The Unnamed: A Mechanical Maniacs Mini-Novel

By Gauntlet (Shadowman)

Chapter 18

Magnetman ran through a corridor in his own mind. Something was terribly wrong.

It seemed like he was fighting for months. The Gom Jabbar had chased him down his labyrinthine pathways that made up his robotic brain, destroying everything as it went. In the world of Magnetman’s mind, the Gom Jabbar was like a mass of floating wires, like an octopus with many arms it picked up pieces of data that seemed to interest it and with flashes of light emitted from its tendrils, it destroyed them. Magnetman had underestimated Artilleryman when he was showing off. He hated doing things like that! And for a long time it seemed that would do him in.

At first he tried fighting the Gom Jabbar directly, but that didn’t work. All his attacks were broken down into their key programming components and then destroyed. Then the virus took root in his visual sensors, disabling them and making them tied to his initial reboot sequences. Then it went and ate away at his motor control, painfully tearing control of that from Magnetman. Before he knew it, he was trapped in a body that was no longer his own. The malicious virus kept eating away at his systems until it finally turned its attention to the young warrior.

Although he suffers moments of poor judgment, Magnetman is not stupid. He realized immediately what this virus was meant to do. He used his remaining power to create a protected backup of all his memories and personality in a Navi-like form which he then separated from all his key processing units. As the virus attacked the primary personality, the backup found a nice place to hide. It seemed like weeks. Magnetman heard his central self scream as the virus ripped it apart. He heard it reenact memories -

Yeah..... I've been so good maybe I'll get those porno tapes I wanted!

You know. Give him a slide feature, so he can go close to the ground and also avoid enemy shots.

We're doomed...

- before going off into more helpless screams. Eventually the central memory forgot how to speak and was reduced to whimpering, sobbing noises. Magnetman shivered. I won’t let it get me!

The virus didn’t take notice until it came upon the most recent actions taken by the now-dead main Magnetman. It seemed more instinctual than intellectual, like a hunting dog sniffing out tracks. It paused for a moment, assessing its priorities. Would it kill programs not attached to the main core of the computer? Magnetman hoped so … but knew it was likely that he better start running again.

As predicted the virus leapt into attack, searching out where the backup went. Magnetman cursed its speed. With ruthless efficiency, it destroyed whatever Magnetman hid behind. Once or twice Magnetman set up traps to delete the creature. To no avail, it simply broke them down just like it had his frontal assault.

I’m gonna die! I’m gonna die and this stupid virus is gonna die too since it’ll attack whatever system is still keeping it running next. And since it’s not alive … it doesn’t care.

Magnetman’s last, desperate strategy involved clones. It was Geminiman’s shtick, but he didn’t have to know about it. As a program, Magnetman has a few more options available to him that he doesn’t as a robot. Quickly tapping into what remains of his body’s core systems, he was able to boost his power. This allowed Magnetman to create several low-grade copies of himself. Only enough mind to follow the plan and that’s it.

Since the thing took so much time to kill … the old me It might take a bit longer to kill these copies. But ….. I can’t bear to hear them all die, so I’ll only keep just enough to make them run.

The copies made a flat-out attack on the Gom Jabbar. Using Magnet Missiles (that Magnetman knew wouldn’t work) the seven copies fought bravely against the mess of wires and circuits. Still, not enough. To Magnetman’s horror all seven were caught at once by the Jabbar’s many wires! Magnet had hoped it would take longer to kill these copies, but the creature seemed to have adapted to the multisided attack. Magnetman stood frozen, captivated as the creature broke down the copies simultaneously. They died mercifully silent.

That’s it then….. No more running or hiding. It’s time to meet my maker like a man!

***********

Except that Magnetman didn’t have to.

The Gom Jabbar moved fast enough o grab Magnetman in its tendrils. Magnet could feel it boring through his mind, shifting through memories and emotion s with no care. And suddenly, the Jabbar let him loose. Magnetman got the distinct impression that it was screaming in pain, although it uttered no words nor made no sounds.

Magnetman had time for a relieved sigh before noticing changes. The structure of his mind went from red magnets to black, with odd circuitry interlacing nodes and surfaces.

Whatever this is it can’t be good. I gotta re-establish control!

Magnetman tried interfacing with his systems and when he did he was overwhelmed with a conclave of voices. He stepped back instinctively. That should not be there. Nothing should be there, in fact, his central personality was wiped by the Gom Jabbar. Magnet thought for a bit and came to the conclusion that something else was in control of his body. But what? He accessed his systems again and was again greeted by a conclave of voices.

Whose there? I think I recognize a couple ….. is that Blademan?

What’s going on here? Magnet had no way of knowing, but with nothing left to do he tried to regain control of his body. All the while he heard those voices – sometimes shouting, sometimes whispering, but ever present. They didn’t seem to notice him, but he was still nervous. Still, this was his body and he knew how to cover his tracks. It took some time, but the magnetic warrior figured out what was going on.

Someone had taken over his body and linked it to a network. What he was hearing was others on that network who were also captured. He surmised that the “Sinister Six” must be among the captives. The reason he had not been captured was that his mind was separate from his body. The Gom Jabbar, as an entity that would surely attack the network and that was rooted in his visual sensors, was deleted as whatever this was gained control. All of his key motor control systems also seemed to be repaired, probably so that whatever took control of his body could use it to do whatever they wanted him to do

Well, that would end soon enough.

Magnet owned this body and he knew how to overthrow this “guest”, at least he figured he did. He began by accessing the system again. Again he heard voiced, but didn’t pay any attention tot hem. He began to set up installation when he heard something that did register.

“Thanks for the save, Shadowman Gamma!”

Shadowman Gamma?

Magnetman couldn’t believe it. Was Shadowman captured? Magnetman tuned into the voices to get a better listen. Sure enough, there was Shadowman. Magnet thought he was babbling to himself.

Whatever. His next action was set. He couldn’t get control of his body just yet. For now he needed to free his friends from this mind control first.

***********

He found the navigational program pretty easily. This interface was designed to track users down, obviously for some sort of control. Magnet was no rocket scientist, but the trails were east to follow. First he would free his leader, Shadowman, and then maybe Shadow would have a better sense of what to do that he did.

Shadow’s voice increased in volume and clarity as Magnet drew closer. Traveling these wireless pathways, it was like flying. Magnet didn’t like it. If he was meant to fly he’s have a propeller or some sort of giant fan built into him.

The space in which he arrived at was filled with black cables strangling every system. Much like what became of his own mind, except here there was screaming and cursing.

Obviously Shadowman wasn’t too happy about the current situation.

Shadowman’s mind was quite different than Magnet’s. It was filled with smoke and traps. Magnet supposed everyone’s mind would be this way. Still, the control system seemed to repress much of Shadowman’s internal defenses since he hadn’t encountered any hostility upon entering. Magnet paused to wonder at such odd behavior hen he finally came upon Shadowman’s core.

It was immense. Shielded from attack by apparent electrical shields held in place by blocky black control panels connected to the larger system by many black wires which even extended to the endless sky above. Magnet could see the leader of the ‘Maniacs struggling against high-tech shackles through the force field.

Magnet supposed it was a symbolic representation of the system so his Navi-like form could understand and interact with other systems. That Shadowman really wasn’t held in place per-say but that this was metaphorical of programming bonds.

Still, it worked for Magnet. At once he shot out several Magnet Missiles to destroy the massive prison.

Some of the panels blew out and the prison shimmered. Magnet had felt a glimmer of hop until he was struck from behind. Magnet yelled in pain as he fell to the ground. He reached to his back and pulled out what struck him. It was a massive ninja star. A Shadow blade.

Magnet could see them now. About a dozen monochrome versions of the ‘Maniacs’ ninja leader. Apparently the control system saw him as a threat now.

“Buddies, you picked the wrong guy to mess with on the wrong day! The magnet-head – is – PISSED!”

Magnet let loose with a magnetic field, drawing the copy ninjas nearby. Once they were close he let loose with magnet missiles, wiping out these poorly prepared copies. He turned his attention back on destroying the holding device. This time, however he was ready for the attack from behind. He dodged just in time for three massive Shadow blades to miss him. Magnet jumped into the air and used his magnetic powers to stick himself to the top of the holding cell. He let loose with another magnetic burst, this time intending to destroy the holding cell. More panels blew out. Magnet grinned. Who said he didn’t contribute anything?

He was grabbed by several hands. The Shadow-clones. Although it destroyed several of them, they managed to pull him free from the prison. The lot of them fell – hard – on the ground far below. Magnet was getting tired. These bursts weren’t easy. This time he’d go around them!

Using a short range teleporter he appeared at either end of the Shadow Clones and reappeared at the far side of the prison, where no opposition lay in wait. He let loose with more magnet missiles. Although Shadow Clones came in to stop him, they couldn’t succeed. The prison rocketed with explosions until the entire thing was destroyed in a mass of electrical charges and stray pixels. From out of the digital dust arose the blue-clad leader of the Mechanical Maniacs. Shadowman.

***********

Shadowman swayed unsteadily on his feet and looked around in confusion. He recognized his mind, but what were these wires and nodes everywhere?

“Shadowman!”

The ninja whirled. It was Magnetman!

“What are you doing here, Magnet? And what’s going on? The last thing I remember is …”

“Never mind, leader-man. It’s a long story and I’ll explain it all. But the good news is that now ….w e have a fighting chance against whatever it is that we’re fighting!”

***********

After hearing Magnet’s tale, and of the robotic Gom Jabbar, Shadow felt worse about thinking badly about his team for not reporting in earlier. Things were becoming clearer. The “other” Mechanical Maniacs had put the rest of them under their control and made them “Gammas”, however that gave the real Megaman three team the opportunity to strike! Magnet was weak from freeing Shadowman, so their next target should be someone they could take. And that was Spark Chan whose weakness was Shadowman’s Shadow Blades.

Spark’s mind, like Shadowman’s was overrun with wires and blocky black nodes. Like Shadowman her core was also protected by a massive barrier and also like Shadowman Spark Clones attacked when Shadow and Magnet attacked the barrier. The battle went easier this time in part because there were two of them, but also because Shadow held Spark’s weakness. It wasn’t long before another Mechanical Maniacs member was freed from control.

Overjoyed with relief, Spark immediately hugged and kissed Magnet multiple times on the face.

“Oh, Maggie! I was so scared for you!”

Magnet was obviously pleased with this turn of events.

“Oh, yeah, Sparks? Not to worry, I’m Magnet the Mighty!”

Shadow was impatient with the reunion. They had work to do!

“Alright, guys time enough for that later. We’ll go after Hardman since Magnet holds his weakness. Had enough of a rest, man?”

Magnet was winded. Freeing Shadow wasn’t easy and Spark held his weakness so this battle took its toll. Still, he couldn’t refuse.

“You know I’m ready, fearless leader!

***********

The battle for Hardman’s mind was tougher than they had thought it would be. There were more of them, meaning the control system was adapting against their strategy. Shadowman wondered if that meant CJ had detected their escape. They hadn’t freed their bodies yet and he hoped that this response was automatic.

Spark Chan and the exhausted Magnetman fought bravely, but Spark held little threat to the Hard Clones while Magnetman was still exhausted from his two previous fights. For his own part, Shadowman’s own weapon held little threat to Hardman as well. It was up to Magnetman!

Spark Chan saw their leader looking desperately at her magnet-headed teammate. She understood that neither of them held a significant threat to Hardman’s operating system. Only Magnet had that advantage. But Magnet was clearly exhausted and each missile took more of his precious energy. If they fell now they were done for! No E-tanks, no 1-ups, no nothing! Magnet needed a recharge fast!

That sparked something in the robot’s mind. Sprinting forwards, past a few mindless copies of her friend, she got behind Magnetman’s body and placed her hands on his shoulders.

“What?” asked the robot, but Spark stopped him from turning.

“Trust me,” she whispered.

She let loose energy directly inside of Magnetman’s body. The thousands of volts of electricity amplified Magnetman’s power a thousand fold, destroying not only all the Hardman Clones, but the prison trapping the true Hardman as well!

After a brief hello Magnetman and Spark Chan collapsed from exhaustion.

***********

The next mind to be freed was Topman’s. After finding a way to recharge from Hardman’s mind undetected, this battle seemed extremely easy. In seemingly no time Topman was lamenting on how easy it was to free his mind while it was so easy to free the others. Shadowman smiled. At least they had him back!

There was some doubt as to who to free next, however Shadowman simplified it for them. Needlegal was his sister so they would free her first, even though she was challenging without Geminiman’s laser. Spark and Hard seemed oddly unnerved about freeing Needle, but Shadow had no time to address this.

Whatever it is they’ll have to work it out as we go.

The battle with Needle’s control systems was immense. Over twenty attacked at once, showering the team, such as they were, with destructive needles. However, like the other clones, they were weak and easy to dispatch. The sheer number of them is what was so hard to deal with!

Eventually, however, they freed Gauntlet’s sister from her prison. However …. Things weren’t so easy on them this time.

“Needle?” asked Shadow, “You’re free!”

…

“Who are you?” demanded the female blue robot. “Who are any of you!?”