Chapter 7
Dungeon Crawl
Tron, Teisel, Bon, and several Servbots sat in the Gesellschaft's meeing room.
"If only we'd known there was someone like him here in the first place!" growled Teisel. "We won't fail this time! We'll ambush him--concentrate all our firepower on him!" He cackled. "We won't cut him any slack just because we outnumber him! That kid's goin' DOWN!"
"Just wait till you see, Teisel!" said Tron. "I've got a new robot I've been wanting to build that'll do the trick! That'll teach him!"
"This time," said Teisel, "we get rid of Blue Boy for sure--and get that treasure!"
"Babuuu~!" said Bon emphatically.
The Servbots, however, paid no real attention to the discussion.
Rock returned to the Mayor's office.
"Good going, Rock!" said Barrell, giving him a slap on the back. "You showed those pirates who's the boss!"
"How can I thank you? You've done so much for us," said Amelia. "I hope this will convince those pirates to give up. I'm afraid to think what might happen if they get their hands on the treasure."
"You gotta watch out for the disaster even if those legends are just a myth, right?" said Barrell.
"Correct," said Amelia. "But lately we've been detecting increased activity underground--the Reaverbots are apparently activating of their own accord. It has me concerned. Rock, would you be willing to explore the caves and ruins on this island, and see if you can find anything?"
"Of course I will!" said Rock. "Otherwise I might have to give up my Digger's license!"
"Thank you so much," said Amelia. "And speaking of which, you'll need this -- an A-class license."
"Thanks," said Rock, taking the card. "I'm beginning to feel like a pro now."
Amelia smiled slightly. "Indeed," she said. "I give you my permission to dig in the island's Sub-Gates--just let me know if you find anything that can tell us about the treasure or that disater that's supposed to happen if the treasure's disturbed."
"I will," said Rock. "You can count on me!"
The Spotter's car was still parked in front of City Hall, so Rock went in.
"Hey Rock," said Roll. "You did a good job out there!"
"Enough with the compliments," said Rock. "I've gotten enough from Barrell and the mayor."
"Ah, how humble," said Data.
Dan chuckled. "Aww, you're a good kid," he said. "Say, when we were out in the Yass Plains, I found this old crash helmet in a box outside."
"Yeah," said Roll, taking the blue helmet her workbench. "And now we've fixed it up so you'll have some protection for your head!"
Data said, "Actually, isn't your skull thick enough already?"
"Oh, be quiet, you," said Rock.
Dan looked from one to the other in confusion. "What's up, now?"
"Uh, apparently Rock's the only one who can understand Data's speech," said Roll. "Nobody knows how."
"Well, thanks for the helmet," said Rock, trying it on. It fit perfectly. "You paint it to be the color of my armor, or did you just add some metal with the same color scheme?"
"Both," said Dan. "That light-blue bar was added and the rest of it was grey beforehand."
"So what's up?" asked Roll.
Rock explained about Amelia's request.
Dan nodded. "I think the easiest place to get to is the ruins in the Cardon forest south of your 'landing site'," he said. "Nobody's really been able to get much from 'em, but I bet you could do it."
"Well then let's take the car and go," said Roll.
"I can't, though," said Dan. "I've got to get back to the shop."
"Well then goodbye," said Roll. "We'll see you later."
The first thing Rock saw when he arrived at the Cardon Forest was a group of Leopordo tanks. "Here we go again," he muttered.
The car came up behind him. "I'm here to back you up," said Roll from inside. "If you get in too much trouble, get inside and so I can get you to safety."
"Don't worry," said Rock. "I can handle these guys."
And handle them he did. The Servbots simply didn't have the tactical skill to pull off a concerted attack on a moving target, nor could they defend adequately against a moving attacker. Circling around the Leopordos and strafing them with his Buster, Rock quickly destroyed all three of them.
"It's not over yet," said Roll. "There's still a bunch more."
"Roger," said Rock, continuing forward. "I see 'em. Looks like they've got a few gun batteries as well ..."
"Be careful, Rock!"
"I will."
The nearest Leopordo didn't look like it had seen him, and he still had Data's range booster, so he fired from afar. The Servbot didn't even have time to react to him before its tank was destroyed.
And so it went: either getting them from afar or moving in a confusing zig-zag pattern, he quickly got rid of the remaining tanks and the gun batteries, and then found himself at a wooden fence.
"Hmm," said Roll. "The entrance to the ruins should be beyond that ... I'm gonna ram it, Rock! Stand back!"
Rock stood back, and the truck rammed through the fence with a crunch, startlng away the Servbots who had set it up.
"Well, here goes nothing," said Rock.
He transmitted the signal for opening doors. Ponderously, the door to the ruins unlocked itself and opened.
Rock descended the lift to the interior of the ruins.
"Hmm ... I'm detecting a strong energy reading to your right," said Roll. "It could be a refractor!"
Rock turned and saw it. It was a large refractor, suspended in a pulsing yellow energy shield.
"Yup," he said. "It's a big one, all right. Looks like it's shielded, though."
"Hmph. Can you see any kind of console?"
"There's one right in front of it," said Rock, walking over. "Hmm, there's three empty slots. Doesn't look like any other controls, either."
"I bet this is one of those fun places where we need to find three starter keys scattered all over before we can lower the field," Roll said drily.
"Yeah, but remember," said Rock, looking around, "we're here for information, not just to find big refractors."
He saw a door in one wall and went through it. A short passageway led to a much larger cavern.
"You see anything?" said Roll.
"Yep," said Rock. "A whole bunch of platforms all around. They look too high for me to jump up if I fall ..."
"... and I'm picking up some Reaverbot signals as well," said Roll. "Be careful!"
"I will," said Rock, walking along. "Although seriously, if I really wanted to be careful, I most likely wouldn't have chosen Digging as -- What the heck!?"
What he had mistaken for a decoration on one platform had opened up, releasing a small, insectoid robot, which was now flying towards him.
"A Jakko," said Roll. "They hide in nests until someone gets near them ..."
Rock was already blasting away at the Jakko and the Jakko's Nest. Unfortunately, destroying the nest released all the Jakkos inside it, forcing Rock to hurriedly fire in all directions to destroy them before they returned the favor.
When they were all destroyed, he saw something shining on one of the platforms. "I think I've found the first Starter key," he said.
"Great," said Roll. "Can you get to it?"
"I think so," said Rock, looking around. He saw a raised bridge on a nearby platform and jumped across to it. With a single shot from his Buster, the bridge was knocked down, and he crossed it to pick up the key.
"I'm picking up a faint signal," said Roll. "That's one of the starter keys, all right."
"One down, two to go," said Rock.
He looked around. More Jakko's Nests, and more bridges. This would probably take a while.
"Some sort of machinery here," said Rock as he entered the room. It had brighter colors than the others. "Looks like a trash compactor or something."
Roll said, "I wonder if you -- look out behind you!"
Rock whirled around and saw a Reaverbot that looked like a golden, floating eye. He fired a single shot and it exploded noisily.
"A Foo-Roo," said Roll. "They sneak up and blow themselves up if you're not careful."
"I'd better be careful to keep an eye out for 'em," said Rock. He leaned against a wall to catch his breath, and abruptly the compactor activated itself.
Rock jumped away in alarm, but the compactor just sat there, rotating and grinding anything that got near it to dust. A conveyor belt leading to it was also now running. Rock sheepishly looked at the wall and saw that he had leaned against a switch.
"What happened, Rock?"
"I, uh, turned it on," said Rock. He pushed the switch again and the machinery fell silent. "I think I'll explore some more." He started down the hallway to another chamber. "I feel like I'm in a maze of twisty passages, all alike ..."
Roll giggled. "Kinda like that time you got lost on that dig for three days, when I was still inexperienced," she said. "It's a good thing Gramps was with you, or who knows what might have happened."
Rock rolled his eyes. "How could I forget," he said as he entered another chamber. "When I got out, I don't think I'd ever tasted a better glass of ice water. Speaking of ice ..."
"Yeah, the temperature's lower in this room," said Roll.
"I'm thinking more of the ice platforms in the upper part of the room," said Rock. "Hmm ... looks like there's a chest up there."
He jogged up a ramp and across the ice platforms to the chest. The ice platform under him promptly shattered, and he and the chest fell onto the conveyor belt.
"Whoa," said Rock.
"You okay?" said Roll anxiously.
"I'm fine," said Rock. He tried the latching mechanism on the chest. "Looks like the chest is rusted shut, though."
"Hmm ... I wonder how we can find out what's in it," said Roll.
Rock considered. "I've got an idea," he said.
A moment later, the chest was completely smashed to bits by the compactor. Rock hurriedly shut it down, and went over to examine the wreckage. "I found the second starter key!" he said.
"Good!" said Roll. "One more and you'll get the Refractor."
Rock said, "I think I saw another room past those ice platforms. I'll go check it out."
The platforms led to the main room again, but it was on a higher ledge at one end. "Well, here we are again," said Rock. "Anything new?"
"Doesn't look like there's any big Reaverbots anywhere," said Roll. "Still, you'd better stay on your toes."
Rock crossed the ledge towards another set of doors, but paused. "There's some sort of cubbyhole in the wall," he said. He reached in and pulled out a pair of odd contraptions with springs. "Huh," he said. "I'll see what you think later.
Behind the door was a room with what appeared to be three generators.
"I'm picking up an energy barrier," said Roll. "Can you see it?"
"Yep," said Rock. There it was, at the far side of the room.
"Bet there's some kind of switch," said Roll.
"Sweetch? We don't need no steenkin' sweetch!" said Rock. He blasted at all three of the generators with his Buster.
This failed to have an effect on any of them. "Okay, maybe we do," said Rock. Roll giggled.
On each of the devices was a button. Rock hurriedly pushed each one, then dashed over to where the energy shields had been. Now they were gone. Rock jumped through, just as the barriers went up again.
"That was close," said Roll.
"Tell me about it," said Rock. "Now where am I?"
He was in a short passageway leading back to the main room. The problem was, he was about twenty feet above the ground. On the floor was the third key.
"I've got the last starter key," he said.
"You're pretty high up," said Roll. "You sure you can make it?"
"One way to find out," said Rock, and he jumped. "Cowabunga!"
He missed the platform he was aiming for and crashed to the floor, ten feet lower. "Ouch!"
Instantly, a green Reaverbot ran towards him. "A Sharukurusu!" said Roll. "Watch out!"
Rock jumped to his feet and prepared to fire. The Sharukurusu jabbed him with its claw and sent him sprawling. He quickly got up and started shooting it with his Buster. It had nearly reached him again before it exploded.
"Are you okay?" said Roll.
"... I'm fine," panted Rock. He looked down at his chest. "I think you'll need ... to fix my armor again." He caught his breath and started back towards the entrance.
He put the starter keys in. Instantly, the console folded in on itself and revealed another one.
"Hmm ... I've turned on this computer thing," he said. "Let's see ... status report ... system controls ... Ah, here we go."
He pushed at a switch and the energy shield disappeared. Rock now clearly saw the large, yellow Refractor hovering above the pedestal. He reached out, grabbed the Refractor, and pulled. With a slight buzzing noise, it came loose from the force field.
For five tense seconds, nothing happened.
After the five seconds were over, nothing continued to happen. "Nothing's ... happening?" said Rock dumbly.
He shrugged and turned around. "I've got the Refractor," he said. "I'm on my way back up."
"Good," said Roll. "It's getting late."
"Yeah, today just flew by, didn't it?" said Rock, as the elevator went up to the surface.