Moving on Up!

So I finally got chosen to be one of the finalists in the Flash Fiction competition.  This competition gives you a writing prompt then asks you to write 250 words either incorporating the prompt or based upon it.  This week, after the voting dust cleared, I was standing in 3rd place.  Not too bad in my mind, considering I was actually tied for 2nd, but of course ties go the first person to submit their entry...and that was not me  :(

Anyway, check out out the voting and the prompt (to get the context of the story).

Without further delay, here is my story:

All was dark except a steady flashing cursor in the upper corner of the screen. The right audio sensor, still online, could detect movement like footsteps heading off to the north. It was probably Flynn, but with his visual display still suffering the effects of the round, Avery had no way to be sure. His hand twitched as routine diagnostics began. With a flash his eyes came to life:

REBOOTING…


Core Processor          – ONLINE

Audio Sensors     (L) – OFFLINE
                            (R) – ONLINE

Visual Display          – ONLINE

Weapons System      – DISABLED

Avery slowly rose to his feet still getting his bearings. He could not understand why Flynn had made him participate in such a barbaric activity, but he was beginning to understand the emotion behind it. For the first time since he was created he was feeling anger,

…no even anger didn’t compute. This was rage!

He stared for a long time at the Weapons System prompt, vaguely recounting each component that was installed. He cycled through each item in the inventory till he found exactly what he was looking for. Never in his life cycle did he feel a need to use such archaic tools, but now as he eyed Flynn’s sandy imprints heading off into the woods he wanted nothing more than to taste each one’s power.

The display before him turned blood red.

Weapons System – ENGAGED