War Beast

Book Two: Chapter 10

"What the hell is going on now!?" Cluster turned toward the small screen and pushed a button on the panel.

On the screen, Cluster saw a strange humanoid creature running around inside his factory chamber. Five probes were pursuing him while shooting blue laser beams at him. One shot and the animal will get vanished into a pile of dust.

"Well, that will entertain me." Although Cluster enjoyed watching inferior creatures run for their lives, he wondered how the creature sneaked into his base.

Cluster's base was full of probes that could detect anything before the creature could approach them. And he placed a force field around the perimeter where nothing could easily get in. The force field could fry a creature when it touches the wall. But if the creature could jump over the force field, the probes should immediately attack it. Well, that lion might be lucky to get into the base, but it won't last long. Cluster couldn't wait to see the primitive get vaporized.

Run, catty cat! Run! Cluster laughed until he noticed something wrong on the other screen. "What the-"

The human female he captured was running through the hallway. How did she escape?

Nothing weak could break off the metal braces on the table. Nobody could have sneaked in and pulled the braces off her. Cluster could only unlock the braces from inside his control chamber. How could that female free herself?

But no matter what, Cluster was sure his probes could catch her too. He would just sit near his computer screens and watch closely. Nobody should be able to escape from his base.

*****

Jenny stopped when three probes hovered toward her. She ran back but stopped again. Three more probes from where she ran from were closing in on her.

Who set off the alarm? Jenny knew she didn't do that. Did something break into the alien's base? For now, she had to get out of the corridor.

Jenny glanced around and spotted a ventilation shaft on the wall. Since it wasn't too high, Jenny dashed toward the wall and jumped up. She grabbed onto the shaft and yanked it off.

After the shaft fell to the floor, Jenny leaped into the ventilation tunnel and crawled through. The probes outside stopped and watched her crawl away. None of them could fit through the ventilation.

Jenny wished the siren didn't go off during her escape. If the alarm didn't go off, Jenny wouldn't have the trouble of getting out of the base without getting caught. With so many robots inside the base, Jenny would need to stick to close quarters where the machines couldn't reach her. If not, Jenny would have to run for her life through the wide-open spaces. Maybe by luck, Cluster has a spacecraft she could use to escape on. It would be a lot better than running on foot.

My feet could really use a break from running. Jenny stopped near another shaft on the left side. She pushed on it, but the vent wouldn't bust open.

So she turned around and kicked it. The shaft soon fell down and on the floor below.

Yes! Jenny took a peek through the open vent.

The chamber was enormous, full of conveyor belts, carrying mechanic parts. Metal arms were putting the parts together, forming the saucer-shaped probes.

The chamber was som3 kind of robot factory, making hundreds and hundreds of probes. How many robots did the alien needed? He must need millions to complete the gateway faster.

Jenny heard a buzzing sound and looked back. Two metal tentacles were stretching toward her from the end of the ventilation tunnel.

Without thinking, Jenny crawled and fell out through the vent. She fell headfirst, screaming out her lungs. But then, two strong fluffy arms caught her before her face hit the metal floor below the conveyor belts.

"Jenny!" Huntar hugged her, rubbing his muzzle against her cheek.

"Oh, Huntar!" With relief, Jenny hugged back. "How did you find me here?"

The lion chuckled and placed her down. "I caught a ride on those strange flying creatures. None of them noticed I am here till one spotted me."

Oh! So he was the one who set off the alarm. But that doesn't matter. Jenny was glad Huntar could rescue her.

She hugged him again, feeling his soft abs rubbing against her cheek. Of course, he was taller than her, but his abs felt nice.

Jenny blushed. Oh, Jenny! Get a hold of yourself!

Loud buzzing sounds grew through the factory chamber, like bees returning to their hive.

Huntar released Jenny and held out his broadsword. "We aren't safe yet!"

From above, many saucer probes swarmed together and descended toward Huntar and Jenny. Their red eyes blinked, ready to fire.

Huntar growled. "Those creatures have found us!"

"They're not creatures! They are machines!" Jenny explained.

"What?"

The probes blasted their beams down. Huntar picked up Jenny and race from the beams. Sometimes Jenny grew tired of Huntar carrying her like a damsel in distress, but the lion man could run faster than her. Trusting him was all she could do right now to escape.

Huntar stopped behind a tower and placed Jenny down. He peeked over to watch the probes approaching. "I should be able to ambush them from here."

Before Jenny opened her mouth, a long metal tentacle wrapped around her leg and yanked her up off the ground. "Huntar!"

A saucer probe carried her up with tentacles hanging beneath it. Now she knew where the strange arms were coming from.

"Hold up!" Huntar climbed up the tower and jumped onto the probe as it flew up. The other probes followed it, of course, to eliminate the intruder.

Huntar lifted his sword up and stabbed it into the probe's head. The thing plummeted toward Jenny while shaking and electric bolts sparked across its body.

Jenny screamed, falling down to her possible death.

"Jenny!" Huntar screamed. He couldn't believe what he just did.