It Ain't The Size Of the Dog in the Fight (1)
A quick explanation: BOLOs are ungodly huge sentient tanks of the far future in a series of novels and stories written by Keith Laumer. Essentially, the equivalent of a Star Trek warship with treads, an AI with a "knight errant" personality, and the size of a few city blocks. And that's the small ones.
This is a YAHF story, with Xander going as a BOLO from materials bought at Ethan's costume shop.
Being Xander, there are complications...
******
Awareness.
Psychotronic computer cores on-line, weapons systems on stand by, fusion reactors on readiness. Battlescreens up. My human commander appears to be absent. No matter. As a fully autonomous BOLO, I have the capacity of independent combat operations.
I scan my surroundings. Within 2.3 microseconds I have identified my location: Mercer Street, Sunnydale, California. The date is October 31, 1997. Night time. I, Unit XNR "Xander", a Mark XXVIII Bolo of the Dinochrome Brigade, am operational and ready to defend my assigned area of operations from the xeno threat known as "demons".
A swift scan of local police and civilian communications frequencies indicates widespread panic. The universe slows as I enter into full battle awareness mode. Multiple demon signatures. I immediately power my 110 centimeter Hellbore and ion bolt infinite repeaters to full capacity. A combat mech who resembles a character from the ancient Terran cinematic entertainment "Frankenstein" lurches by. I lock on and--
Hmmmm.
My programming restrains me. Somehow, this...creature reads as human to my specialized sensors. Curious. Very curious. I must be cautious. Yet, I am BOLO. I cannot allow the humans under my charge to suffer. Treads churning, 15 000 tons of endurachrome surge out to--
Er.
Everything seems to be...larger than expected. The ground vehicles and houses appear to me as those of giants.
One microsecond of calculation. I appear to be 30.345 centimeters in height.
Shouldn't I be...taller?
Well, fuck.
This is a YAHF story, with Xander going as a BOLO from materials bought at Ethan's costume shop.
Being Xander, there are complications...
******
Awareness.
Psychotronic computer cores on-line, weapons systems on stand by, fusion reactors on readiness. Battlescreens up. My human commander appears to be absent. No matter. As a fully autonomous BOLO, I have the capacity of independent combat operations.
I scan my surroundings. Within 2.3 microseconds I have identified my location: Mercer Street, Sunnydale, California. The date is October 31, 1997. Night time. I, Unit XNR "Xander", a Mark XXVIII Bolo of the Dinochrome Brigade, am operational and ready to defend my assigned area of operations from the xeno threat known as "demons".
A swift scan of local police and civilian communications frequencies indicates widespread panic. The universe slows as I enter into full battle awareness mode. Multiple demon signatures. I immediately power my 110 centimeter Hellbore and ion bolt infinite repeaters to full capacity. A combat mech who resembles a character from the ancient Terran cinematic entertainment "Frankenstein" lurches by. I lock on and--
Hmmmm.
My programming restrains me. Somehow, this...creature reads as human to my specialized sensors. Curious. Very curious. I must be cautious. Yet, I am BOLO. I cannot allow the humans under my charge to suffer. Treads churning, 15 000 tons of endurachrome surge out to--
Er.
Everything seems to be...larger than expected. The ground vehicles and houses appear to me as those of giants.
One microsecond of calculation. I appear to be 30.345 centimeters in height.
Shouldn't I be...taller?
Well, fuck.