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Micro-Chip - Chapter 3 - Life after Death


© Copyrighted by Furryhart 12/15/2013 ©

Warning: This story contains some content of a mature nature!


The weather returned to its normal winter pattern and the next day I headed out with Kitarna and Prism, in the ATV to check on her family, while Flender continued to sit with Sassy to keep her company. This time I drove the ATV, sitting in a modified child’s restraint seat, to see over the dashboard and controlling it by link, using the jack that I built into the seat and using my sensors to find my way. We stopped by the river and headed out on foot leaving the ATV parked by it. She called out to them, making a high pitched chirring sound, as we walked. I began to detect several small life forms approaching, but saw none and then realized they were underground.

Suddenly, a white furred head popped up out of the snow covered ground and then another and another. Kitarna then ran to them and nuzzled them all, as they came up out of the ground. I stood there watching them, from a distance with Prism sitting by me, as they talked and laughed. The two biggest adults, an older male and an older female, were apparently her parents, the other, a younger adult male, was her brother. They were followed, by several small Slendarrie pups, two males and three females and Kitarna was mobbed by them all.

Kitarna’s mother smiled at her and whispered something to her, as she got to her feet and then pointed at her belly. Kitarna blushed rubbing it and pointed at me and her mother stared at me quizzically, and I swallowed hard. They both came up to me, followed slowly by her father and brother, while the little ones ran up and started playing with Prism. Kitarna’s mother then looked me up and down and then sniffed at me and said “He smells like a one of us but he sure doesn’t look like one of us at all. How could he possibly be the father of your young?”

“I’m an Otter and we must be closely related enough to the Slendarrie to be able to mate with them.” I said and she looked me in the eye and said “Never heard of an Otter before, where are you from anyway?” I looked nervously at Kitarna and said “I’m… from… another… world.” Kitarna stood between us and said “What does it matter anyway, he is my mate now and I chose him to be so. He is the father of my future children and we love each other very much.” Her father just glared at me and her brother seemed more interested in the Prism and the pups playing. I just slipped away quietly, as Kitarna and her mother started to argue.

I went over and watched Prism playing gently with the Slendarrie pup. Her brother came over to me and said “Hi, I’m Manx, don’t let them bother you Kitarna and mom always get into it, like that.” I looked at him and smiled saying “I’m Micro, pleased to meet you and I’m just a little uncomfortable with the fact, that it is me they are arguing about. But it doesn‘t seem to bother you that I‘m different.” He looked at the pups playing with Prism and said “Heck no, this is the most exciting thing that has happened here in a long time.”

Suddenly out of nowhere, I detected a large power source and turned to see a large spiderbot, lifting up out of the snow, where it must have been hiding and it moved towards me. I raised my shields, as Manx ran to their burrow with the others and shot at it, with my micro-blaster, striking it‘s shield, but not penetrating it. Kitarna’s family dragged her down into their hole along with Prism.

It shot several blaster bolt at me and they hit my shields, dissipating harmlessly, barely scratching them. I returned fire, my blaster set on auto blast, hitting its shields repeatedly in one spot, until finally penetrating it, striking one of its legs at its base and crippling it. It then tried to hit me again with its blaster, but missed stumbling and then jumped towards me, striking at me with its sharp forelegs.

It missed with one, striking the ground harmlessly, but the other would have hit me in the head, had I not grabbed it, stopping it from coming down. Its motors whined, as it tried to force the sharp point down into my head, but I held firmly. I then moved out of the way and let go of it and it struck the ground hard becoming stuck. Being now very close to it, I shot my micro blaster point blank into its optical sensors completely blinding it. It began to send a coded signal, as it struck wildly, in all directions and I quickly monitored it and recorded it for future analyses.

When the signal was sent, a red light lit up in its front panel, beginning to blink quickly and I then detected a power surge and quickly ran, as the spiderbot exploded, throwing me some distance away. I stood up and felt a sharp pain in my side and looked down discovering one of the bots sharp metal leg tips sticking through my side. Kitarna and her family ran up to me and Kitarna exclaimed “Oh my gods, Micro your hurt!”

I looked around anxiously and said “Where is Prism?” and to my relief he came up to me unharmed and said “I fine daddy, but you hurt bad.” I’m alright son. It didn’t hit anything vital, I just need to get back to the ATV.” Her father looked at me strangely and then said angrily “What are you anyway? We would have never been able to stand up to one of those robot machine things and live, let alone destroy one. And now you stand there with a large piece of metal sticking through you and acting like it’s just a splinter. Your one of them aren’t you, you’re a machine.”

I looked at him sadly and said “Yes it’s true, I am part machine, but I’m also warm and alive, just like you and as you can see I’m defiantly not on their side, I‘m on yours.” Kitarna then helped me and we turned and walked to the ATV, with Prism close behind, leaving her family behind. I thought to myself, as we walked “I wondered where that spiderbot came from?” I had come across ones just like it before, I was sure, but just could not remember. They are mostly used for reconnaissance and never attacked unless attacked first. “Unless… it was ordered to do so in order to verify its target, while getting pictures.” I said to myself and began to feel a great dread.

Once I got to the ATV, I had my nanobots break down the fragment slowly and store it for future use, as I stitched up the wounds, until my medical systems could mend it. Kitarna sat by me, silently for a moment, as I worked on myself and then said sadly “Micro, I’m sorry about how my parents reacted to you. Various machines have been popping up everywhere stealing the young ones of every kind. So daddy is a bit on edge and sensitive about anything like them. So please forgive him.”

I sighed and said “I have already, but you know, before I was changed, I was very much like that spiderbot doing whatever my master ordered me to do. I had no feelings, no heart, no soul, just a machine doing unspeakable things, simply because my master ordered me to do so. But then I was given feelings, a heart and a soul and was also given my freedom to choose right from wrong, all because of a wonderful magical accident. But sometimes I still feel out of place, just another cold machine.”

But then, I remember Prism, how we met and how much we love each other, the Cenchasy, who excepted me, as one of their own and my adventure seeking friend Flender. But the greatest thing that ever happened to me, since the change, was finding you in this very river. You give me so much love and tenderness, that it make me feel so alive and warm all over, feelings that no mere cold machine could even feel. That’s how I know I’m alive now and have a soul, I only wish I could make others understand that. I’m not a machine anymore, Kitarna.” I then hugged her and nuzzled into her crying saying “I‘m not… just a machine anymore.”

“I know that my love and I knew that, when I first laid eyes on you, Micro. I knew there was something different about you, but I also could feel somehow, you needed me and felt too, that I needed you as well. We have made, the new lives inside me now, together with our love. I will love you always, with all my heart, no matter what others think of you, even my parents.” she hugged me, nuzzling into me and Prism nuzzled into me also, saying “Daddy not a machine. “ and they both cuddled me.

Then I sensed, her parents coming up to the ATV and said “Kitarna, your parents… their here.” As she looked out of the window, as they tapped on the side of the ATV. I opened the door, sitting back in my seat and said “Welcome, come on in, its safe and warm inside.” They looked around inside, as they climbed in and then her father said “It’s almost bigger than our whole burrow and it moves around.” and then he cleared his throat and stood up proud saying “I know when I am wrong and am not afraid to admit it, I’m very sorry Micro. Your strong, a good protector, a good provider and Kitarna seems to loves you very much. Also, whether I like it or not, you are going to be the father of my grand babies, so welcome to our family, Micro.”

He then offered his paw hand in friendship and I shook it, saying “Thank you, I know I’m not exactly what you expected Kitarna to become mates with, but I will love and take care of her and our pups. “ He looked around and said “Well if this is any example of the kinds of things you can provide her, then she’s in very good hands.” I sat back and looked at him for a moment and said “I was wonder, how long have these spiderbots been taking the young ones.”

He though a moment and then said “Not them, but other kinds of robot machines have been doing this for four seasons, as far as I know, but they have not attacked here for some time. These Spiderbot things, you call them, are new, I haven’t seen them before, until now.” I sat back feeling troubled and played the message again and again looking for something to tell me who it might have been sending it to. “Could my former master possibly be looking for me?” I thought to myself and then shivered at the thought.

Kitarna looked at me troubled saying “What’s wrong Micro?” I looked at her and her family and said “We are all family now right, so I’m going to be upfront with you all. You need to know some things about my past before the change, at least what I can remember.” and they nodded. I then continued, telling them all I could remember about my past and even about what happened at the ruin both times. I then sat back and said “I am a very valuable piece of equipment to my former master a he may be using these spiderbots to try to find me and get me back. But I won’t go back to being their tool.”

Kitarna’s father said “I remember seeing a pod thing, like you described at the bottom of the river, close to where the stone tower use to be. I found it a few days ago, while searching for fish around there. It might be what you’re looking for. I don‘t know what we can do for you, but we’re with you, Micro.” I nodded and said “You have helped me greatly already, by accepting me into your family. But I don’t think this is related to the other robots taking the young ones. I will have to look into that one too. Now, how about a test drive to go and find the pod.”

They looked at each other and then nodded at me. Kitarna looked at them surprised and said What about the pups?” Her mother looked at her and said “They will be safe with your brother, he always wants to prove himself to us. So let’s see what this thing can do.” So I strapped myself in and proceeded to follow her father’s directions. As I drove I asked “By the way what do I call you beside mom and dad.” Kitarna looked embarrassed and said “That’s right, we never got around to introductions. This is my father, Vezick and my mother Keeta. Mom and dad this is Micro-Chip my beloved.”

We continued moving carefully down the river, as I scanned ahead for threats. Vezick and Keeta looked out the windows in amazement, as Kitarna watched them in amusement. She looked over at me and whispered “They’re both acting like pups, I never seen them like this before. I smiled, but at the same time signaled Zaps and he answered “Yes master, what may I do for you?” I used my internal voice synthesizer to talk to Zaps, while also talking to Kitarna with my real voice, so as not to alarm anyone and said “Zaps I need you to lock the installation down. There may be a threat and I don’t want anything getting in there.” “Yes master, right away.” Zaps replied.

I sent him a picture and a scan image of the spiderbots and said “One of these attacked me today, by the river and I think my former master is trying to find me. I don’t want to be found, understand.” “Yes, master I understand.” He replied without question. “Don’t alarm Flender yet but keep checking up on him and Sassy.” I said and added “Also I want you to check the mainframe for any data on other installations that may have been on the planet when your masters were alive.” “Got it master if I find anything I will contact you.” he said and then I said “Thanks Zaps, you have been a great help to me. Out.”

We finally arrived at the spot and I got out with Vezick and we jumped in the river, while Kitarna and Keeta stayed in the ATV for safety. Vezick looked around and then spotted what he was looking for, motioning to me to look. Sure enough there was a transport pod with markings that seemed strangely familiar. The pod was still active and I motioned to Vezick to surface with me. When we surfaced I said “That’s what I was looking for alright.”

He looked concerned and said “Look Micro, are you sure you want to be messing with that. The thing gives me the creeps and if it belongs to your past, maybe you should leave it alone.” I thought about a moment and then said “You’re probably right, Vezick, I think I know what I must do. Go back to the ATV and I will be there shortly.” I then dove down to the pod and carved a message on its hard steel side, with my claws. “I, Micro-Chip, HD-4771-X am now a free thinking being. I am no longer bound to you and am of no further use to you, for your evil purposes. Let me live in peace on this world.” I knew this message would be of little use, but I had to forever close, my wicked, heartless and totally controlled past, to begin my new life with Kitarna and Prism, as a free being.

I then surfaced, swimming to the shoreline and then stood there on the shore, transmitting the return home code that I found in my memory banks, while looking out on the water. The water started to churn and bubble, glowing bright and then the pod shot out of the water and headed straight up into the sky, as I watched it in silence. I had now cut the final link to my past, but knew my former master was not going to be pleased, with losing me, my resources and my skills, that he had paid greatly for. There would be retribution, but how soon it would come, I had no idea. As I watched the small glowing light slowly vanish into space, Prism, Kitarna and her parents soon joined me.

I hugged Kitarna and said “I hope I did the right thing, but I can’t go back to being a mindless machine anymore and maybe it’s best to leave my old past behind.” Then I looked at Vezick and said “Thanks for your support and your wise advice.” He patted me on the back with his paw hand and smiled. We then walked back to the ATV and got in as the sun started to set and I drove them home. As I drove, I couldn’t help but worry about my new friends and family. They had no idea of the kind of ruthless people I had worked for and with. I myself had no idea, by knew the kind of things, I had done in my past. Although my former master’s information had been wiped out, the things I had done, had not. It made me tremble to think that others beings like me, or worse, might be sent here to retrieve me and kill anyone that got in the way.

I parked the ATV near the entrance to their burrow and joined them inside, after securing it thoroughly. As I stepped into the burrow, I was amazed by the size of it and found it to be spacious, cozy and warm inside, even though the cold winter snow was just above us. “This is actually a very cozy burrow you have here.” I said looking around. Vezick smiled broadly and said proudly “I have been working on it for five years, expanding it to meet the family’s needs.” I looked at them all and said “I envy you all, I had never had a family or even lived in a warm cozy burrow.” Keeta looked at me and smiled, saying “Well your about to have a new family of your own, Micro.”

I looked at Kitarna, cuddling next to me and rubbed her belly, scanning her womb. My medical systems told me the embryos were developing very well and were healthy. I nuzzled into her and hoped my former master would just give up on me, but I knew somehow that would not be the case. Kitarna looked up at me, troubled, saying “You’re thinking, your former master will be coming for you, aren’t you.” I nodded and hugged her tightly and said “I have so much now to loose, if he succeeds, I have to prepare myself and my loved ones before he comes for me.” She nuzzled me lovingly and said “I will be by your side no matter what happens. It will take some time for the pod to get there, right, so relax for now and we can go back home tomorrow and prepare ourselves.” and yawned, closing her eyes, snuggling into me. I watched restlessly, as the rest of the family slowly fell asleep around me and I tried to plan for my master’s next move, but suddenly fell asleep myself.


To be continued!


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