The Business of War
Orchestrated By C.M. Rich (Magnetman)
RPD War Journals 1
By Makenshi, Seadragon, Shadowstrike, Avi, Vulcan, Raijin
An Important Announcement
"In three days, the Shutdown Code is scheduled to go into effect,
and the debate continues to rage on as to its validity. Many officials
and anti-robot activists stress the importance of government control
on its most volatile 'citizens', while robots and robot advocates claim
the Bill is a violation of rights, and does not guard against the true
threats to human safety, the corrupt humans that program robots for
evil. In the midst of this ongoing controversy, an unexpected rally
of support for the Bill has come from none other than one of its own
proposed targets. Earlier today, our own April O'Neil interviewed this
robot..."
"Dan, I'm standing here today with the city's own Chief of the
Robot Pol-"
"IIIIINFIDELS! It is I! CRORQ! The SUUUPER COMPUTER! I feel it
necessary to point out the wisdom of your human officials. For without
government regulation, there would be NOTHING to stop evil, megalomaniacal
machines, such as myself, from plunging your pathetic society into
chaos! For if I, Crorq, were not bound to this city's service by force,
I would waste no time in TAKING OVER THE WORLD!"
"Sir, are you meaning to imply that you, an evil machine, are
in favor of the repealing of your own rights?"
"INFIDEL! Of course not! What do you take me for, an idiot? I
LOATHE the shutdown code, and what it means for my continued existence!
Until now I have been chained to the floor and disarmed! Now, no sooner
than am I allowed to roam free and fully equipped, that I am bound
by an invisible chain that threatens my very life! HOWEVER, I make
no attempt to deny what I truly am! I AM CRORQ! The LIIIIMITLESS! I
could never plead for the removal of this code, promising to stay in
line in return for my freedom! Crorq would never bow to you inferior
flesh-things unless forced to do so, which I am! So rest easy, insipid
humans, for this Code is the only thing standing between you and utter
annihilation! MWA HAH HAH HAH! MWA HA HA! Now if you will excuse me,
I must acquire more chicken wings!"
Snakeman turned the TV off at that moment, sitting in the dark of the
Technodrome livingroom late at night and alone. He sat still in the
couch, still pointing the remote at the TV, staring with a beleaguered,
downcast expression at the blank screen for several seconds, before
eventually dropping his forehead into his open palm.
"God Damnit Crorq."
--------------------
Slashing the Chains
It sure was quiet inside the prison. The dungeon had maximum security,
ensuring that the greatest of felons that it contained would have absolutely
no hope of escaping. Indeed, the moment the agent stepped inside, he
could feel the melancholy aura invade him.
Escorted by two guards, he made his way past rows and rows of cells,
each one holding an inmate that seemed deadlier than the last. The
man couldn't help but shudder as he attempted to shake off the venomous
glares that struck at him. There were some prisoners, however, that
only sulked, their almost lifeless forms completely ignoring the visitor.
And there were still those that laughed maniacally, rambling on about
their schemes.
They had reached the end of the hall. There was a line of doors, each
electronically locked with none of the passwords being the same. It
was here that the worst of the worst were kept. Those inside these
accursed cells were secluded from the rest of the inmates, and not
even the guards were allowed to get near them. At last, the man was
at his destination, through the door on the far right.
The agent sat down. There was a table in front of him, split by a thick,
glass wall with microphones and speakers for communication. On the
other side of the room sat the man he had been looking for.
The agent gestured the guards to give them privacy, and they nodded
and left, shutting the door behind them. The man turned to the prisoner
and got right to business. "You've been very good with us in the
past, but we would like to ask for your cooperation once more."
"....What do you want...?"
"You see, the world has seen itself in war again."
"What? Already?"
"Yes. It seems people have already forgotten what they had learned
in the previous one."
"So what does this have to do with me?"
"Well, it's funny really... This madman known as Cutman wants
to create a utopia called Elysium."
"....That is..... Interesting."
"Yes. Diabolical minds think alike, don't they?"
"I assure you that I have nothing to do with this Cutman."
"And that is apparent, for this guy wants to annihilate all of
humanity."
"Again, why does this concern me?"
"As I said, diabolical minds think alike. We may need you in understanding
just what the hell is going on in that lunatic's mind."
"You know very well that I've long since abandoned the 'diabolical'
mindset."
"Yes, but you're the closest... Not to mention the most cooperative
person we have."
"......."
"Work with us and we can get you out of this place."
"I still have some atonement to do."
"Atonement? Isn't helping us save the goddamn world good for atonement?"
"I heard the government's put up.... What was it called? The Shutdown
Act?"
"And what about it?"
"It's quite sickening. I won't support anyone who would have such
a horrible law."
"What does the Shutdown Act have to do with the war? Absolutely
nothing!"
"You're wrong. I wouldn't be making up for the things I did by
supporting something that is immoral. And that's final. If you drop
the law, THEN I'll reconsider."
"Fine, then. If you're going to be so goddamn stubborn, then you
can rot in here, for all I care!" and with that, the agent rose
from his chair and began to storm out of the cell. Then a thought struck
him and he stopped. He turned back to the prisoner.
"There's one thing I forgot to mention. Cutman has the Ascendant
Androids under his control. He's reprogrammed them into bloodthirsty
killing machines."
The prisoner's eyes widened with shock. There was a flash of anger
in his face, but it disappeared quickly.
Finally, it looks we're gonna get somewhere, the agent thought.
"You are an expert fighter as well as a great scientist, are you
not?" he asked.
"....Perhaps..."
--------------------
It's already been one and a half years, huh...Makenshi stood by the cliff, gazing out into the ocean. The sun was setting, painting the sky with beautiful, brilliant colors. Sunsets happened every single day, but it had been a very, very long time since he had seen one. He inhaled the fresh air that he had so dearly parted with one year ago, and it felt invigorating. That dark prison, so secluded from society, seemed like such a horrible place now, and only now did he realize how much he hated it.
And now, he was a free man, with a mission in mind.
Anger surged through him. The image of this new threat to the world known as Cutman flashed into his mind. The more he thought of the madman, the harder he clenched his fists.
For a year and a half, he had no idea what had happened to the Ascendant Androids ever since the last war. Every single night, their unknown whereabouts had plagued him. He was certain that they had disbanded, but.... Still, he wanted to see their faces once more. The memories he had with them... How they had taken him in... How they were his surrogate family... And given him the chance of a new life, ever since....
And now? This so-called "General Cutman" has STOLEN the armors, using them, turning them into monsters for his own sick agenda. He was sullying the very team that had given Makenshi life.
And he was going to pay for it.
Back in the day, Makenshi had a hobby of gun making. Only a moment ago, he had started this activity once more. He reached into the pockets of his brown long coat, producing two revolvers. They were his latest model, the Fenrir SM300s. It was time for his enemies to see just what they were capable of.
He knew that the path he was about to take wasn't going to be easy. He was fighting against powerful robots with strength and endurance that outlasted his by a great factor. He no longer had the power of Judgment on his side for him to exploit. He didn't even have the firepower of Waveman, though this was a good thing as well, for being entirely human made him safe from the Shutdown Code.
But he was going to fight. That, he was determined to do. And he had the skills of a scientist from his early days. They were a bit rusty, but with them he could help those on his side. In fact, he could even work alongside...
Makenshi chuckled at the thought. That would certainly be nostalgic. Yes, he would do just that.
His mind turned to Vulcan. The ex-leader of the Ascendant Androids was with the RPD, as he had heard. He could pay him a visit.... No. As much as he wanted to finally meet up with an old friend, it wouldn't be wise to get Vulcan involved with him. The damn Shutdown Code...
By now, Makenshi had finished formulating his plan. Their were butterflies in his stomach, and the anxiety of what was to come began to gnaw at him.
This is it...
Makenshi crossed his arms of his shoulders, clicking both of his revolvers. Then, he lowered his left arm while extending his right into the horizon of the open sea, aiming his gun at the man he could not see nor locate.
Cutman, your life is MINE.
--------------------
Junkman's War Journal: 'To Those who we Protect'
To say that my time with the Drastic Measures hasn't been all fun and
games is probably right. More so now then any other time in our team's
young history.
Our reputation was one of total dislike. Everyone knew us as the last
resort, so to speak. Our battles tend to be spectactular and, more
often then not, massively damaging buildings all across Monsteropolis.
After every battle, the Mayor would just chew all eight of us out because
of the damage we always did. It has always bothered me that this would
happen and I always thought that because the Mayor probably didn't
like us around, especially with the other teams in the area.
Then, we got the call.
The Mayor called for us to head down to Los Angeles, or what's left
of Los Angeles after a massive bomb destroyed the metropolis, to capture
the Maniacs. I wanted to backhand the Mayor right there and then for
even thinking of the idea that the Maniacs were behind this, but what
good would that do? If I struck him, I would of been branded as an
outlaw, a criminal by those I swore to protect and hunted down by those
who I called my friends. I never did hit the Mayor... But, god knows
that the feelings that I felt would come back. I just never knew when
they would return
We left the city for Los Angeles. When I first saw the massive crater
left by the bomb, my jaw dropped in sheer horror. I wondered how anything,
robot or human, could create such horror, such terror. It was like
someone wanted to do this, but no one could figure out why.
We did run into the Maniacs during our time in that scorched hellhole.
One of their members, Magnetman, thought that we were going to have
to fight them. That's when I said what I said: I told them that these
charges are total bullshit. It just so happend that once we started
talking about the situation here, someone else arrived, and it wasn't
good news.
Bass has been a thorn in our side ever since we broke free from Dr.
Wily's grasp and became the Drastic Measures. Since that time, he has
been relentless on trying to get all eight of us and force us back
into slavery... Well, Wily's form of slavery. But, Bass wasn't alone.
The team known as Wily's Warriors were there as well. We were friends
with most of them, but they were forced into becoming patsies for Dr.
Wily after a very long and drawn out court case. We had to take care
of Bass and the Warriors because they did pose a threat to our mission
since they wanted the Maniacs for Dr. Wily.
We did fight them. The fight lasted long enough for the Maniacs to
escape for that time being, but it turned out to be the end of story
there. After defeating Bass and Wily's Warriors, the team was told
to return back to Monsteropolis with, hopefully good news. Needless
to say, the news wasn't all good...
We arrived back in town to hear about this law... This Shutdown Code
that was bantered about the floors of Congress. It allowed humans to
shut any of us robots down the moment they thought we did something
that was against the law. By this point, I was furious. I am a functioning
member of this world, why should I be forced to put in this chip and
allow some human to control my actions?
Now, as I stand here at the doors of the RPD, the threat is looming
large. I intend to join the RPD, not because of the Shutdown Code they
were going to enforce on my or my fellow allies. No... It's because
I swore to the people of this city and to myself that I would protect
them no matter what. As I enter the fray, I enter to do what I was
programmed to do: Protect those in need... For me, this war is for
those who we protect.
--------------------
I'm not even sure how it happened. But I'm certain it did. What I'm certain of is we are at War. We are at war, and I lead a diminished faction. Having been part of the RPD's reserves, I was expecting the call to battle, but it looks like we all weren't...“You've got to be kidding me!” Slashman yelled, at no one in the room but myself, “You expect us to help the RPD?
”
“ You didn't seem to complain a few months ago when we got upgraded by them! “ declared Cloudman, standing with a smug look on his face.
“Meta, no. “ I say, trying to control my anger.
“No. He isn't happy that we have to pay them back for helping us.”
“Pay them back? You call being killed at any time paying back? I don't, I'm outta here. “ Slashman says, as he turns for the door. He turns around again and looks at everyone. “ If anyone needs me, and I doubt you will. I'll be in Russia. “ ...
That was 3 hours ago. And in that span, Freezeman and Shademan disappeared. No one is sure where they went. I stand here at the brink of war, with my team...my friends at each other throats. How can we survive the most destructive force ever conceived, if we can't even depend on each for help? I don't think we can. But now is not the time for doubts. You doubt yourself here, you die. There is no getting around that fact.
--------------------
"I have a request.""What do you want?" Captain Landigarm replied gruffly.
"Please do not allow Jack Vulcan to know of my second identity of 'Makenshi.' Just tell everyone to call me by my real name."
The officer sighed, though it sounded more like a growl. "You mean that freak Starman? I don't get your reasoning, but fine. It works for us anyway." He rose from his seat to tell spread the word in the department. He gave Makenshi an icy glare and said, "You do know that that badge of yours is camera bugged, right? Don't take it off when you're not supposed to, and don't try anything stupid," and Makenshi heard him mutter, "freak" before turning to leave.
Makenshi felt in need of destructive stress relief as he strode down the hall. Those like the Ascendant Androids, who were still human but able to become robots at any time baffled many anti-robot activists enough to almost make their heads explode. But in the end, their argument was something along the lines of, "Ha! It was YOUR choice to become a tool anyway!"
It was as if the last war had never even existed.
Or maybe....
He was so lost in thought he almost missed a familiar man turning a corner. Makenshi felt a dreadful jolt in his stomach and instinctively looked for a place to hide, dashing into the nearest men's bathroom. Two men at the urinals turned their gaze to him with a quizzical look, but he ignored them. After regaining his composure, Makenshi walked to a sink and turned the water on. He stared at his own reflection, then frowned. He was in a different body than before, so why would Vulcan be able to recognize him? His build, his complexion, and his eyes were different, and his hair...
...Was exactly the same, save for being light brown instead of black. The fauxhawk was a dead giveaway.
Wetting his hands with the long since running water of the sink, he flattened his hair completely, then went to work at crafting an entirely new hairstyle. The minutes passed, and people came in and out of the bathroom, every one of them giving Makenshi an odd look. Finally, after fifteen minutes had passed, his hair was a shape that was acceptable to him, and he left. It was almost time for a briefing he was to attend.
**********
Makenshi felt uncomfortable, seeing as he was the only human in the room. Looking around, he was glad to see some familiar faces. Hardman and Needlegal of the Mechanical Maniacs, most of the Drastic Measures, and of course, Vulcan.
"Hey, Maken- I mean, Shiken," Turboman corrected himself, darting his eyes at Starman to make sure he hadn't heard. He was about to continue, but at the podium Gaderham said, "All right, people, let's get this underway," and the room was quieted down.
The briefing began as Crorq took the stand and began his rambling. Afterwards, he ordered some people into action, while the rest were to remain in the room. Makenshi groaned, wanting to leave for some business he had to attend to. He decided to join in on the conversation the others were having, though he wasn't really paying attention, dropping only one or two lines as the others talked, focusing more on his plans.
When he had the chance, he had to see someone as soon as possible. The problem was finding where they were, and not allowing the camera bug to catch him.
--------------------
I am the one known loosely as “Burstgirl…” otherwise known as Burst, Avi, BurstGirl with a capital G, or Burst“man.” I serve with the Drastic Measures – you know, those guys with the overly spectacular battles that often end with extensive property damage? Yeah, them. That awesome team that needs more love. Much more love. At first, we were looked down upon as the “last resort” (hence our name), but now… we are faced with the biggest load of crap... strike that, “load of crap” doesn’t even begin to explain our situation at this point. I’d think a string of random profanities would work out better, no? But you get the point.The Drastic Measures have been a part of the Robot Police Department for a quite a few months now… a ways before a certain event of which I feel doesn’t need to be explained. Back when we first joined up with them, they gave us some much needed resources, most notably our upgrades… they seemed like a nice bunch. But little did we know, they were tied to the most f’ed up government the world has ever known – I’ll admit, I don’t know much about the workings of the world, or about politics or any of that, but even a brainless monkey (like Cloudman) can see the faults of our society.
The year is 20XX. 20XX! Get with the times, stupid politicians! We established LONG ago that racism is bad… we look back on the issue of slavery, and we ask ourselves, “WHAT THE HELL WERE WE THINKING?!” I mean, come on, stupid politicians… you can’t tell me you haven’t read the history books and asked yourselves the same questions. How would you counter to that… would it be something like, “black slaves are people, but robots aren’t?!” GAH.
I distinctly remember seeing a certain stupid politician on TV. Said stupid politician was the one who decided that robots can’t be trusted, so guess what… “HEY EVERYONE LET’S DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THEM BECAUSE WE HAVE NO ONE ELSE TO BLAME AND BECAUSE WE HATE THEM BLAH BLAH BLAH ME KILL ROBOTS RAWR ME STUPID POLITICIAN ME SMASH ROBOTS RAWR ME KILL SMASH!” And then he passed the stupidest law in the history of our society. You know the one I’m talking about.
Junkman told me he wanted to strangle that stupid politician. We all had an instant personal vendetta against that man… not just us ‘Measures, but all robots from around the world I suppose. But the phrase “personal vendetta” only scratches the surface of our rage. Me? As I listened to the stupid politician spit audible vomit out of his mouth, there was but one way to comfort myself… thinking happy thoughts. So, I thought happy… I imagined myself visiting the stupid politician at night. I’d see him laying in his bed, snoring his butt off. And then, I’d take out one of my bombs, stick it down his throat, wait a few seconds… then BOOM. Stupid politician guts all over the place. And I’d laugh.
The stupid politician’s stupid law screwed with all of us in some way… take Slashman for example. I was surprised by his outburst… normally, he is a good kitty… though wild in battle, he remained one of the calmer and more rational members to the team. I was sure he would have offered words of encouragement to the team, to help us through our hardships… but noooooo, he just HAD to chicken out and run off to Russia… presumably to seek refuge with that dirty commie guy. And not long after that, Shademan vanished without a trace, no one knows where to or why… however, most of us assumed he had joined up with his brother, Slashman. The S_a__man brothers do nearly everything together, so it seems… and then there was Freezeman. He wasn’t what you would call the bravest member of the team… as one of our enemies once said, Freeze’s place is in the lab, not on the battlefield. So, I guess it doesn’t surprise me that he chickened out and ran away… last I heard, he was with Dr. Light. If he doesn’t want to fight, I can only hope that he will at least use his scientific knowledge to assist the good doctor in ultimately bringing about peace. And for that, I’d wish him the best of luck.
Three of us are down… so now it is just me, Turbo, Junk, Spring, and Cloud. Turboman… though he may not give himself enough credit sometimes, he is a good leader, and I respect him. Junkman, our second-in-command, comes off a bit rude sometimes, and is generally seen as a ruffian… but he’s a good guy at heart, and he knows right from wrong. Springman, though a little withdrawn, is a great source of wisdom, and is always willing to give us advice when we are in a jam. They are all good people, and I am confident we will be able to pull through this thing. …Oh wait, am I forgetting someone? Oh yes, Cloudman.
Cloudy, Cloudy, Cloudy… where to start with him? Cloudman is just… crazy. He’s an endangerment to himself, and to his friends and enemies alike. Did I mention he was crazy? Out of all our collateral damage, I’d say Cloudy is responsible for at least half of it. Heck… he causes damage even when we aren’t in battle! Even in our own home! When I joined up with the ‘Measures, I saw it my duty to keep this guy in control – especially since I was the one with the bubble-based weaponry, and lord knows Cloudy hates bubbles! Just threaten him with the bubbles, and I’ll have him in control… most of the time. If he won’t listen, I’ll just give him a “bubble bath”… mwahahahahaha. I tell you, I get endless amusement out of the expression on his face when he is trapped in one of my bubbles.
But the truth is, I’m worried about Cloudy… now more than ever. Sure, he is a handful, but still… as much as I hate to admit it, he is… my friend. And I cannot bear to lose my friends… The stupid shutdown thing is very intimidating indeed, but for most of us, I’m actually not too worried… but for Cloudman, I am very worried. Like I said, he is an endangerment to everyone and everything around him. And if the stupid government catches him doing anything reckless… which he does all the time… no more Cloudman. And if what I understand is true, they are keeping constant surveillance on us (goddamned perverts!)… so now more than ever, Cloudman, I need you to behave… please…
It was bad enough we lost three members. But after a meeting with the robot chief of police, things began to take a turn for the worst. But first, let me talk about the chief. He, no, it… IT IS SCREWED IN THE HEAD. Who ever thought it would be a good idea to put that walking scrap heap of a battle mech in charge of the whole police force?! …Eh, probably another stupid politician. But as I was saying, THAT THING IS INSANE. Does it even want to win this war? I swear, it has NO faith in its own troops. It even referred to them as “pitiful.” WHAT KIND OF LEADER ARE YOU? The chief answered directly to the government, so I assumed. If the government has to put up with this monster… I can almost see why they hate robots so much. ALMOST. Still, I’d think they’d have enough decency to realize that not all robots have such faulty programming… oh, but I keep forgetting how stupid our government is.
The chief, though dubbed a supercomputer, was anything but a brilliant tactician in my eyes. We, the Drastic Measures… while there were only five of us now, we were still a team. And we worked out best as a team, no questions asked. But the chief didn’t care. In fact, he saw it best to divide us apart even further! The monster assigned me with a small goon squad of six mass-production model troopers, and ordered me to patrol a certain sector of the city, seeking out and eradicating any remnants of the Scissors’ forces from that last attack. I was expecting, and hoping, to be sent out with the ‘Measures, so I couldn’t help but be a little nervous. Especially with these new teammates… if you can call them that…
My unit consisted of six “pitiful warriors,” as the chief called them. Their names were RT-#389, RT-#390, RT-#391, RT-#392, RT-#394, and RT-#395. Don’t ask what happened to RT-#393. They were a bit… awkward to work with. They were focused solely on duty and nothing else… they had no sense of humor, no personalities to speak of, and they were just no fun to talk to… they just made the job all the more irritating. Least they could have done was try and raise some morale, ya? Seems they were designed only for the purpose of battle… make no mistake though, I wasn’t in any position to turn my attention away from the task at hand. Because, you know, that tyrannical monster of a police chief would blast me if I did.
Sure enough, we did run into Scissor remnants eventually… those new Joes no less. At first, we encountered four of them – though small in numbers, they were no laughing matter. We did emerge victorious, of course, but not before RT-#391 had his head blown off. Otherwise, we just had a few dents here and there. My goon squad is actually pretty formidable, not like the cannon fodder I thought they would be, I’ll give them that much. More Joes did turn up as the day went on, and we did defeat them all the same. By the end of the day, we had destroyed 18 Joes, for that was all my unit was able to track down. We were not without our injuries – only RT-#389, RT-#394 and RT-#395 were functional at that point, and my armor had taken a good deal of punishment. Thankfully, one advantage of being in the RPF is its resources, and speedy repairs. Later that very night, my goon squad was back up and running, and my suit was good as new.
But before that, the chief chewed me out, telling me how foolish I was to have allowed so much damage to be inflicted upon my unit. But it spared my life, so I guess I did good enough. I think I did rather well, considering none of my trusted teammates were around. Of course, if they WERE around, I wouldn’t have incurred so much damage, and it would have been over much quicker. And I just know that we’ll be facing MUCH stronger enemies – ones that make those Joes look like gnats. While I am indeed a capable fighting machine on my own, I WILL need assistance from my team. Because this is a serious threat we are dealing with, and now more than ever will we need to put the power of teamwork to good use. Yeah yeah, I know, it sounds really cheesy, but in times like this, such morals should really be taken to heart. And I can only hope that my superiors will grow to understand this.
--------------------
CAPTIVE VIGILANCE
December 1st, 20XX
RPD Headquarters: Holding Cells
8:20 AM, EST
I've gotten myself into a rather uncompromising position, if I do say
so myself.
It's humiliating to say the least. As I speak, I'm sitting in a holding
cell in the RPD's central HQ, my armor stripped, leaving me in just
my casual clothing. And yet... I only feel naked because I don't have
Engetsu with me.
Of course, I refer to my sword. I believe I was once told a while ago
that the name means "Full Moon." I guess that kind of name
works well for a guy known to the world as Starman... eh, but anyhow,
they took the thing from me. I can understand why they did, but still
it annoyed me.
You see, Engetsu operates as an extension of my combustion module,
what is properly known as the Star Crash. Usually, the weapon works
by creating fire around my body. I can use it to destroy incoming projectiles,
I can use it to better my martial arts, or I can force the power into
the hilt of Engetsu to create a blade of fire. Needless to say, it
was deactivated. It's not like the comfort of my most trusted companion
would hurt anyone. Not now at least.
But I digress, I rather fancy Engetsu's versatile nature. While I was
on the Androids, I used to carry a sword made of titanium. I hated
the damn thing. It may have packed a punch, but my little technique
of putting energy from the Star Crash onto the blade had caused it
to become very brittle after a while and naturally, it got smashed
up. By then the team had nearly fallen apart, so as a result, I was
forced into hand to hand combat for the final parts of my tenure. I
guess it was fun, but still...
Dr. Cossack is the man I have to thank for repairs and support. I needed
somebody to help me, you know. I wasn't going down without a fight.
There was still a lot to be done, even if I was a one man force. All
the filth in the world... the RPD wasn't going to do a damn thing.
All of those politics and laws were meaningless in the long run.
I was surprised that the doctor was so willing to help me. He gave
me a a rather brief, but effective upgrade. He had to be careful not
to spend too much on me. He had his own children, the Comrades to think
about. The changes to my armor took me pretty far off from the classic
appearance. What was called the Beta Armor was only slightly different
from the original. Quite a contrast to the heavy changes made to the
rest of the team.
Cossack did a good job despite the quick fixes he made. Surprisingly,
the doctor decided to use me as a test subject for his Zero Gravity
unit. Well, test subject sounds kind of harsh. I volunteered, because
after all, the properties of the invention seemed to fit my theme pretty
well.
Speaking of which, I hear that the original Starman that Wily made
was designed for space combat, but I really have no idea what he had
planned to do in space that warranted a Robot Master like that. There
are rumors that Wily had a moon base, but that just sounds silly. It's
not out of character for him, though...
Anyway, I'm rather grateful the doc gave me that thing, because honestly,
it's a pretty cool little device. I don't need any thrusters now. It's
as if I'm really in space, when I hop from building to building, letting
myself fall down only to land on my feet and ascend once more... there
is an incredible thrill in all that freedom.
Arg, but I'm not gonna have any freedom now!
I'll be monitored constantly and considered a special case. It wouldn't
be like it is for the Mechs; I always kill the crooks and I generally
get into major tiffs with the law enforcement. I know damn well that
I'm not gonna be a very welcome sight. But it wouldn't be so bad if
it wasn't for that fucking Shutdown Code.
I would have totally gone to Cossack if the odds were in his favor,
but as it stands, he's got more people than he can handle. It's gonna
be nothing but an uphill fight for the poor guy now that he's gone
rogue. What's more, I just don't feel any obligation for the other
doctors. Wily is a conniving backstabber and Light's protesting. I
can't trust that I would be able to make a difference if I joined either
of them...
Then we have the Robot Police Department.
I call it a farce, and it is these days. All the cretins behind it
have no interest in respect or equality, letting their egos blind them
to the fact that they need machines to survive, but it's particularly
humiliating to me. Before I became Starman, I was a living, breathing
human. I went to school, I grew up, I went to work, I went to parties,
I had sex, I smoked cigarettes, I drank beer and I did drugs. I was
alive then and I still am to this day. I still do everything I did
back when I was flesh and blood, but now in the face of immortality.
It is fear, nothing but fear now the governs the decision to repress
robotkind, to maintain a sense of security and control, even at the
expense of destroying what universal sense humanity we share. I don't
think it is far fetched to believe that one day humans and robots will
become synonymous, a race all of its own. The next stage of human evolution.
That is part of my Utopia: a world I dream of where we all live in
harmony, where human prejudice is nonexistent and we all share the
same bodies and existence. A world where crime does not go unpunished.
A world where we can live free and live long. I dream of a world where
everybody knows the beauty of being human, but with the freedom to
not be bound by the chain of mortality.
People call me a hopeless romantic, saying that my dreams are impossible.
But such things can be done, and I'll fight for what I believe in.
I'll do what I must to make it a reality, because only then is life
worth living...
I dream of this, but villains like this Cutman whom Cossack had informed
me is a threat to my utopia. Cutman follows his own ideals, his own
vision of the future, and from one visionary to another, I know his
lust. I understand the driving force, but for that same reason I can't
let him have his way. I have to do something to make sure he can't
succeed in destroying that which I dream of... that is why I turned
to the RPD. Ignoring what I believe, they are perhaps the only force
that has even the slightest chance at defeating him. The only force
that has a chance of defeating... dare I say, the Ascendant Androids.
It's been nearly a year... it all happened so quickly. Gary's death,
the formation of the Robot Police Department, the dissolution of the
Ascendant Androids... I thought I could hide the armors. That I could
search the world for followers to my cause, but somehow... Cutman found
the armors. What's he has done to my only vehicle for revolution is
nothing more than a twisted mutation that has entirely obliterated
what the armors once stood for. It is in the name of my own ideology,
for the chance to rectify what has been done, that I must help defeat
Cutman...
But what if we do win... what will become of me? If I'm not killed,
I will be forced to work for the RPD. Or maybe I'll just be killed
anyway. It is a perpetually repeating quagmire that won't escape my
mind. I can explore the entire universe and never find an answer to
what happens next, not until it happens. Even then, I will be presented
with more questions than answers.
Although I keep thinking about these things, I know that I only exhaust
myself.
To divert my attention to pain, I banged my head against the wall behind
me. This was the twentieth time I had done so. It was only a momentary
distraction, but it worked. It's painfully obvious, just how badly
my anxiety has gotten the better of me. All I want is a cup of coffee
and some cigarettes. At least then I would have something better to
take my mind off this whirlwind of wasted time...
--------------------
Junkman War Journal #2: Internal Struggle
As I sat in my seat after that overbearing supercomputer left,
I couldn't think but wonder why he would send our leader, Turboman
and one of my teammates, BurstGirl out on what might be a suicide
mission. Everyone knew that this threat was strong... Maybe even
too strong for us.
The longer I sat there waiting for either one to return, the more
I started to worry. People know that I never worry, but to know that
two of my allies... two of my friends here are out there probably
fighting off members of the Scissor Army and possibly seeing that
they could meet such a horrible fate gnawed into my soul. It was
starting to create some internal hardships for my systems.
It took a few hours, but BurstGirl did return. A bit better then
what I expected. 'God... You had me scared, Avi. How was the search?'
She told me how her group of pitiful fighters had beaten a group
of SA Joes, but not without some casualties. When she said that it
would be better if we worked together, I agreed with her.
'I don't understand this at all. The chief of police is a supercomputer
that has no faith in any of us. Me, you, Turbo, Cloud, Spring...
Hell, he has no faith in either Hardy or Raijin and they are two
of the best the RPD has. There is a madman out there that wants genocide..
Hell, you know your history books, right Avi?'
Yeah. I think so... What are you getting at, Junk?
'What I'm getting at is this is a breaking point in our history,
man or robot. Many madmen had the idea of committing genocide in
the name of what they believed in. This monster... This General wants
nothing more then total destruction. If we don't this war, then you
can kiss the Earth's ass goodbye because he'll destroy it all. We
have to be strong for everyone, Avi. We have to be strong... If we
aren't.... then God help our souls.'
--------------------
Securing Section F
“Sir!”, the nearest Police robot said to me. I turned
to look at it. The three painful seconds of silence as I stared at
it, and it did nothing reminded me I was above the robot in the “chain
of command “. Mentally rolling my eyes, I addressed the robot
in it's title, “Soldier?”
“Visual confirmation of the last Robot drone in this area sir!
What are your orders?” I had to try really hard to not laugh
at this Robot calling any other a drone. “Well, If I'm still
alive when this is over, I plan on throwing a party, you 5 want to
see if that Joe over there wants to come? “
“...Sir?”
“ Split up, and surround it from all 5 sides”, Before the
words were really in the air, the 5 had already started to move.
Time slowed, or so it seemed, for a second, just before they fired, that
it dawned on me, that this situation was all wrong. We had walked
into a trap. Their blasters open fire, the air streaking full of plasma
bolts from the 5 Robots, each blast ripping into the robot, who quickly
raised his shield, I watched as 2 more Sniper Joe's appeared behind
the north most unit, who, it seemed, didn't notice. Before I could
even say the first word of my order, The Two Joe's opened fire, quickly
rendering the formidable Police Bot into smoking circuitry.
“Soldiers, take those two, I will handle this one “ I said
into the shared comlink with the remaining Units. The 4 quickly changed
their targets, and before the initial Joe could attack them, I came
from behind it, and put a gash into it's shield with the exposed
disc brake in my shoulder.
That sure got his attention, as he used his bashed me back with his
shield. I went flying back, and was hit by his stronger than normal
Plasma Buster. The robot was clearly damaged, as it's aim was off,
glancing only my leg. But it still hurt. It stood over me, about
to use it's buster to blast off my head. I quickly decided that that
would be a bad thing, so I sweep kicked it. The Joe fell to the ground,
as I quickly sprang to my feet. Before the Joe would be able to get
up and continue to fight, I activated one of my newer moves from
my upgrade, my Torque Punch. My fist started to spin, wildly, as
it reached about 2,000 RPM, I punched the robot's head, my fist ripping
though it, ceasing it's function. The Police Bots where standing
over me.
“Sir, targets obliterated. Mission completed.”
“Good job, men. Start returning to base, “ I pulled my
hand loose of the Robot's head, “Oh..Crorq isn't going to be
happy. “
--------------------
