Robofight: E-Boy 2

by Anh Do

  Identifying vulnerabilities.

  Hammerhead’s casing was a single metal sheet moulded around its frame – no gaps to slide a sword into. The jackhammers, though, needed gaps to be able to move. In an instant, Gemini calculated angles and strategies.

  Hammerhead closed in. The first jackhammer jabbed straight forward, the second arced around in a semicircle, the third made another jab. Gemini dodged each blow, gathering information.

  The jackhammers lashed out again, this time with the arcing strike first, then the jab, then the arc. Gemini continued to evade the blows.

  Each time, Gemini would take a few steps back, and Hammerhead would close in with a combination of attacks. Jab, arc, jab. Arc, jab, arc.

  Confirmed. First and third strikes in each sequence identical.

  The crowd grew restless as Gemini dodged but didn’t attack. Gemini took a few extra steps backwards and then stood ready.

  Hammerhead moved in and jabbed. Gemini dodged the jab, but stepped into the arcing strike. The tip of the jackhammer sliced through the armour plates at Gemini’s waist, cutting into his side. The hit caused some damage, but it left Gemini in the perfect position to plunge both swords into the base of one of the jackhammers.

  The blades slid deep into Hammerhead’s central column. Gripping the hilts of his swords, Gemini stretched into a handstand, putting every ounce of his weight into the blades as they slid deeper into Hammerhead. Sparks and oil flew into Gemini’s face, reducing his field of vision.

  Hammerhead thrashed and spun, like a rodeo horse trying to buck off its rider. One of the jackhammers hit Gemini on his side, sending him flying.

  Hammerhead kept thrashing but started to slow, gears grinding to a halt. It stood unmoving for a moment, then crashed to its side. Cheers filled the arena as the crowd started to chant.

  ‘TI-TUS!!

  ‘TI-TUS!

  ‘TI-TUS!’

  Subroutine: victoryflourish001

  Gemini stretched his arms out wide and spun the swords like propellers, then clashed them together over his head. As he raised his arms, the slash in his side opened further, sending a streak of oil down his leg.

  Those flourishes have to go.

  In the middle of the cheering crowd, Ethan and Penny stood still. Ethan sent his concentration to the VIP box and saw an extra person standing there, a roundish man in a white lab coat. While Bonner had a big smile on his face, the man in the lab coat looked unhappy. As Bonner went to speak, Ethan flipped over to the agent’s phone.

  ‘—did well, Doctor Ross. You should be proud.’ It was the President’s voice.

  ‘I still don’t see why we’re risking such a valuable, innovative piece of equipment as Gemini in this destructive event.’ That has to be the guy in the lab coat, thought Ethan.

  ‘Doctor, this is bigger than you know. We need Gemini to beat Arachnatron in the final, because Titus needs to go to war with Harkland. Harkland is making new and terrifying weapons to invade neighbouring countries, but they’re not ready yet. If Gemini wins over their robot, our people will have the confidence to back a war with Harkland, and we can stop them being a threat.’

  Silence, then Bonner started talking again. ‘Fix our boy up for the next round, Doctor Ross.’ Ethan heard a door close. He was just about to switch back to the security camera when he heard Agent Ferris speak. ‘Why not tell him the real reason?’ Ferris said it lightly, like he was telling a joke.

  ‘That I need a war,’ said Bonner, ‘to distract everyone from the election? To make myself more popular? I don’t think Ross would approve.’

  Ethan brought his thoughts back to his body and saw Penny had a strange look on her face.

  ‘What’s going on?’ he asked.

  ‘I’m just getting really sick of seeing the healer I made used as a weapon,’ Penny said.

  ‘It gets worse,’ said Ethan. ‘President Bonner wants Gemini to win so he can start a war.’

  Penny looked confused, then said, ‘We really need to get inside that room.’

  Ethan shook his head. ‘I’ve been looking through the cameras – there are a lot more security guards after yesterday’s alarm. More agents, too. We’re gonna have to find another way.’

  Penny’s shoulders slumped. ‘There might not be one.’

  On the workbench in the underground lab, Gemini lay stripped of his extra armour. A technician was busy reconnecting damaged circuits in Gemini’s side with a soldering iron.

  Doctor Ross looked at a screen as information about Gemini flowed across it. ‘How was the fight, Gemini?’ he asked.

  ‘Successful. The armour reduced my speed, but this did not prevent victory. The flourish subroutines are proving unhelpful. I would be more efficient if they were deleted.’

  ‘It’s called playing to the crowd, and it serves a broader purpose. Unhelpful or not, they stay,’ Ross replied.

  Ross focused on the screen. Gemini’s oil circulation sped up when the blade cut its side, but its processing slowed down by a few nanoseconds. ‘Gemini,’ he said, ‘what happened when Hammerhead damaged you?’

  ‘Mobility in that side reduced by one-sixth, made worse after I … played to the crowd. If you were to remove that subroutine—’

  Doctor Ross frowned. ‘Are you trying to … insist?’

  Gemini stopped talking. The readout showed the same surge in oil and drop in processing speed. Doctor Ross thought, Is Gemini getting angry?

  Gemini stared unblinking at the ceiling.

  At a hamburger joint near the arena, Ethan was wolfing down a triple cheeseburger. Penny’s food sat in front of her, untouched.

  ‘There’s a lot going on,’ she said. ‘Glad to see you haven’t lost your appetite.’

  ‘Using my powers this much makes me really hungry,’ Ethan said. ‘Plus I can’t think on an empty stomach.’

  ‘Is there any way to get into that room?’ Penny asked.

  ‘I can’t think of one. There are more guards, and I still can’t tell what’s on the other side of that door,’ Ethan said between mouthfuls.

  ‘How does Gemini winning lead to starting a war?’

  ‘Something about public confidence. The President wants to make himself look good by picking a fight with another country, and thinks people will be okay with it if Gemini wins. Plus he’s got some story about Harkland making new weapons,’ said Ethan, shoving a fistful of French fries into his mouth.

  ‘Are you sure the weapons thing is just a story?’ Penny asked, frowning.

  ‘I heard him tell Agent Ferris,’ said Ethan.

  ‘If I can’t get to Gemini, then I can only see one option,’ said Penny. ‘We need to make sure Gemini loses.’

  The radio station ran the robot costume competition for the second day running, so Ethan could wear his helmet again.

  The semi-finals had the crowd buzzing – everyone had seen the remaining entrants fight, and so everyone had an opinion on which nation’s champion was going to triumph. Arachnatron was still tipped to win by most of the experts and commentators, but Gemini was the local favourite. Both of them still had to get past an interesting opponent before making it to the final.

  The first notes from the trumpet sent the crowd into a hush, waiting to find out which robot would appear first. The curtains at each end parted, and as soon as the red smoke started to flow through one entrance, the cheers became deafening.

  ‘The first Semi-Finalist represents TITUS!’ shouted the announcer.

  A chant rose from the crowd. ‘TI-TUS! TI-TUS!’

  ‘This is GEMINI!’

  Gemini ran in and performed a series of cartwheels, flips and somersaults, to the crowd’s uproarious delight. He finished by landing on one knee with swords drawn. Penny shook her head sadly.

  ‘The second Semi-Finalist represents Russia,’ said the announcer, as a few people booed the mention of Titus’s biggest foe in world affairs. ‘This is Thornstrike!’

  Thornstrike was so low to the ground it appeared to slide. Its
body was less than half a metre tall – the barbed spikes that covered it almost doubled its height. It had no visible gaps or joins, and the spikes didn’t move or spin on their own, merely as part of the whole.

  Ethan chuckled. ‘The angry hedgehog’s back.’

  Penny’s eyes narrowed. ‘I think Gemini may have some trouble with this one.’

  Gemini stood at the red line, looking down at Thornstrike.

  Scanning for weaknesses in enemy’s surface. Found: none. Conclusion: make one.

  The horn sounded.

  Thornstrike moved forward to jab Gemini. Gemini took a sidestep and struck with a sword, leaving only a faint mark. Thornstrike went to ram again and Gemini jumped, twisting in the air to hit the exact same point on Thornstrike’s surface. The mark grew by the tiniest bit.

  Thornstrike closed in, and Gemini made another sidestep. He brought his sword down for a third blow at the same spot, but Thornstrike spun, snapping the blade and sending the broken sword flying out of Gemini’s hand. Then Thornstrike sped forward, ramming two spikes into the armour on Gemini’s lower leg, which shattered.

  There were gasps around the arena.

  Diagnostic: another impact to the same point will disable right foot, high chance of removing it completely.

  Thornstrike moved forward, while Gemini blocked each charge with his remaining sword. Thornstrike spun slightly after one ramming attempt, and a barb attached to one of its spikes slashed Gemini’s right shin.

  Speed and mobility not sufficient when moving backwards.

  Gemini turned and ran.

  Some of the crowd laughed, some booed, others fell silent in shock. Ethan was one of the silent ones, his mouth wide open.

  Penny grabbed his arm. ‘What’s Bonner doing?’

  Ethan looked into the VIP box and saw everyone standing right at the window. President Bonner appeared to be shouting and hammering on the glass.

  ‘Bonner’s losing his mind,’ he said.

  They watched as Gemini kept running, increasing the distance between him and Thornstrike little by little. Gemini ran in a curve and snatched up the hilt of the broken sword. Thornstrike got closer and Gemini ran again, opening up more space between the robots.

  The spectators from Russia started to sing their national anthem, which upset those in the crowd around them. Arguments broke out, and a few people started shoving.

  Before anyone could start throwing punches, Gemini dropped to one knee and jammed the broken sword into the ground, then leant his other sword against it. The instant that the blade was in position, Thornstrike sped up it like a ramp. Gemini pushed down hard on the hilt of the intact sword.

  One of Thornstrike’s spikes pierced Gemini’s helmet and left a deep scratch in his face as Thornstrike flew upwards and landed on its back.

  Thornstrike’s wheels spun helplessly. The singing stopped.

  Gemini picked up the undamaged sword, twirled it once and then leapt high into the air, bringing the blade down into the middle of Thornstrike’s exposed undercarriage. There was a loud sizzling noise and Thornstrike’s wheels briefly sped up, then slowed to a stop.

  The crowd exploded with joy. Even those from other countries cheered the spectacle – all except the Russians, who started leaving the arena.

  The announcer’s voice boomed. ‘The winner, and first Grand Finalist – GEMINI!’

  Ethan sent his sight to the President’s box, and saw Bonner slumped in a chair rubbing his forehead.

  The battlefield was cleared, and a moment later the trumpets sounded again.

  ‘The third Semi-Finalist represents France. This is … Battle Moon!’

  Battle Moon rolled into position on the red line. A beach ball with identical markings to Battle Moon’s bounced around the cheering crowd.

  ‘The fourth Semi-Finalist represents Harkland. This is … Arachnatron!’

  Arachnatron walked into the arena, hammer-feet pounding into the dirt.

  Each robot waited on its mark. The horn sounded, and in a blink Arachnatron sent its front four feet forward. The outer two feet grabbed Battle Moon in their barbs and held it in place, while the inner two pulled back … and then kicked.

  Battle Moon rolled clear across the arena and over the black line that marked the border of the battlefield, and crashed into the wall in front of the crowd. William James stood in the nearest VIP box and laughed.

  Battle Moon began to roll back towards Arachnatron, but the announcer’s voice sounded over the speaker system.

  ‘As Battle Moon was sent across the boundary of the combat zone, it has been disqualified. Therefore the winner, and second Grand Finalist – Arachnatron!’

  Arachnatron reared up on its four hind legs, raising the other four to the sky. The Titans in the crowd cheered, but everyone wanted more of a contest.

  Neither robot had taken much damage, so they each made their own way back through the red curtains – Battle Moon at the end closest to the President’s box, Arachnatron out the other side.

  ‘Arachnatron might not need any help,’ said Ethan.

  ‘That was good strategy – I don’t think Gemini will be that easy,’ said Penny. ‘But it shows that there’s a way to win without wrecking the losing robot. If we can help Arachnatron push Gemini over the black line, there will be no war, and Gemini won’t be destroyed.’

  ‘The most important thing is that Gemini loses, though. Right?’

  Penny frowned. ‘Of course it is. But I like to think there’s a way without reducing my life’s work to scrap. What’s the President doing?’

  Ethan looked into the VIP box and saw Bonner and Doctor Ross talking. Bonner was poking a finger into Ross’s chest. Ethan immediately switched to the agent’s phone.

  ‘… every video of Arachnatron fighting loaded into Gemini’s system tonight,’ said Bonner. ‘I want Gemini to know every move that ridiculous spider-thing has ever made, and every move it’s going to make. Understand?’

  ‘I understand,’ said Ross.

  ‘I don’t care if you have to feed Gemini old horror movies with giant bugs from now until go-time – what on earth?’

  A loud sizzling noise came from the far side of the arena, and everything dimmed. Lights, advertising screens, cameras, all went dark.

  ‘What happened?’ asked Penny.

  ‘Power cut to the whole arena. All the computerised systems are down.’ Ethan closed his eyes, and suddenly the arena was filled with little silver stars. ‘It doesn’t look like anyone’s phones are affected, though.’

  There was no panic. The second contest had been so quick that there was still a little daylight left, so those who chose to leave got out easily. Most people stayed put, wanting to know what was happening.

  The lights and screens for about seven-eighths of the arena came back on a few seconds later. The announcer’s voice sounded a bit more reassuring and a bit less showbiz as he said, ‘Thank you for your patience, everyone – the arena’s backup generator has started. We have work to do to find out what happened, and as there are no more events scheduled for today, we ask that you leave in an orderly manner. Hope to see you tomorrow.’

  With power back on almost everywhere, the section still without electricity really stuck out. That section was around the red curtain, on the far side of the arena from Ethan and Penny.

  Penny pointed at the darker area. ‘Could that be a fuse problem?’

  Ethan closed his eyes and saw the flow of networks around the arena, and the section they didn’t reach. ‘I don’t think so,’ he said. ‘Everything is still down over there.’

  ‘Maybe the President is getting more information,’ said Penny. ‘I’ll keep an eye on things out in the open, you listen in to Bonner.’

  Ethan projected his thoughts to the agent’s phone. The first voice he heard was Agent Ferris’s.

  ‘We don’t know what this is yet, sir,’ Ferris said. ‘Better to stay here where we can protect you until we hear something.’

  The only reply was
a grunt, which was followed by a knock at the door.

  Ethan heard the door open, and felt that whoever entered was carrying a phone that was not only turned on, but in the middle of a call.

  ‘What is it, Jensen?’ asked Ferris.

  ‘Sir, Mr President, I have the Prime Minister of Harkland on the line. He wishes to speak to you at once.’

  ‘Give that here,’ said Bonner. Ethan reached his thoughts to the new phone, letting go of the one he had been listening through, like a monkey swinging between vines.

  Bonner said, ‘Mr Prime—’

  ‘Arachnatron is missing, Mr President. Stolen. Two of our technical team were found unconscious and our champion robot is gone.’

  ‘This … this is awful, Mr Prime Minister. My best agent will start investigating immediately, and I will make sure he has every resource he needs.’

  ‘Not only do you give your robot extra preparation time with that “transport issues” nonsense at the opening ceremony,’ the Prime Minister continued, ‘but now, now that you have seen how devastating Arachnatron is, I think you realise that your useless piece of tin has no chance, and have decided to save yourself embarrassment by getting rid of your opposition!’

  ‘I can assure you that this was not our doing,’ said Bonner. ‘We will find your robot bug, and then we will see who is embarrassed by the result of the contest.’

  ‘If Arachnatron is not returned in perfect working order by the time the Grand Final is due to start,’ said the Prime Minister, ‘then we may find ourselves in a different kind of conflict.’