Chrono Trigger

The Factory Ruins; our team begins their short journey with the hermit, Belthazar, and encounters a strange obstacle…

"What happened?"

With a sense of fearful awe, the group of people eyed the large hunk of metal that lay in smoldering heaps. However, the odd thing was that the heaps were not blackened nor was there the acrid smell of smoke about it. Rather, it almost seemed to have been the work of some strange corrosive substance, particularly acid. However, there was not an acrid smell of acid either, so the reader can imagine how confused Lucca, a devoted scientist, was at this moment.

Crono merely folded his arms and shook his head with dismay as his two female accomplices circled about the wreckage, being very careful not to touch the parts that sounded as if they were sizzling. They were not alone, being accompanied by several people, who had nothing better to do, that had helped them find their way back to their tank only to find it in pieces.

"Ah, you should have parked it in the garage." An adult said in an annoying sing-song tone.

"Well that seems fairly obvious, but we didn't know there was a garage, did we?" Lucca said rather curtly.

It was only an hour or two when they had discussed their future plans with Belthazar, and when they had returned they found their second machine in utter disrepair. This would throw a wrench in their plans, since Belthazar hired them for reasons along the lines of protection. What could protect better than an armored tank with incendiary rounds? They would have to revise their plans, now that their means of protection had been destroyed. However, one question, and an obvious one at that, remained; who or what could have caused such damage?

Before they could ask, a small child suddenly began to grow nervous as he tugged on his mother's threadbare shirt. He had a whiny, worried tone of voice as he begged, "Momma, please, let's go back in before the mutant comes back." At the mention of a mutant Crono, Lucca, and Marle looked at each other with wide eyes…

A mutant was a horrible creature that had come about only a century ago. The party, feeling that if there was something out there that could melt through metal, thought that it was probably in their best interests to find out as much as they could about this monster. What they discovered about it was truly terrifying…

Every mutant did not look alike and could have any type of body or color, but a few things were common among this strange organism. They had long tentacles that wrapped around victims like a coiling snake, shark-like eyes that seemed lifeless and were covered in milky lids that were slightly translucent so that they were always seeing, a large gaping mouth that never seemed to close, and a horrifically large body that oozed of the most corrosive substance.

They were discussed as if they were a nuisance that compared to scorpions, yet they were feared as if they were rabid dogs or giants. People seemed to cringe whenever they talked about this beast and wished that they were not asked that question. However, they gave a skeptical look, wondering how these people could not know such a horrific being, and proceeded to tell about an unfortunate dome. This dome was only one of a dozen who felt that they did not need to take the necessary precautions against this abomination.

Imagine how peaceful (as peaceful as this world could allow) the inhabitants of this dome were when they suddenly smelled a foul stench that seemed to circulate throughout their whole home. The stench seemed to burn their eyes and noses to the point where it was uncomfortable and they sought out the unusual phenomenon. Imagine their horror and surprise when they found one of those monolithic creatures crouching in a large ventilation shaft! So great was their surprise that they did not even fire their weapons until they felt the burning sensation of corrosive tentacles wrapping around their ankles and by then it was too late.

Imagine, if you so dare, the last sight of your life being a gaping hole that had line after line of horrifically sharp teeth that only gripped you and pulled you into a deeper darkness from whence you could not return! Imagine the pain from the teeth that shredded your body like a grater! You would imagine that it would be a loud, noisy invasion, but the opposite was true. It was as stealthy as a mouse, and as quick to strike as a venomous snake. Such a creature should not have been meant to live, yet it came to be because of some catastrophic change to the world. The group assumed that it was the war, and perhaps these creatures were hybrid creatures who multiplied so that they were now a note of concern. However, it goes without saying that the group was less enthusiastic about setting outward…

"Do not worry about that creature," Belthazar said with a chuckle and a wave of the hand, "they are not as menacing as these people make them out to be."

"What it did to our tank seemed rather menacing." Lucca said icily, being further convinced that this man was not right in the head.

"In any case, I took precautions…Trust me. We probably won't see it."

They had no other choice, which seemed to annoy them seeing that they no longer felt like leaving the comfort of that dome. The dome's entrances were lined with guns and scanners that would destroy anything that was not human and there were usually sentries afterward. Why they were not there that day, the group did not know, but it seemed inconsequential to ponder over such things. Now they stood in front of their new means of transportation, and despite their newfound cynicism, they could not help but to gape in incredulity.

Although this was an impoverished world the people who worked within it were extremely organized. This seemed to be the most tidy and respectable place in the dome since the garage seemed to have new arrivals at times. It was clear that first impressions in this world were just as important in their own. While Crono, Marle, and Lucca looked at the mammoth vehicle the strange hermit was eagerly discussing prices with the operator. At the same time, produce and parts were being unloaded and transferred to and from the vehicle.

A word about this vehicle; it was more like a fortress on wheels than anything else. Torrents lined its sides with artillery belts that seemed to come from within the belly of the beast. A lid was the only way inside, much like a tank, except this vehicle had regular wheels (if you could call them that, them being of gigantic proportions) and not the strange tracks that were on their former mode of transportation. As they looked upon it, they could not fathom that it was able to go the speed that their benefactor claimed. Needless to say, Lucca admired it as if it were a newborn infant that could speak five different languages from the womb; with love and unbelieving awe. Even Crono, who had an interest in weapons, found himself drawn to this machine and was curious to see how it ran and operated. However, Marle could care less, but she more or less was impressed that such a large thing could move. Belthazar was very correct when he said that he made preparations.

"Well, I dare say that we should venture off!"

The people seemed to stare with bizarre interest at the old man as they hurriedly loaded their wares into the vehicle very much like worker ants. He seemed oblivious, but the three youths turned red in the face as a few gazes turned upon them. With a certain cheerful hop that seemed his body could not possibly handle, he clambered aboard the vehicle and motioned for the others to follow. They willfully obeyed, but still lacked his enthusiasm.

Their enthusiasm returned when they saw the inside of the vehicle…

It did not reflect its outside, which was covered in soot and armaments. The inside was clean insomuch that not even a speck was out of place. The floor was nothing but metal, but it seemed to shine as if it had been polished repeatedly. There was an enertron (the lack of a bed was noticed) and a storage cabinet that held anything that was needed for long trips. Marle did not have a weapon, but they saw that she could pick from anything that covered a whole section of the wall next to her. There was even a small shower with a meter showing how much water remained in the tank. There were many other pleasant things about this homely, war-mongering vehicle, but it would be better left unmentioned. Suffice it to say, they were overcome.

"This is my means of transportation. As you may have realized, it requires a lot of attention and there are many places to view from."

"So, you never really told us what you want us to do." Crono said casually.

"Quite simple really…I want you to clean this place and look out for that runaway mutant while you're at it."

There was a moment of stunned silence that was broken by Marle, "You mean…you want us to wash the inside of your vehicle?"

"Yes."

The three looked at each other with bemused expressions, and then they turned to face the hermit, "You are going to have us wash your vehicle?"

"Well, you could always walk towards that dome. I'm pretty sure that you can outrun that renegade mutant if you go fast enough." Belthazar said with a toothy grin.

"Wipe that insolent smirk off your face." Lucca said angrily.

Belthazar frowned, "I don't think you realize that I am the only chance you have of going back from wherever you came from. You are riding on my transport; you will adhere to my conditions! After all, Nu and I will be fine if you choose to leave; I can stand to miss a little shut-eye. However all you have to do is straighten up in here and watch for mutants."

Crono looked towards the ceiling with outstretched hands whilst saying, "Is it me, or does our journey seem to get stranger and stranger?"

"If you have any complaints, then by all means…" Belthazar gestured towards the exit.

The three looked at each other before they sighed deeply. "Where are the mops and buckets?"

"I don't have any. You're going to have to scrub the floors with brushes."

It did not take long for these three youths to confirm in their own minds that this man was indeed a tad bit off his rocker. He was obsessed over the tiniest detail, criticizing the very way they used their brushes. It was almost hilarious to see his eyes fly open when a spot was missed (which is why Lucca did it over and over, winking at her companions each time). His manner almost seemed to be compulsive when it came to his own possessions, which is probably the reason they did not see this strange behavior until it was too late. They were no longer frightened by him, but were rather interested by his obsessive meticulousness. However, their interest soon gave way to frustration as they continued to scrub away at the walls and floor with items that were no larger than a toothbrush.

"Can we stop? This place is pretty much immaculate by now."

"Don't be ridiculous!" The old man guffawed, "Anything can be improved on, and you can improve on quite a bit."

"Well if you are so amazing at cleaning, why don't you get down on your knees and try it?" Lucca barked.

Suddenly, Belthazar's eyebrows arched so that they seemed incredibly pitiful, "Would you really make an old man like me work his poor hands to the bone?"

Crono shot a warning glance towards Lucca, who sighed in reply, "All right…Fine…"

Belthazar turned away, a gleam in his eye and chuckled softly as she resumed.

You may wonder how ridiculously out of place this event may be at this point of the story, but as these three found out, adventure is not merely exploration and leisure. Many things happen in trials, including something as redundant and uneventful as fulfilling an obligation for the sake of free passage. Occasionally, to progress on a journey, it is necessary to take roads that are painful and seem to lead nowhere. However, if one does not know where the road takes them, they usually tend to have second thoughts along the way and begin to doubt their decisions in the first place. You can imagine that scrubbing various places for hours on end would occasionally bore one to tears, and cause those who were on that road to doubt where it led.

"Is he really trying to help us, or is he looking for someone to unload all his work on?" Marle said between clenched teeth.

Her regal composure was quickly giving way to dignified rage and her cheeks flushed as her clenched knuckles (which gripped a brush in one and a bucket handle in the other) turned white. Lucca, who usually kept her hair in a groomed fashion, began to appear disheveled as well as her clothes. Crono, who actually was the most accustomed to labor out of all of them, seemed exhausted and he seemed to think that walking to the dome would be ideal compared to their current situation. They whispered to each other in harsh tones while the hermit seemed oblivious at the front of the vehicle beside Nu.

They had made up their minds…

Crono stood at the front while his two counterparts stood at each side, their arms crossed and brows furrowed. Crono cleared his throat in an effort to grab the man's attention but it was to no avail. He did it a second time, only louder, but it still had no effect.

"Hey!"

The poor old man seemed to leap out of his skin as he spun around to face his crew. He smiled as if he were innocent of any offense as he said, "Are you finished scrubbing? If you are, you may do the outside as well. We can slow our speed down so that you won't be blown off."

"How do we know that you aren't going to drop us off in the middle of nowhere? How do we know that you are not using us?"

"Is working really that difficult for you?" The man said off-handedly.

"No, but your work is. I think we did enough work to pay our way, so when do we get there?"

"We are already here!" The hermit said brightly.

The group raised an eyebrow and went towards a view portal only to see what they had seen when they first entered this world. Just like the first time they entered the world they saw buildings crushed to rubble. This was no different, save for the fact that the buildings seemed to have been old factories and places of assembly. Another interesting thing about this place was the fact that there were large highways that curved and went in all directions. Out of all the twisting roads, the most noticeable thing about the landscape was a vast river that seemed to stretch from one horizon to the next. It was a wide river that separated them from the other side. A large cable bridge closed the gap, however, two sides of the bridge were raised so that crossing was not possible. When this place was untouched by the cataclysmic events of the past, this was a place of high-speed transportation. Vehicles would fly about insomuch that if you were to watch their movements you would become dizzy by the blurs. However, now this place was in disarray and there was nothing that seemed untouched except for the highway.

"Are these the ruins you were talking about?" Crono asked.

"Yes, it is." Belthazar replied.

"Well, what's the problem?" Crono said, cocking his head to the side, "There seems to be nothing worth fighting around here."

This simple question earned a bewildered look, "Fighting? Who said anything about fighting?"

"What do you mean by that?" Marle said, almost a little unnerved, "You wanted us to come with you so we could defend you, right?"

The old man laughed heartily, "No! What made you think that? Didn't you see all the gun torrents outside this thing?"

"Then why did you want us to help you?" Crono asked, his tone rather irritated.

Suddenly, a loud blaring noise came from outside that sounded very much like a siren. The noise was so sudden that it stole breath from everyone and caused them to jump in place. The three rushed towards the windows again to look down below and were surprised to see an army of metallic men surrounding their vehicle. A dark feeling came over the three as they instantly reached for their weapons.

"What are you doing?" Belthazar asked quickly.

"Saving your life, old man!" Marle chirped.

"From whom?" he said with the utmost peace of mind.

The siren stopped as quickly as it had begun and there was a moment of silence while everyone opened their ears to the slightest sound. For a moment there was nothing, and suddenly a loud booming echo filled the air that caused the trio to jump in surprise.

"Is that you, you crazy old loon? Didn't we tell you that we make exceptions for no one? Turn back!"

The trio peered out of a window to see that they were still surrounded, but they did not make any threatening moves or sounds, but rather stood in place as if they were only preventing the vehicle from moving any further. The old hermit sighed and walked towards a black box that hung down from the ceiling and spoke into it, which curiously amplified his voice so that it echoed throughout the area.

"I want to speak with Johnny! I have a proposition for him!"

"For your sake, it better be about paying a toll for once!"

"No, no, you see, I understand he likes to race and I found someone that he might be interested in…"

Author's note: I just wanted to put this up really quick so you don't think I have been slacking. All the stuff about the toll and racing will be explained in the beginning of next chapter.