Rays of sunlight beat down through the tree limbs. With loud, heavy footsteps, the Legionaire robot sprinted across the rough terrain. It was fairly large and amazingly fast for its size. The machine had been running all night and through the day. A satellite linked GPS system kept it on track as it trekked across the wilderness. The design was very rudimentary at this stage. The goal at this stage of the project was simply to make a machine that worked under the principles set by the military. Once it was proven that it could work, that was when you began to scrutinize and rearrange the design. Miniaturization of key components would make the final model smaller, sleeker, and more efficient. As it stood now, the Legionaire stood over six and a half feet tall, looked like a professional football linebacker, and was coated in a pattern of earth tone green and browns to serve as psuedo camouflage according to the Army think tank. The optic system, though advanced in utility, stood out from the head due to its blocky design as it was merely meant to work at this stage. What made it stand out more was the fact that, though human like in basic form, the head lacked any other defining features. Audio receiving was done through sensors place all around the body, and audio communication to transmit calls for surrender and the like in the battlefield was to be incorporated in the next phase. Essentially, the head was this ovalish metal expressionless shell with two blue glowing lights set inside circular metal protrusions.
Metal scrapped against rock and earth as the machine slid down the side of a large hill. It was currently twenty miles from the crash site. Considering the terrain, that was an accomplishment to the design of the Legionaire. Especially when it is but the first prototype. There was a small village about thirty more miles away, just past the next mountain. It could be there after nightfall.
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Alaskan Command - Anchorage
"A ten mile perimeter sweep has uncovered nothing, sir," the veteran officer reported to the general. "None of our systems are receiving any signals on the frequencies you provided."
"Little was afraid of that," the general said as he reviewed the report folder opened in front of him. "The Sentry program designed to maintain control could have been overriden or deleted. Speaking of Dr. Little, what information do we have on the base infiltration?" he asked the other officer sitting at the table.
"Nothing new, general," the man answered. "We're using the information that Dr. Little provided us about the attack to trace down any comparible specimens or projects on file. Thankfully, due to his expertise in robotics, he was able to give a very detailed description of the intruder. Unfortunetly, we're running into the usual static from the Pentagon and CIA."
"Damnit! You call them back and tell them I want answers ASAP. Tell them I won't have a problem making their lives a living hell if I don't get my answers." The general knew that he was a powerful player in the political scene both in and out of the military. The Alaskan Command was a first defense against Asian aggression to the US or North America in general. That kind of reponsibility was only given to someone with a great deal of clout, and he was willing to use that fact to his advantage whenever possible.
"I'll attend to it immediately, sir."
"Gentlemen," the general continued with a gruff expression on his face. "Considering recent events, we will have to assume the worse. It is more than likely that the incident at the facility and the downing of our plane are linked occurences with each being perpetrated by the same individual or group. We must also assume that they have either acquired or set loose the Legionaire unit. Either way, the machine has been compromised. We suspect it to be outside of the ten mile search radius around the crash site. With a southern or westernly heading, it would eventually encounter the civilian population. There could be grave repercussions if that happens. After measuring the fact that all important and necessary data relevant to the project is still accessible, and the consequences of inactivity on our part in this matter, I am hereby authorizing the use of 'lethal' force to neutralize the Legionaire unit. You have your orders, gentlemen. Dismissed."
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It was the first of very few signs of civilization. The robot noticed the roof peeking out from under the trees just slightly. A bit further off a few more building could be seen grouped together. By tracking heat patterns, it became apparent that most of the residents of this community were scattered further out. Under the cover of darkness, the machine moved out of the woods and into the village. There was very little activity as the machine found and forced its way into the general store. Once inside, it located the tools and collected several. It also seized sevarl radios and the CB placed behind the counter apparently for official use. With the stolen items in tow, the Legionaire robot raced back out into the wilderness.
