System Error

There she sat on the floor. With a broken spine and a cyborg staring through her soul. His one red cybernetic eye twitching at a speed she couldn’t even comprehend. He just stood there, towering above her, a pistol in his hand pointed directly at her forehead.

45 minutes earlier

Kayda walked through the halls of the Safe Haven base with her two guards next to her. Today was a stressful day, just a week ago, the murderous on the run cyborg, known as Error had threatened her life. Now, she needed protection (even though she protested) twenty-four seven.

Kayda: How are the south walls looking?

Guard #1: They have been secured, Colonel Richardson.

Kayda: Good. Make sure to have the guards rotate on their usual-

Before she could finish her command, the alarm sirens went off.

Kayda: What’s going on?

One of the guards turns on his communicator and speaks into it.

Guard #2: Guard Team Delta. Give me a status report.

The communicator buzzed loudly with static. No response.

Guard #2: Guard Team Delta. Report in.

Kayda: Something’s wrong.

Guard #1: Could it be him?

Kayda: So what if it is? You still have a job to do and have training to dispose of him.

Guard #1: Right. What are your orders?

Kayda: Both of you go get a status report from Delta and see what the situation is.

Guard #2: But, ma’am, what about you?

Kayda: What about me? If this is about that cyborg, rest assured I can take care of myself. Now go.

The two guards nodded before running off and Kayda continued down the hall to her office.

She entered the cramped metallic space with a frown. Something wasn’t right. Her military honors and medals are tilted one degree off from where she left them. It didn’t worry her though. She’s dealt with people like this “Error” before. Slithering snakes that nobody can catch. She’s dated one of them before and had a kid just like them, but she always caught them in the end.

Kayda walked over to her desk and noticed that her keyboard’s ‘Enter’ key was less dusty than she left it. Whoever this Error is, he’s sloppy and uncoordinated.

Kayda: I know you’re in here. Come out, and maybe you’ll leave here alive.

Silence. Until...just above her head she could metallic legs, clanking against her ceiling. She looked up and saw a black cube on four spider-like robotic legs clinging to the ceiling. The side facing her had a singular red dot and it stared straight at her.

Kayda: Is this your pet?

Error: No. It’s my accomplice, Marcy is her name.

Error’s voice echoed and boomed throughout the room. It was as if he was speaking through a non-existent PA system that was set up, only in Kayda’s office.

Kayda: Why Marcy?

Error paused.

Error: None of your- It was my mother’s name.

That was weird. His voice. It fought against itself. As if two people fought for control over the response.

Kayda: Well, how about you show yourself and maybe Marcy may live to see her boy be put behind bars.

Error: She’s already dead- You fool.

The world slowed down around Kayda as she heard Error decloak from behind her and slam her head into her desk. Kayda’s head bounced like a basketball against the hard surface, but she recovered, quick and spun around in her chair and tried to punch Error.

He caught her fist and twisted her arm with such ease that Kayda gasped in horror. No man had this much strength. She tried to reach for the pistol in her holster, but he grabbed it before her and hit her square in the nose with the flat of the gun.

She fell to the floor with a bloody nose and tried to get back up, but Error kicked her and sent her flying into her office’s southrn wall. She grunted as she felt her spine break on impact and she slid down the wall.

Error took the pistol off of the safety and primed it with such mechanical precision that Kayda actually felt a tinge of fear spread through her.

Error aimed the gun at her and his red cybernetic glowed an ominous scarlet. He tightened his grip on the pistol and that’s when Kayda knew she had to think of something.

Kayda: Wait! You said your mom died? How did that make you feel?

Error: I felt noth-ing but pain and depression.

Kayda: Well, imagine how my son will feel when he hears his mother was murdered.

Kayda knew that Jamal would feel elated to hear that she had died, but she didn’t have time to think about the truth.

Error: You have a-ny idea how little I care about your son? I ha-ve a son. Rakesh. I- came here to k-eep a promise. Meredith. Wh-y can’t I pull the trigger?

Kayda noticed his hand was shaking violently. He was unable to pull the trigger. She looked at his cybernetic eye and it was flickering on and off hypnotically as Error battled himself for control.

Kayda decided to do something stupid. She leaped off the wall and elbowed Error. She felt oceans of pain wash over her, but she ignored it as she pulled the gun from Error’s hands and whipped it against his head.

Error was knocked out cold and she fell onto the floor with a scream of agony. Not even seconds later the guards from earlier rushed in and started to ask her questions, but all of her senses went dull as she slowly faded into unconsciousness.