"Uh...the what now?"
"Did...you just say...robot?"
Dash folded his arms, watching the new arrivals with smothered amusement as they shared a confused glance. Out of the three of them, the smallest seemed to light up the most at Analexa's words. He couldn't begin to imagine why, however. The boy looked hardly fifteen and even he knew the ISA didn't allow pilots at such a young age. So either the academy changed their ruling, or this one is just unusually wiry for his age.
Not that it made any difference to him. His job was to train them to fly, not learn anything about them and certainly, certainly not care that they were about to go up against some of the most highly trained pilots in the known universe (and probably the unknown one too).
His thoughts came to an abrupt halt when he realized that the girl was glaring at him. He immediately tensed, having seen a look very similar. It took him only a moment to realize who this girl was. Elillia. King Truiton's daughter. The eldest child of the man who had ultimately captured him and forced him intoservice for the ISA. The irony was not lost on him, but he had no time to focus on it as the last member mimicked his stance, looking ready to punch something. Him, probably.
"You heard correctly," Dash said. He gestured toward the large half-completed monstrosity and could have sworn the redhead's eyes grew three sizes. "Analexa has gathered us to become the pilots for the Super Robo Mecha, the alliance's greatest weapon and most powerful defense against the forces of darkness."
"Whoa..." Blip turned fully to face it now, stars in his eyes. He glanced over his shoulder briefly. "Do you think it'd be all right if I...you know..." He waved a hand toward it pointedly.
"Knock yourself out, doctor," Analexa interrupted before Dash could comprehend the question. "Maybe you can figure out what we're missing. For some reason, we completed the hardware but the thing just won't run."
Blip grinned and then turned and darted off, reaching the machine before Dash had time to blink. Okay, he's small, but he's quick. Duly noted. The other two looked just as startled (and bored) and Dash only sighed again. With a nod of encouragement from Analexa (for which he promptly gave her a glare), he refolded his arms and pushed past the two to follow the eager scientist.
Without a word, Lunk and Princess followed.
Analexa fell in alongside him, raising an eyebrow pointedly. "You could at least try and be nice to them," she suggested in a whisper. "What could be the harm in smiling once in a while?"
Smiles lead to kindness. Kindness leads to trust. Trust leads to friendship and friendship ends with weakness and death. "There is little point," he replied dryly, refusing to meet her gaze. "We were not gathered to receive sympathy. The galaxy is in danger. That is all."
Analexa frowned. "I don't think you actually believe that."
Dash didn't answer. He couldn't. Pulling ahead, he was aware of Analexa slowing to wait for the others. He didn't do the same. Instead, he picked up the pace, coming to stand at the base of the machine and glancing upward toward the staircase circling the robot and the blur of the kid darting up them two at a time, a good three-fourths of the way to the head. How the stars did he get up there so quickly?
"So..." Lunk started slowly, approaching and coming to a stop beside him hesitantly. "Wanna tell us a little more about this...robot?"
No. Dash grunted. "It's a long story."
"Short version?" Analexa cut in. "Centuries ago, when the First Universal War seemed near its end and darkness seemed to have control over all, the leaders of the remaining planets of resistance, in one final act of desperation, banded together to create a weapon of mass power and destruction. Its purpose; to eradicate darkness and evil from the universe for good." She glanced toward the robot fondly. "This is that very same weapon, salvaged and restored to its former glory." She smiled sadly. "Well, almost, if we could ever get it to work."
"This is the same weapon used to end the UW1?" Elillia growled, daring to look slightly impressed. "This tattered heap of junk?"
They ignored her.
"So if this is why we are here," Lunk went on, carefully beginning to fit the pieces together. "Does that mean the universe needs saving?"
You have no idea. "Yes," Dash interrupted, stepping forward and twisting back to face them, striking what he thought was a good commander pose. "The ISA have called the four of us here for a very important reason. We are the universe's last line of defense against an evil that we thought once eradicated."
"But why us?" Elilla demanded. "Why me? Why not someone who actually wants to be here?"
Believe it or not, I'm not overly fond of the idea myself, Dash thought cooly. Especially if it means I have to deal with a crybaby like you. "The ISA chose each of us for our special talents and what they believed would bring the best chance of victory," he responded, feeling slightly as though he were becoming a drone. Seriously, the universe was in danger. Wasn't that enough of an explanation?
This was why he preferred working alone. No stupid questions every minute and a half, though apparently fate had a different idea, much to his annoyance.
"I think...I might be able to answer that," came Blip's voice from high above them. "And you all might want to come up and take a look at this."
"Really?" Analexa gasped. "You figured it out already?"
"Well, he's fast," Lunk commented, already starting toward the stairs. The others were right behind him.
"What did you find, doctor?" Analexa questioned, passing Lunk and reaching the human first, finding him kneeling beside a small symbol engraved into the side of the robot's left arm.
"I'm...not exactly sure," Blip admitted, backing away, giving her room to crouch down to look. "It looks like ancient writing of some kind, but I'm not sure what the language is-"
"It's Galgrian," Elilla interrupted sharply.
All eyes turned toward her.
"It...is?" Blip looked confused.
"That's what I said, isn't it?"
"Well, can you read it?" Analexa coaxed.
"Yes? I do believe English was the language I selected to address you with, was it not?"
"Well, what does it say?" Dash demanded impatiently.
"It says...'Only those who are worthy may pass the test and awaken the beast.' Whatever that's supposed to mean." Elillia scowled.
"Who knows," Analexa mumbled. "This machine was created by some of the most intelligent beings in the cosmos. They had access to unlimited knowledge and understanding. The answer to the riddle may prove to be more difficult than I originally planned and-"
A loud clattering from above interrupted her revelation and everyone glanced upward toward the rafters, spotting a blur of yellow sprinting among the metal. A long, thin tail snaked in and out of view before completely disappearing from sight. A chortling squeak could be heard and Analexa immediately tensed and groaned.
"Oh, not now..."
"Um...sorry, but, what is it?" Blip questioned, standing up and backing away from the machine. Confusion clouded his gaze as he scanned frantically for the source of the disturbance.
Analexa only sighed. "My partner. All right, that's quite enough of your pranking for one day, Squeakums. Come down from there at once. We have guests and it's not polite to go around trying to scare them."
Another yip could be heard and moments later, a small furry creature dropped from the air. Its tail wrapped around a handrail midfall and it swung itself around, landing gracefully on all fours before the group, grinning up giddily at them.
"Uh..." Princess scowled. "What is that?"
"This is a monkey from the Suraniam Jungle of Brismota," Analexa replied. "My father found him on one of his voyages. Squeakums, say hello to everyone."
The monkey squeaked and grinned up at them, antennae twitching excitedly.
"Interesting," Blip said, watching the small creature curiously. "He doesn't look anything like the monkeys on Earth."
"He looks like a nuisance if you ask me," Elilla sighed.
We didn't. Dash sighed again, ready to get back to the machine. "You were explaining how the robot works?" he reminded Blip rather sternly.
"Er...right." The human adjusted his lenses nervously. "Well, from what I can tell, the riddle that Princess just deciphered explains how to activate the machine. Apparently, the designers had a specific set of people in mind. I doubt we will be able to bre—"
As he'd been speaking, Squeakums had snuck between them to brush his tail against a flicker of light on side of the machine. A bolt of yellow rocketed through the right arm in linear streaks, shooting for the torso of the robot. With a yelp, Squeakums was thrown violently away, tumbling head over tail.
Lunk instantly reacted, catching the creature and lifting him away from the glowing light. "What's going on?" he yelled as the pulses grew stronger and the group backed away fearfully. Squeakums whimpered, glancing up at him with wide eyes as he held him close, almost protectively.
"I don't—" Blip started again, only to be interrupted as the cavern gave a tremendous shake.
"Grab on to something!" Analexa hollered, grasping the railing desperately as the stairs gave an uncharacteristic lurch, sending the team sprawling across the deck.
Dash lunged for the railing, pulling himself up beside her. Behind him, Squeakums sprang onto Lunk's shoulder while the Gillian struggled to balance himself against the wall. Blip was next to him, eyes squeezed shut fearfully.
The stairs gave a third lunge toward the earth and Dash grit his teeth, knowing what was coming. There was only one way to go and that way was down.
"Brace yourselves!" he called, ignoring how his voice rose traitorously.
Even as he spoke, the walls of the cavern shook and Princess fell forward with a scream, landing hard against the left side of the robot. The moment her hands fell against the metal, a second light exploded and rushed up to meet the first, shimmering magenta.
The earthquake subsided slightly.
"Quick!" Analexa gasped, her eyes widening as though a realization had just struck her. "Everyone! Place your hands on the robot!"
"WHAT?" Dash roared.
"Do it! Hurry!"
Blip complied immediately, leaping and sliding in beside the princess (ignoring the way she wrinkled her nose at him), grabbing onto the nearest part of the robot he could reach—the right leg. Lunk stumbled forward, a tremor catching him off balance and sending him reeling against the left arm.
Simultaneous green and red pathways zipped through the machine, combining with the pink and yellow at the center. But it was like something was missing...or someone.
"Coolstar, you too!" Analexa ordered, shoving him forward as he glared.
The moment he reached the robot, a blaze of blue erupted from the center of the machine, colliding with the others and rocketing toward the head.
Immediately, the quaking ended as the group slowly, one by one, backed away, staring up at the robot in awe. The light spread throughout the machine and the eyes came alive in blazing yellow.
"Whoa..." Lunk gasped.
"You did it," Analexa breathed, running a hand through her hair and inhaling deeply, trying to shake away the tremor in her tone. "You actually did it. You are the chosen ones."
"Uh...chosen ones?" Blip inquired, overhearing.
"A story for another time," she waved him off. "Together you activated something that no one has been able to power in over three hundred years. How?"
Dash hesitated, glancing to the others who seemed just as confused and startled as he. A replay of the event ran through his mind, circling back around to the first time any of them touched it. But it hadn't been one of us, he thought. It'd been the monkey. His eyes fell on Squeakums as the little creature leaned into Lunk's comforting embrace. But all it did was touch the outer shell. He didn't understand how that was possible, but there were other concerns that needed to be addressed now.
"I...don't understand," he confessed, ignoring the looks from the others. "We didn't hit any buttons or turn any keys. How could we have possibly activated such an old machine?"
"It may look old," Blip answered, "but I don't really think it is. I recognize a lot of these designs. They're used on Earth all the time. Mostly for..." he blushed, looking slightly embarrassed. "Attack and Defense weapons."
Analexa frowned. "But that doesn't make sense!" she argued. "The Super Robo Mecha was created hundreds of years ago! There is no way this could be as modern as it appears!"
Blip shrugged, not going to argue with her. Dash noticed this becoming a routine with him. Timid, afraid of confrontation. Why? He raised an eyebrow curiously. Blip noticed this and hastily glanced away toward the robot as though guessing what he was thinking.
"Well, one thing's for sure," Lunk interjected, glancing up at the gleaming robot nervously. "This may just be the start of the secrets this thing is keeping from us."
Analexa beamed at this. "Well," she said, addressing the group. "Who wants to go for a little test run?"