Chapter 5.1 (2/2)
He put the radio headset in his ear, stood up and headed towards the central street where the robot stood. Angela also put on the headset and sat with the sniper rifle, ready to fire. As her target, she chose the sensor of the robot. Dingo came out into the middle of the street with his arms raised, showing that he was not hostile and began to approach the robot. The robot remained standing still. However, he seemed to have reacted somehow to Dingo's appearance. His sensory camera began to move. He stood up in sufficient conversation to be able to communicate.
”I mean no harm. I just want to meet with Pioneer. He's here, isn't he?”
Without answering, the robot turned 180 degrees and rode along the street. Dingo stood in his tracks, but the robot just beckoned him with his manipulator, by this saying, ”Follow me.”
”Wait. I'm not alone. Can she go with us?”
The robot stopped. It seemed as if he was waiting. Dingo contacted Angela.
”He seems to be inviting us to follow him.”
”Will everything be alright?”
”Well, at least he does not intend to attack us. Let's go?”
Angela carefully examined the surrounding of the robot through the lens of the rifle, but couldn't find anything suspicious. She put down the rifle and headed towards the place previously on the watch, towards Dingo. The robot waited the whole time. As soon as Angela got close enough, he continued his way. At the end of the street was a huge structure. The central part of it was destroyed. Only the broken columns stood as if they were old doors. They went inside. Examining the wreckage, Dingo said, ”What a military facility. To destroy it, a simple missile would be enough.”
”Once the facility was reliable, but now it has literally crumbled because of the nano-catastrophe. Modified crumbling machines eroded the building materials. Well, what kind of base is this?”
”That's true. I believe that this was a shelter since, during its construction, the threat of an external attack was taken into account&h.e.l.lip;”
The robot stopped before a big freight elevator. There was electricity only here. The door opened automatically. Entering inside, the robot invited Angela and Dingo in. Inside the crumbling building was an elevator. Puzzled, they went inside. The door closed, and the lift began to descend. The speed was so slow that it seemed as if they were never going to get there. Alarmed, Angela asked, ”How much longer do we have to go down for?”
Dingo smiled, this did not alarm him.
”Don't ask me. This is a military base, only they know how deeply everything is dug up here.”
Finally, the elevator stopped and the door opened. The pa.s.sage was illuminated by old fluorescent lamps. The ceiling and walls were covered in cracks with dirt everywhere. However, maintenance had been carried out. Unlike the complete wreck on the surface, everything was different here. The robot went through the pa.s.sage, and Angela and Dingo silently followed him. There were no signs of humans. No one walked past them, not even any sounds were heard. There were only their steps and the sounds of the walking robot. The robot got to the end of the hallway. Using its manipulator, it opened the door.
The air was cold. The room was wide and dark. The lighting only came from halogen lamps. Angela looked with wide eyes at what was lighted. She was speechless. Dingo whistled in surprise, ”Oh, wow!”
There stood a huge rocket. This was a rocket capable of bringing cargo onto the near-earth orbit. It was installed on the mobile launch pad and was waiting to be launched.
Edited by: Akshaythedon
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