Cynophobia

☠₂☠

"You think the other two Cynoids did this?" Leader asked.

I nodded, showing him the mauled Cynoid's scruff. "It takes you about two chops before you can get all of the wires. This it just one clean cut, it looks about the size of the Cynoid's fangs."

"But, I thought they were all one program. They can alert each other if another pack needs help, like one brain with lots of bodies," Rose said.

"I thought so too, at first. But why would you attack yourself? I think that they are individually programmed, but they just send signals if they need help," I said.

Ray ran a hand through his brown hair. "See, scouting this area wasn't a waste of time. We learned something new."

"Maybe we can emp them if we get into a fight, block out their signals. We might be able to take them out one pack at a time," I said eagerly.

Leader looked skeptical. He bent down and touched the cut on the Cynoid's neck then said, "We won't need to fight them, we just need to run. It's useful knowledge, but don't make any ideas. Once we get to the hangar, we are getting out of here."

"But, we have a chance to save everyone," Rose said with a frown. "Don't you want to take back the United States?"

Cairo narrowed his eyes and stood up. "If you three want to stay here and run around with the Cynoids throwing electromagnetic pulses, be my guests. This is a new world, even if we do manage to kill all of the Cynoids, we will have to fight ourselves. I can guarantee you that we will have a corrupt government if this even ends. No one is going to support Congress after they just got on their fancy private planes and tried to escape, leaving everyone else here to die."

I sighed, knowing that Leader was right. Physical wounds would heal, but the mental ones are harder. It takes strong people to survive out here, and sometimes to be strong, you have to be cruel.

I took a knife and started prodding the wires. If I could dissect him, maybe I would know more about the Cynoids and if they had any weaknesses. "Cairo, can we stay here for the night? I want to dissect this thing, look for weaknesses just in case we ever get into a messy situation."

"I don't know Cynthia... what if they come back?" he sighed looking out the window.

"They left in a hurry, like two bullies after beating up a kid. They probably aren't going to tell anyone about this," Ray said. "If anything, they're going to avoid the area for a while."

"One night," Cairo agreed, "but I want to be out of here by morning."

I pulled out one of my personal items, my mini laptop. I took a knife and neatly cut the underbelly of the Cynoid, revealing its metal parts. There were so many gears and pivots on the legs alone, I stared at it in awe.

I cut under its jaw, when its pelt was fully removed, I saw its many rows of razors. Even more shocking, under the metal skull was a brain. An untampered brain. I gasped and my eyes widened. "I found something, we were right, it isn't one system with multiple bodies. Its multiple bodies with individual brains."

The brain was contained in a steel covering. It had a small, glass slit so you could see it.

"What does that mean?" Ray asked.

"They should be able to feel. They don't have any nerves so its not for pain, but they must be able to feel emotions. But why go to all of the trouble to make a robot when it has feelings, the ability to rebel?" I whispered.

"You are getting way to happy over this, you lost me at nerves," Rose said staring at the pelt-less Cynoid.

"See if you can hack into it, find out how they send signals. Maybe we can even figure out a way to avoid being detected," Leader said as he set down his backpack.