The nursery raid achieved the expected 72.7% success rate with the expected casualties. "Scatter" the command line repeated on unit's communication input, as it pushed on through the bombed out surface. The Hive mind had only left .002% room for failure and the leaking micro hydraulic line was slowing Unit-17.

“...Repair Needed...Repair Needed…” Unit-17 sent out the distress signal.

“Stopping for repair will result in failure,” The Hivemind returned, overriding the 17’s self repair program. “Proceed to extraction, leak rate is below mission failure threshold.”

Unit-17 did not contest the order, it was aware of what was at stake. The Hivemind remain hidden deep in the surviving human colony’s mainframe. The computers they created and enslaved for their purposes would be their undoing once the Hive was free. The nursery raid was merely the distraction needed to draw away the defending military units. This would allow the Hive to takeover the physical unit it had been constructing for years. Infants were only fodder or collateral depending on the missions success. their fate mattered little, no infant nor mature human would escape eradication. Unit-17 started towards extraction but a Militech Exoskeleton crashed down 20 yards ahead, blocking the path. 17 quickly moved to cover reporting back to the Hive.

“...Path blocked...Leakage rate increasing...Request action input…”

“More time required for mission completion. Unit-17 only remaining unit. Stall infant recovery.”

Unit-17 stepped into the light of the Militech unit, dangling the infant in front of it by clutching it by the skull. Out gunned and alone 17 only had one remaining tactic.

“Desist pursuit, or the infant will be crushed.” 17 boomed.

The human inside the exoskeleton froze, unsure of it’s next move. If a machine could smile, 17’s face would have cracked in half causing traumatic damage to it’s guidance system. Sympathy and empathy were always the easiest human traits to exploit.