“Um, I’m sure that’s very interesting, but you were going to take us to the Riddel House?” Porter said, trying to mask his annoyance.
“Well, I was going to tell you another story!” Doc stood looking up at Porter, his eyes gleaming through the fuzziness of his facial hair. “Well, all right then. Your loss.”
Doc stepped out in front of the party again, pointing toward the end of the cavern with his hammer. “Out in front here is the cavern that leads to the outside again. When you came to visit, you sort of fell through my roof, you see. This is the proper entrance.”
“Shoulda brought the suits,” Rex said. “Gonna be cold.”
“Cold? Nonsense,” Doc waved him off with his hammer and stepped ahead. “Quite the opposite, actually.”
They followed him forward, through the great hall. The farther they went into the large cavern, the lighter it became. Slowly the artwork revealed more of itself, and it was beautiful. None of them could mask their awe at the etchings, paintings and sculpture that lined the walls. The very walls themselves were an artwork of geometric shapes and interwoven patterns. The crew stared at the risk of inciting another long-winded tale from the dwove.
But Doc didn’t stop — he marched on until he reached what appeared to be a mostly closed door. Light seeped through the cracks where it met the wall and poured in from an opening at the top of the entranceway. A warm breeze wafted in from the openings to whatever lie beyond.
“Well,” Doc said. “Here we are.”
Isellia walked up to the stone door, running her fingers over its contours. Compared to the rest of the hall, the door was quite plain. In fact, there was no handle or knob. After further inspection, Isellia found a small key hole next to the door jam.
“Well, how do we open it?” Porter asked.
“With the key, of course.”
“Do you have it?”
“Of course.”
There was a pause in which Porter and the dwove looked at each other.
“Well, where is it?”
“In my room.”
“You gotta be kidding me,” Rex said, leaning back against the wall as the rest of the crew sighed with exasperation.
***
Having returned while the crew waited, Doc proudly brought the key as if he were the guest of honor. Isellia sighed, and Porter shot her a look as a reminder to watch her manners.
The dwove walked to the door, reached up with the key, and barely touched the tip of it to the bottom of the hole before dropping it.
He stood blinking at it for a moment in surprise, then picked it up and tried again, with similar results. He tried hopping, trying to gain the necessary altitude to get the key in the hole, but just couldn’t seem to reach it. Each time, the key came clattering to the floor, its resulting rattle resonating off the walls of the cavern.
“Why don’t you let one of us unlock the door?” Isellia said.
The dwove looked at her blankly for a moment, then walked toward a side hallway.
“Hey, are you even listening to me?” she called out after him. She stomped her foot in annoyance. “Hey!”
“Just let him,” Porter said, patting her on the shoulder. Porter too was growing tired of these games, but figured it must be over soon.
“Whatever,” Isellia said, rolling her eyes. She looked at the robot and Stephen, who stood staring blankly.
“You two have been awfully quiet,” Isellia said.
Stephen said nothing, but shrugged. The robot turned to Stephen then back toward Isellia. It tried to shrug too, but lacked proper shoulder joints, so it mostly just swung its arms up and down.
“That robot is getting weirder every day,” Isellia said, shaking her head.
Just then, Doc came back with a stone step, carrying it with both arms. The step was nearly as big as Doc himself, and to the crew, it looked like the step itself walked with a pair of Doc-shaped legs.
The dwove set the stone step down with a thud, and climbed on top of it. He then walked back into the hallway and retrieved the key. Isellia’s eyes went wide with agitation, since she could clearly see Doc had pockets with which he could have stored the key.
Doc paid no attention to Isellia’s mood as he set the key into the lock and turned it. After a moment, the door began to rumble, a rumble that quickly spread to the entire room.
Dust shook from the top of the cavern and coated the party with a thin layer of white as the door slowly opened. Light poured into the chamber, causing all of them to shield their eyes, save the robot, while also trying to wipe away the dust from their eyes.
“Well, there you are,” said the dwove, putting on eye-wear that resembled Isellia’s welding goggles. “Adventure awaits!”
Chapter 15
Porter, Isellia, Rex, Joey, the robot and Doc emerged through the freshly opened doorway, shielding their eyes against the sharp light of the desert sun. The underground cavern was cool and dry, comfortable if not a bit chilly; now the warmth from the sun swept over their bodies.
“Wasn’t it just snowing?” Isellia asked, squinting at Porter.
“Oh, it changes all the time,” Doc said. “I find it bothersome. So I stay inside.”
Everyone looked back, realizing for the first time that the dwove did not follow them, but stood waving at them in the stone doorway.
“Aren’t you coming?” Joey asked.
“No, I don’t feel like it. Well, goodbye!”
“What?” Isellia exclaimed. “Get over here before I punch you! You’re not not leaving us alone! You said you were coming!”
“It’s just a straight walk that way,” the dwove shrugged. “Don’t turn at all. I forgot my nap time is soon.” The dwove shrugged, disappearing behind the cavern entrance.
“Nap time!?” Isellia said, her eyes growing wide with anger.
“Well, that’s too bad,” Porter said, winking at Isellia. “I was hoping to hear more about your stonework skills. I was curious how you got the ideas for the layout, what kind of tools you use, and ... well, maybe another time.” Porter turned to follow the narrow path that led through the remaining rocks at the bottom of the mountain to the desert that surrounded it.
The dwove’s face re-appeared in the entrance. “You do?” he asked, looking from person to person. “Well, I have a lot to say on the matter. I can tell you how I got started ...” The dwove fell in line with the party, chatting away about his next project, detailing the tools he would use and his ideas for fittings on the corners. The others nodded as they walked. He appeared to have completely forgotten about his nap.
Rex looked at the dwove and back at Porter. He sighed and continued walking.
“I still think I should just punch him,” Isellia said, cracking her knuckles loud enough to make Stephen jump.
***
They followed a small, hard-packed path that wound through the desert sand, a slight breeze blowing drifts of particles across and into its cracked surface. The crew covered as much of their skin as possible to protect themselves from the sand, despite the extra sweat and heat doing so produced. Isellia had wanted to remove clothing in response to the heat, which caught Joey’s attention, but Porter’s descriptions of a woman he’d known who found herself covered in second-degree sunburns convinced her otherwise. The dwove, of course, was quite safe as his natural outfit covered most of his body, and his oddly shaped hat and excessive facial hair kept the sun’s rays at bay.
They walked for hours, sweat soaking stains in their clothing. Isellia’s flight suit became damp in several areas, the fabric clinging to her body; Joey noticed on occasion, but the effort of the walk left him too tired to concentrate on much else.
“How much farther is it, Mr. Doc?” Joey asked.
“Well, I’m not terribly sure,” Doc said.
The dwove stopped. He had proven remarkably resilient, despite his lackadaisical pace and attitude. “It might be a two day’s march.”
“Two days?!” Isellia panted. She stomped over to
the dwove, whose eyes opened wide but who stood his ground as he looked up at her. She grabbed him by his purple tunic and tried lifting him. The dwove was surprisingly heavy and felt as if he were rooted to the ground — despite Isellia’s strength, Doc wouldn’t budge.
She could pull him close, however, and brought him within inches of her face, bending over to make up for the height difference. “Listen to me,” she said through gritted teeth. “I’m sick of putting up with your garbage. Why didn’t you tell us how far it is in the first place?”
“Well, I’m certain it’s not far—”
“Now!” Isellia screamed.
Instantly, the party had found their location had completely changed. Isellia looked around, standing up slightly to take in her surroundings while her hand still absentmindedly grabbed the dwove. They were still in the desert, but the endless expanse of sand had been replaced by the shade of a cabana, amidst a desert floral garden. Blooming cacti and large palms lined the oasis that spread out before them.
Isellia loosened her grip on the dwove and looked around, stunned. They were not alone, but before them were a man in a sort of wicker throne and a familiar woman.
“Celia,” Rex nearly whispered. Surprise replaced his usual expressionless face.
“I told you they’d make it,” she purred, winking at Rex.
***
“Welcome,” said the man, getting out of his chair. He was tall and slender, with dark, perfectly cut hair and he moved with exceptional grace. He wore a cheshire grin seemingly etched into his face. “I see you’ve met my little friend.”
“Yes,” Porter said, recovering his surprise at suddenly coming on the oasis. He turned to the dwove. So he was key after all. “Yes, we’ve met, um, Mr. Doc.”
“Yes, you see, they’ve never asked if it were my first name or last,” the dwove said indignantly, referring to the crew. “Or even how I came to be called such a name. A bit rude I thought.” The dwove crossed his arms and pouted.
“Have they mistreated you?” The man asked.
He looked up at Isellia, who was doing her best not to make eye contact with him — then at Porter, who’d shown so much interest in his stonework.
“No, not as such,” the dwove conceded. “Would have been nicer had they all shown as much interest in my work as the larger fella there, though.”
“Your work is quite good, my friend,” the man said, slightly bowing.
“Yes, I know,” Doc said, as if it was a tautological statement.
The party seemed relieved save for Rex, who stood on guard. His face had once again lost any expression, and his gaze never left the graceful stranger who appeared to have made company with Celia.
“Doc is his only name,” the slender man continued. “And I am Slithen.”
“Porter,” Porter nodded. “This is Rex, Stephen, Joey, the robot and Isellia —”
“Isellia ...” Slithen said, seeming to instantly be at her side seemingly without anyone noticing. Rex and Celia noticed, and Rex was ready to spring at the first sign of threat.
Slithen took Isellia’s hand, with Isellia watching dumbly for a moment. He brought it to his lips as she watched, nearly mesmerized. Suddenly, she withdrew it and slapped him.
Rex and Celia knew Slithen could have easily dodged it, but he watched the hand come in, seemed to allow the feminine palm to strike his face.
Everyone expected rage, but Isellia stood, confused. She looked at Porter, then folded her arms and looked away.
“Perhaps I was a bit forward,” Slithen said, grinning all the while.
“Perhaps,” Rex said, his glare never leaving his face even as Celia rubbed his shoulder.
“Is this Babel IX?” Porter asked.
“Oh right!” Slithen said. “I suppose you’re looking for an explanation. Yes, yes, of course. Oh, well, all in good time, I suppose.”
“But we just want to know —” Porter started.
“Right,” Slithen said. “Well, you’re not quite ready yet. One more thing... Ah, let’s see how you deal with this then.” He snapped his fingers as his eyebrows raised and he and Celia disappeared, along with the oasis canopy — replaced by a towering giant creature.
The giant looked human, but had only one eye, no hair and appeared to be solid muscle, which rippled above the battle tunic he wore around his waist. A strap was all that covered his large, muscled torso.
And he didn’t look happy.
Chapter 16
Almost before anyone could react, the giant swung its thick, wooden club, cutting a whoosh through the air as it flew toward them. Rex reacted faster than anyone, springing from his spot with the lightness of a cat. He flew into the path of the club, which was on a collision course for the rest of the party, and rounded his back right before impact. The club deflected off the curve of his rounded back, flinging harmlessly into the air. The re-direction surprised the giant, and he struggled to regain his balance.
Rex tumbled back to the ground, burrowing through the sand next to everyone else, who looked at him in shock.
“Rex!” Stephen yelled, uncharacteristic for the quiet man. He rushed to Rex’s side.
“You all right?” Porter asked.
Rex nodded, not taking his eye off the giant.
They had no more time for conversation, as the giant wound up for another swing. The robot and Isellia had drawn ROUs, ready to fire.
“No!” Porter yelled. “Get out of the way!”
Everyone jumped back as the giant drove its club into the ground where they’d stood. The force of air nearly flung them over as the weapon splashed into the sand.
The giant recoiled for another swing, this time overhead. The crew members dove in opposite directions to avoid the attack, as if the giant club split the group in two. The club buried deep in the sand again; this time, the giant struggled to pull it back out.
“Robot, let’s Swiss cheese this ogre!” Isellia yelled, charging her ROU.
The robot calculated another idea. Without hesitation, the robot sent a pair of red-hot laser blasts right above the giant’s hands. The precise shots left two black, smoldering marks on both of its wrists.
The giant jumped back in surprise, leaving its club buried in the sand. It tried to rub its wrists, switching back and forth as it struggled to figure out how to rub both injuries at once. Its lone eyebrow furrowed like a pouting child as it stared at its burns.
“All right, that’s a start,” Porter said. “Robot, fire at its toes if it comes toward the club!”
The robot said nothing but charged its ROU. The weapon’s chamber cylinder glowed red as it spun in its casing, in a steady but slowly increasing whir.
The giant overcame the pain from its wounds and reached back for its club. Every time it tried this, the robot sent a red-hot laser blast into one of its toes exposed through the giant’s sandals.
“We stopped it for now, but now what?” Isellia asked.
The giant stopped and stared at them. It grimaced at them, and every time the robot shot, its grimace grew.
The giant kicked out one of its legs to its side, raising it to nearly the height of its ear. Its foot hovered for a moment, nearly a silhouette against the desert sun, then came crashing down with such force that sent sand flying in all directions.
Everyone shielded their eyes from the spraying sand. When the dust cleared, they saw the giant pick up its other foot in similar manner. Something caught Stephen’s eye just before the foot came crashing down with noticeably lighter impact than the other foot.
The giant stood with both feet planted, its legs in a squat. It looked ready to spring.
“Threat imminent,” the robot said. “Requesting orders to swiss cheese the clown.’”
“Hey! That’s my line!” Isellia said, banging on the robot’s head chassis.
“We need to think of something,” Porter said.
“No time to think,” Rex said. He’d also readied his ROU and aimed it toward a vital target — at least where
one would be if it were human. It was the best guess he could make.
“Guys, we can’t just—”
But before he could finish, Stephen suddenly ran out toward the giant. It surprised everyone, including the giant, which raised its eyebrow.
“Stephen, no!” Porter shouted, but Stephen kept running toward the giant.
The giant appeared to grow more curious as Stephen ran toward it. Nothing had ever attacked it directly — it was too big. Nothing had the guts.
The confusion threw the giant off-balance — it had been prepared for a blitz of its own, and the change in direction of the attack threw it off. It tried to readjust, but its balance was shifted forward so much that it began to fall forward.
Right toward Stephen.
Rex sprang forward as the rest gasped, but even with his speed there was no way he could make it on time. The giant came crashing down, and the crew saw Stephen disappear under its towering mass. Sand from the desert blew up like an explosion as it impacted, leaving the air dusty for a moment. When the dust settled, the giant lay in a heap.
The giant shook his head, stunned, while Rex still trained his ROU on the beast. Isellia and the robot followed suit, advancing on the fallen giant. Rex crept inch by inch toward the lumbering monster, while some dust still swirled around them, obscuring their view.
As they grew closer, Stephen emerged from the side of the giant’s hand, dusty but very much unsquashed. Rex and Isellia lowered their ROUs. Something shiny flashed in Stephen’s hand, which he held up to show them.
“What is it?” Rex asked.
“It was lodged in its foot,” Stephen said. “That’s probably why it was so angry.”
Everyone looked at Stephen with surprise.
“No really, it’s okay!”
Everyone walked over to where the giant lay, breathing heavily but unconscious. They looked at the giant, then at Stephen again.
“I noticed it when it raised its foot. I was thinking it was kind of surprising that it would want to stomp its foot with this shard sticking out of it. At least it wasn’t on the bottom! Boy, I don’t know what came over me.”
Robot Awareness: Special Edition Page 20