//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: All the King's Horses // by Cherry Rie //------------------------------// All the king’s horses Toy Soldier What is there left to save, when you are more machine then human? A Conversion Bureau story. Prologue ----------------------------REM INITIALIZING--------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------MEDULLA SUSPENSION-------------------------TRUE----------- -----------SUB-COTEX LINK---------------------------------TRUE----------- -----------FRONTAL CORTEX ISOLATION----------------TRUE----------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------STABLE REM STATE AQUIRED----------------------- Recalling Logged Event////Emulation 16-5 Simulation begins. ‘Darkness, broken by cracks of sickly light. So cold, so close, embraced by concrete.’ Self assessment. Damage minimal. Tightness coupled with immobility. Armour compressed across chest and legs, cutting into unconverted flesh. Risk of further damage- Amber. Examining surroundings. Hands detect rough surface texture to surrounding material. Resistance and particulate dust indicates post industrial masonry; red-clay brick of local origin with a thirty percent average density. Estimate one point five metres of rouble covering unit. ‘Plenty of reserves. No need for air.’ Impact detected, distance of approximately thirty meters. Likely artillery fire upon last known position. Gunfire at distance, count three sources, allied Squadron still within area. Note, impact resonance has compromised the stability of surrounding debris. Exploiting new configuration. Hands push forwards at forty-five degrees, driving rubble aside and opening suitable egress. Freedom through force secured, moving to exit entrapment. ‘Daylight strikes the face, desert breeze drawing the scent of smouldering plastics and cordite.’ New surroundings above ground, large rouble pile amidst partly destroyed edifice. Hostile Infra-red signature recognised; visual confirmation of AT cannon protruding from debris. Correlating… Verified as Automated Anti-Personal patrol turret, buried beneath four point two metres of wreckage. EM signature shows negative, target was successfully neutralised. ‘Even as a corpse the machine looms, though no more alive than the mortar now covering its hulk.' Priority objectives; Locate weapon, re-establish Sat-Com, confirm position. Wireless Ping enabled… Weapon responds at twenty five milliseconds. Tracking signal indicates within seven cubic metres of present location. LR14 carbine Spotted among fresh debris. Moving to reclaim. ‘Unthinking yet somehow aware, it leans against a large fallen cornice, as though waiting for us.’ Present area still not recognised by survey maps. Attempting reboot of onboard Satellite communication system. Examining surroundings. Structure confirmed as warehouse, conforming to standards of map sector AG seventeen, Factory and processing district. Interior contains industrial textile equipment, Seven rows of sewing machines and fabric receptacles. Body count seventeen. Small stature, most located at work desks, suggests remnants of labour force. Desiccation indicates several months since time of death, likely cause of death... Radiation poisoning. ‘So tiny and weak, their inner worlds swept away by the atomic ash.’ Façade of building entirely destroyed, opening directly onto connective byway. Check ammo. Eighty seven rounds remaining. Check armour. Chest section susstained light damage, significant gap over upper left abdomen. Fluidic loss is Negligible. Standing orders are to continue sterilising sweep of factory district surrounding Rad-Co facility. Priorities include elimination of air defence units and clearing Rad-Co facility for equipment drop. Sat-com reinitialised, Augmented Reality HUD established. Matching orbital map to surrounding contours and pinging for Allied units. Allied units responding, adding to AR enhanced visuals. 'So many Lights. Green silhouettes move through the virtual plane, shadowed by their call signs.' Twelve units accounted for, partner unit callsign within fifteen metres. Street is deserted, visibility eighteen meters in dense smog and dust particles. Partner unit should be within visual range..? Unit located at edge of debris field and identified as ‘Theta-Four’. Unit has been heavily damaged by direct fire from anti-armour weaponry. Damage to right leg critical, Left leg unaccounted for, Left arm unaccounted for, Cranial damage critical, Processing capability severely reduced, Running at minimum combat efficiency. Chances of field repair... nil. ‘I wonder what it is like to die?’ Check ammo. Eighty Six rounds remaining. Establish recovery beacon. Recovery beacon for salvage team is in place. Eleven Units accounted for. Continue sweep. “Sarah. I’ve decided where we’re going next.” Scan for audio source. No other units or heat signatures in area. … “Festoon has a Bureau.” Error: Audio source identified as external interference. Abandoning REM State. “I’m going to get converted.”