Max lowered the ramp and peered out into the deadly world beyond. They were in the same power conduit room where they would eventually destroy the Repressor’s power supply. Max cautiously moved down the ramp making sure there was no welcoming committee.   “See anything Max?” James whispered.   “Nothing, we haven’t been detected yet. Keep your fingers crossed and lets get this job over with. Lock Guenivere inside and lets get going,” Max called back.

“Listen I have an idea, let me stay here with Guenivere. We’re going to need some way of containing it right?” James called back.   Max though for a moment. James was right they had no way of containing the annihilator once they found one.

“Ok, keep Guenivere there with you, I’ll make better time on my own anyway. Just have whatever cage your going to build ready,” Max called back and disappeared.   “James, I wish to go with him. A warrior must not fight alone. I wish to go into battle with him,” Guenivere looked at James seriously.

“You want to help Max?” James said moving to the bags he had packed.

“Yes” she quickly spoke.

“Then help me, because we haven’t got a lot of time,” James spoke sternly.   Guenivere crouched down and began helping James sort out the materials he brought.   Max pulled the Browning 45apc out and chambered the first round. He reached over his shoulder and felt the hilt of his sword that was strapped over his shoulder. He felt chills rush through his body as he scanned the hallways. Little drone robots scurried through the halls on preprogrammed tasks. Max moved from hall to hall trying to remember the layout of the level he was on. Rounding a corner he came face to face with an Annihilator. The man was huge and Max bounced off him. Behind the man were four other Annihilators. One was male, the other female and a small girl about eleven. Max let the pistol bang off round after round into the huge man. He fell back the bullets piercing the outer flesh and striking the intertwined circuit boards. The man writhed on the floor bleeding profusely.   The others moved forward taking a defensive posture and probably contacting the main frame of an intruder.

James had just finished constructing the pen to hold the Annihilator. He leaned up against one of the chairs the sweat pouring off his brow. The air was stifling hot. He could turn on the air-conditioning but the power drain was something they couldn’t afford right now. He was unaware of Guenivere who moved swiftly up behind him striking him on the back of the head with a wrench. His world instantly went fuzzy and he collapsed in a heap on the floor.

“I am sorry my friend but my man needs me at his side,” she said carrying the wrench out of the machine with her. She removed the heels letting them fall to the floor she could make better time without them. She raced in the direction that Max had gone hoping to find him.

Max drew the sword out concentrating on the threat now in front of him. The blade began to glow a bright purple as desperation and stress tightened his muscles. The child moved forward first catching Max unaware and unprepared for its attack. The child grabbed him by the arm and tossed him hard against the wall knocking the wind out of him. The child rushed him again only this time he was able to bring the sword up between them. The flat side of the blade touched the child sending a surge of energy through it. The force knocked the child back against the wall leaving it slumped in a heap the excess energy crackling around it. The male moved up quickly but Max drove the sword deep into its chest instantly disrupting its circuits.

“Sir Max? Sir Max where are you?” came a voice from down the corridor.   Max turned to look just as the woman moved forward walloping her fist against Max’s face.   Max was thrown off his feet sliding across the floor. Blood dripped from his mouth as he crawled to his feet. The woman bent down and grabbed a beam rifle from the huge man Max had shot. Before he could concentrate to use the sword a beam of light struck his shoulder burning a deep wound into his skin and knocking him back down on the floor. Pain racked his body as he dragged himself to his feet again. The woman was about to shoot again when Guenivere came up from behind and threw all her weight along with the wrench into the back of her head. There was a flash of light as the woman collapsed forward to the floor.   “You were lucky that I came out to find you,” Guenivere stood there holding the wrench.

“Yeah, right,” Max said rubbing his bruised jaw.

Staggering to his feet he sheathed the sword and looked around. He had his choice, he doubted that any of them were totally not functioning. He bent over to pick up the child then stopped when he looked into her face. He couldn’t take her, he wouldn’t be able to bare what he might have to do to access the time circuit. The huge man was out, he couldn’t carry him. He walked over to the other man and examined the hole in his chest that the sword had put there. Little sparks burst and crackled. He decided against taking him because he didn’t know how much damage had been done. That left the woman which would have been Max’s last choice. He had been deceived by a woman before, a woman that almost killed him. He could always try and find another Annihilator, but he looked at his watch. There was very little time left which left him no choice. He bent down and grunted as he draped her over his shoulder.   As they made their way back to the machine Max looked at Guenivere.   “Why did you leave the machine?” he asked bluntly.

“I somehow knew you were in trouble. A knight should always have a woman he’s fighting for and a woman that will fight for him,” she said with a tone of nobility.   “Remember Guenivere, I already have that woman,” Max said coldly.

Guenivere looked at him with hurt eyes. Max could tell she was fighting between what she knew was right and what her heart wanted. When they reached the machine James stood in the doorway cradling the AK47 rifle and rubbing the back of his head.

“What did you do?” Max snapped.

“I did what I had to,” she said coldly back.   Just then the Annihilator began to writhe on Max’s shoulder almost causing him to drop her.

“Bring her in here quickly Max. If she goes back on line we’ll never get her in here,” James said setting the rifle down.   Max brought her inside the machine and looked at the contraption James had designed to hold it. He had placed steel cable hooked to grommets against the farthest wall in a zig zag pattern. They placed the woman underneath the cable her arms outstretched and bolted firmly to the ships hull. Her legs were bound tightly and shackled to the wall.   “Will that hold her?” Max asked.   “I pray to God it does. Because if that thing gets loose in here we’re all dead,” he looked back.

“She’s awake,” Guenivere said touching Max.   The female Annihilator raised it head and opened its eye’s scanning its surroundings. It then tried to get free writhing against the steel shackles and cables. A deep growl came from deep inside her and she gritted her teeth at Max straining further on her bonds.   “Watch, this should quiet her down,” James said flicking a switch on and off on the console. A blue arc of electricity jolted through the cables and into the Annihilator.   She stopped squirming and stared intently at her captors.

“Good idea,” Max said as he turned to flip the power to the machine back on.   Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the lumbering form of the man he had shot earlier coming up the ramp. Max dove to the floor grabbing the AK47 rifle that James had propped up against the wall. The gun went off ripping the bullets through the chamber and expelling the shell casings on the floor. The bullets ripped into the huge man knocking him backwards out of the machine. Guenivere screamed and covered her ears as the gun kicked out the shells. The huge man rolled off the ramp leaving a bloody streak. Max looked up to see hordes of others entering the room.   “Dear God! James get us out of here quick!” Max screamed. James keyed in the controls and the machine instantly disappeared. Max closed his eyes to keep the sudden feeling of falling from getting out of control.   It was over as soon as they felt themselves falling. Max opened his eyes and looked over at the Annihilator. It had absorbed a woman around 28. She had long straight brownish hair. Her features told Max she was Greek in origin. Her clothes indicated that she was from a warm climate. She wore a tight short sleeve shirt that was pulled down over her shoulders and came to just below her breasts. She had a pair of cut off jeans and sandals. She was a very attractive woman and it pained Max to think of what was done to her. She stared at Max her eyes following him where ever he went.

“James take Guenivere out of here and leave me alone with for a while,” Max said not looking at James.

“Come with me girl, I’m going to teach you more about how a woman should act,” James said grabbing her hand.

They left the machine and headed upstairs. Max sat down in the chair staring back at his captor.

“Listen, I know you can talk. I want some answers and I want them now,” he spoke his face showing no emotion.

“What do you wish to know? I can tell you now that you will be absorbed,” she spoke with no emotion in her voice.

“Yeah, right. What I want to know is where your time displacement circuits are.” “Why do you wish to know, you already have access to time travel,” she said annoyingly.   “I want to know because I need the sideways displacement knowledge. I can not move sideways in time,” Max snarled.

“And why do you think I will give you the information?” she said laughing.   Max rose to his feet bringing his hand sharply up across her face. “Because I’ll take you apart if I have to,” he growled.   “A real gentleman it seems huh buddy?” she said making him angrier.

Max moved forward his anger seething through him.

“What is your name?” he countered taking a different approach.

“My name? My number is #458923,” she looked back.

“No, your human name. The name of the human you absorbed,” Max clarified the question.   “My human name was Ava Fabian, why do you ask?” she looked back curious.   “Because, I know that despite your programming your absorbed human side is still intact somewhere inside you,” Max looked back at her.

“Do you wish to talk with the absorbed human?” she asked.

“Yes, let me speak to her,” Max looked back.

“My name is Ava Fabian and I lived in Athens Greece. My father is an oil tycoon and my mother was a model until she died of cancer when I was twelve,” she spoke her emotion softly coming through and warming Max’s ears.   “Understand I have no wish to harm you. I just need the time matter displacer that is somewhere inside you,” Max responded with kindness.

“You must understand also, my human side has no wish to harm you but by programming is explicit and you will be absorbed,” her voice turned from soft and sweet to as cold as ice.   “Then you will not help me?” Max asked one last time.

“You will be absorbed. I will not aid you in anyway,” she looked coldly back.   Max rose up and grabbed an Exact-o knife from the toolkit James had pulled out. He walked up to her and grabbed the top of her shirt.   Placing the knife at the collar he began cutting off her shirt leaving her naked from the waist up. She began wiggling and struggling to get free. Max moved over towards the console to flip the switch to send a surge of power through her. When he reached for the switch she stopped and looked back.

“Please tell me what I need to know. I have no desire to do what I am about to do,” Max looked back one last time.

“Never” she coldly spat out.   “God forgive me,” Max said as he placed the knife against her stomach and began cutting.