Year Of Robo Chapter 4
February 2300 (2)
By Robo
February 3, 2300
I had been a living hell for Commander Davis and Doan, as they had been trapped in the Sewer Acess for close to a month. Their rations were running out, and to make matters worst, their weapons were wearing out from constantuse and no time for them to be recharged. Doan's gun was still fairly powerful, but Davis' gun hardly worked. Without any means of defense, the two were sure to meet a swift end if they didn't escape soon.
Not too long ago, Mother Brain was completely ingnorant of the Geno Dome and the humans' new leader. She also knew nothing of the Sewer Acess as the means of transportation between the continents, although she had her suspicions. The probes she sent out could not confirm her guess, but she created terrible mutants in the Lab 16 and released them in the Sewer Acess. The result: a once safe passage has become incredibly dangerous.
"Okay, when I say so, we make a run for it," said Davis to Doan. The aging fighter's face was grim and weary. He knew it would be tough to make it through here, but he never expected a situation like this.
"I didn't realize that there were so many mutants lurking about in here," gasped Doan. Even in his old life, he had never faced conditions like these. "Why haven't we seen them?"
"We didn't" said Davis, giving Doan the simple answer. "The enzymes that Mother Brain feed these creatures when she grew them in Lab 16 make them grow and reproduce at an incredible rate. They quite literarly double every day. At this rate, we will have to find a new way to travel between the continents."
There was an eeire feeling in the air, and neither Davis nor Doan liked it. There were no mutants to be seen, which was unusual. It also meant that it was time to make their final attempted escape. He signaled to Doan and the two crept out of hiding, Davis in front holding his gun in front of him, Doan behind, with his own gun. Doan looked around him and felt darkness press all around his body. Next to a distant wall he saw two small eyes, yellowish, and gleaming. He slowly raised his gun and fired.
As soon as the creature was shot, it let out a terrible scream. "Why did you do that?!" hissed Davis. "Now he knows we're down here, and it will kill us for sure. For someone who is supposed to be a legendary hero, you sure don't know much about navigating these sewer systems."
Doan was worrying that this would happen, that eventually the others would figure him out. It knew that it was inevitable, he would have to tell these people the truth, but now they had bigger matters to worry about. The beast they fired at ran after them, and as it passed out of its dark alley, they could see it better. It was more than twice their size, with a huge upper body, huge arms, and huge legs. Its yellow eyes shone, and on each of its fingers and toes were razor-like claws. Its scales werseveral layers thick, and could not easilly be penetrated by laser beams.
As they ran, Davis fired his gun in attempt to kill it. It had no effect, the beast kept running. Doan tried his luck with his own gun, which did little better. They couldn't hurt this thing. It lept and tackled Davis to the ground. It was about to maul him with its claws as Doan fired several shots with his gun. The beast let out a low moan, then faced Doan and tackled him. It grabbed Doan by the throat, its hand reached all the way around his neck. He lifted Doan up and carried him to the edge of a wall to kill him. Davis recovered and fired his own gun. Realizing it had no effect, he ran up behind the monster and swung his rifle like a club. The creature stagger back a little, and Doan got the idea and swung his own rifle, hitting it in the head. The beast lost its footing for a seccond, and staggered back and forth, while Doan took advantage and slipped under his legs.
As soon as they began to run, it regained it balance and ran after them. As fast as Davis and Doan were, their speed was no match for their attacker's. As it gained on them, they both fired their guns at the beast, if only to slow it down. They came to a small ladder, which led to a upper level. Both climbed the ladder and ran to the far side of the ledge. The monster was quick to follow, but the ladder was old and rusted, not able of supporting its weight. It tumbled over, and the beast landed flat on its back. Part of the ledge fell as well, landing on the creature and burrying it in rubble. Realizing they were safe for the time being, both Davis and Doan jumped down from the ledge, taking care not to hurt themselves like this beast had.
"I think its safe to say that we won't be worring about...that thing, anymore," said Doan, despite his fatigue he managed a weak smile. "There's no way anything could survive a fall like that."
"If anything would, it would be that thing," gasped Davis. He swore. "I've never seen anything like that. The mutants are getting huge, and soon we'll lose our only means of transportation. Let's get out of here while we can."
As they walked off, the creature beneath the rubble groaned, and moved began to lift the fallen ledge off itself.
At long last they came to the end of the maze. Up ahead was the light from the end of the tunnel, they were almost there. Their problem was that several small mutants had gathered around the exit, almost waiting for them.
"My God!" gasped Davis. "They're gathering around the exit, a source of light?! This cannot be happening?"
"What's so bad?" asked Doan. "We've delt with worse. If we were able to handle that huge brute back there, what's to worry about some small mutants gathered around the exit?"
"Don't you know what this means?" asked Davis. "They have lost their fear of light. Supposedly they should only stick around the darkest corners of the Sewer Access. Now they've lost their fear of the light, which was the only thing that was keeping them confined to the Sewer Access. They can now be trained to raid the domes."
Even Doan could figure out that this was bad. The two sides were at a deadlock for the time being, and whichever side could gain an advantage, even a temporary advantage, could easilly come out the winner in the very near future. But they had no time to debate this, because the mutants ran up to them, snarling and hissing. One scaly creature brushed against Davis' foot, but before he could sink his teeth into Davis' boots, he kicked the tiny thing several feet back. It was scared and ran away. It got easier for them from there. Both fired their guns and were able to take out the leaders from a safe distance. With the leaders gone, the other cowardly mutants quickly retreated. As the two of them caught their breath, the surviving mutants walked up again, this time with the gigantic mutant they encountered before.
"No way! No way!" yelled Doan. "There's no way we have to fight that thing again!"
"We won't! Just get out of here, and fast!" was Davis' only reply. They ran and climbed up the ladder, firing a couple of shots in hope of keeping the creature at bay. The fall had not taken much of his energy or endurace away, and they had no more effect than the first time. The two of them climbed out, the bright sun against the blue sky hurt their eyes after being in the dark so long. Doan spotted a large boulder next to the Sewer Access, and he and Davis rolled it on top of the entrance. The beast roared and thrashed, but couldn't move it.
"That will hold him," gasped Davis. "For the time being. Let's get on to the Keeper's Dome."
It wasn't much of a walk. They passed Death Peak, it was completly different than it had been in the previous future. It was slightly green with some vegetation, and not covered with endless piles of snow and frost. Just south was the Keeper's Dome. It was adbandoned in Doan's future, but could tell from the lights twinkling on the outside that it was inhabited in this future. He remembered that a wierd old man lived there in his time, but eagerly awaited to see what it was like now.
Davis was able to pass through security, and they were greeted by a guard. "Howdy sir," he said. "Who may you be?"
"I'm Commander Davis," he said. "I've kept busy in the Factory for the last several years, but my name is not exactly unknown around this dome. At least it wasn't."
"Commander Doan?" asked the man. "Boy, dem last several years shore have taken their toll on yer hair," he laughed. Davis was getting angered, not many had the courage to make fun of his greying hair to his face. "An' looks ya put on a little weight there too," the man laughed again. Davis gritted his teeth. "Ya know, I always 'figured ya would be a little taller, but I guess once a war veteran, always a war veteran. Common in. My name is John."
"We need to see Belesthar," grumbled Davis, when he saw exactly who he was looking for standing behind John. "Belesthar, how did you know we were coming?" Davis and Belesthar had a long history together.
"I know a lot of things," replied the old man. Indeed he did, for he was a wise man in the kingdom of Zeal, and perhaps an even wiser man once he arrived in the future. "And my magical powers can fill me in on what I don't know." He laughed.
"Ain't he great?" laughed John. Both Doan and Davis were finding his accent annoying, but were able to put up with it. "I reckon he's gunna be the key to winnin' the war."
"That is what we came to see you about," started Davis. It would take a while to tell the whole story.
"I figured it out," said Belesthar. "And if you're the same you were ten years ago, you're still long-winded. Your explanation will take a while, so let's hear it tonight at supper."
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