The Robotnik Complex
Chapter 28
Brian was getting cybernetic surgery when his best friend and commander was electrocuted. Actully, Commander John "Bob" Blair wasn't electrocuted, but that was what on-site observers said it looked---and smelled like. He was killed by a faulty computer program, something that was, until that point, absolutly imposisible. At least according to the computer technicians that designed most of the gear the United Hacker Force used. And Brian Floyd wasn't exactly getting cybernetics installed, either. It was a experimental frontal lobe cortex implant. He thought that he was getting a wetwire implant upgrade. The implant he did receive was what the scientists called a "nano-cryogenic trauma sequencer". Most of the people who designed it and built it just called it a icecube, because it was nothing more than a small, pinky-nail sized piece of silicon that resembled a small icecube. It's very existance was kept secret from Brian simply because the project supervisor's felt he didn't need to know about it. It's purpose was simple. In the event of the ultimate emergency, one that would threaten one's very existance, the chip would save thousands of taxpayers dollars in training and cyberimplants by ordering the body to close up shop. It is rarely known how efficient a heat exchange system is built into the human body, or how this heat effect is tripled when cybernetic devices are installed because all the heat they generate needs to go somewhere. So the chip tells the brain to dump all the bodies heat, all of it, and maintain that status until a UHF rescue team arrives to revive and heal the person. Brian left earth with this device installed, and slept for over 2 1/2 milineia with it still installed. Now, so much later, it was still waiting, for the ultimate situation to arrive, it would execute it's program, flawlessly, a tribute to the long dead american engineers that designed it, the britons that built it, and the russian doctors who installed it.
**********
Chuck entered the busy camp with a odd feeling. Something didn't seem right to him. Then he realized what was troubling him; not one of the Robians were communicating by voice. Even though he had hacked and freed each of their minds, they still insisted in comunicating by radio. He tuned in to the wide-band, and found that the missing bustle of the village was continuing, just not in a way that organic beings could even understand. He felt from some of the survivors a eagerness to find and reunite with their loved ones, from others a nervousness, waiting to see what the living would think of those stuck in limbo, not quite alive, but not yet dead. 'I was mistaken,' He thought to himself, as he watched Robians setting up temporary shelters. 'This is only the begining. We still have a long way to go...' Chuck's private thoughts were interupted when a voice sounded in his head. It was the person he had assigned to radio duty. "Sir, we are reciving flash traffic on the double-band tranciever. It's from the air ship. Transmission to begin in 2 minutes." He activated his transmitter. "I'll be there." He turned toward the communications tent.
**********
"Hey Uncle Chuck, this is Sonic calling from the Terran airship that got us out of the city. We're all fine, and the terrans are being very helpful, but we also have a problem. Brian and Amy made it out of the city, but only Amy made it into the ship. We think Brian was caught by the heatwave and the fire. We would like you to locate him and determine if he is still alive. Although it dosn't seem likely, it's worth a shot. This is Sonic, over and out."
**********
A short time later, Chuck and 3 other robots arrived in the area where he guessed Brian would be. He ordered the others to fan out around him, and he began walking forward, his scanners searching the ruin that this area of the forest had become from the fire and heat. Chuck looked around in awe, and activated his radio. "Nothing could have survived this..." Chuck told the others, who signaled there agreement. "Let's head-" "Picking up a abnomality on tempeture scan. The rest of the damaged forest is at least 100* F, but sensors are detecting a cold spot ahead." "How cold?" Chuck asked. After a few seconds, the robot replied. "At least 10 below zero." Chuck was confused. Nothing he knew of could account for such a tempature difference out in the middle of no where. "Alright," He said to the others. "I'll go check it out, I'll see you all back at the base." After nodding in agreement, they all turned around, and headed home, except for Chuck, who headed deeper into the burnt forest.
**********
"Chuck to Skyline city, double-band tranmission to follow in 10 seconds for Princess Sally Acorn." "Transmitting now. Princess, we have found Brian. He was cryogenically frozen at the moment of retrival, and we put him in cryostasis. It looks bad. From prelimanary scans, his entire epidermis was removed. He would have lost all his bodily fluids and dried up, but he was frozen before much fluid could escape. His skin will have to be cloned before he can be revived. Also, his right robotic arm was torn from it's socket in his shoulder, two spinal disc are out of line and resting on nerves, both his legs are broken, his right side of his hip is shattered, it will have to be replaced, and the right side of his ribcage is broken...all of them. We are currently guessing that most of the injurys were aquired when he fell from the airship. If and when we can revive him and replace his outer skin layer, he will have to spend at least a year in traction, and another 6 months learning to walk again. I'll be waiting for your response princess. This is Charles, over and out."
Brian was getting cybernetic surgery when his best friend and commander was electrocuted. Actully, Commander John "Bob" Blair wasn't electrocuted, but that was what on-site observers said it looked---and smelled like. He was killed by a faulty computer program, something that was, until that point, absolutly imposisible. At least according to the computer technicians that designed most of the gear the United Hacker Force used. And Brian Floyd wasn't exactly getting cybernetics installed, either. It was a experimental frontal lobe cortex implant. He thought that he was getting a wetwire implant upgrade. The implant he did receive was what the scientists called a "nano-cryogenic trauma sequencer". Most of the people who designed it and built it just called it a icecube, because it was nothing more than a small, pinky-nail sized piece of silicon that resembled a small icecube. It's very existance was kept secret from Brian simply because the project supervisor's felt he didn't need to know about it. It's purpose was simple. In the event of the ultimate emergency, one that would threaten one's very existance, the chip would save thousands of taxpayers dollars in training and cyberimplants by ordering the body to close up shop. It is rarely known how efficient a heat exchange system is built into the human body, or how this heat effect is tripled when cybernetic devices are installed because all the heat they generate needs to go somewhere. So the chip tells the brain to dump all the bodies heat, all of it, and maintain that status until a UHF rescue team arrives to revive and heal the person. Brian left earth with this device installed, and slept for over 2 1/2 milineia with it still installed. Now, so much later, it was still waiting, for the ultimate situation to arrive, it would execute it's program, flawlessly, a tribute to the long dead american engineers that designed it, the britons that built it, and the russian doctors who installed it.
**********
Chuck entered the busy camp with a odd feeling. Something didn't seem right to him. Then he realized what was troubling him; not one of the Robians were communicating by voice. Even though he had hacked and freed each of their minds, they still insisted in comunicating by radio. He tuned in to the wide-band, and found that the missing bustle of the village was continuing, just not in a way that organic beings could even understand. He felt from some of the survivors a eagerness to find and reunite with their loved ones, from others a nervousness, waiting to see what the living would think of those stuck in limbo, not quite alive, but not yet dead. 'I was mistaken,' He thought to himself, as he watched Robians setting up temporary shelters. 'This is only the begining. We still have a long way to go...' Chuck's private thoughts were interupted when a voice sounded in his head. It was the person he had assigned to radio duty. "Sir, we are reciving flash traffic on the double-band tranciever. It's from the air ship. Transmission to begin in 2 minutes." He activated his transmitter. "I'll be there." He turned toward the communications tent.
**********
"Hey Uncle Chuck, this is Sonic calling from the Terran airship that got us out of the city. We're all fine, and the terrans are being very helpful, but we also have a problem. Brian and Amy made it out of the city, but only Amy made it into the ship. We think Brian was caught by the heatwave and the fire. We would like you to locate him and determine if he is still alive. Although it dosn't seem likely, it's worth a shot. This is Sonic, over and out."
**********
A short time later, Chuck and 3 other robots arrived in the area where he guessed Brian would be. He ordered the others to fan out around him, and he began walking forward, his scanners searching the ruin that this area of the forest had become from the fire and heat. Chuck looked around in awe, and activated his radio. "Nothing could have survived this..." Chuck told the others, who signaled there agreement. "Let's head-" "Picking up a abnomality on tempeture scan. The rest of the damaged forest is at least 100* F, but sensors are detecting a cold spot ahead." "How cold?" Chuck asked. After a few seconds, the robot replied. "At least 10 below zero." Chuck was confused. Nothing he knew of could account for such a tempature difference out in the middle of no where. "Alright," He said to the others. "I'll go check it out, I'll see you all back at the base." After nodding in agreement, they all turned around, and headed home, except for Chuck, who headed deeper into the burnt forest.
**********
"Chuck to Skyline city, double-band tranmission to follow in 10 seconds for Princess Sally Acorn." "Transmitting now. Princess, we have found Brian. He was cryogenically frozen at the moment of retrival, and we put him in cryostasis. It looks bad. From prelimanary scans, his entire epidermis was removed. He would have lost all his bodily fluids and dried up, but he was frozen before much fluid could escape. His skin will have to be cloned before he can be revived. Also, his right robotic arm was torn from it's socket in his shoulder, two spinal disc are out of line and resting on nerves, both his legs are broken, his right side of his hip is shattered, it will have to be replaced, and the right side of his ribcage is broken...all of them. We are currently guessing that most of the injurys were aquired when he fell from the airship. If and when we can revive him and replace his outer skin layer, he will have to spend at least a year in traction, and another 6 months learning to walk again. I'll be waiting for your response princess. This is Charles, over and out."