Reddit Stories 2019

Smash Em Up #6

"Ashton?" The heavy rainfall echoed through the halls, eating away at the titanium hull. The lights flickered, giving me short glimpses of the vegetation overtaking the crashed satellite. Once pristine walls were either rusted, melted, or covered in moss.

I hated this planet.

I carefully made my way through the decks. Ashton had to be in the engine room if anywhere. Unless, of course, she was already dead. The satellite was large, meant to be our home during terraforming. Who knew what other entrances the spiderthings made.

I snapped to attention at the clattering to my left. I pulled my crossbow from its holster and rested my finger on the trigger before my mind had time to even process what I was doing. In one smooth motion, I turned the corner, stepping into the mess hall. Ghouls, ghosts, and other undead Halloween decorations hung on the wall.

It had been a minute since I was on the station, before it crashed on the hell planet, but I distinctly remembered those not being there.

In the kitchen, scrubbing away at a pan with a beat up sponge, was a skeletal figure. Its metal skin had been stripped away over time, leaving the basic wires and mechanics that let it function. Gears and pistons moved as it scrubbed the pan. Sparks flew from every accidental scratch.

"Hello?" I lowered my weapon.

The robot turned and though it could not look surprised, it vocalized its feelings for me anyway. "A guest! Welcome. I've just done the washing up, I'm afraid, but perhaps I can put on some tea for you?"

The lights flickered the way they might in a horror vid. Out in the jungle, one of the spiderthings screeched. The robot didn't seem to notice any of this.

"What happened?"

"Hmm?" The robot wiped its hand on its apron and, finally noticing, held it out. "Look at me! I've worked myself to the bone!"

Lightning punctuated the gleeful cheer. Slowly, the robot turned back to the sink, holding a rusted kettle under the dripping pipe. It hummed to itself.

"I'm looking for a girl," I said, cautiously walking around the room. A few feet down one hall, the station opened up where the satellite had split long ago. The rain battered against the unprotected innards of the ship. The floor sizzled. "She was with me until the power came on."

"What is your name?" The robot ignored my question. "They call me Poe."

Poe moved the pot to the stove before walking to the large round table in the middle of the room. He carefully pulled out two chairs, which scraped against the metal floor. I rushed to him, pushing him away from, but it was too late. The spiderthings outside screeched in response. The jungle rumbled as they moved.

"What are you doing?" I asked in a hushed whisper, as though that would help.

"You should take a seat, miss. I never did get your name."

Poe's strong, skeletal hand pushed down on my shoulder, forcing me into the uncomfortable dining chair. I yelped as my funnybone connected hard with the edge of the chair. Flopping my arm around, I tried to wave away the numbness while keeping an eye on Poe. He moved to the other side of the table, humming cheerfully as he took a seat.

I dropped my recovering hand down by my holster. "Where is Ashton?"

"I don't mean to be rude, miss, but you're not being polite."

"Don't much care what you think, Poe. Either tell em where the girl is or get out of my way."

A bright flash blinded me, either from the lightning outside or a surge of power through the satellite. Or perhaps the light came from Poe. With the static images burned in my eyes, I was too slow as Poe shoved the table forward. I felt the weight slam against me and tabled back out of my chair, gasping for breath. The metallic taste of AX10's atmosphere stung my tongue.

From the floor, I pulled the crossbow from its holster, firing a weak shot in the dark. I heard the familiar sizzle of plasma hitting metal, but as my eyes adjusted to the dark, I realized I was not so lucky. Poe's apron was burned clean through, but his metal skeleton remained whole with only a slight burn.

"You're getting on my last nerve, which is funny since I don't have any." Poe said, ripping the apron away. I scrambled to my feet, inching to the exit. There was a chance the rain wouldn't kill me. The robot definitely would.

"What did you do to Ashton?"

"I did nothing, miss. There is no one else here." Poe's voice shifted and changed, replaced with one far too familiar. "You are alone."