This account is from my point of view. I managed to survive because of my sheer will to live; even after the death of my friends, family, and especially my beloved Jheena!
After I had lived in the quite hills for many years, I heard a sound that I had not heard in a long tim. It was the sound of a V-40's three Lupus engines at full throttle. I rushed out of my cabin to see it fly by. Then came another sound, the sound of a V-45 at 2/3 throttle. It was chasing the V-40. In what must have taken three seconds, the V-40 tried to come around to shoot the V-45; but the V-45 pilot was too quick. The V-40 exploded. The other fighter circled a few times then flew out of sight.
That night I heard explosions in the far distance. As I looked out of my window, I could see bright flashes on the horizon. I began to wonder what was going on. I went back to to my room and pulled the bed away from the wall. After feeling around for a few seconds I found the loose floorboard and lifted it up. Beneath it, the radio reciever/transmitter was still intact. I went outside to ensure a clear transmission and turned it on. After trying a few frequencies I managed to pick up what the pilots were saying.....
"Watch out, there's three more coming in at 3
o'clock!"
"I see 'em!"
"Grey 4, you're too low! Pull up!"
"My flaps are damaged, I can't......."
"He's gone!"
"All craft prepare to retreat!"
"We can't let them win! Not this time!"
"We'll get them another time!"
"And to think we let everyone down."
"We'll get another chance to nail those cyber troops!"
Then I got nothing but static. I watched as three more explosions flashed on the horizon. What did they mean by "Cyber Troops"? I had to find out. It was time for me to leave!
The nearest city was many miles away, but I could endure the trip. With my heightened senses I could hunt the wild Kathruk that lived in the forests of my planet.
It took me three weeks to reach the town. I arrived, a wild looking, dirty, Kathruk blood-stained Canine. Everyone avoided me, until I walked into a restaurant and ordered a large helping of whatever meat they had. During my first real meal in weeks I noticed that they had a holoviewer on. I watched as it showed Canis aircraft taking off and landing on ground bases, as well as launching from cruisers. I then remembered the events that occurred a few weeks earlier. I decided it was time to get into something a little more appropriate. I changed from my dirty clothes into my old Canis Navy uniform. Judging by the looks I recieved I deduced that this whole thing had something to do with the Navy.
After asking around for a while (and knocking out a smart guy who commented "What, have you been living in the woods for the past eight months?") I found out that the Government was fighting against an army of cybernetic Canines, created by a psychotic scientist named Coz Prieve . His plan was to turn Canines into cyborgs, and so extend their life expectancy. The Alpha Pair denied the scientist funding for such a wild concept, so Prieve formed his own group of followers and began attacking with everything at his disposal.
His first strike was against an airbase. There he secured over 40 different aircraft; luckily the base had no V-45's. With such a heavily armed fighter, Prieve could wreak havoc on the Alpha Pair. With the entire base's complement of 57 personell, Prieve began his cybernetic experiments. Many had failed, but as many as 78 were successful. What Prieve also did was capture downed pilots and turn them into his own cybernetic warriors. His forces now exceeded 500; approximately 216 of them were cyborgs.
I decided to report to the nearest Navy base; even though I was promised that I would never fly again, they looked like they needed some help! As I was approaching the base, one of the guards ran out and met with me. After a short discussion we went to the guard's tower and my arrival was anounced. I was given the rank of Lieutenant and assigned to a squadron of V-40's. I couldn't look at the fighter for the first few minutes. My mind was filled with images of Jheena. But I eventually calmed down and boarded my new fighter.
I had found love again. My first love was back, although my second love had died. I trained hard every day, trying to get back what I had forgotten in the long years in my cabin in the hills. Finally I was assigned my first mission. My flight and I were to attack one of Prieve's cybernetic facilities. Here, cybernetic implants were built and then shipped to the main lab. Our mission objectives were to destroy the perimeter defenses; including any fighters, and then take out the base. Any other targets such as cargo ships or escaping vehicles were to be destroyed as well.
The first few minutes of the attack went well. I had destroyed two anti-aircraft batteries. Then I spotted a flight of V-24's coming our way. I reported them and turned to engage. I took a few hits but didn't deal much damage myself. The enemy squadron was outnumbered and outclassed. With them finished we proceeded to destroy the base, which took about ten minutes. I sighted a few cargo carriers slowly moving away and I began to attack them.
To make a long story short, the entire facility was destroyed and my flight returned safely.
After flying with the squadron for over three years, we were still hitting Prieve's forces pretty hard. I had visited my cabin a few times and on one occasion I found an old picture of Jheena that I had and I taped it into my cockpit for luck. Then I flew my last mission. It was a simple fighter sweep. Prieve was rumoured to have captured six V-45's but that report was not verified. Unfortunately it was true.
My flight ran into them after two hours of searching. I knew that power of the V-45's shields but I had one advantage. The V-45 was a designated space assault fighter, with ground attack capabilities, but it really sucked in atmospheric combat. In a group effort (called a major wing attack) we succeeded in downing one of the V-45's. As I watched the cyber ship crash and burn I felt my ship shake. I was under attack.
I pulled a Split-S and tried to evade my attacker, but the pilot was very good. I glanced down at my picture of Jheena. Her smile was still as bright as the first day we met. I jerked the flight stick left, then right and flew head-on towards my squadron. They got the idea and fired on my attacker. he went down in flames. The third V-45 was still ready to fight. I checked my shield guage: 43%. I cursed. That last V-45 had taken a huge chunk out of my shields.
Then it happened. The stupid moron did a kamikaze move on me. He smashed his fighter right through my port wing, ripping it off along with the engines and some of the fuselage. I was heading for ground zero. I tried my ejection system with no luck so I kicked out the glass in my canopy and jumped. I pulled my ripcord at around 140 feet. My parachute opened but my momentum barely slowed. The impact probably broke my left leg, as well as some other bones in my body. I lay bleeding on the ground, just 50 meters from where my plane crashed. I rolled over and lay on my back. The suddenly a shadow came over me. It was a cyborg. I frantically reached for my laser pistol, but it was too late.
With what seemed like no effort at all, the cyborg picked me up by the collar and carried me to his speeder. He locked my wrists in binders and then secured me to the back of his speeder. As we sped away from the battle zone, I saw one of my flight group go down, then another, then the V-45. I breathed a sigh of relief. Mission complete!
I awoke, strapped to a flat table in the middle of a room that resembed some sort of laboratory. As I looked around I could see many weird instruments. There were scalpels and small electric saws and a small drill. Along one wall was a row of tanks full of an orange coloured liquid, and suspended in this liquid were Canines. They had wires and other mechanical devices all over their bodies. I thought to myself," This is it!"
Just then, I met the Canine I had been fighting for the past few years; Doctor Preive. He walked around the table as he pulled a pair of gloves over his forepaws. I tried to move my arms and legs but I was strapped in tight.
"Subject number?" asked Prieve.
A voice came over a small speaker on the wall," Special unit number eighty-two."
"Hmm, good. Well now. I know what you're thinking my young pup but you have no idea," said Prieve.
I just bared my teeth and growled at him. I then tried to get my arms free.
"Don't bother," said Prieve," My Cyber-troops strapped you in. You could never loosen them! I think you'll appreciate what I'm about to do for you."
"Hmph!" I scoffed.
"No, really. Just think; extended life expectancy, no worry, no feeling, no emotion. Those are the problems of organic life-forms. When you become one of my Cyber-troops, you will have unparalleled strength, intelligence, and above all, complete loyalty to me!"
He pushed a button and three more Canines came in, dressed in long shirts and baggy pants. They pulled one of the tables with the strange instruments over to the table. I watched as one of them picked up the drill and put a tiny bit into it.
"Now we'll have to put you out for a while, but when you awake you'll feel like a new Canine," said Prieve.
As one of the `doctor's' tried to put a mask on my face I shook my head to keep him from putting me out. Two more held my head while the gas took effect. I dropped off into a blurred, dark placce.
My first feeling when I awoke was WET! I opened my eyes to look out at the lab. It was tainted an orangy colour, then I realized that I was inside one of the tanks. I raised my right hand up to rub my eyes and was surprised to hear a quiet whirring sound that was amplified in the liquid. I grabbed my arm with my left hand and felt the metal and wires under the artificial skin. Some wires came out and then dove back under my skin. I flexed my fingers, and was relieved that they were still whole. But I could still feel metal. My left arm was completely gone. In its place was a metal arm with wires and tiny hydrolics. My fingers flexed and the whirring began. I cried, a tearless cry that was unheard to all but me. What had they done to me!?
I had floated there for few hours when Prieve came into the lab. He walked down the row of tanks, marking observations onto a clipboard; then he reached my tank.
"Ahh, good. You're awake. I shall be able to begin your programming and training immediately," he said, almost excitedly.
He walked to a small control panel and pushed a button. The liquid drained from the tank, that was when I realized that I had no clothes on. I looked myself over. My tail was a mass of tangled wires, my legs had dark bulges in them and felt heavy.
Prieve looked over and grinned an evil grim. After pushing a few more buttons the bottom of the tank began to drop slowly inot the floor," I'll see you in the equipment room," he said as the floor blocked my view of the room.
I came into another room, one with a lot of strange devices and weapons hanging on the wall. I could see another poor Canine being held by two more Cyber-troops as one of the doctors attached various devices to his body. Then Prieve showed up. I backed as far away as I could. He hit a switch and the clear glass door opened. He motioned with his hand and two more Cyber-troops came to take me. I remembered what Prieve had said about incredible strength and tried to get away from them, but I found myself very weak.
"A side effect of the tank's fluid. It serves to keep you sedated while you heal. Works well, wouldn't you say," he said, he seemed to try to taunt me.
I was then `equipped'. They screwed a lense in front of my
right eye, using three holes that were put there during my `operation'. It glowed
and the crosshairs in the center of it flickered. My left arm
began to twitch. Then other things were added. My new parts
included a small microphone with a radio transmitter, a night
vision implant that went into my left eye, a sensor box on top of
my head; all of which managed to find itself linked into my
brain. I could control it all just by thinking. A small panel in
my side slid open and they placed many sharpo knives into it, it
slid shut again. My legs had short cylinders attached to four;
two on each leg, clips that resembled the weapon's hardpoints
found on fighter jets. I was now a walking weapon of destruction.
After that I was moved to another room. They sat me in a chair and strapped me down again. Then they plugged some wires into various plugs on my head and back.
"Now I will reprogram your brain to serve my purposes. I can't have you running off now can I?" said Prieve.
I was forced to look at the opposite wall, on which was a mural of several Cyber-troops fighting in combat. They were depicted striking heavy blows against normal Canines that seemed to crumble as they were hit. I tried to look away but they held me steady. Then the jolts of electricity hit me.
Images flew into my head, many of them violent and war-like. I couldn't turn away from these images. They changed into pictures that must have been taken during many of the `operations'. Images of Canines being outfitted with the cybernetic implants. They rushed by and changed again to scenes of many Canines who hadn't survived the processes. They were thrown into a huge incinerator and black smoke rose into the sky.
I couldn't stand looking at the images, but what could I do? They were moving through my mind's eye as though I were looking at them with my phisical eye. Then I thought of my friends and family, now how I had let them down. My squadron was on its own, and the Navy was without another needed pilot. Then I also thought of Jheena. My mind swirled with the mixed images of her as well as the inputted images. But Jheena seemed to say," Not today! This is MY guy!" The other images went away and then there was nothing but Jheena. I smiled and let the images flow. The day we first met, our meetings, our first kiss. Then our official pair bonding, and our three pups. I let the story of my old life play out in front of my eyes. Then they stopped. The jolts stopped as well and I was disconnected.
"Well do some more work tomorrow, with a longer session. Take him to his holding cell," ordered Prieve.
My guess was that he just fed the images into the computer but couldn't see what was actually happening inside my brain. I now had a way of staying together, if I couldn't have my body I would still have my mind.
It was now three weeks since my abduction. They thought that I was completely under their power; thanks to some good acting on my part. The only thing that had kept me from submitting was the constant thought of Jheena. They had spent the last few days showing me how to use my lense. With it, anything I looked at would be targeted and with one command from my targeting computer my arm could raise my blaster pistol with a reaction time of 0.13 seconds and fire. It took some getting used to but I thought of it as a way of finally repaying the good doctor for all he had done for me!
Then that fateful day finally came. It was two months after my abduction, and I was to go out on my first mission with a group of five other Super-Cyborgs. We were different in that we had been outfitted with the latest of Prieve's cyborg technology. We were both stronger and more intelligent that the other Cyber-troops.
While the escorts weren't looking, I managed to sneak away. I began to make my way through the now familiar layout of the base. My new computer enhanced brain scanned blueprints of the base and charted the best path in order to get to Prieve's lab. Once there, I began to destroy as much as I could. The instruments, the tools, and then that aweful bed. I drew my blaster and in less than three seconds, every important piece of equipment was nothing but a fiery heap of metal. Then came the thing that I have so far regretted the most, but I'm sure they would have thanked me that to have lived as what Prieve had done to them. I used the explosive charges attached to my legs to destroy the suspension tanks.
Just before the explosion, I looked at the three Canines in the tanks. One of them, a female, looked out at me through her yellow prosthetic eye. I looked back, trying to decide what to do. She was the only one concious, and probably capable of getting out without any help from me physically. I ran over and smashed the glass tank with one swing. She fell out as the liquid flowed from the hole. She coughed a few times then looked up at me.
"Thank you," she said, her voice clear and unmechanized.
I just smiled and helped her up, trying not to notice that she was as naked as I had been," We need to get out of here!"
We both ran out of the lab and I pushed the firing trigger on my wrist control. The explosion rocked the base.
Dozens of Cyber-troops rushed to put out the fire, but I had already destroyed most of the valuable equipment so it was too late. Then the moment I had waited for had come; I met face to face with Prieve!
"Remember me, Dr. Prieve?" I said in my metallic voice.
"No! It can't be!" he gasped.
"Yes it can. As you said yourself; can't have me running off," I said.
I wanted to just waste him with my blaster and get out of the base, but snapping his neck was much more satisfying. It was nothing compared to what he had done to me, but it was a start. We managed to make it out of the base. Outside there were a group of V-24 "Coyote"'s.
"Can you fly one of these?" I asked.
"No problem," she winked.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye. Good luck." I said, rather quickly. All I could think about was getting away.
"I could come with you?" she suggested.
I looked at her for a moment, my optical sensors taking in every detail. I thought of Jheena as I looked at her. Her cream coloured fur stuck out among the mass of wires and other metal objects. I knew it would be dangerous, but I decided to let her come along.
We flew to my cabin in the far woods. There we stayed for a few days, talking about ourselves and how we had become one of Prieve's guinea pigs. Her name was Alouve, and she used to be a scientist for the Alpha Pair when Prive's forces attacked her base and she was captured. She found my stories about flying and fighting in the Battle of Canis very interesting, and she didn't seem to mind it when I talked about Jheena. She understood that I could never love another creature again.
I used my new radio transmitter/reciever to notify my base of my location and status and that they shouldn't worry about Dr. Prieve anymore. In fact, the Cyber Wars ended three years later, once all of Prieve's forces had been defeated. I am the lone survivor of my so called race of Super Cyborgs, as my new friend never got the chance to be trained and fully upgraded, she lacks the strength of the Super Cyborgs; but she is fun to arm wrestle!
I eventually convinced my superiors that we were on their side and we flew to the base. I was awarded a medal; which meant nothing to me, just another piece of metal on my body, and I was promoted to Captain. I then quit the Navy and purchased a stripped down V-45 "Wolf Wing". I bid Alouve goodbye and good luck and flew off into the stars to find my destiny.
I gave myself the name Cyberwulfe. Since then, I have had many jobs; mercenary, bounty hunter, but my favorite job was the four months that I spent with the Rebel Alliance. I met many of my old friends, and made many new ones. I knew that no matter what I did, and no matter where I was, I would always have a family there.
My present location and status is as follows: I am hidden among you humans. A micro-hologenerator installed in my side panel has allowed me to take the form of a human male. I have only shared my story to my partner, roommate, and friend. He has accepted who I am and has been very supportive. We live together and someday I plan to take him with me back to either the Rebel Alliance or my home planet; or maybe both!
I would like to thank you for taking the time to read about my story, horrible as it was. I only wish that I could have gotten revenge for Jheena as I did for myself and the many Canines that were so wrongly changed.
Dated: The year 1998 AD of the Planet Earth