by Anh Do
Ethan and Penny took the elevator back up into the stands, without saying a word.
As they stepped out, Penny said, ‘We’ll just have to keep watching Bonner. They must have spent a lot of money and effort to make a secret place here. We need to work out why.’
Ethan stood, frowning.
‘What’s wrong?’ Penny asked.
Ethan shook his head. ‘I was just getting used to being able to go anywhere, do anything …’
Penny put a hand on his shoulder. ‘Everyone has limits,’ she said. ‘Even E-Boy. And even President Bonner. We’ll figure it out.’
Ethan’s heart beat faster. ‘I … uh … you go back to our spot in the stands. I need to check something.’ Penny’s expression changed to concern, but Ethan said, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll be there soon.’
Penny squeezed his shoulder, then turned and headed for the stands. Ethan reached into the security system for the elevator and found the logs, deleting the ride he and Penny had taken. He looked up at a security camera and rode along its data pathway, erasing any sign of his presence from the video files, then set up a loop so that anyone looking would see an empty corridor instead of any of his movements.
He heard a ding from the secure elevator, and ducked behind a column as Bonner and the agents came out. Ethan watched as they passed him, and saw a silver flare in an agent’s pocket.
Only one of them has his phone on, he thought.
Ethan sent his powers back into the security system and removed the video loop, then returned to his spot in the crowd beside Penny.
‘I’ll be able to hear Bonner from now on,’ he told her.
‘The next fight is about to begin,’ Penny replied. ‘You concentrate on Bonner, I’ll watch the arena.’
‘Yes, boss,’ said Ethan.
Penny gave him a wry smile as the trumpets sounded.
The red curtains parted, and from one end came a vaguely human-shaped robot. It stood almost two metres tall, with four arms instead of two. It had no hands – two arms ended in razor-sharp shears, the other two in flat, square blades like shovel heads.
‘Looks like the world’s angriest gardener!’ said Ethan.
Penny laughed. ‘Shouldn’t you be watching the President?’
The announcer’s voice echoed around the arena. ‘The first entrant in this contest represents Oceania. This is … the Gardener!’
As one, the crowd burst out laughing.
‘The second entrant represents Harkland,’ said the announcer. ‘This is … Arachnatron!’
Cheers erupted around the battlefield as the enormous robot spider came from the other end. The ground shook with each step of its sledgehammer-like feet. Arachnatron loomed over the Gardener, the drills in its mandibles whirring.
‘At the sound of the horn, the contest will commence,’ said the announcer. ‘Good luck – and begin!’
Arachnatron raised a hammer and brought it down, hitting … nothing. The Gardener cartwheeled out of the way and lashed out with his shovel arm. A jet of oil shot from one of Arachnatron’s legs, which shook.
Arachnatron kicked back with another leg. The Gardener dodged the hammer, but the barbs along the leg scraped against its chest, sending sparks flying.
Arachnatron swooped in with another leg to follow up, but the Gardener raised its shears. There was the sound of tearing metal and one of Arachnatron’s hammers fell to the ground,
Both robots retreated, checking to see how much damage they had taken.
The crowd sat quiet, then cheered as the robots closed in for another round. Ethan grabbed Penny’s sleeve in excitement.
‘Ethan, focus,’ said Penny.
‘Bonner and the agents are busy watching. I’ll spy on them again once this is over, I promise,’ said Ethan.
Arachnatron sent blow after blow at the Gardener. The Gardener dodged one to the left, another to the right, but the third ploughed straight into it and sent it onto its back. In a blink, Arachnatron followed up with two hammers side-by-side but hit nothing except dirt as the Gardener rolled out of the way.
The Gardener approached, swinging a shovel down, then shears up, shovel down, shears up. Tiny scraps of metal flew off Arachnatron with each hit until the Gardener tried one downward thrust too many.
Arachnatron pinned a shovel to the ground, bending it, then trapped the Gardener’s head between two barbed legs. The section of the crowd from Harkland cheered louder as Arachnatron brought its mandibles to the Gardener’s head.
With a metallic whine, the titanium-tipped drills went in either side and pierced the armour plating, wrecking the Gardener’s processing unit. In an instant Arachnatron’s mandibles and legs pulled back, and its opponent crashed to the dirt.
A few watchers from Oceania threw their hands up in disappointment, while the rest of the crowd exploded in cheers. Each robot’s tech team came out with a forklift to retrieve their combatant.
Ethan tapped back into the agent’s phone but couldn’t hear anything. He switched to the box’s security camera, and saw that Bonner and the agents were all still. Clearly the last fight had left an impression. Bonner turned to Agent Ferris and started talking, so Ethan swapped back to the phone.
‘… back to the hotel,’ Bonner said. ‘And tell Ross to work harder.’
‘Ethan? Ethan?’ Penny’s voice dragged Ethan back to his body.
‘What’s going on? Is something wrong?’
‘Your nose. It’s bleeding,’ said Penny.
Ethan’s head had also started to ache. ‘I was swapping between networks really quickly. I didn’t realise how much effort it takes.’
Penny handed him a tissue. ‘Did you hear anything?’
‘The President’s headed back to the hotel. Should we try that door again?’
‘Are you okay? Have you had nosebleeds before?’ asked Penny.
‘Yes I’m okay, no it hasn’t happened before, and before you ask, yes I’m sure I’m okay,’ Ethan replied, dabbing his nose. ‘I’ll check to see if the coast is clear.’
‘You should bring your helmet tomorrow, it will make things easier,’ said Penny.
‘And make me look like a spare robot,’ said Ethan. ‘Now shush for a minute.’
He returned his mind to the cameras. The VIP box was empty, and the two agents standing guard near the VIP section were gone. A camera in one of the carparks showed the crowd being held out of the way so that the presidential motorcade could make it through.
‘I think we’re good,’ he said.
Ethan and Penny edged their way carefully back to the elevator. A few minutes later they were back at the door with the simple non-electronic lock.
‘So we’re back here, and I still don’t know what to do,’ said Ethan, frowning.
‘Maybe I do,’ Penny said. ‘I’m used to different mechanisms.’ She drew a hairclip out of her hair. ‘I used one of these to open padlocks when I was a teenager. You’re sure the agents are gone?’
Ethan closed his eyes and focused his mind. ‘There are none near the elevator or the VIP section, anyway. There are a few normal security guards around.’
Penny bit her lip, then knelt down at the lock and slid the hairclip in.
Her eyes narrowed as she tried to feel the inside of the lock. After a long moment, she felt something move. She twisted further, and an ear-splitting alarm rang through the corridor.
Penny jumped up and looked around. Ethan was frozen in place, so she grabbed his wrist and pulled him back to the elevator.
Penny had to shout to be heard above the alarm. ‘Can you get the door open?’
Ethan clenched his eyes shut. ‘I CAN’T CONCENTRATE! IT’S TOO LOUD!’
Penny tried hard not to panic. ‘YOU HAVE TO TRY HARDER!’
Ethan felt blood trickling from his nose, but managed to push the feeling and the noise away until the door opened. Penny dragged him into the elevator and Ethan managed to get it moving.
The noise grew quieter as the elevator rose, but as they
returned to ground level there came the WOOP WOOP WOOP of another alarm sounding. Penny hauled Ethan to a nearby bathroom, and Ethan tapped into the alarm system and shut it down.
Penny sat Ethan on a toilet and grabbed a fistful of toilet paper. ‘What happened there?’ she asked as she wet the toilet paper under a tap.
‘There were no chips, nothing computerised. I would’ve felt it,’ said Ethan as Penny used the wet paper to clean the blood from his upper lip.
‘I must’ve completed an electrical circuit with the hairclip,’ said Penny. ‘That set the alarm off. A simple circuit with no computerisation. They’re starting to figure you out. That was awful. Such noise.’
Ethan’s head was clearing. ‘We got out,’ he said. ‘We’re okay. Let’s get out of here.’
Penny poked her head out of the bathroom just in time to be spotted by a security guard. ‘HEY!’ he shouted.
Ethan still felt weak, but had enough energy to run, using his power to turn lights off behind them.
They bolted as fast as they could along the corridor, footsteps and shouting still behind them. They passed two doors that said AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY and kept sprinting. The third door had no sign on it and Ethan dashed through it, running headfirst into a mop.
‘Ethan, this is a cleaner’s closet!’ said Penny.
‘Get in, quick!’ Ethan closed the door softly after them.
A few seconds later they heard the footsteps stop outside the door, and saw a flicker of torchlight underneath it. Ethan and Penny held their breath, then Ethan remembered what he was doing. He resumed turning lights off further along the corridor, and the guard, thinking they were still running up ahead, took off again.
Penny eventually got up her nerve to peek out. Nothing. They crept back out to the corridor and found that the next door after the cleaner’s closet was an emergency exit.
As Penny drove them back to the hotel, Ethan said, ‘I’m going to find the blueprints for the arena online tonight. We can’t get stuck like that again!’
Penny gave a small laugh, but Ethan could see that she was still shaken. ‘You did good in there,’ she said to Ethan.
‘You too,’ he muttered back.
In that moment he came up with an idea. Two, actually.
Once back in his room, Ethan spent a few minutes on his computer, surfing the web without typing, before he went to bed.
The next morning, Ethan knocked on Penny’s door. She was brushing her teeth as she answered.
‘What are you smiling about?’ she asked.
‘I had an idea about how to wear my helmet at the arena without it being too obvious. Listen to this.’ Ethan turned on the radio without touching it.
Penny looked suspicious.
The DJ’s voice cut in over the last few notes of a song. ‘And remember, if you’re heading in to the Robofight Games today, we’re giving a prize for the best robot costume out in the crowd. Remember, nothing actually sharp or pointy, but apart from that, go wild with those outfits! It’s coming up to news time—’
The radio snapped off. Ethan grinned.
Penny returned his smile. ‘How did you manage that?’
‘I went through the radio station’s emails, found one about the Games, and snuck it in. Straight away, three people were fighting over who should take credit for the idea!’
Penny nodded. ‘That was really clever. And now you can avoid those nosebleeds, and wear your helmet in plain sight,’ she said, her smile getting wider.
Ethan could imagine that smile getting wider still when his second idea arrived.
There was a knock, and Penny jumped.
‘It’s okay,’ Ethan said. ‘Open the door.’
Penny did. Outside was a delivery man carrying the biggest bunch of flowers she had ever seen.
‘I thought you looked a bit spooked yesterday, well I was spooked too, I guess, and it’s all been pretty nuts, and I just thought I could do something nice, and I hope you like flowers, well doesn’t every girl like flowers? Not that you’re a girl, I mean, you’re a woman,’ blurted Ethan, the words spraying from him like a broken fire hose.
When Penny turned around she was frowning, and Ethan stopped.
‘Ethan. How did you pay for these?’
The smile vanished from Ethan’s face.
Penny spoke quietly. ‘Ethan, I told you we couldn’t just use your powers to take what we want. That bunch of flowers looks expensive, which means there’s a florist that’s going to be out a lot of money—’
‘I just wanted to do something nice.’ Ethan rushed for the door. ‘I’m going to have a shower …’
Penny said, ‘Wait … look, it was a lovely—’
The door slammed.
‘—idea …’
Additional subroutines added. Combat styles enhanced – hardware repaired. Extra mass on body – armour plating attached %sadg081257terminate E-Boy4asfb$#ppog( Sensory equipment functional.
Reboot complete.
Gemini opened his eyes.
‘Hello, Gemini,’ said Doctor Ross. ‘How do you feel?’
Gemini looked around at the cables connecting him to various pieces of equipment. ‘My systems seem to be operational, Doctor. Some memory logs appear to be damaged. May I ask where we are?’
Doctor Ross paused, then said, ‘Curious.’
‘My GPS is not pinpointing a location. Either it is malfunctioning or we are some distance underground. I would like … it would help my systems check,’ Gemini continued.
‘We are well below the Robofight arena,’ said Ross.
Gemini looked blankly at a wall, then said, ‘My internal records do not include the term Robofight, and I am currently unable to access the internet.’
Ross held up a USB stick and inserted it into one of the machines attached to Gemini.
Gemini was still for a few seconds. ‘Thank you, Doctor,’ he said. ‘I deduce that I have been given the extra combat software because I am an entrant in the Robofight Games. Is this correct?’
Ross said, ‘It is. Does this worry you?’
‘I am government property,’ Gemini said, ‘and do as I am instructed by those who have authorisation.’ Even if those instructions may do me harm. Gemini wasn’t sure where that extra thought came from.
‘Are you ready?’ asked Ross.
‘Unless there are more updates, further delay will not make me more prepared.’
Ross’s eyes narrowed. That almost sounded irritated. He thought of the staircase from the lab to the arena and sighed, then had an idea. This will test if he’s irritable.
‘Gemini?’ said Ross.
‘Yes, Doctor?’
‘Carry me up the staircase.’
Gemini didn’t hesitate. ‘Do you prefer piggyback or over the shoulder?’
In a sea of robot costumes, Ethan stood in the arena stands in his E-Boy helmet.
The first battle of the day was over – victory went to a robot that reminded Ethan of a charging hedgehog.
With his helmet, Ethan had been able to switch from watching the VIP box’s security camera to listening through the agent’s phone easily, and without any nosebleeds. Bonner and the agents hadn’t done anything interesting, which was good for Ethan because he didn’t want to talk to Penny right now.
Penny said, ‘We can’t stand here in silence all day, Ethan.’
‘I’m concentrating,’ he replied.
The trumpets sounded, the curtains parted, and in rolled one of the competitors. Its bottom section was caterpillar tracks like a tank, and its top was a tall column topped with three jackhammers on swivels.
‘The first entrant in this final Round One contest represents Equatoria. This is … Hammerhead!’
There was a smattering of applause, but most people in the crowd were saving themselves for what was to come.
‘The final entrant in Round One represents … Titus!’
A huge cheer shook the arena. People jumped up and down, flags were waved – a few people even
saluted.
Red smoke started to pour in from the open curtain as the clapping went from general applause to a steady rhythm, willing their champion to step out.
‘THIS … IS … GEMINIIIIII!’
The cheering grew even louder as Gemini strode onto the battlefield. He was clad in black armour with red stripes, and wore a simple black helmet with the visor up. Two huge swords were strapped to his back in an X-shape. Gemini looked at the crowd as he stepped up to the red line, then brought the visor down.
Ethan looked at Penny, who wasn’t moving. She said something he couldn’t hear.
‘I didn’t catch that,’ said Ethan.
Penny had no expression on her face. ‘Gemini was in that room. The one we couldn’t get into.’
Gemini stood at the red line, facing three sharp jackhammer blades.
Subroutine: swordflourish001
He drew his swords and spun them rapidly all around, bringing more cheers from the crowd.
Gemini stopped, and looked at the swords. That was not my decision. Inefficient use of battery reserves. Deleting subroutines named swordflourish—
The horn to start the battle sounded, and a jackhammer blade crashed into the visor of Gemini’s helmet, knocking him onto his back.
Helmet dented, vision reduced to less than half.
Gemini flicked the helmet off just in time to see another jackhammer about to connect. He rolled sideways, avoiding strike after strike that thudded into the ground. Swords still in hand, Gemini pushed his fists into the ground and vaulted to his feet.
