Video: 1980's classic was the marching song of Loop and the gang. Image - cybernetic swine.

25 Seconds into the future

Slaughter Pens/Cyber control forward base 89312.c aka Loyalsockville Highschool sports stadium

Jenny's POV

"Oh like the machines don't have secret spy cameras," I said still angry at him.

"The cyber animals aren't that sophisticated. They don't fully get this whole language business. Lying is fairly new to them. They tend to believe everything you say, notions like deception only occur to high ranking animals, the sort with an extra blood chip, these guys aren't high ups their grunts. I've been in this situation before. Believe me when the spy bots leave, you're ok. Look I'm sorry about trying to sell you it's standard practice" promised Loop.

"Well, my standard practice is to tell you to drop dead. If it was a trick then why didn't you tell me" I said.

"I wasn't expecting to meet anyone," said Loop.

"As if, you knew exactly where you were going," I said.

"That's fine, you keep being angry at me, that just keeps up the act. They will check with Shadowfax and confirm my mercenary cover. I will set a very high price they will say no, we walk out of here" Loop said.

I wasn't convinced.

"How stupid do you think I am to fall for that ?" I said. He was clearly just lying to me to get me to cooperate until they got a collar on me.

"If you don't realise I'm here to help you I should just leave you tied up with a little sign above your skull with 'space to rent' written on it" said Loop.

"Says the genius who got us caught by a bunch of horses," I said. " I bet you think Fleetwood Mac is a new hamburger at McDonald's"

Loops eyes narrowed to slits at me.

"At least, I didn't spend six months thinking the Board of Education was a piece of wood," said Loop.

"Says the man who puts a wet suit on to surf the web," I said. 'Clearly, this cannot be decided by our knowledge of the Force alone', I thought.

Loop looked at me then looked around.

"Fine have it your own way. If we escape the old fashioned way, then will you believe me?" said Loop.

Two can play that game I thought. I would pretend to believe him then as soon as we got outside I would split.

"That's good by me," I said.

Loop started to heave and wiggle in his chair like he was possessed by some ghost at a seance.

"'The whole I'm here to sell her' was what we call tactical disinformation," said Loop.

"I'll tactically disinform your rear if I get out" I whispered.

"I lied, I pretend to be a mercenary, it was for your own good," whispered Loop.

"hang on, what's a mercenary?" I said. Two can lull people into a false sense of security. I thought

"They are collaborator wanna-bes. The machines put out a reward on all humans. You bring enough slaves you get entry into Judas city." whispered Loop.

"CKUFF!" I said Hey why I am still using slave-speak? For a second I was rather stunned people were willing to hunt people. I guess people were getting desperate to live.

"Look" I whispered into Loops delicious eyes "if you're going to pull a stunt like that you tell me."

Loop emerged out of all his ropes like a butterfly from a chrysalis. Looks like he had a boot knife or the ability to dislocated a shoulder or some cool escape from being tied up gizmo. He tried the door - it was locked. Even these cyborg animals were smart enough to lock a door.

"How did you do that?" I ask

"What"

"gGet out of the ropes," I said.

"I've done this before," said Loop smiling.

"I think you should have told me you have a knack for getting your self caught before we started"

"I told you I didn't think the place was occupied," said Loop.

"Next time I get rescued I'm going to ask for references including frequency of capture," I said. "urr ropes" I added.

He came over, stroked my cheek. I tried to bite his finger. Then when he was done he began cutting my ropes.

"What happened to 'expect the unexpected'?" I said.

"You can't drive military strategy based on a cliche" said Loop.

"It's not a cliche," I said " it's at worst an aphorism," I said by the time he got cutting down to my chest.

"No way it is an aphorism, if you said proverb then I might be behind you, but cliche it's not"

"SHHHH!" I said.

Loop stopped to listen.

"Is someone coming ?" Loop whispered after a second.

"No, I just want you to shut up. I've hit my dumb limit for the day and needed a break. It's so clearly a cliche. I'm willing to negotiate strategically down to a platitude, but only on the basis, we are in a life or death situation. Take it. It's the best offer you will get all day. " I said as Loop cut down near my waist.

"Look I didn't tell you, I'm sorry, but I was still in two minds if you were a collaborator infiltrator or not."

"Me a collaborator!" I said as Loop cut down to my thighs "how can you possibly say that?" I said.

"Well through my scope you were having a long conversation with the Hunter Killer, You say you on the run but you look pretty sexy when I walk in and most of all NO collar. That's normally based one, for a slave these days" said Loop.

I admit he did have a point.

"I told you I was stolen. " I said "So what makes you think I'm OK now"

"If you were a collaborator you would have ratted yourself out to the sheep as soon as they walked in. No sane collaborator would keep up ANY pretence up in front of a sheep. Even if you admitted to being a collaborator then I would give you 50/50 chance with them" said Loop.

"The sheep hate us so much?" I said as Loop got to my feet.

"As far as I can tell they pretty much hate anything with opposable thumbs, Collaborators included," Loop said getting down to my feet and letting me go.

"What's the plan now?" I asked.

"I don't know I'm improvising this," said Loop looking round.

"Yeh I forgot I was being rescued by the cast of 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?'" I said.

"I like to think of it as more at the high Jazz end of combat," said Loop checking the walls floor and door.

"Brilliant, I'm rescued by a marine who thinks he's Louis Armstrong of combat," I said.

"I prefer Thelonious Monk of escape myself," said Loop.

"I know, why don't I pretend to be ill and you call the guard for help. When the guard comes in, you jump him" I said. It was worth a try - perhaps the Unicorn's didn't watch old human movies.

"Because the guards are made of metal and the standard practice is that, in case of illness, throw in a suicide pill" said Loop Looking up.

"OK I could see that wouldn't be as effective as I think we deserve" I said.

Above our heads was a ventilation duct it was stainless steel "Aha" said Loop pointing.

"Really? is anyone that dumb?"

"Technically is anything that dumb," says Loop.

It was too small for Loop's broad shoulders but a good size for me. If I ever became an evil genius I would be sure to make sure that every duct was smaller than the smallest person I could capture. Of course in this case the cyber animals hadn't actually built this place and it was never been designed to be a prison so I forgave them. Loop lifted me up quite easily.

"I hope my road trip diet hasn't inflated my rear so much I can't fit" I said.

I was on my stomach in a long metal ventilation duct. "I used to be a cyborg's pet now I'm tooth paste in a tube, Oh lucky me," I said to my self. Somewhere there must be a vent to the outside. In the vent it was pitch black and I was I crawling along feeling with my hands but then came to a junction. I crawled along and then I felt warm air coming from a small duct to my right. I could also hear noise, voices.I'm not a hero, I'm a scientist and sometimes you can't stop your self being a scientist. I felt it wouldn't take too long to find something out.



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Be sure to join us next week for 'The secret of the new mechanical order' and other chapters.