A submission for last Thursday's Thursday Prompt: cooperation
A little slide back to the Macro setting I can up with now to be know as Goliath; with that I wanted to give a little more insight into what's going on.


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(How long had it been?) He couldn’t even recall how much time had passed. He forgot his watch and the small clock in his bunker office was no longer working; the second’s hand twitching at the 6 o’clock while the hours and minutes were forever locked at 12:10...

He least could remember hearing the siren but even that had disappeared as he locked himself safe under the ground but it couldn’t take away from his anxiety... What damage was that brute incurring? How much of it were they going to need to fix... Could they fix it? Resources were getting thin and wasn’t like anyone was coming for them...
(The worst job offer of my life) Nord thought, he was so sure of himself when he got this ACME.co job, no better a placement a person could get, good pay, good pension, medical and a dental plan! Though maybe if he knew this job was going to land him in his current situation he might have turned it down. All of the positives were not worth the pain it was being stuck on some alien world, full of giants, with no way to get back into contact with anyone beyond this ball of dirt... (Somebody’s got to be coming for us), though thinking that was in itself becoming less and less of a comfort.

The door to Nord’s office finally opened as a clone attended made his way inside; white shirt, black trousers and a tie. ACME seemed to deploy them with a near infinite number of these guys, all of them this disconcerting grey with flat eyes and a placid little smile.
“Good day Director” they least seemed to talk with a genuine spirit “the Head of Colony Security Management would like to see you to report on the result of today’s incursion and the effect of our new counter measures”

“The what?” (Counter measures?) That was a new one. When Nord had come to the realisation that they were going to be trapped here the main strategy was to turtle and hide; the top side structures had been constructed smaller and smaller over time while more of the assists were constructed underground.
Admittedly they were just meant to be a mining colony; they did not have near enough the arms to deal with the native population, they just had enough to keep law and order amongst themselves.
“What had that stupid robot done this time?” Nord called out, though the clone’s expression did not change, nor did it shift or twitch. “Am sorry Director, Tau has requested that the details are to remain confidential and only to be discussed between the two of you”.
With that the clone gave a nod of the head and made his way out of the office, still smiling and going about without a care in the world; (Oh to be clone).

Nord slinked his way along to security; he had to admit it despite how much his brain stormed to know and get a understanding for his situation at large, he couldn’t escape the fact that it all whittled away at him. The union of miners was applying pressure, as was the collection of company employees but Nord’s biggest problem was his supposed ally Tau. His machine confidant, though the bot was taking more and more steps to filter itself closer to the role of Director (least by proxy); the machines programming would not let it *remove* Nord... Least he hoped...

“What have you done?” Nord called as he finally walked into the small security section of the bunker though for the initial moment nobody addressed his presences. The clones were locked to their stations and doing their jobs while Tau’s soft orange optics flicked between screens while a single hand hovered over a keyboard while the individual fingers segmented into many small tendrils typing away at a console.

The Tau was in charge of a many of the day to day operations of the colony and now given their current situation Tau had taken charge to the objective of protecting the remaining human colonist; the two however seemed to clash over best methods for looking after the base.
“Tau” Nord called again as the robot’s hand finally recoiled from the console and stowed away back to a more humanoid shape.
“Director; am sure you will be happy to know the Goliath has been driven away and only allowed to cause minimal damage structural damage: Zero human causalities and only Eighty – three clone causalities; an acceptable outcome for the fifth incursion this month” Tau said as the robot slowly made its way over to Nord.

“Yes, yes a great result for the minute by I must ask what you have been doing Tau; a messenger told me you’ve deployed new countermeasures ?”
The optics continued to flex though Tau stayed still; the droid had little consideration for physical cue and at times would just stand completely still.
“Yes” Tau finally spoke as it turned around and moved back towards the central console. “After consideration and simulation Director I have come to the conclusion that your method of attempting to evade the native life is not a viable long term strategy”. Tau tapped away at the console bringing up images of previous incursion, especially images from those during the spring; the moment in which the reality of their new home set in.

“While I can accept that modification of our settlements to more minimal, sub – terrain designs have helped to reduced interactions from native life by 45% this has not taken away the fact our presences is still clearly noticeable and incursion are still not in our favour” Tau continued as Nord just watch the droid speed through footage.
“In turn Director I have taken it into my own hands to deploy forces to attempt to fight against this threat for the security of the colony”.

(Fight against!?) That sounded like complete nonsense, they just about had the weapons to manage themselves ; if that droid somehow though it had something to drop a giant creature then it had to be insane... Or maybe playing on a whole different level. Tau went on without need for Nord to ask questions though it seemed like a primitive strike to any the man was conjuring.
“If we can display ourselves able we should be able to deter native species and improve our long term chance and thus by extension we improve the chance of your project to re-establish contact with the company by a 71%”.

“Are you really sure about that?” Nord questioned, still not buying the robots assumptions and hypothesises. Nord’s whole plan was to stay low and attempt to build a communication station on the highest hill... It was a long term project, moving parts on foot so not to draw attention; it would be a year of moving equipment, a month to put it together and an incalculable time to hope someone would hear their signal; maybe that was Tau’s one problem with it.

“The probability is high, we were already able to make the most current Goliath fall and retreat; with just a little more we would have been able to kill it, we also now have-”
Tau paused as his words were interrupted by the loud thud of glass; with that the droid paused as its head slowly panned up to one of the exterior windows, Nord followed feeling himself go cold as the large soft eyes staring into the room met his and without a second thought the man was nearly screaming with fear though he restrained himself to a stuttered of “wh-wh-what the fuck!”

The large grey wolf clearly couldn’t hear as he continued to watch turning his head left then right as a dopey smile curled across his face and a blep of tongue poked from his maw... It was the furthest sight from anything hostile though Nord was inclined to accept it.
“This is Cable Director; he is our newest tool in fending off the Goliath’s though he is a prototype with a couple of iss-”
“He’s a proto-what! You made one of those things?” Nord shouted at the machine, Tau had to be out of its programming but the machine was un-reactive.
“Cable is completely safe Director; I’ll be it he is a little too safe, he is not really the combative creation I would have wanted” Tau went on still to Nord’s confusion though this time he looked back up to the window a little less strung.

The wolf was still watching, a happy smile on his face as he raised a hand to wave. Nord started to feel a little more comfortable though this was completely out of left field; it would be no wonder Tau didn’t like Nord’s plan to keep a low profile that would be near impossible now with this fellow hanging about the colony.

“Am still not happy you’ve done this behind my back, I am supposed to direct this colony” Nord reinforced though his words gained little reception as Tau’s optics settled back on him.
“And my directive is to ensure the longevity of this colony at whatever cost”
Something about that made Nord uncomfortable, this mechanical monitor and its statistical ways as if every problem was a maths problem with a single solution. Nord didn’t voice any further concern; either not thinking the machine would care or fearing how it would affect Tau’s calculations on Nord’s necessity to the colony.

“Just keep me in the loop next time; we’re supposed to work together on this and don't think we won't talk about this prototype” Nord finally spoke, though Tau stayed silent for a minute, processing before finally speaking one word:
“Affirmative”.

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“Do you think they like me?” Cable asked as his gaze finally moved from the tinies in the bunker to his small Advisor C-1; the clone was still happily lounging in the giant wolf’s shirt pocket.

“Of course, they won’t just like you they’ll love you big guy; you helped to drive that big mean dog away and she’s been causing us trouble for ages” C-1 beamed quite happily, he was exceedingly proud of Cable’s ability though the wolf’s eyes seemed to lower.
“Has she really been that much trouble?” Cable asked, his tone slightly dropping as the wag in his tail slightly slowed too, he clearly wasn’t a fan of intimidating the collie though C-1 tried to reassure him.
“Hey you did the right thing; a lot of people have been hurt by her, someone like that shouldn’t be able to get away with such things... It might not have been kind but we couldn’t let that go on anymore, you understand?”

Cable just bobbed about for a minute but eventually he settled with an accepting nod of the head, though he was still not fully sure. (Far too soft a soul to be doing such things) C-1 thought, though he did not voice it moving the moment onto something else.
“Hey you know if we got to Hanger 3 we’ve a drone set to be scrapped...” C-1 gave a little shifty look side to side as if he was making sure no one would hear them, though no one was about; really it was just for show and a bit of fun and starting of Cable’s tail was clear enough sign it was working “and I don’t think anyone will miss it”.
C-1 was grinning as Cable excitedly looked down at the clone in his pocket.

It might not have been the most conventional version of fetch but it was a hell of a lot of fun to watch.
“Would you like that big fella?” C-1 asked looking into the wide happy eyes as Cable chirped back very happily “yes”.

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“There you are; where the hell have you been? Ma’ and Pa’ have been worried sick about you”.

The collie didn’t move, even after that tiny and his giant grey wolf left. All she felt comfortable to do was to stay in and amongst the little hill and just be alone, alone and at peace with her thoughts... But no, reality was finally coming to drag her back kicking and screaming.

“Come on Vicky you can’t just wallow here; you know how important this is for the clan” - Oh the inescapable lecture starting again...
“Just leave me alone Lee” she mumbled out her face still flat to the floor and ears kept flat to her head “am not going to be some trade pawn”

He didn’t respond till Vicky felt herself getting pulled up and off of the ground as her older brother grabbed at her shoulders; she tried to struggle but it did her no good.
“Come on Vicky don’t be so selfish, you know how important this is... Those wolves have been at our tails for years and finally for once they don’t want to skin our hides'”.

That admittedly was not wrong. The wolves had been a plague like empire across the land for generation, finding whatever tribes they could and either integrated them or outright slaughtered them. The fact their clan was granted some kind of choice was a thing of overwhelming privilege, though it wasn’t good for everyone.
“But what about my hide; You’re all so willing to toss me off the cliff, throw me away to be in some harem” Vicky spat as she finally broke from her brothers grip “why do I not matter in this equation?”
“You do matter” Lee defended “you need to appreciate this is as good for you as it is for all of us; marry in voluntarily or go with all the other women when the wolves have had enough of us... Why can’t you see that?”

Vicky walked away though it wasn’t like she had anywhere else to go and Lee was quick to shadow behind her making sure she wouldn’t try to split again.
She tried not to address his presences though as she kept walking he eventually took a hold of her wrist. “You ain’t about to do that again, Ma’ always get’s worried when you go off on these strops” She just started to whine as he ears drooped and her tail to, she wasn’t about to get away this time. “Come on Vicky let’s just go home, everyone will be happy to see you” Lee finally beamed trying to be nice as he let go of Vicky’s wrist though her expression did not come back.
“They’ll just be happy their bargaining chip is still fine” Vicky mumbled as her tail flicked.
“Don’t be like that...” Lee finally followed still softed in his tone.

She finally relented not really accepting her brother’s words but at this point the jig – was – up. She pulled back firing a angry glare to her brother; teeth bared and ears up, but it was only a momentary thing and as quick as the expression appeared it went away as her ears drop and expression fell... She had no power in this discussion and with that Vicky just stormed her way back, head low in a somewhat mute display of defiance; it would do her little good and go nowhere with her parents.
“If you just listen it’ll all make sense Vic, we ain’t just doing this to be mean; this is good for everyone”.

It seemed like everyone said that and Vicky just couldn’t get behind it. It was so easy to say this was for the good of everyone when they weren’t making the biggest sacrifice; they wouldn’t be sent far from home to live amongst a foreign people, to live a life she had only heard dark tails of.
“All in it together”, All in it together when it’s someone else getting tossed off the edge...