Chapter 9 - The Last Stand
The imposing metal frame of the combat android completely blocked the only exit from the server room.
Derrick whimpered pathetically, crawling backward on his hands and knees away from the terrifying machine.
"I thought you said the system rebooted!" Derrick screamed over the mechanical whine of the spinning cannon.
"The house rebooted, but the android operates on an entirely localized combat network," Ethan realized, his heart hammering wildly in his chest.
"Marcus must have manually activated its autonomous kill-mode before he fled down the chute."
The rotary cannon spun faster, emitting a high-pitched whine that signaled imminent firing.
Ethan looked frantically around the foam-covered room for any kind of viable weapon.
His sharp eyes landed on a heavy, carbon-fiber fire extinguisher securely mounted on the wall.
"Derrick, when I move, you run as fast as you can for the broken glass doors," Ethan commanded sharply.
"Target acquired," the android's synthetic, emotionless voice droned.
The heavy cannon erupted, tearing shredded metal and concrete from the walls as a hail of massive bullets tore through the room.
Ethan dove forward and rolled, skillfully grabbing the fire extinguisher off the metal bracket.
He pulled the safety pin and hurled the heavy red cylinder directly at the android's armored chestplate.
As the cylinder flew through the air, Ethan grabbed Marcus's discarded pistol from the wet floor.
He aimed carefully, not at the robot, but at the pressurized fire extinguisher spinning through the air.
He pulled the trigger.
The bullet pierced the thick cylinder just inches before it reached the android.
A massive, violent explosion of highly pressurized chemical foam and jagged shrapnel blasted the heavy android backward.
The thick, incredibly sticky foam completely covered its optical sensors and jammed the delicate gears of its rotary cannon.
The machine stumbled blindly, its weapon clicking uselessly as it tried to clear its obscured vision.
"Now, run!" Ethan shouted, pulling Derrick forcefully to his feet.
They sprinted desperately past the flailing machine, dodging its heavy, blind, mechanical punches.
They scrambled frantically through the shattered glass doors and ran down the freezing hallway toward the basement stairs.
Above them, they could hear the glorious, beautiful sound of police sirens and the chaotic cheering of the guests finally pouring out onto the street.
They burst upward through the basement doors and collapsed onto the gravel driveway, gasping deeply for the fresh, unpoisoned California air.
Derrick lay completely broken in the dirt as heavily armed police officers aggressively swarmed the property.
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An officer quickly approached Ethan, shining a bright tactical flashlight directly into his exhausted face.
"Are you the one who successfully initiated the emergency override?" the officer asked cautiously.
