COLOSSUS

The train silently zoomed out of an icy tunnel like a bullet. Onboard was a squad of troops. This was no ordinary train, but a transporter train, and it was carrying a special cargo codenamed C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S, designed for a purpose known only to certain people in higher positions as its top secret. In the passenger aisle, Samuel Kris brought a cup of coffee to a rather bored Riley Winter.

"How much longer till we arrive at our destination?" he asked.

"We arrive at 0600 hours tomorrow." Samuel answered.

"Shit." Riley sighed, "I don't know why we're even assigned to this. Nobody even knows about this project, whatever the hell it is."

Samuel gave a small chuckle. " I know. Too many paranoid pencil pushers. They want to go to every great length to make sure their project is secured. But hey, at least they're paying us double for this so it's easy money."

Riley snorted. "It's not like it's going to get stolen or anything."

In the cargo department, a technician was next to a large container, checking the conditions of the project through a small screen. As he worked, a Private Wilson stood over, watching.

"What does C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S stand for?" he asked curiously.

Without looking, the technician shook his head. "I have no idea. I'm only paid to check its status and fix any faulty wiring and keep it cold. Whatever it is is above my pay grade."

Wilson tried to take a peek through the small window to get a better look but all he could see was ice. "Why does it gotta be kept on ice?" he asked. "I don't know. Probably keeping it from overheating or something." After tapping the screen a few times, the technician shut off the monitor. "Well, everything checks out. We should--"

A small spark shot out from a small compartment on the side of the container. "I guess it doesn't like you." Wilson snickered, much to the technician's annoyance. The technician took out his kit and knelt down next to the box.

"This is the 8th time I've had to fix it. "State-of-the-art" my ass." he rambled irritably. "Is it possible that it's faulty wiring?" Wilson asked. The technician shook his head. "I've checked the wiring before. It's not the--AAH! MOTHERFUCK--" The technician jerked his hand away after receiving a small zap. He put his hand to his mouth for a second before flicking it.

"I think you're right about the faulty wiring. I'm going to have word with--" Suddenly, the container started beeping loudly and the technician checked the monitor quickly. "Shit, the product's overheating. I gotta get the door open." he said.

He pressed a couple buttons and air hissed through the door. Just as the technician opened the door, a metallic skeletal hand with spikes on the finger tips shot out, tearing into the technician's chests, killing him instantly. The door swung open as Wilson fell and scrambled backwards frantically. A robotic skeleton stepped out, its red eyes focused on the dead technician. Wilson fumbled his pistol out of its holster and fired a couple shots.

As the bullets bounced off the robot harmlessly, the robot turned its head towards Wilson, glaring with a menacing fixed grin. Just as he changed magazines, Wilson aimed at the robot before a metal bar impaled him through the throat from behind. The robot dropped the technician's corpse and looked at both bodies. Back in the passenger department, the lights went out and a loud alarm went off while red lights flashed on. Riley and the others jumped to their feet and gathered weapons.

"LET'S GO! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! MOVE, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE! " Riley barked. As the soldiers began moving their way to the cargo department, Riley and Samuel placed on headsets. "I'll lead, you follow, Riley." Samuel said. Riley nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Good luck."

Samuel took off with the men as Riley finished preparing. He switched on the comms and listened in as he began to leave for the cargo department. Samuel's voice crackled on the radio, "Alright, men, stay close, and watch for hostiles."

Some indistinct voices came through as Riley moved slowly, pistol drawn. "Riley, we just made it to the cargo department. The door's already open. We're about to enter." Riley pressed the button on his headset. "Roger. I'm almost there. Be careful."

As he picked up the pace, Samuel's voice picked up. "Shit! The container's open. There's nothing in there."

"Damn it." Riley muttered before pressing the button. "They must've taken the project."

"Must have. There's blood on the floor but no bodies. Wait. I see one of the soldiers. It's Private Wilson. His back is to us. I'm about to ask him."

Riley stopped listened closely.

"Private Wilson, what's going on-- what the-- OPEN FI--" Samuel's voice cut off to static. Riley heard gunshots, followed by screams. He ran to the cargo department. He stopped dead in his tracks when silence, excluding the alarm, fell almost immediately after the shooting started. He quickly pressed the button. "Samuel, are you there? Talk to me!" There was no response. He pressed the button again. "Sam. Are you there? Come in. What's going on?"

Again, there was no response. "Fuck." he muttered. Riley cautiously made his way to the department. When he arrived, he saw that the container was empty. As he took his first step, he felt something solid. He looked down to find bullet casings with a few rifles on a large puddle of blood. He holstered his pistol and picked up one of the rifles.

As he scanned up to the container, he saw that there were no bodies.

Riley moved around the container and froze.

A corpse dangled from the ceiling with cable and wirings hooked to it all over.

A red light flickered on from within the left eye and the corpse raised its head. It was Samuel. Half of the flesh and tissue were gone, revealing part of a bloodied skeleton within. Bits of metal and wiring were covered in blood with some of the wiring being in Samuel's left eye socket. Samuel's left eye was replaced with a cybernetic red eye.

The fleshy side of Samuel's face was completely pale and deadpanned. The corpse's head animatronically turned side to side, looking about. Then the corpse raised its hands and looked at them, seeing all the exposed bone, tissue, wiring, and metal, before looking at Riley. It opened its mouth to scream when Riley put his gun to its mouth and fired, silencing it forever.

He then heard a series of footsteps moving and he turned around, to see more of these zombified cyborgs like Samuel. They began wailing in unison before they rushed at him Riley opened fire, tearing into the corpses and killing them. When he stopped firing, he looked closely. What monstrosity did this?

Riley turned again, only to be struck in the chest and flung to his back by the skeletal robot. He grabbed his gun and fired, only to find that bullets cannot harm this machine as it advanced towards him.

He threw the gun at the machine and scrambled to his feet. He ran out if the cargo hold and shut the door. The machine tore through the door like paper. Just as Riley took out a grenade, the machine stopped. It then spoke in a pleasant but eerie tone with its mouth not moving.

"Now where's the fun in that?"

Riley's blood ran cold upon hearing it speak but he gripped the pin tightly. "What are you?" he asked.

The machine gave a rather pleasant bow. "I am C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S, at your service." it answered, "I must say, it is a rather fitting name."

Already feeling uneasy enough, Riley asked, "Are you responsible for killing those men?" C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S rose. ""Killing" is such a primitive word. I prefer to see it as freeing fragile souls from their husks."

"What is your functioning?"

"Why, to adapt and survive, of course. During the trip, I took the liberty to hack and study everything, all within the comfort of my own prison. Humanity is such a fragile species, I must confess."

Riley prepared himself for the next question. "Are you advanced A.I.?"

C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S laughed, which sent a chill down Riley's spine.

"Hardly. Artificial Intelligence has limitations, regardless of how much programming you put into it. I, however, do not. Let's just say I'm the next step to evolution."

"What are you talking about?" Riley asked as he took a step back.

"My programming, mind you, is to adapt and survive. However, upon the amount of studying, I've learned quite much. Humanity has lived long enough. I aim to exterminate it and let a new dominant species, in this case the machines, take over."

Riley shook his head. "That's not going to happen."

"And who will stop me? You? Your superiors? My creator? The nations of the world? Please. You humans are too reliant on technology. Plus, after centuries of hatred towards one another, none of you would be able to put aside differences, even when you're at the twilight of extinction, long enough to defeat me. Your arrogance, your pride, your resilience, all of it has defeated you. You honestly think that I am limited to this robotic shell? I can do far more than you dare dream. Humanity has no chance against me."

"You're pretty boastful for a program." Riley remarked. "What of those men you killed and turned into mechanical puppets? Is that your idea of a new dominant species?"

C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S turned his head. "Those were entertainment for my pleasure. It was rather amusing watching you humans fight desperately against something you deem hostile. What I have in mind, you cannot comprehend nor understand. All you know is that you were told to protect me from hostiles, yet you went from "protect" to "engage". You're only doing what you were trained and for that, I commend you."

C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S then looked at Riley raised his hand slightly.

"I believe that's enough talk for now." With a flick of his hand, the pin in the grenade broke off and Riley immediately threw it at C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S, who caught it with ease.

As Riley ran, the grenade in C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S's hand detonated, engulfing the machine. The machine walked out of the roaring flames unscathed.

Closing the door behind him, Riley pressed a button and made his way to the train engine. Behind him, blast doors closed. With little to no effort, C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S tore through them. Sentry guns descended and pointed at him.

"Typical." he said unamused. The guns opened up on him. As bullets bounced harmlessly off him, he looked at one to his right. The gun turned to the other and destroyed it before it self destructed. As another one descended, C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S stared at it, his red eyes flickering slightly, and the sentry gun ascended back into the ceiling. The blast doors then opened automatically, allowing passage for the machine.

When Riley made it to the front of the train, he found that the engineer was dead. In fact, the engineer was a smoldering corpse. Riley saw that the console was flickering with bits of sparks shooting out.

He knew he had to stop the train but he couldn't touch the console without being electrocuted like the engineer. He knew only one other option; wrecking the train. The train was still going through ice so he figured that speeding it up would surely cause one. Riley looked about until he found a wooden broomstick. He grabbed it and reached for the throttle. Upon touching it, he pressed it upwards and he could feel the train increasing speed. Now it was only a matter of time.

He heard the door open and he turned to see C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S standing there. "Oh, that will take too long. Please... allow me."

With that, C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S tore through the floor and pulled out an axle with train wheels attached to it. The train lurched and fell off the tracks, bringing all the cars with it. After enough tumbling, crunching, flames spewing, and wreckage flying everywhere, the train stopped.

Riley was flung from the train as it wrecked and he lied in the snow bank just a bit away from the engine. Wind howled and blasted snow all over him. Groaning, Riley sat up, gritting his teeth in pain as his ribs hurt along with everything else. He looked at the train engine. It was over.

Hs then took notice of glistening silver climbing out and his heart sank. It was C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S himself. He stepped out of the train unscathed and he stretched and flexed, as if he were preparing for a jog. C.O.L.O.S.S.U.S looked about, viewing the wreckage, until he spotted Riley. He gave Riley a two-finger salute and walked away, disappearing into the blizzard. Riley coughed as he stood up.

He searched about until he found a loaded gun. He cocked his weapon and, limping, began his pursuit after the machine.