cylon twitched a few times and powered down.