THE TENTH DISK
By blackhart
copyright MM Abacus Fiction, revised 6/26/2001
Chapter Two
X
My breath came in gulps. My nervous system had been excited by the slip into the fortress. Adrenaline was pumping all throughout my body as I gathered another plasma charge. Zero and the others had organized with me before the raid began, and had said they'd capture the outer core as best they could. It was a massive security risk. I was thankful Zero had carried out my request for the easy half of the mission.
My eyes focused in on a hoard of drones coming ever closer to me. They were of all shapes and sizes, some with guns, and some without. I noticed a small platoon of the little yellow Hard Hats near the front, and couldn't resist a small chuckle. They were true veterans of robotic war, in the fight ever since Wily's time. I dashed quietly away from the group; I didn't want to have to bother with them now.
I came suddenly to a junction in the building; four frozen doors led, I supposed, to four different destinations. Pi should have prayed I didn't get this mission: I had my neural radar system. Focusing my mind on the roads ahead of each door, the leftmost door, I found, contained the pathway to the disks I needed. The rightmost door led to Pi's chambers, and the door right next to that one led to Spark Man's station. I decided to head for the disks first, charging my cannon and taking out the left door. Ice crumbled to the floor with a crash, and I made my way into the hall beyond. I sealed the opening back up with melted metal from the ceiling quickly, courtesy of my cannon, to obstruct any sudden company that had heard the ice break.
Gazing ahead, the only thing I saw was a long corridor. A long corridor filled to the brim with traps and enemies, I'd venture, I thought. I crept along, keeping my eyes peeled and my senses alert. I had a full- capacity blaster charge ready for any takers. A glint of light on the right wall struck me out of my eye's corner and I twirled around quickly, ready to face the enemy. A mecha-bat stared at me, flapping its wings in a menacing manner. Unfortunately for it, its menacing manner did nothing to intimidate me, and I pegged it with my charge. Another one appeared from nowhere, going for my back. Using a piece of the scrapped bat's innards, I whacked at the attacker, sending him down, just like his corpse of a counterpart. The urge to rush through the corridor was uncontrollable, but I knew I'd have to come back through here a little more speedily later, and I wanted it clear. A ceiling-mounted popgun showed its head from the bowels of the roof, and I leaped a little ways up to avoid its pellet gunfire. After generating a sort of weak force field around myself with my armor's capabilities, I rushed into him and another of his hidden companions. Time for the scrap heap, drones.
I was a quarter-ways through the corridor, and the security hadn't been too great. I spoke too soon, I presently found, as the ceiling at my entrance point flipped down from the top and began to flip numerous panels, baring huge polished metal spikes, on which I was intended to be skewered. Can't let that happen, now, can I? I thought. Accessing yet another portion of my programming, I called up the X-Buster upgrade feature I had been made with. It would take time to work, but I could still make it to the end. There were still unseen enemies lining this hall, I knew--but where? I'd find out soon enough.
I began to charge more of my plasma energy, going further this time than before with the full-capacity beep. The upgrade's extra-powerful shot took more energy than did a normal shot, so I had to stay rooted to the spot as I continued to gather energy.
Behind me, I heard the ominous noises of the spike wall creaking toward me. I was half-way through charging. I could do it.
My skin began to glow with an eerie bluish-green tone as the upgrade's full capacity hit. Blinking to relieve some stress, I readied myself. It always felt slightly awkward to use this super shot. I ground my boots into the floor for extra footing. Releasing the first-stage blast, I watched the energy from the blaster form into four rocket-shaped balls, hanging around my head. I released the second burst a nanosecond later, a blue-and-pink sphere of plasma carnage. The two blasts joined together and traveled as one, spreading out down the corridor. As I heard the wall close in behind me, I dashed quickly to keep up with the blasts. As I neared enemies, my proximity triggered their presence. They appeared one by one from their hiding places, only to be sacrificed to the plasma shot I'd squeezed off.
I sped into the chamber ahead, in which was a glass case holding the pack of disks. Speaking into my built-in radio, I said clearly: "Zero, this is X. I have located the disks, and am preparing to confiscate them." I heard the spiked wall crash into the opening behind me. I smiled.
"Sure thing, X," he called back. "We've lost stealth over here, so feel free to make a little noise if you want."
"Affirmative, Zero," I said back. "I'm gonna need a bail-out over here, I kinda locked myself in. Through the right side of the building, leftmost door when you get inside. Okay?"
"Gotcha, X. We'll see you in a minute. Hold fast."
As I touched the glass case to reach for the disks, an alarm sounded. That enough noise, Zero? I thought with a sly grin. The case wouldn't budge, I soon found. Pegging the rim of it with a few small shots from my blaster, however, proved to be successful in opening it. I reached in, grabbed the disks, and turned to leave.
The wall was still blocking my way, but that would be easy enough to get rid of. What we needed was in my hands now, and I let out a triumphant "Yes!" All that remained of this mission was to find Spark Man, acquire his weapon, then use it to put Pi out of commission. I felt proud as I blasted my way through the spiked wall and walked my way back into the corridor.
I started my walk down the hall to wait for Zero and the others to get me out, then something suddenly hit me. It was painful, but at the same time, blissful. My senses went akimbo! My brain was being torn in two...!
Then I passed out.
By blackhart
copyright MM Abacus Fiction, revised 6/26/2001
Chapter Two
X
My breath came in gulps. My nervous system had been excited by the slip into the fortress. Adrenaline was pumping all throughout my body as I gathered another plasma charge. Zero and the others had organized with me before the raid began, and had said they'd capture the outer core as best they could. It was a massive security risk. I was thankful Zero had carried out my request for the easy half of the mission.
My eyes focused in on a hoard of drones coming ever closer to me. They were of all shapes and sizes, some with guns, and some without. I noticed a small platoon of the little yellow Hard Hats near the front, and couldn't resist a small chuckle. They were true veterans of robotic war, in the fight ever since Wily's time. I dashed quietly away from the group; I didn't want to have to bother with them now.
I came suddenly to a junction in the building; four frozen doors led, I supposed, to four different destinations. Pi should have prayed I didn't get this mission: I had my neural radar system. Focusing my mind on the roads ahead of each door, the leftmost door, I found, contained the pathway to the disks I needed. The rightmost door led to Pi's chambers, and the door right next to that one led to Spark Man's station. I decided to head for the disks first, charging my cannon and taking out the left door. Ice crumbled to the floor with a crash, and I made my way into the hall beyond. I sealed the opening back up with melted metal from the ceiling quickly, courtesy of my cannon, to obstruct any sudden company that had heard the ice break.
Gazing ahead, the only thing I saw was a long corridor. A long corridor filled to the brim with traps and enemies, I'd venture, I thought. I crept along, keeping my eyes peeled and my senses alert. I had a full- capacity blaster charge ready for any takers. A glint of light on the right wall struck me out of my eye's corner and I twirled around quickly, ready to face the enemy. A mecha-bat stared at me, flapping its wings in a menacing manner. Unfortunately for it, its menacing manner did nothing to intimidate me, and I pegged it with my charge. Another one appeared from nowhere, going for my back. Using a piece of the scrapped bat's innards, I whacked at the attacker, sending him down, just like his corpse of a counterpart. The urge to rush through the corridor was uncontrollable, but I knew I'd have to come back through here a little more speedily later, and I wanted it clear. A ceiling-mounted popgun showed its head from the bowels of the roof, and I leaped a little ways up to avoid its pellet gunfire. After generating a sort of weak force field around myself with my armor's capabilities, I rushed into him and another of his hidden companions. Time for the scrap heap, drones.
I was a quarter-ways through the corridor, and the security hadn't been too great. I spoke too soon, I presently found, as the ceiling at my entrance point flipped down from the top and began to flip numerous panels, baring huge polished metal spikes, on which I was intended to be skewered. Can't let that happen, now, can I? I thought. Accessing yet another portion of my programming, I called up the X-Buster upgrade feature I had been made with. It would take time to work, but I could still make it to the end. There were still unseen enemies lining this hall, I knew--but where? I'd find out soon enough.
I began to charge more of my plasma energy, going further this time than before with the full-capacity beep. The upgrade's extra-powerful shot took more energy than did a normal shot, so I had to stay rooted to the spot as I continued to gather energy.
Behind me, I heard the ominous noises of the spike wall creaking toward me. I was half-way through charging. I could do it.
My skin began to glow with an eerie bluish-green tone as the upgrade's full capacity hit. Blinking to relieve some stress, I readied myself. It always felt slightly awkward to use this super shot. I ground my boots into the floor for extra footing. Releasing the first-stage blast, I watched the energy from the blaster form into four rocket-shaped balls, hanging around my head. I released the second burst a nanosecond later, a blue-and-pink sphere of plasma carnage. The two blasts joined together and traveled as one, spreading out down the corridor. As I heard the wall close in behind me, I dashed quickly to keep up with the blasts. As I neared enemies, my proximity triggered their presence. They appeared one by one from their hiding places, only to be sacrificed to the plasma shot I'd squeezed off.
I sped into the chamber ahead, in which was a glass case holding the pack of disks. Speaking into my built-in radio, I said clearly: "Zero, this is X. I have located the disks, and am preparing to confiscate them." I heard the spiked wall crash into the opening behind me. I smiled.
"Sure thing, X," he called back. "We've lost stealth over here, so feel free to make a little noise if you want."
"Affirmative, Zero," I said back. "I'm gonna need a bail-out over here, I kinda locked myself in. Through the right side of the building, leftmost door when you get inside. Okay?"
"Gotcha, X. We'll see you in a minute. Hold fast."
As I touched the glass case to reach for the disks, an alarm sounded. That enough noise, Zero? I thought with a sly grin. The case wouldn't budge, I soon found. Pegging the rim of it with a few small shots from my blaster, however, proved to be successful in opening it. I reached in, grabbed the disks, and turned to leave.
The wall was still blocking my way, but that would be easy enough to get rid of. What we needed was in my hands now, and I let out a triumphant "Yes!" All that remained of this mission was to find Spark Man, acquire his weapon, then use it to put Pi out of commission. I felt proud as I blasted my way through the spiked wall and walked my way back into the corridor.
I started my walk down the hall to wait for Zero and the others to get me out, then something suddenly hit me. It was painful, but at the same time, blissful. My senses went akimbo! My brain was being torn in two...!
Then I passed out.
