Chapter 2: Scientist's Struggle
We were gathered in a research room at the Science Dome. We had been put in there for holding by our own security guards. We had no idea what was going on. Our Robos had been confiscated, and there were maybe 30 of us under guard, all scientists, trapped in this room. There were not this few scientists in the facility, I knew that much. The rest were probably in other holding rooms. Outside we had heard shouting and people running down the halls an hour ago, but now all was quiet. There were two guards outside the door and one in the room with us at the entrance as well. The door was locked anyway. There was nothing any of us could do but wait.
But something came to me. I don't know what it was. It was like a thought was trying to be heard from the back of my head, but was too quiet. I could sense it there, but could not tell what it was trying to tell me. I tried my best to stop thinking of anything else so I could discern what I guess my instinct was trying to tell me. All of a sudden, it became more pronounced. I could almost HEAR what I could have sworn felt like someone else thinking for me. The more I tried to clear my own thoughts, the more thoughts seemed to appear in my head, and it felt so much like they were my own, but being generated from somewhere else.
They were telling me what I needed to do. And I felt, so deeply, that they were trying to help.
"Clear your mind so I can help you…"
"What?" another scientist asked. Apparently I had whispered it aloud.
"N-nothing…" I said.
I did my best to calm down and let these thoughts come to me, wherever they were from. The thoughts returned, "You are the closest to the door. You are the one who can save the rest."
There was a silence in my mind, then it returned, "The guard will look away in a few seconds. When he does, get up quickly and move to attack him. I will help guide you." Normally I would have assumed I was just going crazy, but it did not seem like that at all. I had never hurt anybody before, and I knew nothing of hand-to-hand combat. I was just a scientist. But, as predicted, the guard turned his head towards the door as if he had heard a noise, though I had not heard anything. I took the opportunity and started to stand. The second I had moved, everything started happening faster than I could perceive.
I know that the first move I made was a punch for his Robo cube, but I was being propelled by something outside of my own mind. I could not even tell what I was doing. Everything was blurred, I could sense rapid movement and contact on several points, so I knew I was doing something, I just couldn't tell what, and when I finally regained focus, I fell to my knees. The guard fell to the floor with a loud flop. I gasped when I saw him. His neck had obviously been broken, and his nose appeared so as well. But had I really just done that? And in the course of two seconds?
I was short of breath, my heart was pounding, and everyone else in the room was astonished. Most of them knew me and knew I had never done, or even practiced, anything like that before. But regardless, I had executed some attack flawlessly without thinking about it or planning on it. I had not even known what I was doing. I was certain now that external beneficent forces were at work.
The thoughts returned, and I reactively blanked my mind to listen to them. "Hit the door with your palm twice. When the door opens, move to attack the guards outside. Again, I will guide you."
I gulped. All eyes in the room were on me, but nobody said a word. I said to them, "Don't worry, we're going to be ok." I understood that if we all died, it would not matter that the statement was a lie, so I may as well be encouraging. Some of the other scientists began to stand as well, but they quickly sat back down on the floor when I hit the door with my open hand twice. They did not understand what I was doing. The door started to open.
I took a step back to allow the door to open more, and then everything blurred again. I felt myself throw my full weight against the door, but other than that, my own movements and actions were too rapid for myself to perceive. There was a door opening, a reach, a turn, I couldn't make sense of it. The only thing I could make out was several distinct cracks. Then everything suddenly shifted back into focus, my back was to the door. I looked back at the opening, and saw the two guards that had been outside. One was lying against the wall, not moving. I could not tell if he was dead or just unconscious. The other guard was lying on his back in the doorway, eyes wide open and gasping for breath. The cracks I had heard must have been his ribs.
Again, I was shocked as much as anyone else in the room. I could not concentrate, the external thoughts were blocked out, I had too many of my own rushing through my head. My hands trembled and I sank to my knees again. Another scientist got up and came over to me, trying to calm me down, "Calm down, calm down…. You did great…" or something like that. I just nodded. Did they not understand that I had just committed one of the most unforgivable crimes in existence? Harming someone outside of a Robo battle was an unspeakable offense, and I had just done it to three people without a second thought and without even knowing I had done it.
"What have I done….?" I barely managed to stammer.
Someone else stood up and seemed to take charge, "We need to pull them in here so they won't be found by the others."
Another scientist stood up, "We can arm ourselves with unregistered Robo cubes down the hall, then add upgrades and weapons at the development department."
Yet another stood up, "Then we can find the other scientists and free them, and we can take back the facility." I knew somehow that they were experiencing the same phenomenon that I had. The external thoughts were sending messages to them now. They were now chosen to lead us to freedom. I was not ready to take that role. I smiled in relief. Now we had a chance.
Several of them worked together to pull the guards into the room. They didn't seem to care about the well-being of the one that was still conscious and breathing laboriously. I couldn't stand to look.
One of the scientists said, "Watch out for more guards. I don't think any of them are on our side."
I felt I had to say something. I didn't want anyone else to get hurt . "Wait!... Don't do what I did… Please, don't harm anyone physically… I can't wish that on anyone," I pleaded. Several of them looked to each other, then a few nodded in agreement. They understood. Someone helped me to my feet and I managed to stand without support.
The hallway was clear. My activities had not been noticed. I looked up at the security cameras, and saw that they were not operating. What was going on?
We moved as a group to the room where we could get unregistered Robo cubes which we could use at least until we could find our own. It was unguarded, fortunately. This room had no equipment or machinery; it was merely a storage room for new models and experimental Robos. We started arming ourselves with them. I noticed a particular model that I had recently helped design and that I was quite fond of. It was a Burning Beast model Robo that did not have a name yet. I would have to think of one for it later.
I registered it to myself with the eye scan. "Now we need weapons for them. If we move as a group, we can take on any guards that stand between us and the development zone with Standard weapons." It sounded like a plan. Superior numbers and weapons, as well as brand new Robos would make freeing the other scientists and taking back the facility much easier.
Development was a little ways off from our location, but with 30 of us all armed with Robos, fighting our way there wouldn't be a problem.
-Sarah "Wings" Colligan
-Research and Development Sub-Manager, RoboSci
