![\"prev\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rodbinder.com\/tempusone\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2016\/03\/prev.png?resize=95%2C20\")
<\/a>![\"next\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rodbinder.com\/tempusone\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2016\/03\/next.png?resize=95%2C20\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Machines building machines. How perverse.<\/strong><\/p>\n C3P0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The scientists took shifts building the exterminators. Within three days they had finished basic assembly of Exterminator 1.<\/p>\n \u201cCristian there is another entity on my network.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am communicating with it. I can see what it sees.\u201d<\/p>\n He went into the lab and saw E1. It wasn’t complete, but moving around the lab.<\/p>\n \u201c I didn\u2019t know you were going to build an autonomous unit. I thought this was going to be a machine that needed an operator. Does it have speech capabilities?”<\/p>\n \u201cM2 suggested that we could make it a better battle unit this way.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh oh, machines building machines and time travel mixed in. This can\u2019t be good, he thought.<\/p>\n \u201cWatcher, check its programming and give me a report.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe operating system is not as complex as The M\u2019s or mine Cristian, its function is to serve and protect nothing more.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you say the machine is okay, Watcher good enough for me, don\u2019t want to eliminate a threat to humanity and the universe just to release another. E1 report\u201d said Cristian.<\/p>\n \u201cI am functioning quite well, Cristian. I see that your life signs are functioning normally, although you could use some rest\u201d E1 answered in a husky Lauren Bacall whiskey voice.<\/p>\n \u201cWe scientists thought there were too many masculine mechanicals Cristian,\u201d said Albert who was now in the room.<\/p>\n \u201cIf E1 can fight, it can represent any gender that it wants.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Cristian Wolf, E1 out.\u201d<\/p>\n E1 had a limited number of battery packs for the first test.<\/p>\n \u201cCould we make E1 look a little less like Johnny Five?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure Cristian, who is Johnny five?\u201d Asked Albert.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can observe him at 7:00 PM, in the lecture Hall. Ask everyone to come.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, Cristian.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCristian, you may also want them to see Wall-E.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell me more.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnother robot movie that will give everyone a needed distraction.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think that\u2019s a great idea, Watcher, they have put in a lot of hours on the E project.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnny five opens the door to find Stephanie in the bathtub.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n \u201c# 5 you got away\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cStephanie change colour. Attractive. Nice software hmmmm\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cYou sure don\u2019t talk like a machine\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n This caused the scientists to howl. Albert was the loudest one in the room. Stephen managed a chuckle. Lorelei was having a good time. This was the best part of the evening, watching the woman he loved, the one carrying his baby, having fun.<\/p>\n Between movies, the discussions were about Johnny five and Stephanie more than they were about E1, Killer Lizards and the upcoming fight. For a short while, they had all forgotten about the war.<\/p>\n Fresh drinks, more popcorn and some desserts leftover from supper were ready at the back of the room when WALL-E started. Lorelei and Cristian were sitting together in his old recliner dragged into the lecture Hall\/ Theatre.<\/p>\n He watched the faces in the room as the show progressed and listened to the oohs and the ahhs and he witnessed the tears from Lorelei and everyone in the room. He even managed a little eye wetness himself.<\/p>\n Lorelei held him closer when she saw that Cristian was wiping a tear from an eye when Wall-e got his memory back. She realized that her man was all about the happy ending. She knew it was because he had not had many in his life. The happy days he had in his lifetime were all lies. The mother that had raised him, spent most of her time drunk and beating him. The man he thought was a father that abandoned him when he was ten, and a woman that had cheated on him and took every opportunity to demean and humiliate him.<\/p>\n Most of the happy moments he recalled were the memories of the births of every one of his children, the problem was those were lies too.<\/p>\n Lorelei was so in love with this man, who in spite of everything that happened to him could manage to show her such love and devotion. He cared about his people, and he cared about the two cats that had the run of the place. She could not do anything except love and admire this man. There was greatness in him.<\/p>\n Cristian looked at his wife and wondered what she saw in him. Before finding Watcher, he was just a screw-up that lost his family and couldn\u2019t pay his bills. The only things he had in his life were the bagger and two cats, and he was close to losing them. He remembered back to a time when he had no food, no companions. There were moments he considered taking his life, riding the bike full throttle into an oncoming Freight liner bumper.<\/p>\n He wouldn’t because he was worried about who would take care of the cats. He couldn\u2019t abandon them like had been done to him over and over throughout his life.<\/p>\n He adopted a new motto during that time\u00a0\u201cKeep going until you can\u2019t\u2026turn left then go a little further\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Right now, he had his arms around a woman who for some reason loved him. He was happy that it was the way it was. He saw so much greatness in her. She had brought joy back into his life.<\/p>\n In a few more days, the scientists brought him back into the lab, blindfolded with one of his bandanas he used to wear riding.<\/p>\n Lorelei slid the bandana off his face. In front of him was the scariest armed machine he had ever seen. It had three offset Mini-guns. Ammo fed from trays under the guns. It had a chute on the opposite side that funnelled the spent casings away from the E1 so that any personnel on the left side would not be slipping. The deployable metal shields on each side would retract so the E1 could go through narrow doorways. The rear shield had openings to shoot through. There were fore and aft rockets and flamethrowers, upfront were smoke grenade launchers. Mounted on the rear were extra shotguns assault rifles handguns grenades first aid kits and a couple of canteens.<\/p>\n \u201cE1, would you give Cristian a demonstration of your stair-climbing abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure Albert, no problem,\u201d said the newly created killing machine.<\/p>\n A smaller track extended from the back of E1 for balance, like a kangaroo tail with treads. A set of stairs had been set up for testing onto a table. E1 easily climbed the stairs.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease come down.\u201d Another track extended from the front for the trip down.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is in the box above the guns, Albert.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is the best part, Cristian. Lorelei, please.”<\/p>\n Lorelei left the room.\u00a0Albert handed Cristian some hearing protection and some shades all the others were putting theirs. The lights were turned off.<\/p>\n Next came a hard-driven\u00a0guitar solo<\/a> so loud that glasses on the table started to rattle. A scary-looking head that could have come from the movie Aliens appeared from the box above the guns. Flames shot out of its mouth for effect. The room was flooded with strobes and flashing lights and lasers and more flames. The effect when you took the glasses off was dizzying. With the glasses on, targets and objects were painted and easy to detect. The lights came on, and the music turned down.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Cristian, what did you think? asked E1.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that music E1?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBuck Cherry Lit up. It will be released in six years, Cristian.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcellent E1, you are beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Cristian?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWatcher, send me all the specs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDone Cristian.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlbert, how soon can you have E2 and 3 ready?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBasic functions three days, another day to add weapons, Cristian.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am not leaving until you have protection. Mary, how are we making out with Baby protection?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnother day I should be finished. The prototype is here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt looks like a corset that won\u2019t make Lorelei very happy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cComments have already been made, Cristian, she knows what is at stake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood job everybody, excellent work, very impressive. I will make sure that the Lizards see your work close up.” The scientists were clapping at that.<\/p>\n \u201cM1 and M2 make sure everyone here has battle armour.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe will get working on it right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks also develop some armour for yourselves, you will be going to the fight with me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe had hoped that would be the case, Cristian, we have already started developing the armour in our spare time.\u201d<\/p>\n Cristian went into the cafeteria, where Lorelei was sitting having a glass of Almond coconut milk. \u201cWhat did you think, Cristian?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think the Lizards will be slipping in their own shit, wife.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat paints a pretty picture, Cristian Wolf.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou asked, that is a very scary machine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you hungry, Husband? I am going to have some soup.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes I am sweetie, let me help.\u201d<\/p>\n While they were in the kitchen, Cristian lifted Lorelei onto the counter and kissed her hard.<\/p>\n \u201cCristian, you are incorrigible.\u201d<\/p>\n He reached under her dress. \u201cLorelei, you seem to have forgotten your undergarments.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had hoped you would discover that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShall we go to our room, or would you like to finish this discussion right here on this counter right now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA little of both husband.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are the woman for me, Lorelei.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. Should I get you to our room?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes\u201d Lorelei walked closely in front of her Husband until they got back to the room.\u201d<\/p>\n The next few days they emerged from the room only long enough for a meal. They both knew that one or both of them might not survive the battle. They had no real Intel on how many Lizards were in the nest. They had only the word of a dying Lizard. They also knew that if they failed, the earth would be scorched. Humanity would become extinct.<\/p>\n \u201cWatcher, do you retain information even if the timelines change?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you have in mind, Cristian?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want to wait for the Lizards in the warehouse in the future, capture one of them for interrogation, and not lose the work we have done with E1.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCristian, do you remember what a Panhead is?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. It\u2019s the one part I regret.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe multiverses still apply. There is a future where the scientists were killed. There are an infinite number of variables that can be changed to make an infinite number of possible futures. There are other versions of the future where they were not killed.<\/p>\n \u201cMakes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLorelei, I have an idea. We need to take a trip, we are bringing E1.”<\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" TEMPUS CHAPTER THIRTY ONE Machines building machines. How perverse. C3P0 The scientists took shifts building the exterminators. Within three days they had finished basic assembly of Exterminator 1. \u201cCristian there is another entity on my network.\u201d \u201cOh?\u201d \u201cI am communicating with it. I can see what it sees.\u201d He went into the lab […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-131","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P7iYfp-27","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rodbinder.com\/tempusone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rodbinder.com\/tempusone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rodbinder.com\/tempusone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rodbinder.com\/tempusone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rodbinder.com\/tempusone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"http:\/\/rodbinder.com\/tempusone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1185,"href":"http:\/\/rodbinder.com\/tempusone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/131\/revisions\/1185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rodbinder.com\/tempusone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n