The Deathless Trilogy

1.27. Prowler Attack

The leaders were right about me, I act well under pressure, because as we run toward the Prowlers, all I can think about is destroying the machines. I feel nothing but the adrenaline coursing through me and the weight of my legs pushing off the ground.

The moonlight reflects off of the Prowlers, who clumsily stomp through camp, straight toward us and the tent full of weapons and gear. We have to defend it.

I am strong. I am fearless. I repeat these words to myself with every step I take.

The unarmed Deathless refugees scream and run past those of us who are charging to fight, but all I hear are the giant machines' war cries. I stay with the crowd of soldiers heading toward the Prowlers, and just keep running. I can't feel my legs anymore. I'm numb to the pain that I'm sure I'll be in once the adrenaline wears off, but I've never been a stronger runner.

The screams fade beneath the sound of the Prowlers, and the ground pounds with each step from their mechanical legs.

A few of the nearby dwellings crumble to the ground, and I'm pretty sure mine is among them. Some of the soldiers break from the group to check for survivors beneath the rubble. Luckily, they aren't heavy structures.

We reach a clearing where the Prowlers have gathered. There seems to be at least ten of them, more than I've ever seen in one place, and as I near them, I notice something: These aren't the regular Prowlers. Their bodies are now coated in a shiny, silver glaze and their limbs move more fluidly. Their old red lights that used to blink twice over their prey are now a continuous stream of uninterrupted laser energy. These are new models.

We all stop in front of them, and the closest Prowler bends toward us, its gears' screech piercing through the chaos. Then it does something I've never seen a Prowler do before: It opens its collector hatch, like a mouth in its chest, and roars a deep mechanical bellow, vibrating the earth and pushing air out of its way. But it's not just any roar... the Prowler is saying something. I listen again as it roars, "Ay-a oom."

Did it just try to say my name?

"Charge!" I hear General Sato scream, and there's no time to think. All of us leap forward, shooting at the machines with our electric pulse guns and compressed magnets. The Prowler machines aren't as quickly affected by the pulses as their predecessors, and they continue forward, scooping up Deathless refugees and soldiers and tossing them or throwing them into their hatches; but little by little, the magnets seem to slow them down.

I pull back one of my bullets, aim at the Prowler's hatch, and release. The bullet whizzes through the air and strikes deep within the Prowler. It's the last attack it can stand. Electric bolts pulse around the great machine, and it begins to collapse.

"Heads up!" I scream. I don't even recognize my voice. It's too panicked and rough to be mine.

Soldiers move out of the way as it falls to the ground around us, and we continue to the next machine.

Some refugees run toward us with curved stilts, the ones Mom made. A refugee throws a pair to me. "Strap these on!" she yells.

I don't ask questions. I run for cover then quickly strap the stilts to my feet. One of the refugees is huddled beneath what's left of a dwelling near me, so I yell to him, "Pull me up!"

He runs toward me and pulls me to a standing position, so that I'm now at least 4 feet taller than him. "Thanks," I yell over the chaos.

I take a step and feel the stilts spring beneath me. I take another few steps to gain my balance, but I have no time to waste. The Prowlers are swatting at soldiers and falling over the camp, destroying all they touch.