Chapter Six

Thunder put the last of the equipment in the trunk of the old car, stacking several containers of food on top of their weapons. He wasn’t sure where Savage had acquired the old beater, but all they needed it to do was get them to New York. The old sedan had rust spots on the wheel wells and rips in the blue velour seats. The paint job had lost its clear coat long ago. Dagger, a cyborg who seemed like he could fix things and enjoy doing it, had taken care of the incessant knocking under the hood and made sure the tail lights worked. A quick hack into the Department of Motor Vehicles kept the license plate number out of any Purity Force databases.

They weren’t all going to fit into the car. It wasn’t easy to get a group of cyborgs to agree on anything, but they had concurred that putting thirty cyborgs on a bus would raise a red flag somewhere. The humans had advertisements encouraging each other to report suspicious activity to Purity Force. If the tip helped capture some cyborgs, the caller received reward money.

The cyborgs had to make an effective plan even if meant it would take extra time. Thunder’s car wasn’t the only one going on the trip. They had parked several other vehicles in the big barn behind the house. It still carried the faint smell of large livestock. Even though the weathered boards bowed and buckled, it would hide their cars until the time was right.

Each group would leave at a random time and take a different route to the prison. Thunder led a small band of three cyborgs who would arrive at the site first. Savage had a list of things for them to do before he came. “I want you to do as much reconnaissance as you can before I get there. We can only find out so much through satellite imagery and shaky news footage. We need to know specifics now. How many guards are posted? When are their shifts? How many entries and exits does the building have?”

Thunder felt fortunate to be the leader of his party and proud to know he was trusted to go ahead of the rest of the group. Savage relied on him to get to their destination quickly, do surveillance without being caught, and report back. It was almost like being back in the service again.

As he checked over the inventory of weapons and food one final time, Thunder’s mind drifted back to previous battles. He had been lucky enough to be around before Cyborg Sector collapsed and had gone on several overseas missions. The memories of the assignments haunted him in a way that made him long for the past.

Cyborgs were once revered as they served their designed purpose of fighting the country’s adversaries and protecting human lives. Thunder could still feel the recoil of his plasma gun as it shoved his arm back during discharge. The desert sun was hot and dry on his shoulders, but it didn’t affect him the way it wore out the humans. On the few occasions when combat degenerated to hand-to-hand fighting, the cyborg felt the pleasure of bringing out his blade and seeing it sink into flesh as the metal sent sprays of hot blood onto the sand.

He didn’t just long for those times. He hungered for them. He needed them. Thunder wasn’t designed to sit around and discuss plans. He was made for action. If the humans had understood their creations and used them correctly instead of trying to turn them into domestics, they wouldn’t have anything to fear. All they had to do was follow through with their plans. Thunder could be hunting down the enemy right now.

“Are you all right?”

Thunder turned, startled by the voice at his elbow. It was Dagger, one of the soldiers selected for his traveling group. He was thin and wiry. No one would suspect him of being a cyborg after a casual inspection. His appearance was one qualification that made him perfect for the lead team - he wouldn’t stand out in a crowd like some of the larger cyborgs. His mechanical skills also meant that Thunder’s group would safely reach the meeting site. Dagger could even be sent back down the line to help repair other vehicles.

“I was thinking about my days with Cyborg Sector. I was part of Black Squad. What was your unit?”

Dagger shook his head and adjusted his glasses on his nose. His face could still pass for human. Even though his eyes had degenerated, he was still useful. Unlike the rest of the swarm, who preferred to keep the short military cut required during their days at Cyborg Sector, Dagger had let his dark brown mop grow out into a shaggy mess. He ran his hands through it as he spoke. “White Squad. We were some of the last creations. I try not to think about those days.” He fiddled with the wrench in his hand.

“Why wouldn’t you want to remember? Life was easy back then, wasn’t it?” Thunder felt mildly disgusted at the idea that anyone would avoid thinking about Cyborg Sector. White Squad had never been known for tactical prowess. They came in to clean up the mess left behind by the other troops, eliminating any remaining enemies that remained hidden during the first wave of attacks and securing the area for humans.

Dagger shrugged his skinny shoulders. “It’s tough, you know. I was in the middle of rehabilitation before I escaped. I remember being in White Squad, but I also have memories of other things.”

Thunder narrowed his eyes. “Like what?”

The thin cyborg held up the wrench. “What I used to do for a living, for one thing. It’s like I have lived two different lives. Every morning when I wake up, I have to figure out who I am all over again. Am I a cyborg, or am I a human who has gone through an awkward soldier phase?”

“You’re a cyborg.”

“I realize that I’m more of a cyborg than anything, but it’s unsettling. I’m lucky there is a lot of mechanical work right now. Fixing things takes my mind off everything.”

Thunder nodded. He received a certain satisfaction from doing work as well, and it was reassuring that even someone like Dagger felt the need to do something useful. “I left Cyborg Sector early. Rehabilitation hadn’t started yet.” He could clearly recall breaking through an upright box serving as a prison cell before getting out of the big building. A few humans had been foolish enough to stand in his way and died that day.

“Are you saying you don’t have any memories of being a human?” Dagger blinked up at him through his glasses.

The big cyborg shook his head.

“You’re one of the lucky ones.” Dagger gave a dry laugh. “They say that I’m fortunate because the memories didn’t make me go insane. If they knew the truth, they might change their minds.”

Savage, who had been supervising the groups as they prepared for departure, strode up to them. He peered into the trunk of the old beater and nodded with satisfaction. “It looks like you have everything you need. Are your instructions clear?”

“Yes, sir.” Thunder stood erect and looked his leader in the eye. “We’ll head out in the morning, just like we planned.”

The leader clapped him on the shoulder. “Good. I’ll be sending other groups out every few hours. Let me know when you get there. I don’t like being the last one to arrive, but I need to supervise things from this end.” Savage leaned in close to Thunder. “I want a good plan by the time I arrive, and I’m relying on you for it.” He turned and headed off to check with the next group of soldiers.

A day later, Thunder guided the rickety car into the city. They had pulled over several times for gas and maintenance, but they arrived without incident. The blonde cyborg would have preferred to drive one of the armored vehicles Cyborg Sector always used for missions. This car was cramped. The roof of the old sedan grazed the tips of his short hair, and the seat felt like it might collapse under his weight. Thunder had sensed the eyes of curious humans on him as he had stood by the gas pump and waited for the tank to fill, but he had done his best to ignore them. Interaction would compromise the mission.

The morning sun made the pavement hot, and they drove through alternating patches of warm sunshine and cold shadows. The cyborg gripped the steering wheel tightly, eager to begin working.

“We’re almost there.” Compass checked the navigation system from the passenger seat. Savage had chosen him specifically for Thunder’s team. He was good with maps and would help them get around the city. His eyes were the same obsidian color as his short hair. “Take a left up there, and we should find the motel.”

Clenching his jaw, Thunder followed orders. He wanted to use the navigation and communication systems built into their biochips. It was hard to avoid turning them on and accessing necessary information. But he had discovered long ago that the cyborgs had identifiable digital signatures that could be tracked with the right equipment. If he wanted to keep himself and his comrades hidden, he could not connect to the network. Once the eradication project and Purity Force were eliminated, he would be able to live again.

Thunder and Compass waited in the car while Dagger checked them into the motel. He was the best cover they had, and they were going to use him as much as possible. The place was seedy even considering a cyborg’s lowered standards. Faded paint and broken windows covered the walls. The asphalt of the parking lot was cracked and full of potholes. Only half of the lights in the building sign still worked.

Thunder smiled. With their ratty car, they would blend in perfectly.

Dagger came jogging back to the car. “We’re in. Our room is all the way down there.” He pointed to the far end of the building as he jumped into the backseat.

The small room had brown carpeting that had once been luxurious but was crusted over with use. Two beds were shoved up against the wall, covered with drab brown bedding and flat pillows. The place made the old farmhouse they had been staying in seem like a luxury suite.

The cyborgs didn’t bother retrieving their belongings from the car. There was no way to unload an entire trunk full of weapons and equipment in broad daylight. They couldn’t use most of them, anyway. They would be most useful when darkness fell and kept them hidden.

Thunder activated his infrared display. “It looks like they only have a few guards stationed outside the building. I count four. That doesn’t seem like enough to guard twenty rogue cyborgs.” He looked around, hoping he could see anything that would give him more information.

“I agree with you. Humans are usually cautious when cyborgs are involved. Are we sure we’re at the right place?”

“Of course we are!” Compass checked his map. “I’ve verified the location three times since we arrived.”

Thunder frowned at the building in the darkness. Once the sun set, they started moving on foot. It didn’t seem safe to survey the target from street level where anyone might spot them. Instead, they had worked their way up to the roof of a neighboring structure. It didn’t appear to be anything special compared to the surrounding industrial buildings. The architecture here was old and made of brick. Thunder couldn’t see any of the glass and concrete skyscrapers which populated the most spectacular areas of the city.

The building appeared to be an old factory. At one time it had high arched windows, but people had bricked them over long ago. No light came from the interior. Other than the guards standing on each side of the big structure, it didn’t appear to be any different than other abandoned factories and warehouses. Thunder had been continuously scanning for weak spots to use as points of entry, but so far he hadn’t found any.

“They’ve reinforced the building.” Thunder mulled over potential rescue plans. “They’re not worried about protecting the exterior because there aren’t a lot of ways to get in or out. The real security forces are probably on the inside. Didn’t Savage say the holding cell was underground?”

Dagger nodded.

“We’ll have to get inside first, then go down. Getting out again will be a problem, but hopefully, we’ll have the help of a bunch of fresh cyborgs.” The plan was becoming clearer to Thunder now. “We need to learn about their shift change. When the rest of us arrive, we probably have a couple of hours before the next round comes on duty. The ideal time to strike is halfway through the shift. Their guard will be down, but we’ll have time before their replacements show up.”

“Do you want me to relay that to Savage?” Compass offered.

“No, I’ll do it.” Thunder wasn’t willing to let the other cyborg take credit for his plan. He hadn’t known Compass long enough to sense if he was trustworthy. Besides, Savage had asked Thunder to report back personally. They didn’t have time to play games or engage in power struggles. He was second in command. It was going to stay that way until Savage said something different. “We still have to make some refinements. Let’s make sure our brothers are all prepared first. We’ll be moving in soon enough.”

Thunder turned his gaze back to the building and thought of the cyborgs trapped inside. With brute strength and a little bit of luck, they would soon be free.

Thunder looked around proudly at the assembled cyborgs. Every team had made it safely into the city and was ready for action. He had spent over an hour reviewing different strategies with Savage. Eventually, the two agreed on a plan of action. Compass had located an abandoned warehouse not far from the mission objective. All the cyborgs were gathered there to receive tactical instructions.

Savage spoke as he paced up and down the room. “There are four guards posted on the outside of the building, one on each side. You will leave this location in four separate groups. One team will be responsible for each side of the building. The southern squad will attack first. If the human security forces follow protocol, they’ll all rush to defend that side of the building, leaving the other zones vulnerable. After they abandon their posts, the teams on the other sides will move in and attack. All weapons are available for this assignment, including plasma guns.”

A roar of appreciation rose from the cyborgs but was quickly suppressed by their red-headed leader. “It’s too early to get excited. We don’t need to hide our true identity right now. In fact, we want Purity Force to know we’re the ones defeating them. But don’t get into the habit of celebrating success until you win the battle.”

The cyborgs stood and split into groups, trickling slowly out of the building. Savage pulled Thunder aside. “I like this plan, brother. I don’t see how it can fail. Once we rescue these cyborgs, our unit will be twice as powerful. And there are more cyborgs to liberate. There are stories of several prisons that aren’t far from here. Once they hear about our victory, they might start escaping without our help.”

Thunder nodded proudly. “It the beginning of a new era.”

Savage moved off to join the group attacking first. Thunder had decided to approach the building from the north. He wouldn’t be part of the primary battle, but he would be one of the first ones to enter the building. Both responsibilities were honorable. The work hadn’t been hard, but he thought he had done a good job with the plan. He stood in the darkness with his men behind him, watching the building and waiting impatiently for the signal to proceed.

Before Savage had the chance to send him in, other shadows came hurrying out of the darkness. When Thunder scanned the figures, they didn’t have any cybernetic parts. However, they weren’t dressed in the uniforms of eradication officers either. They kept to the shadows as they approached the building.

“Who are these people? Should we kill them?” Savage’s harsh voice came over their makeshift communication system. It used scrambled radio waves instead of satellite signals and wasn’t trackable like their internal systems.

Thunder had no idea who they were. “I don’t know. Last night there were only four guards.” He watched in bewilderment as the group split into two parts. One half sought to draw off the security guards by making a scene across the street from the building. They shouted obscenities and threw rocks. The other half waited in the shadows for the officers to react.

“Free the cyborgs!”

“Purity Force sucks ass!”

Thunder slowly realized what was going on. He didn’t want to report it to Savage. Even though it wasn’t his fault, he knew that his commander would not be pleased. Of all the nights for this to happen, it had to be same evening the cyborgs had chosen to carry out their plans. “Sir, they’re Liberators,” he muttered.

“What is a Liberator?” Savage’s voice sounded harsh in his ear.

“They’re cyborg sympathizers. Confused humans.”

A low growl emanated from Savage’s end of the radio. “How did they find out about tonight? Do they think they’re going to help us?”

Thunder quickly went over all the preparations they had done over the last week. There wasn’t a role for an untrained human without enhancements or tactical skills. He had heard of cyborg advocate groups forming around the country. He had never seen them do anything besides shout in the street and wave signs. This particular group must have decided to take matters into their own hands. “I don’t think we have a leak. It must be a coincidence, sir.”

“They’re not going to ruin tonight,” Savage snarled. “Go ahead with your orders. If a human gets in your way, just kill them. The priority is rescuing our brothers.”

Thunder agreed and waited for the signal to advance. He tried to ignore the nagging feeling inside him that said something was going to go wrong.