by A. R. Crebs
Troy nodded, carrying the robot in his arms as he trotted toward Aren. A mechanical roar sounded, bringing Troy’s attention momentarily back to FIFI. The robotic tiger circled the Colossus.
“My only regret is missing the epic fight between that cat and that ugly crud-monster!” Running faster, he approached the panicked Aren. “Hoverbike?” he asked the younger man.
Aren lifted his head, gaping at the bike a few meters away. He pointed with a shaking hand. The vehicle had been knocked over and covered in debris.
“Damnit!” Tory cursed.
Aren immediately stood, regaining composure. “It’s not inoperable! It should be able to get us down there. Franklin! Run diagnostics!”
“RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS…CLEAR,” Franklin chimed, his scanner flowing over the shape of the hoverbike.
“Good enough for me,” Troy said, strapping the Roman soldier to the back of the vehicle. “Get on, Aren!”
Aren didn’t need to be told twice. As soon as the pilot hopped onboard, Troy sped off without much warning. The young man urgently wrapped his arms around Troy’s chest. Franklin gave a shriek, reaching with outstretched clamps to grip the Roman bot. With a jolt, the bike soared over the edge of the cliff, sinking down several hundred meters toward the mining center. The sight was unbelievable. From above, Troy and Aren watched in awe. A battle had broken out in the mines as well. A large hole had been drilled at an angle into the floor, a yellowish light shimmering from it–the opening to Sapphire’s origins. More and more monsters climbed out of the portal, the beasts taking to the walls and floor toward Team Phoenix.
“We need extra soldiers down here!” Troy mentally called out over various channels.
Feyette responded first. “I’ve got the church mercenaries heading your way.”
“Perfect.”
“I’ve got to help them!” Troy looked over his shoulder at Aren.
The pilot gaped at him as if he were crazy. “I’m sorry, Troy, but there’s no time. We’ve got to get you into this robot.”
Troy glared at the monsters, watching Spoofy, Monkey, Zombie, and Kaino as they struggled to fight the small onslaught. Nerd was cursing, Bridgette zapping a series of electric currents onto the massive driller. As Troy pulled up, Aren hopped off the bike.
“What’s the problem?” Aren asked. Franklin zoomed to his side.
“Damn battery is dead on the blasted drill! We need it to run the electrostatic cannon!” Nerd growled, running his hands through his hair.
“Franklin! Grab the other side. You and Bridgette fix this damn thing!” Aren shouted.
Franklin complied without issue, clamping on one side of the battery while Bridgette took the opposite. Together the bots fed currents back and forth, the drill humming and quaking. Within a few seconds, the heavy machinery sputtered to life.
“Back away from the drill!” Nerd cried out.
“About damn time you got that thing running! We need to get that portal closed, or we’re all going to be slaughtered!” Spoofy shouted.
“Come on!” Aren yelled, grabbing Troy’s arm. “The clinic is just over here!”
“You need me to come with ya?” Nerd asked.
Aren gave an uneasy look toward the spinning drill. “What about the cannon?”
“It’s gonna take a few minutes to build up enough power to fire,” the Scotty explained.
“Nerd, if you’re going, hurry! We can hold them off for a few more minutes but get your ass here ASAP! We need to fire immediately!” Spoofy called out.
Monkey, Zombie, and Kaino shot from behind cover of the mining vehicles. For now, only monsters were filtering through the portal.
“You’re going to have to spare me. I need to be in there to make sure all of Troy’s vitals are stabilized,” Kaino suddenly spouted.
“Damn it!” Spoofy grit her teeth. “Go! Just…hurry!”
“Got my alarm set!” Nerd waved a hand, running after Aren and Troy.
Kaino groaned a confirmation and rolled around the corner, following the others.
“We’re goin’ to die,” Zombie drawled.
“Think that way, and we already are,” Spoofy sighed.
As she took down a few enemies, giving a fleeting stare in the direction of the half of her team entering the clinic, an invisible force sliced the truck Spoofy was hiding behind in half. The woman screamed as she was tossed backward, a massive tire slamming only centimeters away from her head. Moving toward her was a large group of Brutes. Their arms were raised; their claws noisily clanged together as they prepared for their next attack. Spoofy tried to move but found her leg pinned beneath the bumper of the lopsided vehicle. She gasped, looking up at her enemy.
‘I’m dead….’ It was her only thought.
Unexpectedly, two of the monsters’ heads burst into a splatter of red, the loud BA-DOOM of a sniper rifle following. The other beasts met a similar fate, their heads exploding outwards into pieces, the thunderous sounds coming immediately after.
“Check it out!” Monkey cheered.
In a flash, the mine was full of Soldiers of God. They fought relentlessly against the demons. They were an impressive team, each one singlehandedly taking out handfuls within seconds. Soon, the infestation of monsters had become a manageable game of picking-off.
One soldier came to Spoofy’s rescue, quickly lifting the backend of the truck from off her ankle. “Is your leg okay?” he asked with a deep voice.
Every member of the Soldiers of God was a massive creation. Not only were they tall, but they were beastly with muscle hidden behind equally large body armor. They could give Feyette’s Goliaths a run for their money.
Spoofy moved her ankle slowly, testing it out. It ached a little, but nothing felt broken thanks to her armor. “Feels fine. Thank you.”
The man nodded, pounding his hand against his chest as he bowed. “Anything for a lady.” Spoofy couldn’t help the blush that crossed her face.
Monkey’s expression twisted into a pout as he was momentarily distracted by the other elite soldier. A Brawler leaped from the top of the vehicle near him, latching onto his head.
“WAH!” Monkey screamed, batting at the beast with his hands.
Spoofy sighed, shooting the monster in its skull. The creature dropped to the ground, sputtering into an uneasy death. Monkey looked at her and then lowered his head dismally.
“You are a good shot as well. There are few females in our group. Perhaps you should look into joining our ranks,” the Soldier of God suggested.
Spoofy smirked. “Heh…never really thought about it.”
“She can’t join your ranks!” Monkey stomped toward the man. “She’s already in…my…my ranks!”
Despite Monkey being a large man himself, the Soldier of God still towered over him. The two men participated in a staring match.
“Quit it!” Spoofy spat. “We’ve got more important things to worry about!”
The soldier immediately broke free from Monkey’s dagger-like glare. “I am at your command.”
Spoofy liked the sound of that. With a little sway of her hips, she smiled. “Well, then....” She pointed toward the clinic. “I need you and your men to keep that clinic safe at all times. No matter what.”
The soldier pounded his fist against his chest, gave another nod, and stomped toward the clinic with a fervor unseen in most men.
“He’s ambitious.” Spoofy placed her hands on her hips, watching the Soldier of God as he rounded up a group of his troops.
“I…I’m ambitious, too,” Monkey whined, moving to the front of her.
“Yes, you are!” Spoofy spoke to the grown man like he was a dog, rubbing her hand over his helmet. Monkey did not seem pleased by her teasing. “Come on. We’ve got work to do. Let’s secure the drill.” She looked at her DNAIS. “Nerd only has a few minutes left.”
She peered at the clinic window. From her position, she could see Troy strapped to a table. Kaino, Aren, and Nerd were scurrying about like madmen.
Troy looked down at himself and then at the Roman robot he was hooked up to, his heart pounding as his nerves took a nosedive. Puffing out his cheeks, he let out a whoosh of air. A large hand rested on his shoulder.
“You ready for this?” Kaino’s rugged features wrinkled more as he gave Troy an unsure look.
“Yeah!” Troy sputtered. There was a multitude of wires connected to his chest, arms, neck, and temples. He felt like a science project. “Totally ready. Why wouldn’t I be? I mean, I’m just going to…um…go through cardiac arrest, die, transfer my mental being into this robot over here, and sabotage Sapphire’s portals. No problem. Easy-peasy. Why wouldn’t I be ready?” His eyes bugged out as if the realization of his insane idea finally hit him.
‘Oh, damn…where’s Aria?’
“You don’t have to do this, Troy.” Aren worriedly gazed upon the man strapped to the med table. Troy’s vitals blipped in front of the pilot’s face from his DNAIS.
An explosion sounded outside, alerting the men to the war.
“No…I’m doing this. I’m ready. Let’s just get it over with,” Troy firmly stated.
“You’re sure?” Aren hesitantly asked.
“Just do it, Aren!” Troy shouted.
The pilot cringed at Troy’s outburst.
“Okay, okay…” Aren whispered. He looked to Kaino and bobbed his head.
“Administering the sedative now,” Kaino grumbled, injecting a liquid into Troy’s IV.
“Yer goin’ to get a little bit sleepy. When you wake up, you should be inside the Roman robot,” Nerd spoke softly to Troy.
“I will be. I’m going to make this…work....” The male soldier’s breaths slowed, his eyes fluttering closed.
Kaino looked to Aren.
“Vitals are stable.” The pilot looked to Nerd and Kaino. After a long pause, he continued, “Shutting off the pacemaker now.”
As Aren clicked a few buttons, Troy’s vitals spiked. After a couple of erratic heart beats, the pulsating line jolted up and down, racing only for a couple seconds before dropping and stopping altogether. The pulse line turned red, an abrasive alarm chiming from the medical equipment around them. Troy remained still, his body unmoving. Nerd winced, quickly turning off the alarms. Truthfully, the silence made it worse. All three men waited impatiently, staring at Troy with uneasy expressions.
Aren eyed a clock on the wall, the seconds flitting by until a minute had passed. “Damnit,” he hissed.
“I knew Aria should have come down here. What are we goin’ to do?” Nerd whispered.
“Did we kill him?” Kaino muttered.
Beep!
A small ding sounded from the second set of equipment connected to the Roman soldier. Aren and Nerd dashed to the control panel, gaping with their mouths open.
“Did I hear…?” Nerd asked.
Beep!
“That!” Aren pointed at the screen. “Holy shit!”
“Did it work?” Kaino asked. “It’s not moving.”
Both Troy and the Roman soldier remained as still as ever.
Nerd pushed a series of codes on the panel while Aren ran a diagnostic scan on the bot.
“Initiate?” Nerd asked, looking to Aren.
“Ummmm….” Aren dropped his arm, looking at the panel. “Yeah! Yeah…try it.”
As soon as Nerd confirmed initiation, the Roman robot flew upward in its bed, a garbled electric sound blaring from it. The three men ecstatically watched the robot as it flailed its arms in the air in panic. It hopped from the bed and continued making loud noises—a series of beeps, twits, and honks. Its movements were neurotic, looking over its shoulders at the men and down at itself, then over at Troy’s body.
“HONK BLEEP CUUUUURNNCHHHH!” The Roman soldier blared while holding its hands on its head. It ran to Troy’s bedside, peering closely at the man’s face. It pointed, looked to Aren and Nerd and garbled another expression in tech speak.
“I think he’s tryin’ to talk to us,” Nerd said in a hushed voice.
“Um…Troy?” Kaino asked.
The robot spun, pointing at Kaino. “KRaaaaaNnnn!” It pointed at itself. “REEEE ERRR AAA ERRRAA!”
“Uh…yeah…you are Troy…and you are in a robot body,” Kaino spoke to the machine as if it were stupid.
Aren scanned the Roman soldier, finding a strange electrical field contained within it. “This is insane.” Taking this as proof that Troy’s consciousness was safely contained within the robot, Aren returned to Troy’s panel. He quickly restored the pacemaker. They needed to keep the body alive in at least a vegetative state. The first part of the plan was complete, now he hoped they would be able to figure out a way to get Troy’s consciousness to return to his body later.
The robot made another squeal and ran to the mirror on one of the opposite walls.
“That thing is Troy, right?” Nerd nervously asked.
Humorously peering at its reflection, the bot slammed its metal hands against its waist, rotating them. It looked at its face and then looked at its backside, shaking its rear back and forth while it made an eerie noise similar to the sound of mechanical laughing. Franklin and Bridgette gave high-pitched shrieks, floating toward the mechanized Troy. Together they danced, the Roman soldier moving its hips and arms in a fashion that Kaino and Nerd had seen many times over at the nightclubs.
“Yup…that’s Troy.” Nerd covered his face and shook his head.
“Troy!” Aren screamed.
The bot abruptly stopped, Bridgette and Franklin clanging against each other.
“I know you’re having fun being a robot and all, but we seriously need to get a move on. People are dying,” Aren dryly stated.
“Yeah! We’ve got to activate the cannon; it should be ready by now. We got to close that portal!” Nerd added.
The bot nodded quickly as he looked to each of the men; his palms lifted as he made a series of crunching computerized sounds. No one understood what Troy was doing. The Roman robot stomped to the control panel, plugging his finger into a port in the back.
Aren leaned forward, catching some words that scrambled onto the screen.
“I am a badass robot…” Aren read aloud, not impressed. Looking to the bot, he glared. “Yes, yes you are. I’m glad we didn’t kill you.”
More words covered the screen.
“You have an idea?” Nerd asked. He read some more. “What do you mean? Don’t close the portal? But we got to!”
Troy shook his mechanized head, a red brush atop his helmet bobbing back and forth. More words came.
“You want to go through the portal first? Before we close it?” Nerd asked.
Troy nodded.
“You want to go through and you want us to close it at your signal?” Nerd questioned.
Troy nodded again.
“Ohhh…that makes sense. He can just go through the portal and find his way to Sapphire’s side. He won’t have to travel across the battlefield.” Aren smiled.
Troy held his hands out toward Aren, clapping. It was like a game of charades.
“Whatever! We just got to do it quickly!” Nerd growled, heading for the door as he adjusted his tweed cap. “As in NOW!”
Troy ran with high knees toward the door. His posture was a bit wobbly as he had difficulty controlling his body.
“Ya know? I kinda like this version of Troy,” Kaino chuckled. “It’s quiet.”
A flatulent sound came from Troy.
“Aw, you learned that from Bridgette and Franklin!” Nerd scoffed.
On cue, Bridgette and Franklin added their own noises to match.
They neared Spoofy, the woman reloading her incredible weapon. “About time you guys showed up! I was…worried….” Spoofy turned around and gawked at Troy. “Holy shit! Did it work?”
Troy marched to the woman, his arms in the air going willy-nilly. Spoofy pointed at the awkward robot as it anxiously moved from side to side.
&
nbsp; “This…is this Troy? Did the transfer process make him stupid?” Spoofy asked.
“I thought he was before,” Zombie laughed.
“KURRNCH CHHHUUUU.” Troy held up a middle finger to Zombie.
Spoofy cackled, holding onto her stomach. “That’s definitely Troy!”
“Yes, yes…we have to get him through the portal. Let’s go!” Nerd shoved the robot toward the eerily glowing hole.
“I’ll get the cannon!” Aren announced as he snatched up the control codes for the electrostatic cannon calibrated with the drill. He climbed into the vehicle.
Spoofy and Zombie moved with Nerd and the Roman soldier, providing cover fire. As they passed Monkey, Spoofy tapped his shoulder, bringing him to their side.
“Woah! Robo-soldier!” Monkey rooted. “Robot Troy! Yeeahh!” He curiously poked the robot.
Seeing the strange Roman soldier, a Soldier of God spun and aimed directly at Troy. Team Phoenix hastily protested aloud and pointed back. Troy held his hands in the air. He was at the mercy of the soldiers.
“Why does this robot say friendly on my reader? Is it not one that is possessed?” the large man asked.
“This is the one that’s on our side. You should have been briefed,” Spoofy said.
“We were a bit late to the line. Rumors had reached our ears, however. I was merely alarmed by its presence. I will relay the information to the others that the friendly Roman soldier is active.” The man fisted his chest and bowed, returning to his position in the battle.
“Those guys are a little odd,” Zombie drawled.
Eagerly, Troy and the others continued forward. By the time they arrived, the monsters were coming in droves. As everyone provided cover fire, Troy tiptoed closer and closer to the portal, looking anxiously about at the monsters scurrying in all directions. The static from the hole tickled his senses. Rubbing his metal hands together, he stepped through, the light engulfing him.
The world around Troy instantly changed, but this was not what he was expecting to see. It was incredibly hot, the heat becoming unbearable by his readings. He stood upon a shiny black rock ledge that overlooked a world scorched by fire and magma. There was a deep rumbling that quickly turned to white noise. Screaming. He could hear horrible, terrified screaming all around. It sounded like the entire planet was shrieking. As he gaped over the ledge, hundreds of meters below, he inwardly shuddered. The churning lake of molten lava and black rock coiled and twisted around what appeared to be millions, no…billions of humans. Some were odd to look at, appearing to not be exactly human. Hovering above them all was a plate of rock held up by pillars.