Chapter ThreeGo to chapter: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 ==February 12, 2096, 14h It could have been a dark and stormy night, it could have been a bright spring day; it made no difference in WAR's top-secret Testing Chamber. The vast hall, a reinforced stone cube 400 meters on a side, opened only to the robot housings and the control room, the latter now overfull with cameramen jockeying for the best position to record the world's first completely robotic fighting match. Among the forest of the latest holovision equipment, way was immediately made for Shirro Lang, representing the top brass for the most powerful corporation in history. With his trademark joviality and a purposeful stride that belied his years, he made for the makeshift dais and transmitted his message to billions of watchers all over the solar system: "Ladies and gentlemen, let the games begin!" On cue, the doors opened to admit the first robot, an Electra HAR painted in green and gold. Towering thirty meters high, its durasteel body dwarfed the entire control chamber, and inspired awe even in the veteran WAR employees used to such machines. It was one thing to hear about giant robots on the holovision, working out in the asteroid belt; it was quite another to have one display its might in combat. Although the Electra, being designed for work in hostile environments, would soon be replaced by the Mantis, it was still a formidable opponent and possessed unusual agility for its size. The feature of the Electra that made the most immediate impression on the viewers, however, was its hands: there were none. Instead, two huge conical electromagnets protruded from the arms, generating so much power that they were constantly surrounded by small lightning strikes. One Aidoann Traillieu, whose decades of experience working with HARs on Venus made her the popular favorite to win, was remotely controlling this particular Electra. Through WAR's patented system, Aidoann didn't need to be anywhere near the Electra: her brain was directly jacked into the controls of the Electra, using precise electrical sensors on the skull to determine the firings of every nerve and transmitting them to the robot. Controlling her human-assisted robot, or HAR, was as natural as controlling her own body. The robot walked out to the center of the arena, muffled crashes accompanying each step, and settled into fighting position. Cameras turned as one to the other doors, which opened to reveal WAR's latest triumph, the mysterious Shadow bot. Built like an ancient ninja, the Shadow had been released only a month earlier, and WAR steadfastly refused to release even the name of the designer. All the general public knew was that somehow, Shadow could generate quasi-real "shadows" of itself for a short time, controlled independently of the original. This, combined with the Shadow's dead black color scheme, served to give the impression that if Death himself owned a HAR, this would be it. With swift, catlike moves, it made its way to a position opposite the Electra and prepared for battle. The dead silence of the Testing Chamber contrasted with the chaos in the control room, filled with newsmen giving the latest update on the history and pilots of both contestants. In a prime spot facing Aidoann's Electra, Kathy Kijap addressed the LBC camera: "The second robot you see here is the new Shadow, piloted by young biotechnician Christian Devroe. Expect to see the Shadow show off its uncanny ability to copy itself in this groundbreaking match." At a signal from the cameraman, Kathy quickly stepped out of camera range to watch the fight itself unfold. The WAR representative's amplified injunction "Fight!" was immediately followed, with a vengeance. As Aidoann readied herself for an onslaught, the Shadow seemed to somehow darken, becoming utterly black. It seemed to be drawing power from some fantastic machine deep inside its mechanical works. And suddenly there were not one, but two Shadows in the arena, one appearing to still be collecting power, one rushing toward Aidoann's Electra. Aidoann instinctively lashed out with an electrified hand, but Devroe had anticipated this: the new Shadow was not heading for a jab to the chin, but had launched itself for a low kick, which connected with deadly force and toppled the Electra like a hundred tons of bricks. Inside the control room, the assembled press covered their ears as a sound like a bridge collapsing thundered in on them. Mission accomplished, the "shadow" simply ceased to exist and the original lightened to its normal hue. Giving Aidoann no respite, Devroe was flying toward her Electra before she even got up, aiming to catch her with a well-timed jump kick. Unable to respond in time, Aidoann was hit again by a sharpened durasteel foot, knocking her off her feet and into the air. Devroe followed up his success with a devastating roundhouse kick, so powerful that it slammed the older robot back-first into the wall. Aidoann's robot collapsed onto the floor, the impact shaking loose a few tiles from the newly gained dent in the Testing Chamber walls. To a blind observer, it would have seemed like two trains were crashing together inside the vast arena. The Shadow allowed Aidoann to get up, then ran in, hoping for a devastating rapid-fire series of jabs that would stun Aidoann into defeat. True to form, Aidoann's Electra was shaky and hesitant, and failed to preempt the rush with a warning kick or defensive crouch; instead, Devroe was met with no response as he closed in for the kill. In the control room, some of the major networks were already talking to the camera and announcing Devroe's amazing victory with the latest equipment, but a barely perceptible shake of the head from Kathy Kijap kept the LBC camera trained on the faltering Electra. Kathy's hunch was not disappointed: instead of giving a flawless victory to Devroe and his Shadow, at the last possible instant, Aidoann raised her Electra's trademark electrified spike-hands, placed them on the Shadow's shoulders, and turned them both to full power. Billions of watts of deadly electric charge coursed through Devroe's bot, overloading electric circuits, vaporizing some armor plates completely, and causing enough feedback to cause Devroe himself to black out. Aidoann followed this surprise move with a knee to the Shadow's stomach and an uppercut knocking the Shadow into the air, leapt into the air after him, and drove a metallic spike into the newer robot's chest, capping the turnaround with a final lightning bolt through her opponent. The horrid screech of ripping metal filled the air, prompting another bout of winces from Lang and the assembled cameramen. The Shadow hit the stone floor with a bone-jarring thud. Aidoann, her Electra's sparking hands now accompanied by sparks flying from her crushed chest plate, readied herself for another strike, but was interrupted by the amplified voice of Shirro Lang: "Hazards Activated." Kathy Kijap, seizing the opportunity, explained to the viewers: "This adds another dimension to the fight. Now the pilots have to worry about automated metal spikes as well as each other." As if on cue, a spike shot out of one wall with a mighty rumble that shook the control room floor, heading straight for Aidoann, who neatly backed up to avoid it. The spike disappeared as quickly as it had come, but the damage was done: Devroe had had his chance to gather his wits and his HAR, and was facing her, ready for action. The Shadow closed to striking distance and began a flurry of quick jab attacks and short kicks, designed to rattle the Electra and drive it to the wall. Aidoann blocked each one with a metallic arm, but her response time was getting slower and slower. She was running out of time. Another thunderous rumble filled the air; a quick glance by Aidoann confirmed that another spike was heading at her. Stepping back for a moment, she leapt straight up to avoid it, leaving Devroe behind. Devroe did not pass up the opportunity for a block-free hit, and immediately the Shadow darkened to utter blackness, preparing for another strike with the Shadow's uncanny projection ability. A second Shadow flew out from the first, arms ready for a devastating uppercut to knock Aidoann out of the sky. Only then did Devroe realize his mistake. He tried frantically to shut off the projection mechanism, but the electric shocks had damaged some critical component inside his robot. The "shadow" continued inexorably on its way, only to impale itself on the waiting spike. With the unmistakable sound of rending metal, the facsimile Shadow jerked and disappeared, and the original, sporting a brand-new hole in its durasteel chest, toppled facedown like a felled tree. Aidoann raised her arms in victory: she had taken a pounding, and more of the spilled Synthoil on the ground was from her Electra than from her opponent's Shadow, but she had prevailed. The LBC channel showed a parting comment from Kijap: "And there you have it, folks, a surprise victory by Aidoann Traillieu in the first HAR duel in history. Stay with us for the official report..." |