Inspector Gadget: Body of Steel
Ch. 1: Green Light
PLACE: DETROIT
TIME: 2034
Detroit was a decaying city. The criminal element ran virtually unchecked, there was violence and shootings in the streets every day, and cops lost their lives on a daily basis. But hopefully new life and vitality would be breathed into the city and the DPD again since the mega conglomerate corporation, Archangel, signed a contract with the city to run and fund the police department and rebuild Detroit. Only time would tell if those questions would be answered. As a cop myself I knew how hard it was on the streets. My name is David Harder and I have been on the Detroit Police Force for three years. In that time I've had three partners, all of whom died in the line of duty. I myself always seem to somehow avoid death but I don't take my partners' deaths lightly nor do I fool myself. I know that as a cop death is constantly hunting me and that it's just a matter of time until it finds me.
Taylor Ramirez and Jay Powell were two of the best scientists employed at Archangel and both were on the fast track to becoming company executives. They were on support staff currently and in the elevator on their way up to the top floor for an executive meeting.
"What do you suppose is going on?" Taylor asked. "All the division heads were asked to bring their support teams so it's got to be something big."
"I think they're finally green lighting the New Detroit" guessed Jay.
"Are you kidding? They wouldn't do that ahead of schedule, it's too big a project. Besides, crime is still rampant and the security division hasn't delivered something that will help with that."
"It's Xavier," said Kenton, a trusted executive. "He's finally got the CB 220 online and now he wants to show off. Tough break for you."
"What do you mean?" asked another Jr. executive in the elevator.
"The 220 has run into a series of delays and budget overruns so Mr. Knight ordered a backup plan, probably just to turn up the heat for Xavier. Taylor here would have gotten the assignment."
"And it's a better idea!" she snapped. "It applies the technology that's been developed by Medical Concepts and it could save lives! It just needs a field test before the company agrees to put it into nationwide use. Damn Xavier, I'd go straight to Mr. King if I could."
"Don't mess with Xavier," Kenton admonished as they entered the meeting room. "He's a real shark and he'd eat you for lunch."
"Words to live by, Taylor. I've heard the same things about Xavier," added Jay. "I'm crazy and even I don't do anything to cross him."
As the three of them entered the meeting room Calvin King, the CEO of Archangel, was discussing the recent police union complaints with his senior president, Lloyd Xavier at the head of the table.
"What about this business with the police I'm hearing about? I hear it's getting nastier, that they're actually threatening to strike! Lloyd, you know that we can't afford that this close to the construction of New Detroit."
"It's nothing, Mr. King," assured Xavier. "Their union's been moaning ever since we took over. But don't worry, we ought to be able to turn things around with what I've got prepared for today."
"Very well," he said as he took his seat. "Let's begin."
Everyone found their chair and Mr. King began.
"Friends, as you all know we are poised to begin a construction undertaking of epic proportions in eight months: the reconstruction of an entire city. But community services, namely law enforcement, have suffered for years. I say it's time we gave back to the community! After all, we must ensure a safe working environment for the workers that will renew Detroit. Besides, when I started this company, I didn't do it for the money. I did it because I actually wanted to help the common people, to make their lives easier and safer. So let's hear what Xavier and the boys at Archangel Security have come up with."
"Thank you Mr. King," Xavier nodded as he rose and took his place at a podium situated beside a bank of plasma screens built into the wall. "As our esteemed CEO pointed out, Archangel is about helping our fellow man. Under his guidance, we have taken dives into hospitals, prisons, space exploration, and now law enforcement. The DPD needs an efficient fighting force to bring the crime in Detroit to its knees. But we believe that an efficient police force is only half of the answer. We need a twenty-four hour a day police man, one who doesn't need breaks or sleep, has superior fire power and the reflexes to use it," he announced as he approached the doors. "Fellow executives, it gives me great pleasure to present the ultimate crime fighting tool, the Crime Buster 220!"
Xavier flung the doors open dramatically and unveiled a behemoth of a robot. It moved around on two tank treads to which was attached a rather large main body. It had a small protrusion at the top with a red sensor strip. The arms extended away from the body slightly and ended in mini guns. There were flare launchers in the sides of the arms and above the minis were experimental electric cannons which projected a bolt of electricity at its target to taze them instead of the wires of a conventional taser. On the top of the largish slightly rectangular body on either side were mini hellfire launchers. Over the entire machine filled almost the entire doorway, leaving only just enough room for a man to get through on either side and came two feet from the top of the door frame. Technicians moved into the room with a mobile control unit.
"Whenever you're ready, Dr. Reese"
Dr. Reese flipped a switch on the control board and CB 220 came to life. The bot moved forward on its treads but didn't stop. This panicked some executives, the ones closet to the drone scrambling to get out of their seats. 220 finally stopped, though, within ten feet of the table.
"The Crime Buster 220 is a self-sufficient law enforcement drone which is currently programmed for urban pacification. After a successful field test in Detroit, we can expect CB 220 to become the hottest new military product for the next decade! Now we'll need an arrest subject to simulate a standard arrest and disarming procedure," Xavier told the executives. "Mr. Norton, how about you?"
The Jr. exec quickly stood up, eager to make a good impression. "Yes sir, Mr. Xavier!"
Xavier opened a case on a stand and pulled out a gun which he handed to Norton. "Use your gun in a threatening manner against CB 220."
Norton pointed the weapon at the 220 and its reaction was immediate.
"Put down your weapon," it demanded in a growling, very intimidating voice as its upper body rotated to bare its weapons at the executive. "You have twenty seconds to comply."
"I'd do what it asks," advised Xavier.
Norton dropped the gun and it hit the floor with a resounding thud.
"You now have fifteen seconds to comply."
That's when Norton, the executives, and the technicians began to panic. The EO's closest to CB 220 got as far away as possible. Norton tried to hide himself behind the other executives but they all pushed him back into the CB's line of fire while the technicians tried frantically to find a way to pull the plug as it wasn't responding to commands.
"I am now authorized to use lethal force."
CB attempted to use its mini guns but they were not loaded and merely made a whirring sound as the barrel spun. None of the drone's weapons were loaded but it still had one it could use: the electric cannons. Three seconds later the cannons were charged and the CB had a lock on the currently unprotected Norton. The cannons were fired and Norton was met with a high electric shock that blasted him back into a wall, smoke curling up from his now limp body but the CB continued to fire. Three seconds later Dr. Reese finally managed to pull a plug in the remote control unit that caused it to deactivate.
"He didn't hear it!" One of the technicians exclaimed.
"Don't touch him!" yelled an executive as another was about to touch Norton's still smoking body.
"Lloyd, I'm extremely disappointed," said Mr. King.
"I'm sorry sir, I'm sure it's only glitch, a temporary setback."
Mr. King lost it at that point and snapped to his feet. "YOU CALL THAT A GLITCH? This setback of yours could cost us sixty-five million in interest payments alone!"
"Maybe not sir," Taylor said as she attempted to get in on the conversation. "Perhaps you're aware of the Gadget Project developed by myself and Dr. Powell at Archangel Security."
"Thank you for your concern, Dr. Ramirez," Xavier interrupted.
"Now what a minute," King tried to cut in.
Xavier ignored him. "I'm sure that this is something we can take care of tomorrow in my office…"
"Lloyd!" Kingt finally growled. "Maybe what we need here is a new perspective. Now doctor, this plan of yours, how long would it take?"
"We're ready to go right now sir. We've checked the police force and there are already prime candidates in high risk locations. We just need to get the candidates to sign a waiver and then we ought to be able to go to prototype within seventy days."
"Very good, doctor. Gather your team; we expect a full presentation in fifteen minutes."
"YES! Now that's how you get things done, Jay. You see and opening, you run for it!" Taylor practically squealed as they left the meeting room after a successful, and not ill-fated, presentation.
"You'd better watch your back now though, Xavier might come after you. Did you see the way he was looking at you as we left?"
"No I didn't, I was in too good a mood!"
"Taylor, if looks could kill you'd be a pile of ash right now."
"To Hell with Xavier, we've got a green light on the Gadget Project!"
"When do we start?" Jay sighed.
"As soon as someone 'volunteers'."
A/N: Me: YES! I'm going to my third day of college tomorrow and I believe that my imagination center is finally back from vacation. I wrote this in only two days!
Gadget: That's good, I don't want to have to keep hitting you on the back of the head.
Me: YIPE! You again? Get out of my room!
Gadget: No, I'm not leaving.
Me: Jay sent you, didn't he?
Gadget: Maybe.
Me: Get back in the computer and tell him that I'll resume some semblance of a normal update schedule soon. That courtroom was a good motivator. The next chapter of IGR: 2 is almost ready to be posted. And I likely won't be continuing this fic until IGR: 2 is done.
Gadget: I'm sure he'll appreciate that. Before I forget, this chapter seemed a bit different than what you normally write. Is this story going to be a bit grittier?
Me: That's what I'm aiming for with this.
Gadget: Alright, your the author. Oh, by the way, you're under arrest for copy right infringement.
Me: WHAT!
Gadget: You have no disclaimer.
Me: Only because you interrupted me! I do not own Inspector Gadget, only my OC's and the plot. There, NOW GET BACK IN THE COMPUTER!
