Hi Everyone! I've written for articles, for short stories, and for other creative personas out there but this is my first real work, so I hope you enjoy it. Though the characters are the same the whole universe is one I kind of concocted by myself, with certain countries and towns paralleling those in the real world. Victorian Futurism and steampunk is sort of a genre that's always fascinated me, so I hope to do it some justice in this work. There are some character deaths so I'm sorry, and the story is rated T for now but depending on the feedback I can always change that, I know how the fandom can get ;). One Last note! Just finished school, and with coronavirus running a muck, I'm going to devote most of my time to writing! Many more updates to come, Just know that if you don't receive sporadic chapters from this story, it's because I'm working on another as well!
Prologue
The cranking and tugging of oil rigs echoed through coal drift. The humming of machinery and screeching of mining carts assaulted the ears, as a happy accident dispensed itself. A murder of "TANK's" scanned the area, their blinding lenses illuminating every crevice of the facility. They ran through the industrial complex, mimicking human anatomy almost as though they themselves were not machines.
A fleet of thirty scattered about the facility, bolt action firearms locked on their right side. A simple steel blade able to cut through most matter was fastened to the left. Their faces resembled gas masks, giving them a ceaseless look of distress that would terrify most. An array of bolts and cogs were fastened to their person, so loud and clackety that one could hear it from miles away as they covered more and more area. Through boring oculars they probed the expanse, with mechanical precision that let only the most minuscule of details escape. As the minutes passed these appliances felt no displeasure nor impatience, inoculated with the sole purpose of finding their target.
Another hour passed, and with it, a single footprint could be spotted, almost intangible to any human eye. As if on cue all TANK's raised their heads in unison and drove forward with a speed that wafted the air like an oncoming locomotive. The faint sound of a motorized steam cycle could be heard by their auditory features, a whirr that augmented as themselves drew closer. On the cycle was a woman of youth, Melissa Shield. Her figure was strong but elegant. Long, blond strands of hair fell from her helmet, her sea-blue eyes scanning in a hysterical manner. She took a moment to look over her shoulder and witnessed what looked like pairs of green traffic lights flying across the industrial framework, she swore angrily under her breath.
The pursuit was drawing to the finale with their objective in focus. About fifty meters away from their target now, the anterior TANK raised its left arm, yielding a rusty steel cable shot out with the speed of buckshot, festooned with a harpoon-like tip. She was taken aback by the force of the wind that whistled adjacent to her ear, almost losing control of her vehicle. No time was allotted to gather her thoughts as an additional cable was released, followed by several more. The contraptions frantically struggled to pierce either her or her vehicle, relentless, with a restless assault. A shriek escaped from the lips of their pray, as she frantically attempted to duck and weave.
"I need more time, I need to find somewhere I can B line out of here," she thought to herself in a panicked frenzy, "I need to find a GAUNT and fast!" As she maneuvered through the metallic maze as if it were the back of her hand, the opposition advanced, slowly but surely. She engrained the pathways well into her cerebellum, though time was not an ally she could rely on at that moment. As the chase almost drew to a close, she could just make out her objective in the far distance. A small glimmer of hope could be seen in her azure eyes, one almost to faint to detect.
While the TANK's sailed through spools of barbed wire and laced pillars of glimmering alloys one flew above the rest, using a protruding steel ramp as his launchpad. While suspended the Machine fired a crimson net, with a precision unmatched by any breathing soul. As she made one last glance, she could scarcely make out the wire-thin net bearing down in the dark and foggy rig. As the webbing made contact with the cycle it screeched in agony, as both vehicle and rider tumbled and skid on the soil. After what seemed like meters worth of slewing through dirt and grit, the frightened girl and her vehicle slammed against a rigid wall to an abrupt halt. A homogenous mixture of blood and oil pooled below the wreckage.
Deep gashes and contusions littered her body. Several bones had been broken as her fractured skull hung limply from the shoulders. A moment later she regained consciousness, accompanied by a blurred vision, and an entire figure that erupted in pain. Dazed and confused she remained unsure of her capacity to move a single inch of her body. Tilting her head up as vertically as her body physically allowed, she could just make out the onslaught of rust that was almost upon her. As she regained another sliver of motion, she sloped her head to one side. As fate would have it, in arms reach lay the contraption of her desire.
"The GAUNT… I made it", never had a person been more terrified, yet relived in conjunction. It encompassed the form of a brass coated tube, intricate dials and levers could be seen throughout the apparatus, as a glass barrel extended upwards as far as the eye could see. Growling from effort, sweat beading from her brow she reached into her leather-bound satchel and withdrew the key of the future.
With only yards now separating the faction of androids from her, she expended the last morsel of energy she could muster to fit what looked like a ball of beautifully pristine gold into the enigmatic device. As best she could with the remaining extent of her cognitive function she punched in a set of coordinates and slammed her hand vehemently on the device. With a violent whistle, the sphere shot vertically awaiting its unknown destination. A smile ran across her face as she faded into unconscious. In purgatory she lingered, waiting for the automatons to take her into detention.