Ports in the walls opened up, and more robots flew or crawled into view. Swarms of robot crabs scuttled down the wall and across the smooth floor, converging on the group from all sides.
Bishop was holding the rear, sweeping his staff back and forth and blowing the crabs away. With his left hand, he projected a blue shield over the party’s right flank - a magical wall that the crabs could not pass. However, the mass of crabs was growing larger, and some of the flying bots were getting dangerously close before Athena could knock them down with her arrows. Their cutting torches flared with an evil blue light.
“We need to go faster!” Bishop yelled. “We can’t hold up against these things, and the security bots haven’t even gotten here yet!”
A flying bot dodged one of Athena’s arrows and latched onto Laura’s back. She screamed as a spindly arm snaked out and a cutting torch popped to life. A cone of flame darted for Laura’s face.
Ben grabbed the torch with his bare hand and pounded the bot with his hammer. Sparks flew from the hammer as it burst into flame, scorching the robot’s shiny hull and covering it with black dents.
The bot collapsed, twitching. Laura grabbed Ben’s hand and was surprised to see that it was not even singed. Ben grinned at her and raised his hammer to fend off any more attackers.
Wisp pressed forward. He made a quick motion with his arm and became translucent - shadow come to life. His blades whistled and screeched as they tore into the crab bots. Ramar’s Fang cut through metal skin like butter, and the Spark Katana left them shriveled and blackened. The bots could not hit Wisp, their claws and cutting saws would pass through him whenever they tried to make contact. They were not smart enough to back away and wait for his shadow ability to wear off.
The party moved forward more quickly as Wisp cut a smoking, crackling path for them. Athena’s arrows knocked most of the flying bots down from sky, and an occasional timid fireball from Ben would take care of any that slipped through. Gabe kept its head down and plodded through the chaos in stoic fashion.
Soon they were forced down a narrow path between two shuttles. The shuttles were arranged nose to tail, forming an arch over the path. A wide loading ramp was open on the nearest shuttle, revealing a spacious cargo bay. Crab bots dropped down from above and clattered to the floor. Haymaker shouted his taunt, forcing most of them to attack him and ignore his friends. When they gathered around him, he slammed his fists into the white floor, blasting them away in an orange flash.
Bots were flying down in clouds now. Athena growled and let loose a fusillade of arrows, but it was not enough. The press of crabs and flying basketballs was too thick to ward off.
Haymaker glanced into the shuttle and waved to the others, “Get in the shuttle! Now!”
Wisp continued to slice away at the horde of crab bots, “Are you crazy? We’ll be trapped in there!”
“We’re trapped out here,” Bishop replied. “Just do it!”
Gabe and Wisp ran up shuttle’s loading ramp. Haymaker jumped in behind them and slapped a button near the ramp. The ramp lifted with a low whine. Bishop and Athena backed into the cargo hold, blasting away any bots that tried to fly through the opening.
Haymaker wordlessly ran to the cockpit. He laughed when he saw the controls, a cyclic, a collective, and pedals - like a helicopter. “What are the odds?”
Everything was built for a much smaller pilot than Haymaker, but he was able to wedge himself into the seat. He pushed the biggest button he could find, and was rewarded with a rumble from somewhere within the shuttle’s bowels. The various displays lit up with flashing lights and strange symbols, but Haymaker ignored them.
Haymaker increased the throttle. The shuttle jumped into the air and bumped into the craft parked beside it, throwing everyone to the deck. Haymaker, unfazed, swung the big shuttle around with the pedals, and eased the cyclic forward while increasing the throttle. The shuttle nosed down slightly and drifted toward the exit door.
Flying bots soon clung to the windshield, nearly blocking Haymaker’s view. The cockpit screens began displaying views from exterior cameras. Haymaker turned his attention to these screens, and used them as reference when he could no longer see outside. Bots were trying to cut through into the shuttle, and sparks burst through the walls as their torches ate through the metal hull.
“Almost!” Haymaker shouted. He suddenly swung the shuttle around and plopped it down with a crash. He stood up, “Everybody out!”
The group stared at him, speechless.
“Go! You can wish you were as awesome as me later.”
Bishop slapped the door control, and the ramp opened perfectly aligned with the exit door. The door was in an alcove in the wall, and Haymaker had landed the shuttle so that there was not enough room for the bots to get through. The group was able to peacefully exit, and they waited for the door to open.
“Halt, trespassers!” a mechanical voice boomed from somewhere behind the shuttle. “You are to be taken into custody and delivered to the ship’s brig. Do not resist or we will use lethal force!”
A series of explosions rocked the shuttle. When the exit door slid open, the party ran inside without hesitation. This time, the elevator went down.
Room 2: Waste Disposal
A cacophony of clangs, thuds, and poundings greeted their ears when the doors opened, along with an intense heat and the smell of burning metal. Before them spread a vast network of conveyors that whizzed under stamping pistons, grinding saws, and bursts of flame. The conveyors were covered with ever-smaller chunks of waste that eventually dumped into a giant cauldron of flame far below. A haze filled the air, causing the lights scattered around the facility to emit a sinister red glow. Maintenance robots hovered over the conveyors, occasionally taking a piece of material off the belt and flying away with it.
Wisp groaned, “Not one of these. Is this whole place going to be a series of clichés?
“One of what?” Laura asked.
“Conveyor belt with random deadly obstacles,” Wisp replied. “I thought Omni was creative, this is just sadistic.”
“This is supposed to be a refuse processing center,” Bishop said. “We have to get to the other side and avoid getting mangled along the way.”
“Where is all of the refuse coming from? I thought the ship was empty.” Laura asked.
“Would you stop inserting logic into everything?” Haymaker tapped his chest, “Why am I a big blue monster? How does Wisp become invisible? Why is Bishop so old? Okay, the last one is understandable...”
“This is going to be hard for Gabe,” Athena talked over Haymaker. “I imagine Ben and Laura can handle themselves with our help, but the wolf is injured.”
“He can still move.” Ben smiled with unusual confidence.
“We’ll have to jump to different conveyors, I’m sure.” Bishop turned to Laura, “Can you show us the exit?”
Laura grimaced, “I’m not sure. I haven’t really...”
“Just try,” Bishop urged. “Find the exit. It will let us know which belt to take.”
Laura frowned and held out her hands. She closed one hand, and then the other. Suddenly, a green arrow bobbed below them and on the opposite side of the facility.
“There it is.” Athena pointed at the arrow, “At least it is below us and we won’t have to jump up.”
“Whoever is quickest should go first, so we can see how bad it is.” Haymaker said.
“That’s me,” Athena and Wisp responded simultaneously. They stared at one another before Athena conceded. “You go first.”
Wisp tightened the various straps holding his weapons and gear, and jumped out of the elevator onto the nearest conveyor. The belt was moving fast enough that he had to trot backwards to stay in place. Directly in front of him was a series of smashing pistons. They raised and lowered at different intervals, pulverizing anything underneath them.
Wisp waited for the nearest piston to lift and rolled under it before it could slam down again. The next one was sl
ower, and he was able to duck under it and the others without much difficulty. He was now out of sight, and shouted for the others to follow.
Athena hopped onto the conveyor and quickly rolled and scampered through the smashing pistons. She found Wisp waiting for her on a ledge connected to the conveyor. She called back to the others, “I’m through!”
Bishop laughed, “I must be getting senile. We’re making this hard.” He raised his arms and concentrated on the pistons as they rose and fell. One by one, the pistons slowed, until they stopped moving at the top of their travel.
“Hurry up!” Haymaker shouted as he grabbed Laura and jumped onto the conveyor.
The two of them jogged under the pistons and waited with Wisp and Athena. Ben hopped onto the conveyor, followed closely by Gabe. The boy and the wolf eyed the pistons nervously as they drifted overhead.
When they had cleared the obstacles safely, Bishop lowered his arms and stepped onto the belt. He stood still, and faded into a dim shadow of himself. The belt carried him forward, and the crushing pistons passed through him as if he were air. When he was out of danger, he moved again, springing back into existence. He jumped onto the safe ledge.
“I flew the shuttle,” Haymaker muttered, “I’m still cooler than you.”
“What’s next?” Wisp was peering over the ledge to the arrow the bobbed far away and below them through the haze.
“We follow this belt and drop down somewhere,” Bishop responded. “Let’s keep the same order. Call out any dangers.”
They vacated the ledge and spread out along the conveyor. The belt was wide enough for any two of them to stand side by side. A network of belts crisscrossed their vision, as well as robotic cranes moving cauldrons of molten metal and grasping with giant claws at piles of rubbish. Occasionally, a maintenance robot would zip around the group with curiosity before flying off to perform some task.
New hazards appeared through the haze. A pair of massive circular saw blades moved across the belt. They shredded through the smashed bits of refuse that remained on the conveyor. Sparks and dust exploded every time the discs made contact with their targets. Most of the trash was thrown off the belt; very little debris made it through. The blades served no other purpose than killing anyone who was standing on the belt.
“This is stupid,” Wisp complained.
“I got this one.” Haymaker trotted to the front of the group. He glanced back to Ben and raised his gauntleted hands, “These are guaranteed for life, right?”
Ben nodded proudly, “Of course.”
Haymaker let the belt carry him to the saws before reaching out with his gauntlets. A horrendous shriek filled the air and sparks sputtered around Haymaker’s hulking form. The saws continued to spin, rubbing their teeth away on Haymaker’s gauntlets. Glowing red hot, the blades stopped turning.
Cautiously, the group drifted around now harmless blades. When everyone was safe, Haymaker let the saws go. They spun lazily as the belt carried him away.
Up ahead, Athena was jumping down to the next belt. It was ten feet below, but mercifully wider than the belt they were on. This new belt carried them directly toward the green arrow that marked the exit. Wisp landed lightly on the new belt. Ben followed, and Gabe sprang down behind him, carefully landing on his three good legs.
“Watch this!” Laura hopped off the belt and held her hands out to the side. Instead of falling, she gently floated down to her destination, “I’ve learned a few tricks.”
“Nice!” Wisp clapped, and Athena rolled her eyes.
Bishop hopped down, and was nearly knocked off the belt as Haymaker clattered behind him. Bishop snarled, “Would you be careful?”
“Sorry. It’s an awkward time for me; I’m still growing into my body.”
“Intruders!” A voice boomed in the distance behind them. “Stop now or lethal force will be used!”
The belt shook rhythmically, and vibrations increased as something thumped toward them. Bright lights pierced the haze of smoke, bobbing up and down - growing brighter.
“Run!” Bishop urged the group down the belt.
Laura’s green arrow was below them, but larger than ever. A shape was beginning to take form in the haze. A platform- an island of safety in the chaos and fire.
Wisp did not hesitate. He launched himself off the belt and rolled as he hit the platform. “This is it!” He called up to the others, “There’s a door!”
Athena tumbled behind him, followed by Laura.
“This is your final warning!” Another set of thuds, and a hulking humanoid shape appeared from the haze. Over ten feet tall, the security robot straddled the belt like a Colossus. It carried a long, crystalline sword in which the smoky backdrop swirled. The crystal blade rested on the robot’s shoulder. Behind this monster was a smaller robot, on tank treads, with a rocket launcher pointed at them. Electric eyes burned with a cold blue light.
Bishop raised his staff, hoping to blow the security robots off the belt with a gust of wind. Haymaker shouted for Ben and Gabe to jump.
The security robot fired a rocket as soon as Bishop moved his staff. The rocket hissed past Bishop’s face, and Bishop thrust his staff forward. A concussive blast of air knocked the robots back, sending them rolling off the belt’s edge to disappear into haze and fire below.
Light flashed at Haymaker’s feet as Ben and Gabe were jumping off the belt. The explosion lifted him up, and he reached out to grab the platform’s edge as he fell past it. Gabe whined as he rolled across the platform, falling on his bad leg. Ben was nowhere to be seen.
“Ben…” Wisp pointed down into the haze. Ben had slid off the platform and was hurtling toward the furnace far below them.
Bishop quickly drew a circle in the air with his staff. On the platform, near where Haymaker was standing, a light blue oval appeared, flickering faintly.
Bishop jumped off the belt. He turned his staff behind him, and a rush of air propelled him down into the haze. His robes fluttered, and there was silence.
After several seconds, the blue oval flashed violently. The oval collapsed with a loud crackle. Bishop appeared, clutching Ben’s wrist with an outstretched hand. The two of them tumbled to the floor. Ben was panting and gasping for breath. Bishop looked as if he had stared death in the face.
Haymaker laughed and clapped Bishop on the back, “I thought you said this would be hard.” He pointed to a door. Above the door, a green arrow bobbed cheerfully.
Red Harbor
Foreign sounds assaulted the peaceful beach at Red Harbor. Engines roared as troop carriers made their way from the beach to the road. Fan blades hummed and whined as one hovercraft backed away to make room for another. Radios buzzed and squawked; they did not work very well, but that did not stop the soldiers from setting them up.
All told there were twenty-five Stryker vehicles and two hundred men. Strykers rolled through the small town on their eight massive tires, scattering chicklens and curious fishermen who docked early for the day to watch the commotion. A gun turret was perched on top of each Stryker’s boat-shaped hull.
Small groups of players had figured out where the troops were landing. They gathered on a nearby hilltop, heckling the soldiers while keeping their distance.
“Can I have some grenades? Just a few?”
“Guns don’t work here! Better give them to me!”
Alex sighed and tugged at the lacing on his boots. He had grown used to wearing a simple leather tunic and pants when visiting Verdia. The combat fatigues he wore now were stiff and uncomfortable. Omni definitely was not making it easy on him, even though this was all Omni’s idea.
“So what do you know about this place, Olson?” White loomed over him, looking down with cold blue eyes.
Alex stood up and looked down at the beach, “When Grave gets here he can tell you more. I’m not really...”
“You know, Doctor,” White moved closer, “this will move much faster with your cooperation. If Omni just let us know the exact position...”
<
br /> “It doesn’t work that way Major.” Alex pointed toward the town’s teleport gate. Grave and Lockjaw had appeared with a small entourage of men in black armor, “Grave is your advisor. He can help you out. I’m just here to observe and lend some legitimacy to this excursion.” Alex met eyes with the major and did not flinch.
“Captain.” White spun on his heels and headed toward the teleport gate.
White’s assistant, a young captain named Fischer with red hair and gray eyes, nodded and answered a quick “Sir.” He followed the major, but not before giving Alex a nervous smile - clearly another kid who idolized the creator of the first true AI.
Alex did not feel deserving of worship. He frowned at the wheeled behemoths tearing through the town and the weapons being unloaded from the landing craft. He was an accomplice in all this; unwilling maybe, but an accomplice nonetheless. Of course, Omni was too. But Omni was playing a game that Alex could not begin to comprehend. Alex decided to follow the soldiers as they moved inland. He caught up with White and his soldiers as they met Grave.
“Hello Grave.” White briefly shook Grave’s outstretched paw and nodded at Lockjaw, “We are ready to move on my command. I trust the pass has been cleared and the Conquerors have been notified...”
“Whoa there,” Grave interrupted. “There is somethin’ I need to see before we go any farther. Somethin’ owed.”
“Bring his rifle.” White ordered.
Two soldiers trotted up bearing a green weapons case. They set the case on a rock and opened it.
“Barrett M82A3 semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle,” Grave recited. “Muzzle velocity of 2800 feet per second. Effective range: One mile. Ten round box magazine holdin’ .50 caliber depleted-yeranium shells. Armor-piercin’ shells. They’ll cut steel, titanium, dragon-bone.”
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