Chapter 9- Training

"Your opponent is vicious, they'll want you dead however they can get. Always remember that. Again! " the instructor commanded.

"If you attack first make it the last. Use your strength! " he kept dishing out instructions.

They moved base two months ago. It has been the same routine: training, reading, more training. It was as if they were preparing for war. Mr Deccan had told them that their creators had designed them as some sort of biological weapon for invasion that was they reason they believed their shell looked so much like human bodies. He said that from their analysis they weren't completed because they were ambushed and the rest of them were destroyed including some of their creators.

"Whoever destroyed the rest is still after you and will not rest till they get to you. They are strong, you need to be stronger that is why you are being trained to protect yourselves so that you can go back to your world. " Mr Deccan often said.

They had been taught a lot of things ranging from immobilizing a person to leveling an entire city, everything from defence to attack, teamwork to solo, anything and everything. They were giving freedom to utilize the library and the internet. Surprising creatures, putting everything they know out there for others to see, yet they restricted some. When she asked Mr. Deccan he said that sometimes additional permissions where needed.

She moved in time to avoid a hit to her throat followed by a kick to the back of her knee.

"You get distracted, You die! " their instructor said.

She didn't have enough time to regain her composure as she dodged and blocked a lot of deadly hits. He had began pitching them against each other saying if they could beat themselves then they can protect themselves better. However he seemed to dislike her always giving her harder task and meaner trainings.

She dodged again and again and again then got angry, blocked and lashed out on the one closest to her. It was a two against one fight, hardly fair but then he hated her.

"Do not depend on anger! " he yelled at her

"What? "She asked in disbelief and received a kick to her chest that sent her staggering back. She blocked another hit but got another on her side. The final punch to her face sent her to ground.

"Stop! " he commanded and her opponents did. She spat out blood.

"Get up" she did. That was the upside of being them. No pain. How did she know. She had seen it on humans but had never felt it and as they have been told couldn't feel it.

She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. Their instructor looked at her, she starred back at him, he snorted.

"You keep getting distracted, you keep lashing out. You need to constantly be in one place unless one day you might come back in pieces." He said. She shrugged. The wound on her lips were beginning to heal. He looked at her and shook his head. He wasn't satisfied with her progress as he constantly reported.

"She has potentials but isn't willing to use them" he often said. GMN-1 has often voiced her displeasure over fighting to get back. She didn't see the point. If their creators want them back then they should come and get them. Why fight to get back to a place they have few memory of when they could pass for a human and live somewhat worry free.

"Because we'll always be in danger"GMN-2 had always told her.

"From today you will have extra training with every instructor till you get better. The rest of you can leave! " the rest of the GMNs rushed out from the hall. They greeted Deccan who was watching from the mirrored wall.

Deccan stood with another instructor. They both watched as GMN-1 trained with the other instructor. She was quick, strong, logical most of the time, aggressive and had a temper.

"We need to do something, something to push her over the edge. " Deccan said. The other instructor looked at him but didn't say anything.

"We need her desire to kill to be more than her desire to live" Deccan said 

"She is just a child " the instructor replied

"She is a weapon to which great importance is attached. Knowing Dr. Stone she probably gave her daughter the best of everything. "

"That child has a willpower forged from stone"

"Then we need to channel that willpower productively. We need to trigger the violence buried by consideration and self control. She already exhibits anger and aggression not found in her former self.  Seems Dr. Stone got tired of such a compliant child, she thrives on challenge you know. We just need to find something. " Deccan said smiling and walking away. "Do keep an eye on her till I return. "

The instructor looked at the man's receding back. He knew what that tone meant, danger! Well as long as he wasn't in the line of attack. He watched the girl. She was better than she was fighting against her fellow GMNs. He listened to the instructor taunt her trying to make her irrational, she remained logical being aggressive when it suits her. She exhibited superior combat skills and higher reasoning. Teamwork wasn't her strongest point he had noticed. He watched her throw the instructor across the room but unlike her other GMNs she didn't charge after him. Obviously she considered him her trainer not a threat.

"Why do you keep standing there? You are supposed to come after me"

"Standing up slowly will weaken you more than jumping up. I'm limiting the reasons why your brain should pump adrenaline "

What she said made sense. The brain will pump adrenaline in a rush if it perceives immediate threat but when there is no immediate threat adrenaline supply depreciates leaving the person weak.

Just then there was power fluctuation which has never happened before.

"What is going on? "GMN-1 asked

"Some one is tampering with our power supply! " the instructor replied

"What!? " she was still asking when the power went off and the dim emergency lights came on. The visibility was really low and the fact there was no window did not help. She blinked and suddenly her eyes adjusted to the light. She could see very clearly.

"What do we do? " she asked the instructor.

"You are the scholar, what do you think? "

She analysed the situation. Power outage has never happened before. The smartest thing would be to get the weaker ones out of harms way before going in search of the problem. She rushed to her instructor and dragged him up.

"Let's go"

"I can't see"

"But I can" she said and lifted the instructor up and headed for the door. She saw the second instructor. What was he doing here? No time to ask. She carried him too and ran. It was like driving a race car. She headed to the elevator and pressed the button. As she was about to step through she heard something. GMN-9. She pushed the two instructors into the elevator.

"Get downstairs! " she said and slammed the button.

She raced towards the sound. She had to take the stairs because she wasn't sure the elevators would be free. She raced two stories up. Following the sound in the dimly lit building. She perceived a scent. She knew that sent. The liquid they usually injected her with before her physical examination. It made them unable to fully move all parts of their body. In large quantity it was capable of temporarily paralyzing them, for a human it knocks them unconscious. The sound was coming from a room. A room she was sure was off limits. She could hear her fellow GMNs, they were inside. She also detected signs of struggling, they were fighting. She tried the handle of the door and it came off. They were locked in. She banged but it seemed they were too engaged to open the door. She pushed with all her strength, the liquid in her body flowing at enormous speed to every part of her body. One! Two! Three! On the fourth try the door burst open. She starred wide eyes.

Kill them! Kill them all! She thought as she attacked.