Cold.

The cold feeling of metal ran across my back, sinking into my spine as I tried to shake myself from deep sleep. My eyes blinked at the light, trying to adjust to it while I tried to recall the events leading to this moment.

All I drew was a simple blank. There was nothing I could remember of my past, nor of what has happened to me. My core processed the information, deciding that it was best to look around and observe my surroundings.

But as my eyes adjusted, I saw the corpses...

The corpses of my fellow robots.

My core quickly assessed the damages to my exoskeleton. Head… ok. Arms… ok. Legs… gone. I looked down to find my legs damaged beyond repair, floating off into the void of space. I ignored it and continued my assessment. Core… damaged. That was likely the cause of my memory loss and why I had blacked out.

My priority was set. My backpack thruster burst to life, moving me ever so slowly to the fallen robot. Its core was exposed, showing off it’s broken circuitry. Sparing no time to investigate its death, I quickly detached its leg before replacing what was left of mine with it. My body shuddered as I forcefully inserted them into the leg slots, ensuring that they wouldn’t fall off easily.

Now with my new legs, my core ran another scan of my systems. All systems were in the green, ready for my core to command. Luckily the damage was minimal and nothing was afoot aside for my memory banks. Still close to the body of the robot, I patched into its memory, determined to know its final minutes before it succumbed to its fate.

I regretted my decision as soon as I started the download.

Processing the information stream, I browse through the events that had transpired here. A few key memories stuck. The sudden appearance of a blue fighter, the destruction of the Spathas under plasma fire, the explosions that knocked the crew out of the Centurion and the loss of the cargo ship.

Barely five minutes had passed before my fellow robot lunged forward, its eyes capturing the plasma that ate into its core before blacking out, never to record anything again. It was bizarre, suspicious even, to think that one fighter had chewed away at the convoy with little to no damage. Not only that, but it also managed to get close without the convoy being ready for it.

But it did, and the convoy paid dearly for it.

I considered my options while floating in the middle of the graveyard. Building a ship would be good, but there are no fuel cells for me to salvage. Trying to get back under backpack thruster power is idiotic. Hitch a ride? Sure, if there's anyone who knew that this fleet was destroyed. They wouldn't use this route.

Moments later, I saw a ship making its approach, it’s turrets trained at the remains of the massacre. My core quickly searched through the records. A Veles class torpedo corvette. Its multiple doors opened up, it’s crew jumping out and prodding the bodies of the fallen.

My arms waved towards them, trying to grab their attention. Slowly, heads turned towards my direction, the robots stopping all their work as if not believing that someone had survived. With their attention gained, I used my thrusters to slowly move towards them, to get aboard and to warn them of the threat.

Once aboard the Veles, I was greeted by two armed guards, both carrying plasma rifles. Without a word, they grab my arms, preventing me from escaping their grip as they escorted me to the bridge. On the way there, I could not help but wonder how the crew had found out about my predicament.

The guards released me when we reached the bridge, blocking the exit as a robot with a rank of Major stood in front of me, its arms crossed as it stared at me from top to bottom.

“Endoskeleton 5960, huh? Captain Talos of the cargo ship Xhalium Dust, I’m endoskeleton 7567, Major Halix of the Veles class torpedo corvette Archer. I want you to tell me about the fighter that you’ve encountered,” it transmitted its text to me, allowing me to read his message.

“Major Halix,” I replied back, “my memory banks were damaged but from one of the fallen, I saw a blue fighter. It only had two wings on its sides.”

“Only two wings you say? This isn’t good, we’ve already declared war against the Kingdom for this. Can you confirm the information?”

“Yes. The fighter had two wings.”

“A shame then. Guards, execute him and melt all the endoskeletons here.”

My eyes widened as I turned back, looking at the weapons trained at me. I barely had any chance to move before the plasma rifles burst to life, hitting my core and throwing me down on the floor.

My last view was of the two guards walking towards me, aiming their rifles at my core before pulling the trigger...

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