Free AMP Colossus by Stephen Arseneault Page A

you for a bit."
    We entered the hold and began to inspect the large red containers that it held. They were each almost eight meters in height, three meters wide, and twelve meters long. The hold held fifty-two such containers.
    I spoke. "It definitely opens on this end. This looks like an electronic lock. I can hit it with an ion bolt and see if it releases that handle."
    As I raised my blaster, Wallie replied, "Please let me move to a safe distance, Mr. Grange. My body cannot take another beating like the last."
    I replied, "Oh, sorry about that. I have the setting on minimal now. Just want to take out that lock. You are safe to stand right there."
    I took aim and pulled the trigger.
    Pzzzt!
    The electronic symbol on the lock display faded, and a faint click could be heard. I reached up and placed my hand on the handle and pulled. The handle slowly moved towards me as the hard lock slid free. A slight noise could be heard as the pressure inside the previously sealed container equalized with that of the hold.
    I flipped on my helmet lights as I looked inside. "Whoa. I think we have a small army of those Colossun androids. I count… ninety-six in this container. Add these up, and that is almost five thousand of these beasts."
    Wallie looked into the container, and his eyes grew wide. "They have power, Mr. Grange! They are active!"
    At that moment the first of the Colossun soldiers stepped forward. I jumped back while attempting to close the container door. My reaction time was too slow. As I pushed on the large door, the Colossun pushed hard back, sending me sprawling backwards onto the floor. In a moment of panic I dropped my blaster. The Colossun was quickly on me.
    As I stood, a back fist came sweeping across, striking me in the helmet and again sending me reeling. I slammed hard into the side of another container before regaining my composure. My blaster lay at the foot of the giant Colossun android.
    In an act of ultimate courage, something that I do not think I would have done, Wallie dove at the feet of the Colossun, slapping my blaster in my direction. I reached down, grabbing the blaster by the handgrip while flipping the energy setting to full. Before I could aim and fire, the Colossun had Wallie in his grip.
    A screaming Wallie was raised into the air by his right leg. As he squirmed and struggled for his freedom, the Colossun brought him over his head and then slung him hard back down into the floor.
    I raised my blaster in anger and fired a full charge into the torso of the Colossun. The monster came to a stop as his breastplate shot away from his body and his circuits sizzled and smoked. A second bolt was fired as a second Colossun emerged from the container, but the others kept coming.
    The androids sprinted around the container out of sight. I got a glimpse of one as he leapt upward onto one of the containers. It then occurred to me that I could adjust the simulated gravity setting of my battle suit. I turned and pushed hard with my legs in an attempt to get on top of the containers. My jump, while impressive by Human standards, was well short of the container top. As I fell back to the floor, three Colossuns rounded the corner and charged.
    Pzzzt! Pzzzt!
    Two stopped dead in their tracks, but the third rammed into me at a full run. I slammed hard into the container behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the Colossun who had jumped onto the containers was joining the fight.
    Pzzzt!
    The third Colossun ceased to move. Before I could fire on the fourth, a balled fist came sweeping across, again knocking my blaster from my grip. I was soon raised over the Colossun’s head and slammed hard to the ground. Again, my hybrid battle suit offered protection, but there was still only so much the Human body could take.
    I reached out for my weapon, which lay on the floor only a meter away. The Colossun grabbed me by the leg and again had me raised over his head. I wasn’t sure if I could take another blow