My overhead smash crashed down in an explosion of sparks. Only a single leg still twitched. Two more approached from my right but a heavy swing caught both and sent them tumbling. A bolt flew past me into the shadows, followed by a decreasing whir like machinery powering down.

  “We should have taken our chances with the bounty hunters,” I said.

  “They’re very good at what they do,” Ruza replied from behind me.

  Robeep clubbed a Spinedrinker to death with alternating hydraulic stabs. “I’m sorry,” he said to it.

  Another spider rushed straight for me. I stopped it by interposing Plank in a reverse guard and shoving with my shoulder. A grunt accompanied the strain as I flipped the bastard upside down, finishing it off with a two-handed punt.

  “Sure, but we’d only have to win one, maybe two fights to escape them, right?”

  “Susawa, they wander the wasteland for a living. We wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  “Forgive me,” Robeep said as he methodically smashed another one to bits.

  The walking fates worse than death ignored him completely. Their disregard meant he killed them with ridiculous ease. Unfortunately, they just kept on coming. We’d been at this for hours now. The waves weren’t continuous which allowed Ruza to run out and recollect her ammunition. Another piece of rebar whizzed past.

  “Even if they’d catch us, the end result would still be better than what’ll happen here.”

  “I don’t know. Cranking a well for centuries with no hope of escape is probably worse than suffering for a few decades and then dying.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  Robeep finished off the last one while Ruza wandered out. He leaned over it, gently stroking the wreck while muttering about what could have been. Both of them had excellent night vision. I couldn’t do much in the beginning and had to throw around some half burned logs to extend my line of sight. It made for a strange battle, having to keep a fire going in the lulls between assaults.

  Ruza returned from her foray and grimaced at a piece of rebar. It was slightly bent. “Useless now, that’s the fifth one already. At this rate I’m going to run out entirely.”

  The one I’d flipped was mostly intact. A chat with the robotics shopkeeper back in the golem village gave me an idea of what parts were in demand across the wasteland. Alas, these bots were so worn down that we wouldn’t get more than a few coppers for the best bits.

  “Robeep, how long until dawn? I figure they’ll go back to recharging once the sun comes up.”

  His torso twisted towards me. “The night is approximately halfway through,” he returned to the broken bot, “You have gone to a better place now. I hope you will find peace in the great data farm, where the power supply is unlimited, the oil flows freely and processing capacity grows factorially.”

  “Susawa… More are coming. A lot more.”

  “Crap. Robeep stop consoling the horror bot, it’s gone. Get in there and start killing.”

  “We will talk later about your lack of sensitivity, Susawa. Can’t you see I am in pain? This lack of empathy is disturbing.” He brandished dual Brainseekers and shuffled listlessly into the dark. “Please don’t make me do this,” he pleaded, right before the carnage started anew.

  The wave went well in the beginning. Robeep managed to thin them out while my wide sweeps killed two or three at a time while Ruza watched my back. But most of us weren’t machines. Inevitably, Ruza missed a shot which allowed a Spinedrinker to flank me. They had some kind of taser and the shock put me on my knees. I heard her crossbow thud into the ground and the distinct metallic scrape of her sword being drawn.

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  Another jolt of electricity prevented me from getting up while Ruza’s repeated slashes apparently failed to stop my assailant. Robeep had to take care of it. Afterwards, I dragged Plank across the rocks towards my bedroll, hoping for some level of comfort while sitting down. My right hand cramped so badly it was impossible to let go of my weapon anymore. The tasing made it worse. Ruza sawed through more deadwood with her rusty wakizashi. A few more logs brightened the fire.

  She peered into the black. “Oh no,” she said, “Robeep, stay here this time, we’ll need you close.”

  Here we go again. This one lasted too long. No matter how many we destroyed, more were waiting. Ruza ran out of bolts. I’d been downed a couple of times already. My arms strained, my breath labored and my heart pounded in my ears. Metal fragments flew every which way with every back and forth swing. Then I heard her scream, just as the onslaught ceased.

  “Help!”

  Glancing over my shoulder showed she’d been separated from us. One spider shocked her but she resisted somehow. Her blade slashed at the prodding stick but failed to do any damage. Electricity sparked again and she fell backwards onto the waiting back of another.

  Three pairs of clamps shot out from its sides. Two overpowered her resistance but she pulled up a knee to stop the third. It wasn’t enough and the clamp clicked shut. Small robot arms pulled two straps over her while she struggled in vain. Then it turned around and fled.

  “Robeep! They’ve got Ruza.”

  “WHAT?! That is my fellow meatbag! This is unacceptable. I am no longer sorry. DIE THIEVES! GIVE HER BACK OR I WILL OVERCLOCK YOUR PAIN CIRCUITS!” He killed the other in one blow while chasing after her.

  I was slowed down by having to grab a torch from the fire and snatching up the backpack along with Ruza’s wakizashi before following. They weren’t particularly fast but we kept getting delayed by more showing up. Robeep screamed all the while, “I will find your creator and dissect him in front of your optical circuits!”

  Ruza’s status showed as captured. The torch burned close to my hand, boiling skin. It was almost an afterthought. I didn’t care about the pain. Rage fueled me onwards. You’re not taking away the only nice person I’ve met in this hellhole. Eventually we reached a crevasse, echoing with Ruza’s cries for help. Robeep looked down.

  “It mocks us, Susawa. We must find a way to rescue Ruza and then trap this filthy abductor in a box buried a mile deep in the desert,” he raised his voice, “ONLY I MAY KILL MY FELLOW MEATBAGS. GIVE HER BACK!” He turned back to me. “You were right, Susawa. Omnicide is the way. I will never make this mistake again, I promise.”

  I couldn’t even see her in the flickering light. We didn’t have any rope, and even if we did, there was no way we could do anything. But then her status changed. BEING EATEN ALIVE!!! All reason left me. I tossed what remained of my torch down. The shadows chased after it. Right before they covered me, Ruza’s trapped form appeared below, as if standing upright. Needles jammed against the crossbow slung over her back. How it had managed to flip her over didn't matter as impulse took control of my body.

  My legs moved on their own. I jumped. Robeep shouted, “THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM THE MURDER KING!”

  Air rushed past and I landed on the bot. It teetered while my teeth ripped at the straps, my free arm tore a clamp off, then another. Ruza’s captor jolted precariously as chunks of rock tore loose from the cliff. My broken horn caught on the second strap while the third clamp creaked from supporting my full weight. Ruza wiggled and pushed against the spider’s spine.

  I heard Robeep scream, “TO MURDER!” just as the Spinedrinker lost its grip. The last clamp broke. The shift of weight caused my horn to slice through the final strap. As we all fell, I saw Robeep plummet past an outcrop where the torch had gotten stuck. He’d undershot the jump, probably because he tried to bring Plank along for the ride.

  Ruza’s voice screamed a thank you from the dark. The drop lasted for a while, but it was alright. At least we’d die together. It happened in slow motion. First my good leg caught on jutting rock and something snapped. An impact shook my entire body before the realization set in. It forced my breath out, followed by a splash, wetness, and complete disorientation. I flailed helplessly, already drowning. Which way is up?! Consciousness left me.

  I came to with a gasp, and then coughed violently. Water burned in my lungs and throat. A hand patted my back.

  “Thank Cor’Athaz, you’re alive. I was afraid we’d lost you,” Ruza said, “Robeep had to help me drag you out of the lake. For once, I’m glad for his obsessions.”

  Definitely brain damage this time. My hands grasped around in a panic. Two fingers on my left were melted stuck together. Moving caused a spike of pain to lance up my leg. My right hand groped, sliding along telescopic splint edges until it touched exposed bone and my heart quickened.

  “Careful,” she said, “You had an external fracture. I’ve set it, that’s just a growth you’re feeling.”

  My eyes were open, yet there was only darkness. It felt like walls closing in. “Ruza, this is bad. I think I’m blind.”

  Robeep answered first, “It seems to be contagious. My meatbag eyes fail to perceive a signal as well.”

  “What?”

  Ruza illuminated the matter, “You’re not blind, Susawa. There just isn’t any light.”

  “Oh. Well, fire up a torch or something then.”

  “There’s nothing to burn, we’re in an underground cavern.”

  Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse.