Chapter 10 - Mind Over Metal
Two hours later, a hovercraft-like vehicle landed at the facility. Inside were two figures,
three if you count the robotic dog, that Anthony knew well.
"That looks like Roll, Base, and Treble!" said Anthony as the vehicle landed and the occupants
exited.
Roll went up and greeted Anthony. "You must be Sir Eric's descendant."
"That's me. The name's Anthony Bault. You are Roll, correct?"
"Yes, but how...?"
"It's all on these disks I plan to show Dr. Light. I also recognize Base and Treble," said
Anthony, nodding towards the two seemingly aloof robots, then turning back towards Roll. "Say
Roll, where's your famous brother, the Blue Bomber himself?"
"Running a quick errand for the doctor in downtown Neo-Chicago. We might meet him when he
returns. Come, let's get you to the doctor."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The flight from the portal facility was uneventful. Anthony was examining the lightsaber-like
weapon given to him while Roll piloted. Bass just kept to himself, seemingly not interested in
the ride and looking bored. "Odd," thought Anthony, "I didn't think a robot could get bored,
due to lack of emotions. I wonder..."
Roll decided to break the silence. "So, Anthony. How is it you know who we are? I mean...you
just arrived in this world and I doubt psionic powers can read robot minds."
Anthony looked towards the cockpit. "Well, as I said, the disks I have will explain it all.
They actually contain copies of games that exist in my world, specifically Megaman games. For
some reason, the latent psi talent that exists among my race allowed the game designers to see
this world."
"Sounds interesting. Am I in any of the games?"
"Only as a bit character. Most of the games focused on Megaman and Rush. You get a more
active part in Marvel Vs. Capcom I and II though."
Bass looked up. "What about me and Treble?"
Anthony turned toward him. "As villains in Megaman 7, playable characters in 9. Not sure WHAT
your role was in 8, but looks like you switched sides in that one."
"You might say that. Let's just say there was no logic in fighting for Wily anymore."
"Glad to hear that," said Anthony, turning back towards Roll. "Say Roll, how do you think..."
Suddenly an alarm went off on Roll's console, causing red klaxons to go off throughout the
vehicle. Bass jumped to his feet and readied his weapon arm.
"What's going on?" asked Anthony, readying his lightsaber.
Roll checked her console. "We're close to Neo-Chicago's downtown area, and looks like there's
a battle going on!" She looked at a monitor. "Flashman and Quickman, and Mega's already in
the middle of fighting them and needs some help!"
"That's my cue," said Bass. "Treble, jet mode!" Treble changed to a jet sled and Bass jumped
on, then he turned towards Anthony. "Wanna help?"
"He might need all he can get, so yes," said Anthony, jumping on Treble as well. "Especially
if those bots are as tough as they are in the game!"
"Better hang on then."
Roll opened the side door so Bass, Treble, and Anthony could jet out. The trio then exited the
craft.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Megaman was hard pressed, and Rush was out cold. Flashman was managing to stun him while
Quickman managed several hits. Luckily their advantage ended when Quickman was hit by a blast
coming from the sky.
"That got their attention," said Bass. "We should be able to lead them away from Mega."
"Let's see if we can do more than just that," said Anthony, charging a psionic blast while
Treble landed.
Flashman fired several shots towards the pair, but somehow Anthony was able to block the shots
with his lightsaber.
"Hmmm," thought Anthony, "I guess my psi ability is improving my reflexes."
Anthony let loose a large psionic blast towards Quickman, causing his boomerang weapon arm to
explode in a shower of parts and oil. He then went in for the kill, making several large cuts
with his lightsaber and slicing the bot into a heap of scrap.
Base was just as successful with Flashman, letting loose a powered blast which left a large
blast hole in Flashman and another which exploded the head into a mess of gears and crude.
Anthony flinched at the sight of that.
The two of them then turned their attention on Megaman and Rush, both of whom were now out for
the count. Base ran a scan on Megaman while Treble converted back to a dogbot and checked
Rush.
"Hmmm..." Base said. "Extensive internal damage with some heavy structural dents here,
Anthony, but it's repairable." He then checked Treble's scans. "Same with Rush. We'll need
to get them back to Dr. Light as soon as possible. I'll call Roll down."
"What do you suppose Wily's up to this time?" asked Anthony.
"Can't be anything good, and yet...there nothing around this area that could be used for
materials to build anything. Just a grocery store and some clothing outlets."
Roll landed nearby and started to help Base bring Megaman into the vehicle. Anthony helped
Treble with Rush.
"Roll," asked Anthony, "what chores was Mega running for the doctor in this area?"
"Just some grocery shopping, but he was also sent to pick up a new test substance that a
colleague of Dr. Light's wanted the doctor to look at."
Anthony raised an eyebrow. "What type of substance?"
"It should be right here," Roll said, opening a side compartment near Mega's hip joint. She
then produced a small vial from it with a greenish fluid. "Dr. Light's colleague isn't sure
what this substance is. It was found emanating from a natural spring of sorts near Neo-Venice.
By coincidence, that's also the location where the Gardenia portal is."
Anthony turned toward Base as Roll headed towards the cockpit. "I think we may have found
Wily's target. What odds do you want to make there's an interesting property of this substance
that attracted Wily?"
"I'm don't usually make bets...but that sounds like that's a sure bet, Anthony."
Two hours later, a hovercraft-like vehicle landed at the facility. Inside were two figures,
three if you count the robotic dog, that Anthony knew well.
"That looks like Roll, Base, and Treble!" said Anthony as the vehicle landed and the occupants
exited.
Roll went up and greeted Anthony. "You must be Sir Eric's descendant."
"That's me. The name's Anthony Bault. You are Roll, correct?"
"Yes, but how...?"
"It's all on these disks I plan to show Dr. Light. I also recognize Base and Treble," said
Anthony, nodding towards the two seemingly aloof robots, then turning back towards Roll. "Say
Roll, where's your famous brother, the Blue Bomber himself?"
"Running a quick errand for the doctor in downtown Neo-Chicago. We might meet him when he
returns. Come, let's get you to the doctor."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The flight from the portal facility was uneventful. Anthony was examining the lightsaber-like
weapon given to him while Roll piloted. Bass just kept to himself, seemingly not interested in
the ride and looking bored. "Odd," thought Anthony, "I didn't think a robot could get bored,
due to lack of emotions. I wonder..."
Roll decided to break the silence. "So, Anthony. How is it you know who we are? I mean...you
just arrived in this world and I doubt psionic powers can read robot minds."
Anthony looked towards the cockpit. "Well, as I said, the disks I have will explain it all.
They actually contain copies of games that exist in my world, specifically Megaman games. For
some reason, the latent psi talent that exists among my race allowed the game designers to see
this world."
"Sounds interesting. Am I in any of the games?"
"Only as a bit character. Most of the games focused on Megaman and Rush. You get a more
active part in Marvel Vs. Capcom I and II though."
Bass looked up. "What about me and Treble?"
Anthony turned toward him. "As villains in Megaman 7, playable characters in 9. Not sure WHAT
your role was in 8, but looks like you switched sides in that one."
"You might say that. Let's just say there was no logic in fighting for Wily anymore."
"Glad to hear that," said Anthony, turning back towards Roll. "Say Roll, how do you think..."
Suddenly an alarm went off on Roll's console, causing red klaxons to go off throughout the
vehicle. Bass jumped to his feet and readied his weapon arm.
"What's going on?" asked Anthony, readying his lightsaber.
Roll checked her console. "We're close to Neo-Chicago's downtown area, and looks like there's
a battle going on!" She looked at a monitor. "Flashman and Quickman, and Mega's already in
the middle of fighting them and needs some help!"
"That's my cue," said Bass. "Treble, jet mode!" Treble changed to a jet sled and Bass jumped
on, then he turned towards Anthony. "Wanna help?"
"He might need all he can get, so yes," said Anthony, jumping on Treble as well. "Especially
if those bots are as tough as they are in the game!"
"Better hang on then."
Roll opened the side door so Bass, Treble, and Anthony could jet out. The trio then exited the
craft.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Megaman was hard pressed, and Rush was out cold. Flashman was managing to stun him while
Quickman managed several hits. Luckily their advantage ended when Quickman was hit by a blast
coming from the sky.
"That got their attention," said Bass. "We should be able to lead them away from Mega."
"Let's see if we can do more than just that," said Anthony, charging a psionic blast while
Treble landed.
Flashman fired several shots towards the pair, but somehow Anthony was able to block the shots
with his lightsaber.
"Hmmm," thought Anthony, "I guess my psi ability is improving my reflexes."
Anthony let loose a large psionic blast towards Quickman, causing his boomerang weapon arm to
explode in a shower of parts and oil. He then went in for the kill, making several large cuts
with his lightsaber and slicing the bot into a heap of scrap.
Base was just as successful with Flashman, letting loose a powered blast which left a large
blast hole in Flashman and another which exploded the head into a mess of gears and crude.
Anthony flinched at the sight of that.
The two of them then turned their attention on Megaman and Rush, both of whom were now out for
the count. Base ran a scan on Megaman while Treble converted back to a dogbot and checked
Rush.
"Hmmm..." Base said. "Extensive internal damage with some heavy structural dents here,
Anthony, but it's repairable." He then checked Treble's scans. "Same with Rush. We'll need
to get them back to Dr. Light as soon as possible. I'll call Roll down."
"What do you suppose Wily's up to this time?" asked Anthony.
"Can't be anything good, and yet...there nothing around this area that could be used for
materials to build anything. Just a grocery store and some clothing outlets."
Roll landed nearby and started to help Base bring Megaman into the vehicle. Anthony helped
Treble with Rush.
"Roll," asked Anthony, "what chores was Mega running for the doctor in this area?"
"Just some grocery shopping, but he was also sent to pick up a new test substance that a
colleague of Dr. Light's wanted the doctor to look at."
Anthony raised an eyebrow. "What type of substance?"
"It should be right here," Roll said, opening a side compartment near Mega's hip joint. She
then produced a small vial from it with a greenish fluid. "Dr. Light's colleague isn't sure
what this substance is. It was found emanating from a natural spring of sorts near Neo-Venice.
By coincidence, that's also the location where the Gardenia portal is."
Anthony turned toward Base as Roll headed towards the cockpit. "I think we may have found
Wily's target. What odds do you want to make there's an interesting property of this substance
that attracted Wily?"
"I'm don't usually make bets...but that sounds like that's a sure bet, Anthony."