The Robotnik Complex
Chapter 23
"Captain!" the Private shouted as he approached Brian from the left. Brian was trying to concentrate on
memorizing the Proteus access code he needed to sneak in. He sighed and lifted his head. "Yes Private?" The
Private looked nervous. "There ready for you, sir." Brian nodded and sat up. "Thank you Private." he saluted him.
"Dismissed." The Private turned on his heel and walked off. Brian sighed and headed to a small service elevator.
he entered and went down.
When Brian got to the engineering compartment, he found a set-up simalar to what he had in Knothole,
but much clunkier looking. "Are you sure this thing will work?" Brian asked the tech that was sitting at the main
console, setting up the run. "Yes, sir. It will take a few minutes for the compressors to come up to full power, so I'll
show you what you're going to get." the tech pointed at a outline of a human body on the screen. It filled in with
details and finally it looked like Brian. The tech pushed a few more keys on the keyboard and the screen displayed
a robotic arm identical to Brian's. He tapped a few more keys and stopped. On the arm, three small trapdoors
appeared around the lower arm. Symetrical, they all began just after the wrist and continued halfway to the elbow.
On screen, each opened and a small metal rod extended out of each and the doors closed, locking the rods in
place. "These are going to be on each arm. It's an experimental grappling system that will hold a load of one ton for
30 seconds. It will hook onto anything that isn't magnetic." The tech brought up the system screen and checked
his readings. "It's ready. Get in." Brian started to take off his shirt but the tech stopped him. "It's modified, so you
can wear your clothing." Brian nodded and stepped onto the platform. The glass lowered and locked into place.
Brian heard the generator come online overhead. "Activating now." the tech said. Brian closed his eyes.
"Amy, we're going to get out of this alive...I promise!" Tails said heavily to Amy, who was blotting tears
out of her eyes. She looked him in his eyes. "Tails, if...when we do get out of here, what then? Robotnik knows
where Knothole is, and our communication centers, and our hidden locations. He probley even knows about
Lower Mobius!" Any stopped to take a deep breath, shakely exhailed, and comtinued. "What will we do?" Tails
started to say something, stopped, and started again. "I don't know Amy...I don't know..."
Brian rotated his arms up and down several times, finally deciding that they were all right. "Looks good,
man. Thanks." Before the tech could reply, he stood up and entered the elevator. Heading back up to the main
floor, Brian activated the grappling system and ordered it to power up. Three rods on each lower arm slid and
locked into place on the outer shell. Each charged with energy and a thin, green nuclear fire danced at the tips of
the rods. He held his arms perpindicular to his body and jumped. At the peek of his jump, he activated the system.
Streaks of green lightning danced between his arms and the wall, and his shoulder motors whined from the sudden
work...but he was held. He dropped himself onto the floor and deactivated the arms. He looked at each and smiled.
"Cool!"
"Captain!" the Private shouted as he approached Brian from the left. Brian was trying to concentrate on
memorizing the Proteus access code he needed to sneak in. He sighed and lifted his head. "Yes Private?" The
Private looked nervous. "There ready for you, sir." Brian nodded and sat up. "Thank you Private." he saluted him.
"Dismissed." The Private turned on his heel and walked off. Brian sighed and headed to a small service elevator.
he entered and went down.
When Brian got to the engineering compartment, he found a set-up simalar to what he had in Knothole,
but much clunkier looking. "Are you sure this thing will work?" Brian asked the tech that was sitting at the main
console, setting up the run. "Yes, sir. It will take a few minutes for the compressors to come up to full power, so I'll
show you what you're going to get." the tech pointed at a outline of a human body on the screen. It filled in with
details and finally it looked like Brian. The tech pushed a few more keys on the keyboard and the screen displayed
a robotic arm identical to Brian's. He tapped a few more keys and stopped. On the arm, three small trapdoors
appeared around the lower arm. Symetrical, they all began just after the wrist and continued halfway to the elbow.
On screen, each opened and a small metal rod extended out of each and the doors closed, locking the rods in
place. "These are going to be on each arm. It's an experimental grappling system that will hold a load of one ton for
30 seconds. It will hook onto anything that isn't magnetic." The tech brought up the system screen and checked
his readings. "It's ready. Get in." Brian started to take off his shirt but the tech stopped him. "It's modified, so you
can wear your clothing." Brian nodded and stepped onto the platform. The glass lowered and locked into place.
Brian heard the generator come online overhead. "Activating now." the tech said. Brian closed his eyes.
"Amy, we're going to get out of this alive...I promise!" Tails said heavily to Amy, who was blotting tears
out of her eyes. She looked him in his eyes. "Tails, if...when we do get out of here, what then? Robotnik knows
where Knothole is, and our communication centers, and our hidden locations. He probley even knows about
Lower Mobius!" Any stopped to take a deep breath, shakely exhailed, and comtinued. "What will we do?" Tails
started to say something, stopped, and started again. "I don't know Amy...I don't know..."
Brian rotated his arms up and down several times, finally deciding that they were all right. "Looks good,
man. Thanks." Before the tech could reply, he stood up and entered the elevator. Heading back up to the main
floor, Brian activated the grappling system and ordered it to power up. Three rods on each lower arm slid and
locked into place on the outer shell. Each charged with energy and a thin, green nuclear fire danced at the tips of
the rods. He held his arms perpindicular to his body and jumped. At the peek of his jump, he activated the system.
Streaks of green lightning danced between his arms and the wall, and his shoulder motors whined from the sudden
work...but he was held. He dropped himself onto the floor and deactivated the arms. He looked at each and smiled.
"Cool!"