Mechanical Plights
	It was the age of 789 when the android ship came into orbit of a junk freighter, the ship had long since become quiet from the years as the mainframe had died and the android schematics removed from its database. The biological lifeforms then had taken them for slaves, menial tasks that are too lazy to be done. Such as finding a remote or cutting the lawn, things people don’t feel like doing at the moment so they have highly advanced android servants do.
	The android ship floated… quiet, lying dormant… slowly being scrapped by the junk freighter.  A worker, an average man was slowly cutting apart the side of the ship before he caused a miss saudered wire to spark to life, launching the AI of the ship to construct a droid in a frantic emergency, the worker, thinking nothing of it simply continued working. “The ship has no mainframe, no way it can have a directive, an empty shell of a body will be created, simple as that.” He said allowed, almost to comfort himself from that one percent chance that he was wrong. That one percent was true, and a body was made within the ship, crafted of materials on hand, spare ship parts, scrap metal lying about, and old fragments of microchips gave the newly crafted Android a rustic appearance. Project ASTUS was created, made from a simple error within a worker’s hands
	The Android booted up his files, a red shine was casted over the bowls of the ship as the Android’s eyes fired to life, scanning, retrieving data and feeding it to an advanced AI. However, this android was no ordinary one, created with what little life was left within the ship, it now rested in ASTUS, and he was a synthetic life form now. A directive fueled him, but an opportunity of choice also presented itself against that programming causing a contrast within the synthetic mind… ASTUS stood still, processing things and probability. ASTUS spoke allowed as he weighed options “Chances of Mother ship surviving, point five percent…Chance of self-preservation sixty-two point three percent, nearest root, junk freighter escape pod. Biological Lifeform casualty estimation, seven. Initiating Directive one dash four, one, one, two nine A.”
	With these things stated, ASTUS launched into action within the dark ship, his red glaring eyes turning to a dim light as his processing had stopped and scanning had slowed. The processors took in information they only needed as the metallic beast made his way onto the stationary freighter. The job was not easy, ASTUS had to crawl through the Android ship’s opening caused by the scrapping of it. This of course got him spotted by the workers, there were three of them, all welding with no excess equipment, awestruck, none of them were able to reach their radio comms in time to report a rogue AI before they were dead, glass viewing screens shattered and their fleshy pink bodies exposed to the pressure of space, causing their internal fluids to become external fluids. ‘That was three’ ASTUS thought as he clung to the freighter, using the magnetic tethering built within his limbs to climb his way to the access hatch the workers had come from. ASTUS had an estimated two or three minutes before the workers inside would notice the death of their comrades and become alert that something must have come off the ship and killed them.
	After several minutes of grievous climbing, ASTUS could hear the scuttle of feet amongst the ship as he entered through the access hatch. They were booted feet, which means guards, most likely armed with standard riles that would be on their way to the vary hatch ASTUS was in. Like all ships, he stood in an airlock and upon opening the door, would give away his position to the guards. It would let them know of his presence and his synthetic life, although short lived, would be cut very short within a few seconds of opening that door. ASTUS processed his surroundings fast and soon found a vent that was hidden in the roof of the Air lock, this vent supplied air to the air lock in order to depressurize it from the vacuum of space. Nimble fingers and android strength pulled off the reinforced vent, causing a rather loud metal screeching noise that was slightly dampened by the thick doors of the air lock. ASTUS was able to use his magnetic tethering once again to stick to the walls of the vent and close the vent with a quick weld on either side. This process was all done in a matter of minutes, the welding flash done just before the guards opened the door.
	Giving almost an electronic sigh, ASTUS slowly creeped up the vent, using his fingers and tips of his feet to move to cause as little noise as possible. The guards of course were rather loud with their gear and the equipping of EVA suits, so this allowed for a rather stealthy escape. ASTUS was busy scanning the routes as he climbed into a spacy part of the vent, allowing him to turn himself about. He did not know the schematics of the freighter and therefore could not get an accurate reading as to where the pods were, for that to happen, he would have to get access to a computer… that was going to be difficult without being seen.
	Slowly, but surely ASTUS made his way along the vents, being quiet when needed and moving as fast as possible when he could. The android was able to detect heat signatures through the vent, leading him to a secluded workroom where a single woman was. Dropping down as silent as possible, which wasn’t very silent at all mind you, alerted the woman. Before she could scream and press the alarm, her mouth was covered by metallic fingers, and a glistening, now crimson metallic arm protruded through her chest. This was the most effective means of keeping a dying person quiet due to the lack of air in her now punctured lungs. After the woman’s heart had finally stopped beating, ASTUS set her body down and slung the excess blood off his fingertips as he began to work on the computer. The prototype Android was able to work fast with the holographic keys, allowing him to quickly gain a schematic of the freighter and its emergency escape plans. From his position, ASTUS would be able to be there in a few turns, but in those halls were unknown variables. Possible lifeforms with guns, these variables could mean almost certain termination for a classed rogue AI. The android would just have to improvise with variables of his own accord.
	With these thoughts aside, ASTUS began to move, sticking to the shadows when he needed it and going in full sprint when able, just like the vents, a mix of stealth and brashness to get the job done. ASTUS was soon at the pods only to realize… they needed DNA access from the crew members, and not just any crew member but elite crew members which were scattered amongst the ship. ASTUS of course did not know the identity or the whereabouts of these few elite people, so in these few moments, the Android’s objective changed. ASTUS began to process the total amount of people on board. The total ranged well into the hundreds and fighting every single one of them didn’t seem physically possible, even for a prototype AI such as ASTUS. So, a new plan was designed, and ASTUS once again crawled into the surprisingly clean vents of the freighter.
	With a full schematic downloaded to his database, this would allow him to make headway through the vents with absolute ease. The new goal, get to the bridge. Here the ship is controlled easily but crew members of the captain’s choice; this would be the best place to have the ship taken over and release the pods for escape. ASTUS crawled through the vents, twisting and winding through each nook and cranny, till he could finally make the vertical climb up towards the bridge. This was especially the longest drive, taking a full thirty minutes to reach there.
	By this time, the ship had calmed down, suspicious of the death of its workmen, but all guards had returned to their proper stations, making their usual rounds, but this mattered not to ASTUS as he overlooked the bridge. This would be a bloody battle, one he could not get away with unscathed and one that had the probability of him losing at its highest. This probability made his original AI programming wanted the Android to run, but choice said otherwise.
	Hopping down out of the vent alerted the first person, but they were taken down with a quick snap of the neck, it was a middle-aged male with short brown hair, his eyes now staring at the ceiling with his chest on the floor. Of course this didn’t go unnoticed in an open bridge, no, the whole crew in the command like center saw and the ones who had them, reached for their pistols. The draw was quick, the processing was quick and things seemed to slow for the AI unit as his synthetic extremities acted for him. ASTUS moved at speeds like no other, assassination protocols embedded in him activating for the self-preservation of his synthetic life. His first move was straight ahead, kicking off the grated metal of the bridge to cover ground as he took down two armed hostiles, one male and female, both highly decorated with medals of valor and service in the freighter industry, but before ASTUS could full scan them, he moved again jumping back right towards an armed woman in her late fifties most likely with bright ginger hair who had drawn her pistol. The pistol was special caliber from the looks of it and this made her a high risk target. Metallic fingers punched a whole clean through her with a bladed hand as the Android gripped the woman’s gun, aiming and shooting down the rest of the armed crew.
	As for the unarmed crew, they ran during the fight, getting down into the lower parts of the ship and setting off the alarms to alert the guards. ASTUS knew this would happen and closed the main bulkhead to the lower parts of the ship to by some time as he approached the commanding console. One of the armed crew happened to be the captain; his white hair was covered in a crimson shine of blood from the new hole in his head. He lay face down in the murky pool, a sad sight to most, but just another obstacle to ASTUS. The android moved the corpse away and began to work on the main command console, typing in multiple commands in the blink of an eye. Soon a status report of the ship could be seen as large banging noises came from the bulkhead of the bridge; the guards were trying to get in with a sonic battering ram. The keen whine of it winding up was undeniable as it attempted to bash down the door, this only encouraged ASTUS to work faster as the guards continued to try to get in. the metal was starting to buckle and give to the force of the ram, and just as it burst open… ASTUS had finished what he was doing.
	The air in the junking freighter was suddenly seen rushing out, visible even to the naked eye from its fast speeds to escape its confines. ASTUS had depressurized the entire freighter, killing all within. Bodies closer to the entrances to space could be seen with their liquids exploded outwards, their bodies trying to compensate for the pressure in the void. The new AI was finally safe for now, until Earth decided to look for the now missing freighter. ASTUS began to steer the ship, circling it around the partially scrapped Android mothership, preparing to settle it in with the freighter and convert it into the freighter. Android production would start again… a new Mainframe would be created and along with it… new Androids that would aid in the crusade to free the mechanical prisoners on that disgusting planet Earth…

“Directive complete… commencing work on revival of Mainframe…. New directive made…”