Were Apocalypse
Chapter One: Faolan
"I'm sorry, little pup," said a voice that was warm and familiar. The wolf pup of three years looked up at the voice, seeing a man standing there with dark brown hair, a fair complexion, and warm, but calculating eyes. Tears streamed down the side of the man's face, and the wolf wondered why.
The wolf tried to move to comfort the man but felt hindered by something heavy. The pup looked and saw a tree lying across most of his body, pinning him down. He did not feel any pain, but his vision grew darker.
"I'm so, so, sorry, little pup," the man said as he knelt beside the wolf pup, scratching behind his ears. "You had a little accident." The words tumbled out as the man's breath hitched.
The wolf pup tried to wag his tail to calm the man, but the reality finally set in. The pup's eyes grew darker still, on the edge of darkness.
Suddenly, eyes shot open, and an anthropomorphic wolf bolted upright. He looked around, surveying the old, abandoned cabin as the pale morning light drifted through the windows. The morning was cool as mists hung in the air, giving the forest a quiet, almost eerie feel.

"Man, Faolan, you've got to stop having these weird dreams," Faolan said to himself as he arose and stretched out his muscles. He walked outside, wearing only shorts; the morning air felt good against his body. He noticed Lyall's snoring from inside and smiled. Faolan quickly went inside, grabbed his shirt, machete, and a spear, and set out on an early morning hunt for food.
Nothing in the forest except for birds made any sound. Every so often, a light rustle of undergrowth would catch Faolan's ear, but he was on the hunt for something bigger. They've eaten squirrels for the last three nights, and Faolan wanted something else.
After walking for some time, Faolan came upon a clear pool of water set before what appeared to be a massive structure. Time had covered most of the structure in moss and other plants, but Faolan looked on in amazement. He stopped at the pool and refilled his canteen. Suddenly, the arrowhead hanging around his neck flashed a white light, and the structure responded. The ground began to rumble as gears and servos inside the structure turned, almost fused together from years of neglect. An enormous door split apart at the center, its edge having a zigzag polygon shape rather than being straight. Branches, rocks, and various other vegetation fell as the door slid and finally came to a rest.
Faolan looked at this doorway for a while, frozen with both fear and amazement. Fluorescence of light blue flickered to life as the wolf approached the door. Suddenly, a low male voice said professionally, "Welcome back, Dr. Rhoan!"
Faolan jumped back and readied his spear. "Who are you?"
"Oh, I see. You are not Dr. Rhoan. Yet, you have activated the door, so you must have the storage device. I am Sentient Evaluation & Emergency Response. An early-warning AI system built by Dr. Elias Rhoan as last line of defense for humanity. You may call me SEER," the AI said as Faolan lowered his spear slightly.
"Why can't I see you?" Faolan asked as SEER suddenly created a holographic projection of himself, which resembled the man from Faolan's dream.
"You could not see me because I exist inside the mainframe of this building. But I have made a holographic projection of myself for your comfort. Do you approve?" SEER asked as Faolan relaxed slightly.
"Better. Though I don't quite understand all that you say. Technology is foreign to me." Faolan said, but before SEER could answer, a voice called out.
"Faolan, my lad. Where have you gotten to?" came the familiar voice as Faolan looked back.
"I'm over here, Lyall! I found a strange building that talks," Faolan said as a smile crept across SEER's holographic face.
"A building that talks? Faolan, I think…" Lyall's voice cut short as he appeared out of the brush. He looked at the holographic image, and his face darkened.
"What? What is it?" Faolan asked as Lyall suddenly smiled.
"Faolan, let's go for a walk. We'll come back in a moment," Lyall said as Faolan nodded.
"This shouldn't take long," Faolan said to SEER, who simply nodded, but a shadow spread across the AI's face.
Faolan and Lyall walk some distance away before Lyall speaks, "Faolan, I'm glad to see you well. But… your arrowhead activated the hidden facility on this property. I only know of it because your father told me."
"Why do you sound so worried?" Faolan asked as Lyall shook his head.
"Something about seeing that hologram brought up memories that your father told me. That we must avoid AI at all costs because it would bring about the end of the world," Lyall said as he stopped walking.
"Why haven't you told me any of this before?" Faolan asked as he eyed Lyall suspiciously.
"I was supposed to tell you, but doing so would mean telling you what happened with your father and I didn't want to cause you any more pain," Lyall said as Faolan looked hard at the older wolf.
"Lyall, what are you not telling me?" Faolan asked, his confusion and anger rushing to the surface, including a sense of betrayal.
However, before Lyall could answer, a nearby tree exploded, the concussive force knocking the two wolves off their feet. Faolan's ears rang as he looked up and saw a large metal sphere racing towards them, with some kind of armament attached to it.
"Faolan and Lyall. You are not authorized to leave." The drone said, as the holographic face of SEER came into view.
"What?" Faolan said, but was suddenly pulled to his feet.
"Run! You are too important! You must run!" Lyall said as the drone switched weapons with an audible click and said, "FULLY AUTOMATIC MODE!"
Suddenly, bullets fired quickly out of the barrel of the gun, hitting everything around the wolves who dodged in and out of trees, running for their lives.
"What is that thing?" Faolan asked as they ran.
"That is a Centurion drone. One of the deadliest. Quickly, we must go!" Lyall said as they ran swiftly through the woods, ducking low-hanging branches.
Faolan saw a hedge of bushes and jumped through them, almost running completely off a cliff as he balanced on his tiptoes. Behind him, he heard Lyall running, and before Faolan could shout, the older wolf ran right off the cliff.
"LYALL!" Faolan yelled as Lyall hovered in the air for a brief second before gravity pulled him down. The Centurion drone burst through the hedge, swooping down and casting a net around Lyall. Then the drone flew off back towards the structure.
"Lyall! NO!" Faolan yelled, falling to his knees!