The Year Of Robo Chapter 2
January 2300 (2)
By Robo
January 17, 2300
Doan took a moment to rest, it had taken him over a week, but he had made it. Unarmed he had escaped the Bangor Dome with the help of three humans he met there, snuck past Lab 16 which was guarded by robots and mutants created from chemicals, barely avoided detection from the robots at the Arris Dome. And just yesterday, he had brillantly crept through Lab 32, guarded by the robot they called "Johnny" and his crew of five other robots, and past the highway which was crawling with mutants that had also been created in Lab 16. From the little information he had picked up, the robots had created an empire consisting of the entire west side of the world, but humans still controlled the eastern half of the world. He hoped that he could find one of their bases after he had finished traveling down the mutant patrolled highway.
"I don't believe it! The robots are slowing taking over the world, this future isn't much brighter then the Lavos controlled future I grew up in," He shook his head in dugust until he saw a sight that brought nearly tears to his eyes. He saw what he thought could be a dome. "Is that a human occupied dome? The maps said I should find one here, but it's so close to the Highway. The robots couldn't have expanded this far, could they?" He could risk it, and be greeted by humans for the first time in weeks. Or it could be a base the robots secretly built, where he could meet his death. He decided at this point, it was willing to risk death if it ment he could be safe and get nutritious food for the first time in his life.
He walked up, and saw a sign reading: The Factory. Press button for comminications. The door was sealed tight, so he took the only option and pressed the small red button. A voice boomed out of the nearby speaker. "Who is this? Identify yourself!"
A human voice! Doan was overjoyed and cried, "You must let me in! I've been weeks without food, I've had to avoid the robots, and-"
"Who are you? We do not trust you. Go away!" said the voice.
"Captain Normon, what are you doing?" came another voice. "It's very obvious that this is not the voice pattern of any known robot. He be an escaped human form one of their labor camps in the Arris or Trann Domes. Let him in!"
"General Davis, with all due respect, the matters of an escaped slave of the robots is hardly our concern! Let the less fortunate of our kind fend for themselves. We have a war going on and cannot wasted our time with their foolish needs. They don't matter anymore," came the first voice.
"Not our concern? Don't matter?!" the one know as Commander Davis was furious. "Rescuing our people who have been trapped by the Mother Brain's armies is one of our major missions for this war! I can't believe I'm hearing this from you! Let him in at once! And as for you, I'm demoting you down to the rank of Private. Report to Sergent Hunger at once where you will complete basic training...again!"
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" came the scream of Private Norman.
"Sorry for this misunderstanding. Door will be energized at once," said a slightly embarrased Commander Davis to Doan. The door opened and Doan walked in. He was soon meeted by the General himself. "I will send you to the kitchen where you can get a hot meal. I'll talk with you soon."
General Davis lead him to the tiny kitchen, where the chef fixed him a sandwich. Doan quickly ate it down. He was so desperate for conversation that he found himslef talking to the chef. After about fifteen minutes, Doan remembered what happened to Norman and chuckled. Then he asked, "What happens to the men who go through 'basic training'?" The chef shuddered at the thought and explained about the obstacle courses, excersise, pushups, and worst of all, the drill sargent. "I pity you," the chef concluded. "Those who escape are put through basic training, they think if you've been inside their domes, you could provide useful inside information. Unfrotunantly, the only was you could discuss that is if you're in the military, and the only way in the military is though basic training." All of a sudden, General Davis came into the room and the chef walked back into the kitchen. Doan turned white.
"Now, um, what is your name?" asked the General. It was obvious he didn't know where to start.
"My name's Doan," he replied.
"Yes, well Doan, I thought you were an escapee from the the Arris Dome, maybe the Trann Dome. But now that I've thought of it, a secret mission we carried out several days ago comes to mind. We sent a group of soldiers to sneak past the border and gather information, but it failed. Survivors were unlikely, but not impossible. Were you part of that mission?"
"No, you see, it's hard to explain but I'm from," Doan stopped and thought. The chef said that refugees from the robots were put through basic training. Doan didn't know if they did the same to people from alternate futures, but he did't want to find out. "Oh, you mean THAT secret mission. Yeah, I was there. Lucky to be alive!" Doan was a lousy liar, but maybe Davis would believe it anyway.
"I thought so! Glad to have you back, um, Doan was it? Now if you'll tell me your rank, I will provide you with a new uniform and you can have the rest of the week off, I suppose." The General still didn't know exactly what to do with Doan.
Doan needed answers, and probally couldn't find them here. He needed to get to the heart of where the humans were centered. "Yeah well, I'm surprised you didn't recongnize me, but I'm sorta a legend around here. I became the most famous Commander in the history of our military," Doan decided to tell him that his rank was Commander. It sounded like a poweful rank, just watch what you say to a supeiror officer or he could share Norman's fate. "I'm surprised you never heard of me. 'Iron' Commander Doan they called me, I once destroyed an entire group of robots who were invading the Proto Dome," He was getting better at making this up.
"Yes, well, I um, don't get out much you see. I just supervise weapon production here. Gosh, I feel embarrased not to know who you are. Um, Commander you said you were? I'll get you a new uniform, gee, I hope you didn't lose any medals of honor that were on your origianl uniform."
"Oh, well I don't wear them to battle, they can get lost and, well that's not important," Doan was getting nowhere, when he got an idea. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but I've got special orders to tell, our, leader what I found. Could you take me there?'
"Our leader, I guess you mean Belesthar. Of course, it must be important if you have to take it to him," said the General. "He's led our people for years."
Belesthar? Belesthar? Where have I heard that name before? Doan thought carefully, and remembered that Crono and the others said something about him once, but he really had no idea who this guy was. "Of course! Belesthar!" he lied. "Could you take me there?"
General Davis replied, "Of course. I'll personally escort you there. I'll get the supplies and will be right back." In a short while, he retruned with a uniform and two guns. "This is for you," he said, handing the uniform to Doan. It was mostly black, with a white belt around it, much nicer than the old rags Doan had worn all his life. He slipped it on. "And this is for you," he said, handing Doan an enormous gun. "We normally don't give these out to Comnmanders, but I'll amke an exception. This is the TX-42 Fully Automatic Turbo-Phaser. A fine gun, indeed."
Doan looked at himself, dressed in a Commander's uniform and wielding a gun. For the first time in his life, he din't feel helpless. "Will we really need weapons?"
"Yeah, those lousy robots have invaded the Sewer Access with their filthy mutants. It makes it a lot harder to travel back and forth to the Keeper's Dome. That's where Belesthar currently is," the old General told him. "Get ready, your adventures aren't over yet!"
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