Chapter 4

I awoke from the crash, I could see light through coming from outside, the pod had cracked in several places. I checked my status, all my systems had survived the impact intact, the Quantum teether that connected me to my body was intact, the system was separate from all other systems on the ship, the pod and the Golem connection where self contained, we had never tested how far the connection would go, it was theorized it could be used across the vast distances of space. At the time of our departure we had only been using it for the Golem and drone connection as the zero lag time was beneficial for real time control.

I unstrapped myself from the chair, falling to the side of the pod, I triggered the explosive bolts on the escape hatch, light poured in from the outside. I climbed out of the pod, I was surrounded by jungle, I surveyed my surroundings. I could see the trail of destruction the pod had left in its wake, I my suit calculated the direction of the signal controlling the mine field.

"no point in waiting," I said to myself.

I drew my rifle from my back pack, I began my trek through the jungle. As I went I raised the visor on my helmet, taking in the air, my senors read it was safe for humans not that it would have been a problem for the Golem, I could smell the jungle air. As I walked I picked up several life signs of small animals about. I could hear flowing water, I walked toward it, I had to jump over several obstacles as I went, soon I came upon the river, it seemed to head in the direction of signal, I decided to follow it.

After a few hours of walking along the river the jungle started to clear, I picked up movement from the river, looking over I saw a large crocodile like animal, it had started to lunge at me, I jumped back stumbling away, it continued onto the land, I scrambled back. When its mouth got near enough I gave it a swift kick with my armored feet, it retreated back into the water, looking for easier prey.

I stood up looking around, I decided to stay farther back from the river, the jungle was soon opening up into open plains, I was able to move faster, eventually I found an ancient decaying road, I looked it over, it almost looked like asphalt, it was grown over and decayed. I followed it as it seemed to head in the direction of the signal.

Night began to fall as I walked, I didn't need to sleep so I kept walking, my vision adjusted so that I could see as clear as if it was day, I saw the structures in the distance, I zoomed in, if I didn't know better I would of said it looked like any city back on earth, but I could see the decay in the buildings, as I approached I saw that it had been destroyed. It looked like an aerial bombardment had destroyed many of the once tall buildings. I followed the road as it entered the city, I could see vehicles rusted and strewn about, I checked one of them, it was clearly designed for a human.

"Curiouser and curiouser." I said.

I heard running feet in the distance, I raised my rifle and quietly ran toward the sound, I could also hear something mechanical moving, I hurried up. I rounded a corner to see three children running from a giant mechanical spider, I watched as one of the children fell, the spider quickly scooped him up with a metal tentacle, it raised the child high, a compartment in its rear opened and it dropped the child screaming into it, the screams stopped.

"oh hell no." I yelled.

I ran forward charging the spider, the two remaining children saw me and stopped dead, cornered between me and the spider, the spider ceased on their confusion to try and grab another. I opened up with my rifle, firing magnetically accelerated tungsten rounds at the machine, the shots tore through the tentacle. The spider stopped to stare at its broken limb, I didn't stop firing, I took out its legs before leaping through the air, landing on the beast back. I grabbed hold of its head and fired my rifle into it, I could hear the shots tear through it and impact into the ground below, the spider fell to the floor.