Karma

Storyline

Astro has been kidnapped; the only clues his two calls to Zoran and his diary entries in his broken laptop. Ken, Atlas, Zoran, and Tawashi peice the clues together and solve a riddle to who kindapped Astro and where he is being held. Atlas, Astro, and Zoran need each other to keep their sanity and relieve their internal pain: Atlas needs to act like the eldest brother he is.

Chapter 4

Clues

Atlas got Zoran to replay the message over and over again. He tried to understand the nurse's words.

"He regrets not knowing." She laughed. "You better stop. If you can't figure it out, they will come... for all of you!"

What did Astro not know? Astro hadn't learned something, and that was what got him into trouble. Atlas thought for a long time. What on Earth could Astro not know? He was the most brilliant robots amongst them. Atlas was programmed to know everything Astro knew and didn't know. That meant Astro had been told something, ask a question that didn't know the answer to. But what?

He listened so carefully to the voice, that he may have failed to pick up another clue. He asked Zoran to replay the message without the unknown voice, and he listened carefully.

Engines.

Where were the sound of Engines coming from? What were the sound of claws on pavement? The sound of thunder? Who's voices were in the backround of it all?

The only thing he could do was rebuild the laptop Astro was using last and look up the recent internet history and the recent documents he had written on the computer. Astro liked to write down all of his thoughts and feelings onto that computer. It was like his diary. The only problem was getting passed the security system.

Who was smart enough to do that!

Astro was brilliant. He knew all sorts of things, and any word could be the password.

Wait.

There was one person. But, unfortunetly, he was in the hospital, unconscious from last nights attack. It looked like there was only one way to do this: destory the laptop completely and rebuild it peice by peice properly.

Atlas didn't know why he wanted to help Astro so much, he just knew he had to do it. Maybe it had to do with all the times he bothered to even care about what happened to him. Or maybe it was he wanted revenge on the stupid nurse who ruined his armour with her blood and guts. He wasn't sure which one weighed out the other, but he was sure that he was going to find Astro, even if it was the last thing he'd ever do.

Astro panted heavily, his showering pain in the form of electricty around his leg. It was gaining on him. The shadow of a creature so horrid, so vile, even he couldn't bear to glance at it. It was so evil, it screwed his circuts. He didn't even know it was possible!

This was a game to them. They fed on pain and fear. They enjoyed watching others suffer terrible fates. He wasn't going to let it him, for it would only increase those things' pleasure.

Astro limped around the corner and attempted to increase his speed, ignoring the pain in his leg. He tried to run normally, glancing over his shoulder. The creature skidded into the wall while turning, but it didn't stop. He chased after Astro without hesitation.

Rooms guarded by vertical bars were along both sides of the hallway. They looked like prision cells.

"Help!" He screamed.

"Astro!" Came a cry from his panel on his chest. He looked down, then up to watch his direction.

"Zoran!" He processed. "Zoran! Is that you!"

"Astro!" She squeeled through the mic. "Where are you!"

"In trouble!" He gasped. He looked up to see a horizontal bar right before him, as a sudden gust of wind picked up and threw him into the bar. He yelped in agony as his forehead kissed the metal hard enough to cause his circuts damage. "I... I don't know..." He muttered painfully and leaned up, feeling his damaged head.

The ground began to shake, and Astro looked back. It was coming for him. "Are you okay!" She asked automaticly. "Astro, what's happening!"

Astro got to his feet and looked ahead. There was something... a trap of some sort. He blinked. "Scanning." He said and looked around. This place was covered in set traps. The one ahead was about to go as soon as he passed. "I have an idea!" He spun around and watched the creature get close.

"Astro!"

"I'm being chased by this creature." He opened up a panel on his chest where a video camera could show what it was. "I don't know where I am or who took me. All I know is that I have to live!" He prepared as the creature got closer. He crouched down slightly. "These people who took me... aren't human."

"Are they robot!" Came a second voice. O'Sheay's, no doubt.

"No... They're monsters." Astro gulped. "They are evil." The creature was five feet away now. It must have been ten feet tall. He crouched down, and charged to the right before the creature could reach him. It was going too fast to stop.

Astro turned around and activated his jets in mid air, just to watch a shatter-proof glass window close on the creature. The creature began to cry out in pain and horror. Slowly, spike emerged from it's skull, causing Astro to cover his mouth with his hands to keep him from revolting at the sight.

The creature fell to the ground, lifelessly, blood pouring from the open wounds on it's head into a pool of blood, it's face frozen in a state of fear, shock, and pain.

Astro choked back a yelp. "What's happening here!" He sobbed and felt his head. He carefully scanned his entire electronic brain for anything that shouldn't be there. He gasped as he found something. He shook his head slowly and lowered himself to the ground.

No, not a bug, not a virus, or a trojan. But rather a device. The exact as the creature had lodged into the center of his brain. If he had crossed that line, he would've suffered that fate. "Please..." He begged. "Get me outta here..."

The connection went dead.

Zoran, O'Sheay, Tawashi, and the ARRS (or else known as the Delta Squad or the Anti-Robot Robot Squad) stared at the broken connection in horror. Just what was going on!

Delta leaned foreward and placed a hand on Zoran's head. "At least we know he's alive." He said, trying to lighten the mood. But Zoran stared at the static picture on the small screen in horror. Where was her brother? Was he going to last very long?

She looked up at Delta. "Am I the only one who saw Astro's last scan?"

Atlas carefully placed the peices together. The security system was gone, but the laptop was almost disinagrated. He had spent all day and night peicing it together. And it was almost done. His energy was low, but he kept on going. Reno was still in his coma-like state in the hospital, so help could not be found. Or, at least, help he didn't find constantly annoying.

"Atlas." Came a voice on the video-phone. "I need to tell you something. It's Reno." Atlas nodded.

The next day's night brought an almost brand new laptop, with the same information Astro typed onto it. He brought it to O'Sheay's office and set it on O'Sheay's desk, where he sat himself on the chair and began typing. Astro was in the exact same spot when he had been taken.

He had seen the most recent message from Astro, and asked Zoran to play it over and over, removing some sound each time and pausing the video in places to get a veiw of the creature and devices. He also agknowledged Astro's final scan that had been broadcasted on the message.

Delta, Tawashi, and Ken (yes, Kennedy, Astro's friend) downloaded a copy of Astro's two calls to Zoran and began to do such a thurough scan, Atlas was sure they had double-checked the messages four hundred times, removing sounds and images from the video and audio that acompanied each other.

Atlas opened up the laptop with a scratching and opened up his recent documents. He clicked the most recent entry.

October 29th /2031

11:56 pm

Today will be a rather interesting entry as I go through the events of today. Well, I decided to go to this place called Jackal Prision with Ken, Alejo, Ambercrombie, Reno, and Zoran. We had an awesome time. We kept seeing and hearing things, so it was pretty awesome.

I went into this room and it was weird. It's not all that importent cause I didn't get what it said. Apperently, that place is over three centery's old! (Alejo is my info source) And I thought Jumbo was old!

Atlas rolled his eyes. Even when Astro wasn't talking to anybody, he was still joking around like everything was fine. Good ol' Astro. Too bad he wasn't here right now. He could probably lighten the mood a bit.

Well, it's located somewhere outside Metro City near the car dump disposal thingy. It's funny. Scientist Kwan Brack was telling me horror stories about the place being invested with ghosts just before I got there. It doesn't scare me, not a bit. If there was such a thing, you'd probably have to get some serious proof to get me to believe.

It's raining outside, a huge thunderstorm. There's a blackout, so Zoran is staying with Nora while I hang out up here. I'm kinda trapped since the door won't open because it opens by eletricity and there's no electricity. I would take the vent, but what's the point of trashing the place when I can just wait?

Whoa. That was creepy. I thought I just heard something behind me. Probably just Zoran running around. Apperently, she's afraid of the dark. I remember being like that when I was younger.

Okay, I'm starting to get a little afraid. I keep hearing things. This is not cool. I hope it stops soon. I keeping hearing claws again the floor, but I think... actually, I don't know what to think. It's just weird. Maybe it's the thunder or something. Maybe my circuts have gone haywire.

Hey, I found something about that place Kwan mentioned in one of his stories. Black Cquan Hospital or something like that. It's apart of a story that's like Silent Hill and Saw combined. Now that would be a cool movie to see.

It's fake (obviously) so, there's pretty much no point in worrying it to be real. (Dunno why I would think so in the first place.) Apartently, if you heard the riddle about the Black Cquan, who are [apperently] weird creature thingies, then you get taken away and stuff. Well, Kwan is still here, ain't he? Then I guess that myth is busted.

Man, I watch way too much t.v.

What the heck, I'll write it here. I'm gonna reread this entry and go, "Did I really think that was real! Man, Astro. You really need to learn to grow up!" Okay, so it goes:

If you can read this

You will regret,

Knowing of this riddle,

But if you can solve it,

You can escape,

The Black Cquan Armies,

With you're life

But if you fail,

You will suffer,

For the rest of time and eternity:

Who is the one,

Who controls the Cquan,

Who runs the Black Cquan Hospital,

Who will tell you about this riddle

He is hidden where you cannot find him,

He is tricky,

He is intellagent,

You can never guess,

He made sure of it

If you know this man,

You would think twice to guess him,

If you do not,

Know this man,

You could not guess him,

Because of you're lack of observation

He knows you,

He knows you're reading this,

He will take you,

Take you away

You're nightmare starts now.

Okay. Creepy. But horribly written. Yeah, I shouldn't read that when I'm alone. Atlas would think I'm such a coward! Uuuuuuuhhgggg! I hope he never reads this. I mean, he's really cool, and I don't want him to think so lowly of me. What if he doesn't want to hang out with someone who's afraid of a stupid riddle, the dark, and stupid noises! He just started to finally say hi to me! That's a big accomplishment right there!

Well, he won't be able to get passed my password... Why would he guess his own name!

In truth, Atlas was flattered. But he felt bad that Astro was trying to be brave (maybe even someone else) just to be his friend. He didn't know Astro was hiding this kind of stuff from him. He almost wished he had at least had the curdosy of asking how he was doing.

Well, he did save my life... Two or three times. And, all three times, I failed. Ahg! No wonder he doesn't want talk to me! I'm such a failure! Maybe I should get upgraded soon. Maybe he'd talk to me more then!

Man, I think I say well too much. And I use too many !'s. I should relax and let everything go. Maybe that's why I'm hearing things. I just need to relax and everything will be okay.

I think I'll go get some ice cre

And that was that. "This must have been when Astro was kidnapped." He scanned some more documants, finding one entitled: "Story of the Jackal Prision: Bloody Nurses". Atlas shook it off and stood up, leaning against the desk looking down, drowned in his thoughts. Nothing in that entry told him where he was. When Atlas snapped back into reality, he noticed something engraved into the hardwood floor.

He got onto his hands and knees and ran his finger through the markings that were carved into the ground. There were four lines, each idenitcal to the last. They were so huge, how could it have been missed!

Atlas's eyes opened wide. There was breathing down his neck. The scratching noise made by the laptop wasn't made by the laptop.

Slowly, he turned around.