Episode IV

“He’s raving, short-circuited and malfunctioned. Let me just follow-” the female gaian continues in wide-eyed desperation.   

“This is impossible,” interrupts one soldier. “Prometheans don’t go berserk. That’s a myth. Especially not AX01. He’s the most technically advanced military combat machine in existence. Nothing fazes him.”

Another soldier emerges from the ship. “The rumors are true, every one,” he says, “AX01 slaughtered his legion. I saw it. He hacked the system controls out of every metallic body and used the sparks from their severed charges to burn the memory boards. He tortured them to shutdown.”

“He has a thousand-lightyear stare” replies the woman, suddenly melancholy. A certain terrified knowing burns bright behind her eyes.                     

Captain Longsuffering stares on in shock from his invisible surveillance vantage. He recognizes this girl as Dana, a Troian princess. He senses the situation escalating and signs off the VCR to convene with his fellow generals. Dana’s words, “thousand-lightyear stare” echoed in his mind.  Suddenly, a deafening shriek echoes through the docking platform. It’s AX01’s metallically abominable battle shriek.

“TC02! TC02! Where is he!?” AX01 screams. TC02 is is another one of Dr. T’s top creations and one of AX01’s closest comrades.  

The gaian woman gestures in AX01’s direction with a I-told-you-so nod. The soldiers cower.

“He is unplugged,” one soldier says.