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The soldier was reaching for Gilliam when the rumble and whir of large motors reverberated through the hangar. The human figure halted and began to turn back toward the sound

The turn was not yet complete when a metal claw reached down from haze above. Three large, articulated fingers rotated in their sockets before curving inward, surrounding the soldier and clamping him into place. Instantly, the claw retreated into the shadows, carrying the captured figure with it.

As it did, a SECOND claw appeared, arcing downward toward Gilliam. It snagged the cargo container and lifted it, allowing Gilliam to crawl away. He collapsed after only a few feet, then struggled to his hands and knees before collapsing a second time. Finally, Gilliam rolled over onto his back and lay still, breathing slowly and deeply.

In the tiny control room, Stryger noted Gilliam's position on the display, then ignored his henchman's struggles.

He tapped a button and grabbed the single control stick jutting from the board. He hadn't needed to operate the machinery directly to seize the solder or free Gilliam; all he'd needed to do was indicate each object he wanted moved and allow the machinery to do the rest. Now, however, he needed to deviate from the automated routines that had carried out his orders. He folded the first metal arm, rotated it, and extended it again in a new direction. The capture soldier appeared in the view screen before him... not a camera image, but the soldier itself. The claw halted with the motionless figure dangling less than a foot away from the window.

Stryger stared at it.

He got the distinct impression that, somewhere behind the black helmet, the soldier was staring back at him. Not that it mattered.

Stryger leaned forward for a better look. Its arms were pinned to its side, but its legs dangled freely. The... thing... obviously had superior strength, but in this position it had little leverage with which to use it. But did IT know that? Possibly... The soldier showed no signs of attempting to free itself, but the head did move slightly when Stryger leaned toward it.

Stryger moved to his left. The black faceplate rotated, tracking him. He moved back to his right and kept going past his original position. The figure watched silently, its attention apparently focused on Stryger.

"Fascina-"

CRACK!

The soldier's right leg shot toward him, striking the window with the tip of its toe. The hardened polymer window didn't shatter completely, but cracks radiated outward from the fist-sized indentation in the surface. The sensor data winked out, then blinked erratically as the invisible circuits woven in the polymer snapped and reformed around the damaged areas.

CRACK!

A second explosion of fault lines stretched across the window

Stryger's hand flew to the control stick. He nudged it, moving the claw and its captor backward, away from the window. When his subject was out of kicking distance, Stryger halted the machine.

Dust and cracks obscured his view, but he could still see the figure dangling helplessly above the hangar floor. Without looking down, he took control of the second mechanical arm. He folded it toward the first, opening the claws and closing them again... with the soldier's right leg caught between the them.

"You have caused me a great deal of difficulty," Stryger snarled. He increased the grip. The armor encasing the soldier's leg cracked under the force of the machine. "Now, perhaps you can provide some... amusement. " Stryger nudged the control stick down slightly, and the claw began to pull-

"A shame you don't feel pain." Stryger snarled. "Or am I assuming too much?"

"Aye! What the hell are you doin' up here!"