After nine months, the birth had been an easy one. As the sun began to set upon that happy day, the two lovers lay upon the camp bed enjoying each other’s company.

“After this you know,” Terrance said. “Don’t be too surprised if we are still here in a hundred years.”

“At least our descendents will be my love.”

Lying upon its small newly made box bed, the newborn giggled with happiness.

The sun had just climbed into view when the door rapped hard. The leader answered and saw Larry smiling at him.

“Morning boss.”

Rubbing the dust from his eyes Terrance asked, “Are they back?”

“They sure are. You can see them at my place.”

The happy poet walked off and Terrance returned to his partner.

“The survey team are back. I have to see them.”

“Go on then. I’ll be waiting.”

He walked across the ground, gazing around at the stockade with a proud smile upon his cheeks. After all, he had moulded these people into what they now were.

Entering Larry’s s simple log cabin he found the three map makers pouring over the drawings.

“I take it you found the damn place?”

“We certainly did,” John said.

As the leader sat he said, “You better fill me in then.”

Dudley pointed to the rough map.

“This is where we are. Roughly five miles west lies a small desert region and just beyond that the remains of an ancient meteor strike.”

“You mean a crater?”

“Exactly. We found an access tunnel built into the side wall that slants downward.”

“What does it lead to?”

“A large base mate. We found it at the bottom of the tunnel. We returned here as instructed.”

“Any sign of the machines?”

Dudley shook his head.

“As dead as a grave. No whirrs. No clicks. Nothing at all. Apparently they are still fast asleep.”

Terrance smiled.

“Our job is to make sure they stay that way then.”

“How many will you take?” Larry asked.

“I have been thinking about that,” the leader said. “None of the braves need go. Arrows will be of no use if they wake up. So, including myself, five will take the risk.”

He gazed at the team and named his four men.

“Larry, John, Terry, and Walker will go with me.”

“Why not me?” Dudley asked with some surprise.”

Terrance tapped his shoulder lightly.

“If anything happens to me I want you to take charge, and look after Trudy and my son.”

Dudley nodded.

“Consider it done.”

Terrance gazed over his small team.

“We’ll need a firelighter too by the way.”

Larry smiled and collected it from the corner. Terrance took it and placed the device inside his rear pocket.

“I’ll just say farewell to my partner and then we are off.”

As he stepped through the door, his wife was breastfeeding the child.

“I have to go now love. This cannot wait any longer.”

“I understand. Just bring yourself back.”

He smiled.

“I’ll certainly try. Love you.”

She glanced up smiling.

“Love you to. I was thinking of a name for him.”

“What have you come up with?”

“How about Connor?”

Terrance smiled.

“That is a really lovely name. See you later Connor.”

He turned and walked towards the open gate, and his small force.
Dudley shook his hand.

“If you don’t come back I’ll kill you.”

Terrance laughed at the strained joke.

“Just make sure that you are the leader I think you are.”

Dudley nodded slowly, and watched as they marched through the open gate.

The march west was fairly easy going, until they reached the desert region. As they began to cross, each man sank up to their waist in the soft sand.

“This is the bit I hated,“ Larry admitted.

“I’m really not surprised mate.”

They waded on, finding some hard ground at last to walk upon.
Overhead the brilliant yellow sun shone through a cloudless sky.

“We reckon it reaches over a hundred degrees here,” Walker commented.

“That’s a killer temperature,” Terrance said as they passed some
hardy plant life.

The ground began to gently rise as the desert started to fade into nothing. As they reached a plateau, the meteor crater came into clear view.

“It must have been pretty massive,” Terry said.

“Just look at the scorched earth,” John pointed out.

“We haven’t come on a sightseeing trip you know,” Terrance said smartly. “We have to move on.”

They crossed the lifeless ground and approached the high wall of the immense crater. As they did so, Terry pointed out the access tunnel.

“It starts here boss.”

“Okay this is what we do then. Once inside we find the power source and put it out of action. That way these blighters should sleep for all eternity.”

“You mean to cut their alarm?” Larry asked.

“Precisely.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Terry said.

“Me too,” Walker added.

Terrance gazed at the dark entrance with a deepening sense of despair.

“Let’s do it then.”

As they entered, one thing became noticeable at once. The exterior view had simply been a cruel trick. The metallic walls and overhead ceiling fairly glistened with a soft, greenish glow. As it sloped downwards, the glow from the interior became brighter still.

“I wonder what causes that?” Larry asked.

“Some kind of phosphorescence perhaps?” Walker suggested.

The short tunnel came to an end, and they stepped into a truly vast chamber.

“Oh my,” Terrance muttered under his breath.

The entire chamber was lined with a dull, but soundless metal. Each wall had a platform with stairs leading toward the open floor. Just above those platforms, seemingly part of the huge walls, lay the metallic tubes.

Terry gazed in absolute horror at the mechanical vision.

“There must be a thousand in here.”

“Don’t just gawp,” Terrance hissed. “There is an arch over there. Follow me.”

As they walked across that silent and menacing floor, a thought came to John.

“Why no doors?”

“Perhaps they don’t need them,” Larry suggested.

When they reached the archway, they found a second but smaller chamber just beyond. It was smaller than the first and a console stood against the metallic wall. Above this, a vast but dark screen dominated the wall. To the left of this, vast pipes led toward a huge tower.

“My oh my,” Walker muttered. “This must be the power room.”

He wandered over to the vast tower and gently touched it.

“It’s dead alright. No vibration sir.”

“What kind of power are they using?” Terrance asked.

Walker shrugged his shoulders.

“Beats me sir.”

“We better see what else is down here,” Terrance suggested heading for the next arch.

Within the third chamber, they found a small humanoid space built into the wall with wires poking out of it.

Terrance simply gawped until Walker tapped him.

“I think this is some kind of creation area sir.”

“Where they make them?” Larry asked.

“Seems like it to me,” Walker replied.

“I can see this being our fate if we don’t stop them,” Terrance muttered. “Let’s push on.”

They walked through the next arch and found themselves gazing into an armoury. Everywhere they looked, walls were stacked with laser rifles.

“This is the last thing we needed to see,” Terrance muttered. “After we deal with them, these could come in quite handy.”

“What’s through there do you think sir?” Larry asked pointing.

“Shall we take a look?”

Beyond the final arch, they found a storage area cluttered with spare parts. Walker walked up and tapped one of the humanoid machines.

“Damn thing is empty sir. I think this explains that other area.
These are placed within that space and somehow activated.”

“That means reinforcements,” Terrance said. “I think we have seen quite enough now. The base appears to end here anyway.”

“Back to the power room sir?” Larry asked.

“Why not? We have a duty to protect our people.”

They made their way back quickly and stood in front of the alien
console. Rubbing his head Terrance asked, “Now how do we do this? Any suggestions?”

“We daren’t touch the console,” Terry said. “We might wake them up.”

“I have an idea sir.”

“Out with it Walker.”

He pointed to the front of the console.

“As you can see sir, these are designed to be slid open for easy access.”

“You mean tear out the wiring?”

“Yes sir. That must kill the power. I think the console is the heart of the system.”

Terrance smiled and slapped his back.

“Well done man.”

Everyone stepped back as Walker slid the lower panel doors open.
They gazed at the wiring in satisfaction.

“Most of that may be live,” John warned. “Just don’t electrocute yourself.”

“I know what I’m doing mate,” Walker replied. “I used to work in engineering.”

He looked at the wiring and grinned.

“This is going to be easy man.”

He carefully gripped a handful and after a very deep breath pulled hard.

He fell back as flashes of power ripped across the system and some of the wiring melted.

“That looks highly promising,” Terrance muttered as Walker picked himself up again.

“A little knowledge sir can be a highly dangerous thing.”

As they congratulated themselves, a sudden noise from the adjacent chamber caught their attention.

“What the hell was that?” Larry asked.

“Let’s go and check,” Terrance suggested.

As they reached the first chamber, a terrifying vista presented itself.

The humanoid machines were clambering from their tubes and marching toward the metal stairways.

“I don’t understand,” Walker muttered in horror.

“We can’t get out!” Larry yelled as the machines reached the metallic floor.

Humanoid in shape they were, with antenna where the ears used to be. Exactly as the viewer had depicted. Only the laser rifles were missing.

“Fall back now!” Terrance hissed.

As they dashed into the power room, one of the machines grabbed Larry and slung him violently across the floor. Turning quickly, his brave comrades pulled their sonic blasters and fired.

They were more than shocked when the machines did not flinch.

“Ruddy pea shooters,” Terry mumbled.

“Come on,” Terrance shouted and headed straight for the armoury and the rifles. As they careered inside, he grabbed the first.

“This should cut the odds down a bit.”

His three remaining comrades did likewise, as the humanoids marched inside.

“Fire at will!” Terrance screamed.

As they pressed the triggers, nothing happened.

“Damn it!” Terry shouted.

He dashed forward but was swiftly smashed down. Walker strode forward, smashing the useless weapon against the head section, but it simply brushed it off. The machine grabbed him and tossed him against the wall.

As he slid down unconscious, John threw a desperate punch and screamed in agony as his knuckles cracked. A machine struck and the writhing man crashed to the floor.

Terrance backed against the wall and dropped the weapon.

A metal hand gripped his throat and lifted him bodily off the ground.

“You will surrender,” the machine demanded.

To be continued...