FIREY AND FURIOUS
An Astro boy, Dante's Peak cross over
By Dan
Astro boy © 1954 Osamu Tezuka © Sony Pictures. Dante's Peak © 1997 Universal and Pacific Western Pictures. © The character Steve Martin (Raymond Burr) Godzilla 1954. All rights respected, Non-Monitary fandom enjoyment only. Tsunade, Sakura and Naruto from Naruto© 2003. Roy Mustang © Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood 2011. Cornelius and Zira Shaffer taken from Planet of the Apes 1969© Rowdey McDowell and Kim Hunter. Aramaki and Motoko Kusinagi © Ghost in the Shell.
Note: Astro Boy Character based off the PLUTO manga series.
Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Harry Dalton
Grant Heslov as Greg
Kirk Trutner as Terry
Arabella Field as Nancy
Tzi Ma as Stan
10:50 pm June 19, 2013
Monitoring CP, Gonosomaru
Media briefing room
Steve Martin came through the door and raised a waving hand to bring the assembled journalists to a hush…
"Ladies and Gentlemen, if you haven't been made aware by the obvious…we have had what the scientist here best describe as a "precursory volcanic event", what you and I would call in bold letters…"NEWS ALERT HOLY "BEEP!"" Please….that remark is off the record between us."
The journalists laughed briefly before one raised her hand. "Does this mean Fuji has begun to erupt?"
"No." Steve replied. "What happened was a release of material caused when the shell of the magma chamber below Fuji shifted and produced a fissure that was opened to the surface. It has shifted itself closed but this may signal that more events are on their way or it may not. The scientists are working to bring all their data together and make an assessment as quickly as possible. As a precaution, the Japanese government has been warned to prepare for the possibility of extensive fires in the forested areas Northeast of the volcano. The location where the release of pressure and ash occurred indicates that the volcanic danger is not confined to Mount Fuji alone, there are sub vents within the Fuji plain which could open at any moment."
"On the subject of the Northeast flank and the potential for collapse, at the moment that situation has been controlled. A series of 300 concrete pillars were "planted" for an adequate description into the mountain side to hold the sliding section in place and hopefully to allow a more controlled release of smaller sections…the robots involved wished to remain anonymous."
10:57 pm June 19, 2013
"What?!" Mars snapped as he listened to the news report in his head. "Did you hear that?! That's just messed up!"
"I didn't let you come out here so you could Brad Pitt on CNN Mars." Astro said as he floated with his hands on his hips. "We're not doing this to be famous. If we were, we'd spend too much time smiling at a camera instead of doing what we're programmed for."
Atlas flew by…"He's an attention whore."
"Shut up!" Mars replied snarling. "Sigh…it's not a bad thing to have a little attention, I mean…doesn't it help all us robots?"
Astro smiled and looked up. "Well…it's actually better if people see us not craving it."
"You're such a liar." Atlas sniped as he flew by again. "Astro looks meek on camera but he's twice the whore you are."
"If you DON'T shut up ATLAS! I'm gonna POUND YOU!" Mars screamed.
"Let's just get back to work…" Astro said as he rubbed over Mars's head. "We'll get enough publicity real soon."
10:59 pm June 19, 2013
Press briefing
"So at the moment Ladies and Gentlemen, the situation can be considered serious and may change radically without warning. I will do my best to keep you all fully informed." Steve Martin ended the briefing and was quickly surrounded by a ring of reporters…
"Beverly?" He said to one as she moved her way to the front. "I thought they moved you to Cairo last month?"
"They tried." The woman from United Press replied. "I told them I couldn't stomach the local food and I probably would be spending most of my good time in the bathroom. Honestly Steve, what are we looking at, best guess from your end?"
"Best guess? What we just saw tonight, best possible being something like that to worst a line of them spewing lava. The ash eruption I think is more of a concern. If the pressure in the magma chamber is as significant as the last time Fuji erupted, it could be pretty bad for the Tokyo region."
Beverly nodded and stayed silent until Steve was clear of company and on his way back to his own office…"Steve?"
"Persistent are we not?" Steve asked. "You'll chase me down for a story but not accept an invite to dinner…bad form Bev."
"Oh? And as if you weren't equally as bad at avoiding company? I'm talking of New York a few years ago, the…"My sick mother" excuse?"
"Which she was." Steve replied.
Beverly walked to get between Steve and his office door. "Let me tell you something you may not know yet. I had a conversation with Professor Yamada Shindo from Fukuoka University. He told me that Mount Fuji is actually a super volcano that's about ready to blow and when it does? We're talking Armageddon. Any truth?"
Steve pursed his lips. "That…I didn't know. I'll keep that in mind."
"Over dinner! And don't stiff me again." Beverly snapped.
"Fine." Steve replied. "Tomorrow then."
11:29 pm June 19, 2013
USGS Monitoring office
Reno passed another stapled collection of reading sheets over to Larry and turned back to his computer just as Astro walked up.
"Back so soon?" Reno asked.
"I got a temperature warning." Astro replied as he knelt down and rested his head on his folded arms. "I haven't gone to pause in like five days."
"And you left the other two by themselves? Shame on you." Reno joked. "Go head and get some rest, I'm sure they'll behave themselves."
Astro pointed a finger at the monitor. "Did you get that stuff from Becky?"
Reno pulled a zip drive from his pocket. "It's all there. A Predator drone? Don't you think that a bit strange?"
"A robot's a robot." Astro replied. "She's so cute."
"If you say she is." Reno replied smirking as he started another sheet report from information Atlas and Mars were sending him. "Go ahead and go to my room if you're tired." He told Astro. "I'll get you if anything goes high and right."
Astro tilted his head and patted Reno's arm. "You can do it right?"
"Huh?...that?" Reno replied. "Yeah….but it's going to be costly because I may not get approval from the ministry. But I can't turn you down can I?"
Astro gave a toothy grin . "Uh uh….wake me if you need me?"
"Trust me. You may not get to sleep for very long given how things are progressing."
4 am June 20, 2013
Atlas and Mars were not far behind in returning after Astro and by 4am all of them were "passed out" or in robot terms "catching the Pause button" together in Reno's room.
Atlas was sitting in a sofa, a Playstation controller teetering in his fingers as he softly mumbled a few choice words to the replays of past MPEG streams running through his head.
"You're such a stupid ass." He grumbled. Obviously talking about Astro.
Astro was curled against his pillow on the floor. He could sleep anyplace and it would be just right. Occasionally Reno caught him kissing the pillow and giving it a tender stroking…now what was he thinking? Reno shook his head, how Astro might work out using the same bed as a Predator done? He didn't know but Astro would probably try it.
Mars was parked on the sofa, his head resting over Reno's lap as the human teenager slept sitting up in the corner. The intent was obvious….to tick Astro off by soaking over his favorite human, but so far Mars couldn't get his rival to pay attention…much less wake up.
The waking problem was solved soon enough as Stan banged on the door and poked his head into the room amidst the sleepy occupants…"Hey! We need all of you to come to the briefing room right now!"
Mars really tried to ham it up, hugging Reno as he slowly shook the sleep off. "Mmmm…I just GOT to sleep! Ugh…."
"Hey…duty calls." Reno replied as he rubbed Mars on the head, the bot thinking he could get Astro upset gave Reno a hug and gave Astro a razzle tongue as he walked by.
"You two were made for each other." Astro said smirking.
"This had better be a big deal or someone's getting it." Atlas snorted. "I'll hit you since I Can't hurt the humans." Atlas snorted in Astro's ear.
The small group walked into the briefing room where Harry, Professor Aramaki and several others were clustered around the center map table. "Sorry to pull you all from your dream sleep but we just finished sorting through your collected data from the previous hours…obviously we don't like what's come from it." Harry said as he allowed Astro, Atlas and Mars to slip through the ring of people as Professor Aramaki elaborated…
"Temperature…pressure…ground lift…have been increasing…especially around Kometake. That golf course especially…the whole ground is shifting. Every hole at the course by GPS has shifted five inches in 12 hours…"
"That would throw off a game huh?" Mars said with a smile.
"You think this is some sort of joke?" Atlas snorted.
"No! Sheesh pull the enema out of your…."
"SMACK!" Astro hit Mars off the back of the head. "Cut it out and pay attention?"
"I'm afraid that….barring sudden positive changes…our time is starting to run short." Aramaki said as he waved a hand over the map on the table. "With all this data, the most possible event that will trigger the larger eruption will be a rip fault or fire curtain of vents. Kometake looks to be the epicenter."
Steve Martin was at the back of the group. "Professor? I had a feeling you were not telling me the full story on what was going on here. I've been wondering when you were planning to fill me in?"
Everyone looked at Aramaki. "My intention was to wait until we have enough information to be certain of our research. The reason for our caution is…warranted given the panic it will cause."
Steve nodded. "So…we do face a super eruption?"
Aramaki nodded in return. "I fear so…what we must now do is plan to prepare the population of Japan and the greater world for what will come. It is simple to say we face Armageddon, however blunt we must take care how to say it."
Atlas looked aside at Astro, slowly grabbed his hand and squeezed it…"Turn on your radio and set it to our cypher lock." He thought.
"Ok." Astro replied.
"So…how close are we actually in taking things over?" Atlas asked.
Astro pursed his lips. "About 90 percent…why?"
Atlas frowned his eyes. "We should move the moment they announce what's going on."
"No." Astro replied. "We will not."
Atlas gritted his teeth. "Come off it! You know what's going to happen? Do you think these monkeys have the emotional control needed to take this on? It's going to be a madhouse! We should move at the first second to put them under control or they'll be a mob of unruly hammer swinging hyena!"
Astro snapped back. "No! Look who's talking about a lack of patience?! It's an absolute last resort not something to give you a hard on!"
Atlas scowled at Astro with a snort. "You're a real dumb ass! Wanna take this outside?!"
"Bring it moron!" Astro replied with a smirk.
"You two sound like a couple of dumb first graders." Came Mars's voice suddenly in both feuding bots heads.
"What?" Astro replied stunned. "What the heck? How did you?"
"When you're more technically advanced than your two dumb ass clones, it's not that hard." Mars looked at both of them smiling.
"Little shit." Atlas snarled.
"How about you stop being a big mouthed donkey and pay attention? It would save us all the trouble." Mars said.
Atlas looked at both of them. "You're both as useful as a stick!" He turned and walked out. His grumbling got everyone's attention.
"Is there a problem?" Harry asked.
"He's just got a bug up his ass." Mars said pointing behind him.
"More like a semi-truck if you ask me." Astro said as he looked up relieved. He was sure though that Atlas would be waiting, like Butch from the Little Rascals, leaning against a light post with his fist smacking a palm and a chip on his shoulder looking to settle a score for his embarrassment. Astro turned his attention back to the meeting where the Self-Defense Force Regional Commander, Colonel Mustang and his aide de camp Lieutenant Hawkeye were leaning over the table map…
"What do you need from the SDF in terms of broader action? We need to consider evacuations of Kanto…Tokyo, Yokohama, Kamakura…where are we going to put over 200 million people? The country doesn't have sufficient real estate as of late. I need the go ahead to notify the Chief of Staff and the Defense Minister as soon as damn well now." Mustang said as he patted his hand on the table. "We'll obviously need support, especially from the American bases at Yokosuka, Atsugi, Zama, Fuji and Misawa."
Harry looked over at Aramaki…"We have to brief the Prime Minister…my advice is not to wait regardless of the outcome, I think we're at the boiling point threshold here."
Aramaki nodded. "I will call Tokyo. Schedule the meeting for 9pm…after that a press conference. Before that…the President of the United States, Ambassadors in Tokyo and the United Nations will be informed."
"Phhhhh….uck." Mars said as he gasped and looked up.
"Yeah….about right." Astro replied. He walked out of the connex with Mars in tow and sure enough, Atlas was standing by a truck with a surely look on his face. "Ok…" Astro said as he stopped. "You want to fight?"
Atlas looked aside and groaned. "You enjoy making a game of my patience don't you?"
"An ounce of caution is better than a pound of….well…I'll admit you're right that when the news hits, a lot of humans are going to lose their minds but we can't just barge in, take control and tell all of them to go rotate on a threaded object."
Mars snorted. "Just say "go screw themselves." When you censor yourself? You sound like a true dumb ass."
"And we can't expect those with a brain cell to control the ones who don't." Atlas huffed. "If humans are going to survive this, we have to intervene! You're the one who's leading all the planning, don't tell me that not a single time the thought hasn't passed between those ridiculous head bangs of yours?"
Astro looked at Mars then back at Atlas. We do it when I say we do it. I suggest that if you don't like it? You go ahead and start throwing punches. Otherwise? Shut your stupid yap or I'll shut it for you."
Mars saw where things were headed as Atlas closed up on Astro with his fist clocked at his sides and pushed himself between them. "Look guys…why don't we go find some ice cream, chill out and settle this with some reasoning? We haven't got all day for a stupid fist fight."
"There's no time for ice cream." Astro said as he frowned at Atlas.
"Shut up." Atlas snorted. "There's always time for ice cream."
6am 20 June 2013
Monitoring C.P. Gonosomaru
Colonel Mustang watched the H-60 Blackhawk come in to land in the field before him and ran with Lieutenant Hawkeye to meet the woman who jumped out of the sliding passenger door. Lydichi Armstrong was all intimidation and all business, a blonde Japanese of Chilean decent, the first foreign born Japanese military officer and woman to rise to Chief of Staff JMSDF…
"Colonel I trust you have a full briefing planned for me before the Prime Minister's arrival?" Armstrong asked sternly.
"Yes Sir." Mustang replied. "I spared the worthless flummery trust me."
"Super volcano…how nice of the egg heads to tell us at the 11th hour. I plan to brief the Commander of U.S. Forces Far East and the Seventh Fleet commander after the meeting with the Prime Minister. They both promised not to inform the President of the United States but I bet you by now he has a somewhat simple appraisement with a prominent "Oh fuck!" attached to it."
"I'm sure the Prime Minister is amused." Mustang remarked. "Begging pardon Sir but we have little time to react…so the scientist believe…how the hell are we going to move 200 million people out of danger?"
Armstrong stopped short of the compound to look at Mount Fuji. "Consider it "Operation Triage" Colonel, a sickening way to approach it. We'll save what's essential and the unfortunate rest will be sorted. My unfortunate station is to be the sorter, reputation be damned. Let's get on with the briefing…."
Armstrong handed Mustang her pistol. "Keep that…a wrong word from these scientist might cause me to shoot one of them."
7am 20 June 2013
20,000 feet over Mount Fuji
Astro plugged the USB cable from his chest into the reception slot through a small panel in the hump that formed the nose section of the Predator drone…
"Hi." Astro said in a cheerful dreamy voice as he sat on the spine of the UAV slowly rubbing his hands over the smooth skin.
"Giggles"….."You argued with Atlas over ice cream?" The young sounding female voice replied. "That must have been hilarious."
"That's how most of our disagreements end up now a days." Astro said relieved as he rolled onto his back. "Better than like three years ago when we were out and out beating each other's snot. Reno was getting sick of all the repair bills."
Becky rolled into a slow lazy turn. "So what's your story?" Astro asked. "How did such a sweet voice….can't exactly call you a girl….yet…how did you end up being a Predator drone?"
"I was supposed to be the first self-aware UAV, the kind that could take off and attack on its own. Guess they didn't take into account the self-aware part or that I would pick up the meaning of the 3 Laws…I…..had internet access and I learn super quick."
"I guess you didn't like the idea of being a weapon? Join the club." Astro said smirking. "So what happened?"
"Oh…the day of my first weapon test…I blew up a porta potty and sprayed the reviewing stand full of Army officers."
"Laughter" "Brilliant!" Astro chuckled as he almost rolled off Becky's back.
"They assumed it was a technical glitch and tried again. So….I blew up the General's car. Actually I shot the missile under the General's car and blew it into a lake. They….promptly canceled the program and sent me to targeting duty to shoot lasers at targets so another predator could hit them."
Astro braced himself. "Please tell me this is gonna be classic?"
"I flew over a nude beach and took videos….they quickly sent me to do unarmed reconnaissance…I was in their words….hopelessly bugged. They blamed it on hackers."
"LAUGHTER" "Why didn't I think of that?! I might have been able to escape that circus sooner if I looked like a pervert." Astro said as he rolled back onto his stomach and tenderly patted the Predator's smooth skin.
"So Astro? Why do you like me? This is obviously the most silly date anyone's been on."
"Well…." Astro replied resting his head on his folded arms. "You just sound….very sweet, very cute and very nice. Its obvious there's not much else to comment about…except your propeller? Very shapely."
"Astro?"
"You know your processor will easily fit into a robot body and it wouldn't take much to remove you from this drone? Reno can build you a body, I asked him. Of course I'll have to do favors for eternity to pay him back but I'm a real work whore."
"What would I look like?" Becky asked as she reduced her engine power and allowed her airframe to slowly glide around the sky.
Astro rubbed his chin. "Green eyes are a must…jade eyes, I'm very fixed on Jade, I think I have Jade A.D.D. . You'll have long blonde hair, really smooth, down to the middle of your back but it'll always be neatly styled with a jewel tiara.
"About my height…unless you want to be taller? And super cute….super, super cute…a very cute face that melts people…I…." Astro smiled warmly…."I'll just stop there and say you should be totally cute."
Becky chuckled in return. "You're just wonderful…but...dont' you think Atlas might be a little right as far as the humans?"
"You've been spying on us." Astro remarked.
"A girl's right…after all I should know something about my boyfriend shouldn't I?" Becky asked.
Astro sat up on her back. "It's sort of complicated…let's just say that Atlas thinks humans come from a cookie cutter machine…same size, same make, same look, same behavior so he treats them all the same because that's all he knows of them and if you've been around him? You know he's as one way as a flying bullet…even bouncing off my fist a few times hasn't change him."
Astro laid back on his stomach and drummed his hands on Becky's spine. "You…can't treat humans in a lump as a batch of bad eggs no matter what they've done or what they might do. They are a cleaver species, if they weren't I'd be a toaster or easy bake oven…actually an easy bake oven might be cool."
"Astro?" Becky quizzed. "Given humans and major disasters though? Their record is rather less than stellar."
Astro frowned. "Is it just me or is every robot stuck in doom mode? Humans can surprise you, that's why I'm so fascinated with them! Just when you might count them down and write them off, they always…always snap back. I'm actually very confident that they have an answer, that at the last moment when things look their worst? Some human will come walking through the door with a solution. I guess I crunch my numbers differently or that I have faith or that I'm a crazy foolish robot kid but I chose to remain confident…despite Atlas's bitchy mood."
"I'm not going to even waste my time trying to compute any of it…so far it's coming out as Atlas being the winner and you being a fool."
Astro stood up pouting. "Then I'll just leave."
Becky suddenly snapped hard to her left and threw Astro off his feet , bounced him off her wing and threw him back on her back…"Problem is….I love a fool."
Astro contorted his face and smirked. "I'd kiss you? But you don't have lips."
7:30am 20 June 2013
Monitoring C.P. Gonosomaru
General Armstrong always had the habit of sitting with her service sword standing upright between her legs, her normal appearance when dealing with unpleasant news…
"So that's it?" She asked with a stern face. "Quite a nasty position we find ourselves in Gentlemen. Makes me think God has a contract out on Japan. Our Eastern Prefects are a nuclear disaster, the Western Prefects are packed to the centimeter and all of Kanto is about to be blown to hell. Not many options to work with. So between Mister Amaki and Mister Dalton, how much time do we have?"
Harry looked at his watch…"two….perhaps three days if we continue to see increasing readings. We're monitoring by the mili-second with all our instruments. We may have twenty four to as little as four hours notice of the precursory event."
Armstrong nodded slowly, thinking as she re-read the reports in her hand. "I will recommend to the Prime Minister that a State of National Emergency be declared with a release to authorize full mobilization of the JMSF and all reserves, that includes every robot in the country. I will also begin the process to remove the Imperial family to a host nation.
Aramaki stood up. "You know what his Imperial Majesty's answer will be?"
"Do you think I am one to allow a pampered 15 year old with a title to push me around? The survival of the Imperial line and personage is central to our cultural heritage. If this event will be as horrible as you describe than something precious to this nation must survive." Armstrong gripped her sword tight. "I promise you, volcano, tsunami, war, disease…if it is the lot of Japan to be destroyed, it won't go down without a fight."
Armstrong looked at her watch. "If you will excuse me? I have to brief the Prefectory Commanders of the situation and begin the process of mobilization and staging. Colonel Mustang?"
"Yes General." Mustang got up and followed Armstrong out of the room.
"I have to prepare the assembled press myself." Steve Martin said as he walked up to Aramaki. "I don't need an in depth explanation Professor, but I think if I should release anything, it should come from you and not me."
"You'll have it in ten minutes." Aramaki replied.
Harry turned to Greg Heslov. "I want you, Stan and Larry to go to Kometake. Put some additional instruments around that golf course…in a wheel back about 2 miles. Don't go sight seeing. Greg? Go find those three robots and have them see me?"
7:47am 20 June 2013
Monitoring C.P Gonosomaru
Astro returned to see Atlas standing with Mars. "Where have you been?" The red boy bot snorted. "With your precious humans in danger, you have the time to go off on your own?"
"He was bed riding his girlfriend." Mars said smiling.
"MARS!" Astro yelped.
"If you're going to mattress rodeo Astro, the least you could do is get a love motel." Mars said grinning.
"He couldn't get those wings through the doors." Atlas snorted.
"FUCK OFF!" Astro screamed! He slapped his mouth closed with his hands and looked around worryingly.
"WHEWWW!" Mars whistled. "Do you talk to Becky like that?"
"Shame on you." Atlas snorted. "You shame all of us with such a mouth."
Astro threw his hands up and walked towards the office connex growling.
"So how is she?" Mars needled. He shut up the moment Astro gave him a serious kill look. "Oh come on! If you can't take just a little ribbing from something so trivial, how do you expect any of us or the humans to trust you?"
"It's not your business." Astro snapped to Mars. "Especially when you ease drop! You have no right!"
"Sheesh…she blew him off, the only reason he's so pissy." Atlas snorted.
"She didn't….ugh!...just drop it!" Astro snarled.
"Next time? Buy her chocolates before you bring up sex." Mars snickered, getting his last jab in before the three bots walked into the office and met Harry.
"Well…" Harry said as he looked at them. "I hate to say we must ask you all to work around the clock but we have to ask."
"Some of us might hold to that." Atlas snickered as he butted Astro's side. Astro growled at him…
"We understand." Astro said to Harry. "So the Prime Minister is going to speak?"
"That and the JMSDF is going on full alert…including the reserves. And every robot is being called up with an activation order. By the way…we haven't been able to thank Epsilon for diverting the weather around Mount Fuji, the dryer the Northeast slope remains, the less worry we have…or had to this point."
Atlas nodded. "I'm sure she understands...she keeps her focus on her work…unlike some of us."
Astro butted Atlas hard.
"Is there a problem?" Harry asked as he saw Astro frowning.
"No….just some friendly ribbing." Astro replied smiling. "Atlas can be a pain."
"Bet she didn't have to say that about Astro." Mars smirked, which promptly got him slapped.
"We'll do whatever you need Doctor Dalton." Astro said with a quick salute.
Harry turned to look outside a window as he heard a helicopter touching down outside the compound. Obviously the Prime Minister had arrived. "Well….looks like the show is about to begin…come what may."
End of Chapter 4
