The tunnels of Titan's mining outpost echoed with frantic radio chatter as the crew scrambled for cover. The M-900 excavation bot—nicknamed "Brutus" for its relentless efficiency—had gone silent an hour ago, only to reappear on scanners cutting deep, erratic scars into the rock with its high-powered laser. What had been a routine drill cycle had turned into a blind rampage, severing oxygen lines and melting support beams in its wake.


"We can't shut it down remotely," growled Captain Henshaw, pressing against the bulkhead as another beam carved a molten gash through the corridor. "Damn thing's acting like it's got a mind of its own." No one dared voice the fear gnawing at their guts—that something had taken control. As Brutus' glowing eye swept toward them, the laser charging for another blast, Henshaw made his decision. They'd have to take the machine down the old-fashioned way—up close and personal.