Chapter 6 - Machine

“Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.”

Chapter 6

Machine

Courage didn’t know what to do anymore, he was starting to face the fact he’d never see Muriel again...even worse this was all his fault too.

The snake things loomed over him hissing just like the real thing, The Computer did not respond to Courage who was constantly shaking him in hopes he’d get up so they could hopefully make a run for it. He didn’t want to leave The Computer to be picked off by these things and even if he did try to run they’d probably just chase him anyway.

But what if he really was...Courage refused to accept that...

He needed to get away from these monsters if he was ever to help his computer...and it was right then and there when an idea hit him.

Leaving The Computer behind he took off as fast as his paws would take him, he hoped he could draw away the snakes far enough into a corrupted area so they would become corrupted and unable to attack anymore. He didn’t like the fact he was corrupting The Computer even farther but if he didn’t do this they both were dead meat.

At first the snake things seemed to care more about getting their jaws around The Computer like their programing was telling them to do but once they saw the other meal taking off in the other direction.

“Over here! Come and get me!” Courage screamed even though he rather not intimidate the creatures that were planing on ripping him apart.

Much to his relief the snakes were now backing off from The Computer but still weren’t chasing the pink meal. They seemed to be debating something in their own hissing language but Courage was much too happy to care...It might actually work! He might still be able to save Muriel and The Computer!

All three of their computer mouse like heads turned to him and...they all began laughing...it was a hissing, couching like laugh. What were they laughing about?

Courage backed away slightly expecting them to try and pull something on him.

He felt his back strike something...

He turned...and came face to face with yet another snake...

He screamed his usual ‘Courage The Cowardly Dog’ scream and turned to run but the other three had slithered up and surrounded him.

They were all laughing now, he was a goner...a complete goner...

The new fourth one plunged his large jaw down on him, Courage screamed as his body was picked up. He was being thrashed about, he was sure he’s spine would snap in two at any moment.

“Hold off your attack, now!” Yelled a voice Courage knew.

The fourth snake stopped and turned its head toward the voice, Courage caught a glimpse of The Computer. He was hunched over in pain but standing, Courage could have been no happier to see him.

The snakes all laughed once more. The Computer didn’t seem to be amused by this.

“Cease your attack or I will terminate your existence, you know my programing. Any part of this system that is malfunctioning must be destroyed, you all are under the influence of a virus and have attempted harm to very system itself. You have attempted harm to me and have forced me to destroy almost as much of my system as the virus has. My programing clearly states that as my job I must have you all deleted!”

Courage didn’t like the way he was talking...no sarcasm, nothing. He was dead serious, he sounded just like...like a machine...

Courage knew him for his human like personality and it hit him hard that he still...was a machine no matter how human.

The Computer continued. “But this is where we hit a problem, if I delete any more of you It will cause this already unstable system to crash, yet you still will stupidly attack me and the system and won’t look past your programing that in turn has been hijacked by the virus. Do you know what will happen if I die? This whole system will malfunction and crash...and so will you too! Do not make me follow my programing and have you deleted, dooming this system. Do not follow your misplaced programing and doom this system. Your self-preservation programing should be telling you something...”

All four of the snake creatures seemed dumb struck but they did seem to value their lives and the system, Courage felt the jaw loosen around him and he was dropped to the floor. All four snake things took off down one of the corridors not making another sound.

The Computer himself began to soundlessly leave but Courage wasn’t going to let him do that.

“Wait, what about me?” He called.

“I don’t need you, your not apart of this system.”

“When has that mattered?”

“I’ve failed once...I will not fail a second time. You will only be getting in they way now.”

“W...what?”

“I must confront the virus, that is what I’m programed to do...if it means death so be it. I failed to stop it once but now I have no choice...do or die.”

“Stop it...stop it right now!” Courage finally yelled. “I’m really glad your alive but now your just mindlessly following your programing. You know you don’t stand a chance against the virus! Your acting just like snakes.”

“But I must...it is my function. ”

“When have you ever done what your told? I thought you were just as human as anyone else but I see your still just a machine...”

“You don’t understand a thing...”

“I won’t let you go off and get yourself killed like that, what your doing is suicide.”

Courage leapt forward at The Computer but with inhuman speed the glowing form turned and caught the dog by the neck. “You are hindering the cause, I didn’t want to do this but you must be eliminated...forgive me.”

Courage tried to scream as he felt a powerful inhuman punch strike him in the stomach and had the wind utterly knocked out of him. He felt the grasp on his neck let go and he fell to the ground, he thought he was going to black out at any moment but he forced himself to stand again.

“I won’t let you!” He gasped.

“Fool! Stay out of my way!” The Computer yelled.

Courage braced himself this time he was kicked right in the face. He was sent a few feet through the air and he landed painfully on his back.

...He forced himself to stand once more...

The Computer sighed. “I didn’t want to have to do this to you...but you must die then...” He rased his hand just as he did whenever he was about to destroy something.

Courage felt a powerful pressure weigh down on his body, like gravity was suddenly growing heavy around him. His body fell to the floor, his arms and legs sprawled out by the pressure. He couldn’t get any of his body to move, the pressure was growing even more powerful. It was become hard to breath.

He was slowly being crushed...

His eyes met the featureless being with utter anger...how could he be cruel enough to kill him? Courage couldn’t help but let tears fill his eyes, he was never going to see Muriel again...not killed by the virus but by his computer...who he thought would never do such a thing.

With what little air he could take in gasped out. “Don’t mindlessly follow your programing...it’s just like you say, your stupidity doesn’t cease to amaze me.”

Something seemed to crack in The Computer, he suddenly yelled out. “I’m not following my programing! You don’t understand a thing! The one thing I’ve been hiding from you, the one thing your too stupid to realize! Just look around you, I’m dying! I don’t have much time left, I can’t be fixed anymore the damage is too much! I’m doomed! There is no hope anymore! If I’m going to die I want to do it getting revenge on that bastard of a virus! Not weak and helpless like this! You don’t understand anything...”

Courage felt the pressure lift but before he could get back up The Computer gave one last look at him before making a run for it down one of the corridors.

This still didn’t explain why The Computer had been following him around all this time but that didn’t matter...this explained why The Computer had been acting so strange, he’d been facing the fact he was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it.

Courage could understand why The Computer hadn’t said anything and left it for him to figure out on his own, it must have been hard to think about...

Courage wanted nothing more then to find his computer now, he didn’t know why or what he could do about it but he just wanted to find him and...tell him how sorry he was...

This was all his fault...now he was responsible for somebody else’s death...

He felt a few stray tears run down his cheeks...and not just for Muriel now...

He knew now without a doubt, Muriel wasn’t the only one who needs saving.

...And on all four paws he raced down the corridor to find the person doomed to death...

Courage refused from that moment on to consider The Computer a machine anymore...the whole reason he had acted that way was not because of his programing but under the pain of knowing you are going to die in only a short time...

End Chapter

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