The Barden Guardians

(7) New Technology

Class was cut short at Barden High for a big announcement. The students filed into the auditorium and waited for their principal to show up.

A few minutes of chatter later the principal finally showed up and shushed them all.

"Good afternoon school. I'm sure you're all wondering why we called this assembly. Well the mayor has given us the honer of being the first school in our town to see his new project. Mayor Thomas everyone!" The principal introduced.

"Hello Barden High! Today my team of scientists has been able to make an Artificial intelligence that will be used along side our soldiers to protect and serve our country. We have chosen your incredible school to be the first to get some of this intelligence." Mayor Thomas smiled.

A scientist and soldier came upfront with one of the robots. They demonstrated how it works and what it will be doing. Which is to protect and serve human beings.

After the presentation Chloe looked around for Benji. She needed to ask him about something important. She found him sitting on a bench looking through his tablet.

"Are those the robots your grandfather was talking about? The ones that were made by cutting corners?" Chloe asked looking worried.

"I wish I could say no but I can't. If these robots have the slightest malfunction, something bad is gonna happen. I just need to figure out a way to shut them down without Emily's help." Benji answered.

"Why do you need Emily?" Chloe asked.

"She's the only person around here who is actually good at robotics. She's the best there is."

Emily the stomped her way to the two. "You tricked me. You said you needed help with a project not with your stupid fantasy." Emily said sternly.

"It's not a fantasy." Benji frowned.

"Yes it is. You think you can save everyone, that these people will change, you are so sure that this place is worth saving. You're lying to yourself Benji." Emily said.

"Emily I need your help to find a way to shut these things off. " Benji said like he didn't hear what Emily just said.

"Are you serious right now? Benji if Thomas finds out about that you'll be thrown in jail and I'll be an experiment, so no thank you." Emily said before she walked away. After taking a few steps she stopped and looked at Chloe.

"Don't get involved in his bullshit Chloe." Emily then walked away without looking back.

Chloe was surprised. Of all people she thought Emily would help Benji especially since they've been friends for a really long time.

As time went on Benji gave up on trying to get his old friends to help him out. Instead he asked Chloe and her friends to help him out. With their help he would investigate the lab and the robots. He was trying to find a way to shut them down without making any mistakes which was really hard without Emily's help.

Chloe, Aubrey, Stacie and Amy were sitting on the floor in gym class. Mr Griffin hadn't arrived yet so the whole class was just relaxing.

The door suddenly flew opened and in came Mr Griffin with one of the robots. Mr Griffin didn't look like he was enjoying his day at all.

"Okay class. Apparently I'm supposed to teach gym class with one of these tin cans." Mr Griffin sighed.

"You don't seem excited about it." Beca said.

"That's because I hate these things, but I have no choice so I have to teach with it." He sighed.

They were running laps around the gym when the robot started buzzing then it shut down.

"What the hell is wrong with it?" Beca asked Emily.

"I don't know. Maybe the battery ran low." Emily shrugged as the class walked towards the robot.

"Don't get too close, I'm gonna go call the principal or the tech guy." Mr Griffin said before he walked out the gym.

Stacie not being the one to listen to what she's told walked closer to the robot. The robot suddenly powered up again startling the class.

"Maybe you shouldn't be that close Stacie." Emily warned.

"Don't worry so much. I'll be fine." Stacie said.

The robot began to buzz once more this time it had sparks coming out of it. The whole class moved away from it but Stacie still wanted to get closer to it.

"Stacie get away from that thing. It's glitching." Emily said as she pulled Stacie away from the robot. Just then the door was thrown open by Mr Griffin.

The robot started shooting at the door shooting Mr Griffin in the shoulder and shin. Everyone screamed before running out the door with the robot shooting at them. Some students grabbed their teacher and some got injured. They ran out the school only to find that the whole school was panicking.

"Our tin can wasn't the only one that malfunctioned." Emily whispered to herself.

"Please don't panic children." the principal said trying to calm her students to no prevail.

"Those things are dangerous! Some of us got hurt and you want us calm down?!" one of the students yelled.

Everyone was panicking and Benji was busy looking for anyone who had a laptop with them. The only one who had one was his ICT teacher. No shock there.

"Sir I need your laptop." Benji pleaded.

"What for? We're in a crisis in case you haven't noticed." he said.

"I'm trying to shut these robots off!" Benji yelled. He's teacher was shocked but gave it to him. Benji tried hacking their system but it didn't work.

The robots were getting closer and the only thing the students could do was run. Some got into the busses for the driver to take them far from the school. Some got into their cars and drove off.

Benji dragged Chloe and her friends to his house since it was closer. He pushed them into the tool shed. He raised a tool box and pressed a button under it. A weird elevator came up and he instructed them to get in. They were hesitant but they did it any way.

The elevator closed and it took them to some weird underground room. The walls were obviously made of metal painted black, white and red. There was a huge monitor with a couch, fridge and a bunch of weird doors.

"What is this place?" Aubrey asked awestruck as she looked around.

"This is like a panic room." Benji said.

"What kind of panic room is this?" Chloe asked.

"An advanced one. Look I know this is kinda weird but it's safer down here than up there." Benji said.

"You don't hear us complaining." Stacie said as she and Amy raided the fridge.