I have to get out of here.

Maddox grew more alert. He realized he felt something ominous approaching. The palms of his hands had become sweaty. The certainty that this android was only phase one of his attempted kidnapping came crashing down on Maddox.

He squirmed underneath the android. That threatened his head once more. This time, he didn’t stop. Instead, his breathing grew labored as bit by bit, he slithered free of the android’s broken weight.

Instead of resting, Maddox searched for his gun. He looked around—

Heavy footsteps neared the outer door. Maddox raised himself by his arms, looking up. The hatch slid open and a second android entered the kitchen.

Maddox lowered himself out of sight.

This was a presumption, of course, of it being another android. Maddox didn’t know it was just by looking. What made him think so was that the one standing by the door looked exactly like the one that had forced him into the kitchen, even down to the Woo Tower uniform it was wearing.

“Hello?” the new android said, sounding friendly. “Is anyone here?”

Maddox slithered across the floor as he searched for his gun. Several rows of stainless steel counters hid him from the new android. Once the creature entered farther, it would surely see him.

The captain reached his targeted counter and wriggled his arm under it. He strained to reach his gun in back.

“I hear something,” the new android called out. “Please, show yourself. Time is limited.”

Maddox strained harder so his fingertips brushed against the gun. If he did this wrong, he’d push the gun away from him.

Footsteps struck the floor. The android approached.

Gritting his teeth, Maddox used his fingertips to friction-move the gun close enough so he could pinch the barrel with his two longest fingers. Then, he pulled the weapon to him as he slid farther away from the counter.

“What is this?” the android asked. “Why are you stretched out on the floor? Are you injured?”

Maddox didn’t look at the construct yet. Instead, he pulled the gun the rest of the way, sat up, swiveled where he sat and finally regarded the new android with its quizzical expression.

“Captain Maddox,” the second android said. “Did you harm the construct lying on the floor?”

Maddox didn’t believe this android would prove any easier to deal with than the first. Thus, from a sitting position, he aimed and fired, emptying the rest of the magazine into the second android’s eyes. This one reacted in a similar manner as the first, crumpling where it stood, deactivating from the brain shots.

As Maddox stood, he realized he’d overreacted. He was out of bullets and he didn’t have any more magazines on his person. If more androids showed up, he no longer had a method of dealing with them.

It was time to get out of here.

***