The Secret of Solex
Chapter 6
It had been a full month since Cubix disappeared.
A long, agonizing month.
Connor took his friend's departure terribly hard. What made things even worse was that the boy had no way of knowing whether something had happened to Cubix, or if he consciously decided never to come back.
Both possibilities filled the child with unspeakable dread.
His father's nonchalance of the entire thing did little to help matters.
"You're better off without him, anyway."
"His presence only brought along trouble."
"He's just a robot."
The father's words only angered Connor. Cubix was more than just a robot. Cubix was his friend.
The other children were more sympathetic. They knew that, if they were in his shoes, they would each feel the same way. Dearly they tried to console him.
"Cubix will come back, I know it!"
"Cubix will be back soon."
As time elapsed, however, their comforting words held less and less value. One day Chip dared to suggest, with all intentions of sympathy, for Connor to get a new robot.
"I know Cubix cares about you, but maybe he just can't come back," Chip began, as the group sat around the Botties Pit. There were no malfunctioning or injured robots that day, and it was too hot outside to play. Connor's mood had been just as somber as the day Cubix disappeared. "He wouldn't want you to be sad. Maybe you should get another robot-"
"No!" Connor cried, his voice startling the other children.
"He may be right…" Abby said tenderly. "Maybe you should get another robot…? If you don't have enough money, we can all chip in…"
"No!" Connor pushed himself onto his feet. "Cubix is my friend, and I will never replace him! I know he'll come back, and I'll be here when he does…!"
Tears stung the boy's eyes. Turning his back to them, he quickly wiped the back of his arm across his face.
"Connor…" Mong said softly. He wasn't sure what to do, what words would console his distraught friend. The thought of losing Maximix sent chills through him. Mong didn't want to imagine what life would be like without him.
Suddenly, Hela raced into the room. "Guys! Kolossal and Kilobot are attacking the robot museum!"
"What?" Chip looked up at her. Open assault wasn't Kilobot's style. It felt a bit strange that he would make his presence known so early.
"Lets go, then!" Mong punched one fist into his open palm. "We haven't paid them back for the trouble they caused before!"
With this said, the heavyset boy along with Abby and Connor got up and ran out of the Botties Pit. Chip watched them leave, a bad feeling washing over him. Cerebrix looked over at his friend, but before he could ask what was troubling him, the youngest boy ran out after his friends…
Kolossal punched a hole through the wall as Kilobot copied the CPU's of all of the upcoming robots. Amidst the chaos Dr. K stood, waiting.
Waiting for his antagonists to arrive.
Waiting to give his new pet his first assignment.
Of course, the children did not disappoint him. Maximix and Mong were the first to arrive, and the aforementioned immediately transformed into fight mode and rammed into Kolossal. Immediately afterwards the others arrived, Connor riding with Abby in her aerial scooter.
The two dueling robots locked arms and struggled. Maximix was giving it everything he had, but Kolossal was beginning to overpower him. The old man had to admire their determination. Under normal circumstances, Cubix was the robot that carried the weight of these battles. Even with him gone, the children refused to give up. Dr. K was glad, because if they gave up too soon, he would never have the chance to unleash his new toy upon them.
"I'm surprised that you even showed up…" Dr. K said with a sinister cackle. "…with Cubix gone and all…"
"How did you know that Cubix was gone?!" Chip questioned suspiciously.
"You!" Connor's eyes widened in horror. "What did you do to Cubix?!!"
"You're about to find out!" the old man rubbed his hands together excitedly. Suddenly, a shadow fell over the children from behind. Connor was the first to turn around. What met his agitated gaze threatened to overwhelm him with mixed feelings of excitement and worry.
Cubix stood, towering over the children and their robots. His physical appearance was relatively the same, but there was a cold air about him that had never been there previously. Despite the gnawing feeling of dread that washed over the other children, Connor looked unaffected.
"C-Cubix!!" the boy cried. He ran to his companion, arms reaching out to hug him. However, Cubix's hand shot out and grabbed the child by the front of his shirt. "Cubix?!"
"Connor!" Abby and Chip cried simultaneously. Cubix said nothing, only lifting the boy into the air.
Mong stepped forward, almost hesitantly, "Maximix! Stop Cubix!"
"Cubix…?" Connor said softly, looking into his friend's optics. Within the robot's crimson visor the boy saw his own reflection…and a hint of something else. Despite the evident danger he was in, the child wasn't afraid. Slowly, he reached his hands and placed them on top of Cubix's. "What did Dr. K do to you?"
There was no answer.
Maximix pushed Kolossal back and turned to face his one-time friend. The gigantic monster stepped forward to fight again, but stopped when Dr. K shook his head. Maximix reluctantly rolled forward, not really wanting to fight and hoping desperately to find a better alternative.
"Cerebrix," Chip whispered to his companion. "What's wrong with Cubix?"
Scanning the hostile robot, Cerebrix concluded, "No physical malfunction. Damage psychological."
Abby could only stand frozen, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, Dondon flew forward. "Dondon, no!"
"Cubix! Stop this!" Dondon cried, hovering near the larger robot's head. "Please! You don't hurt people!"
"Kubix! Swat that pest out of the way!" Dr. K commanded. Without replying, Cubix raised his free arm and backhanded the smaller robot out of the air.
"Dondon!" Abby cried as her companion slammed heavily against the ground. She ran to his side and gingerly picked him up.
"Cubix, no!" Connor moaned. It hurt him terribly to see his best friend, a normally gentle and good-natured robot, in such a dark and frightening light. The cold gaze turned back onto the boy and, looking into his visor again, realization dawned on him. "You…don't remember me, do you?"
Again, there was no answer.
"Now, Kubix," Dr. K said softly. "Kill the boy."
The children gasped. Under normal circumstances Cubix would never harm anyone, much less kill.
Connor tightened his grip on his friend's hand. "You don't have to listen to him! You have to get away from him! He's destroying you! Making you into something that you're not! You're not a monster, Cubix! You're my friend, and I believe in you!"
Despite the boy's words, the robot raised his arm. Yet, he hesitated.
You're my good friend…
He could not remember anything about the boy, but something deep within him forced him to stall. For reasons that he could not understand, the thought of hurting the small human brought him unspeakable horror…
"Stop him, Maximix!!" Mong cried. This time the robot did not hesitate; instead he rushed forward and tackled his defective antagonist onto the ground. In the process Cubix dropped the boy, who landed ungracefully on his feet. Abby and Chip immediately ran to Connor's side.
"Are you alright?!" Abby asked, her voice tight with concern. In her arms she cradled the unconscious Dondon.
"I'm fine," Connor answered, his voice threatening to crack. Obviously something terrible had happened to his partner, and he couldn't think of any way to help.
The two robots wrestled, both trying to gain the upper hand. Although Cubix was normally stronger than the smaller robot, his mind was heavily conflicted. He couldn't identify his welling emotions for the boy, and the thought of punishment terrified him. The mixture of confusion and fear warred within him, not allowing him to access his hidden powers.
Kolossal began to step forward, but his master shook his head. Suddenly, Kilobot approached the old man, "I've absorbed all of the robots here."
"Excellent!" Dr. K said approvingly. He then glared at Cubix, "At least I have two competent robots! You obviously can't defeat them, so we might as well leave now that we have everything we need."
With that said, the old man and the two robots turned and walked out of the museum.
Cubix tried to break away from Maximix, but the smaller robot stubbornly refused to release his grasp.
"Don't let him talk to you like that, Cubix!" Connor cried. "You don't belong to him!"
"Yah, you're not getting away," Maximix grunted, shoving Cubix against the dented steel wall. Suddenly, the larger robot broke apart. The pieces flew in different directions.
"No!" Connor mewled.
"Grab one of the pieces, Maximix!" Mong ordered. His companion immediately lunged forward and grabbed onto one of the floating pieces. The rest of the pieces came together by Dr. K's side, minus his left forearm.
Cubix stepped forward, ready to fight the smaller robot for his forearm back. It was then he noticed that his master and brethren were gone and, terrified of being left behind, turned and ran out after them.
"Cubix!" Connor tried to run after him, but Chip and Abby grabbed him.
"No, Connor," Abby whispered. "You can't go after him… He's…he's dangerous now…"
"At least…" Mong said tenderly, trying to sound cheerful, "We have one of his pieces…He'll have to come back for it…"
His soft-spoken words fell on deaf ears. Connor sank to the ground and began to cry…
"Worthless…" Dr. K spat. Cubix cringed at the hateful tone in the old man's voice. "Not only did you manage to lose against mere children and weak robots, but you lost your arm in the process!"
You failed.
You are not worthy of Dr. K's patience.
Kolossal stood nearby and, once again, Kilobot was nowhere to be seen. The robot lowered his head shamefully. He felt compelled to offer a word of apology or remorse, but could not find it within him to speak.
"You know your failure cannot go unpunished…" The sadistically soft tone in Dr. K's voice was unnerving. "Kolossal, take him back into the isolation chamber."
Cubix's visor brightened, an exclamation point symbolizing his terror. "No!"
Kolossal roughly grabbed onto the smaller robot's arm and dragged him towards the dreaded room. Despite his desperate attempts to fight back, he was overpowered. Suddenly, Cubix kneed the giant robot in the back of his leg, making him stumble. He then broke apart, the pieces flying in different directions.
You dare to stand against your master's orders?
After all he has done for you?!
"You know…" Dr. K said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "The longer you keep this up, the longer you stay in the isolation chamber. Resistance is quite pointless, anyway. Where are you going to go? Nobody cares about you, no one but me. And you go and pull something like this? Do you want me to abandon you, like everyone else has?"
Abandonment is the worst punishment of all…
The pieces came back together reluctantly. Kolossal immediately grabbed his arm again. This time Cubix was compliant, albeit hesitant. He didn't want to go back, but there was nowhere else to go…
That evening Connor sat in his bed, clad in dark blue pajamas. In his arms he cradled Cubix's forearm piece. Ever since acquiring the piece, he never put it down. He was afraid that if he let go of it, it would fly away and back to his owner. As long as he possessed it, Cubix would have to come back for it. It was, in a sense, an assurance that the boy will see his friend again.
That Connor will have another chance to save him.
The door slammed shut behind him.
Abandonment is the worst punishment of all…
Was this really much better…?
Cubix leaned back against the closed door and slid to a sitting position.
There was no place that existed that brought the robot a greater feeling of dread. Here, he felt so very alone.
Like he was the only existing life form.
Shutting his optics, the robot began to shiver. Despite his high resistance against frigid conditions, he felt so very cold…
Suddenly, the piece in Connor's arms began to tremble. The movement shocked the boy out of his thoughts. Looking down at the shaking cube, he wondered what this unexplainable motion was caused by. Was something happening to the part's owner?
"Cubix…?" Connor said softly. Whatever it was, it must be awful for the piece to be affected from so far away. The thought brought a numbing sense of dread…and yet, an equally strong feeling of hope as he began to wonder…could it work both ways?
It was worth a shot.
"Shh, I'm here," The boy said gently, hugging the piece close to him. "Don't be afraid… I'm going to find a way to save you… and bring you back home… It's ok, shh… I'm here…"
Connor had no way of knowing but he desperately hoped that, somehow, his words and actions reached him…
Cubix lifted his head. He didn't know why, but within the dark and brooding chamber a feeling of serenity washed over him. The voice that normally plagued his thoughts had finally quieted and suddenly, although there was no one else in the room, he no longer felt so alone.
It was then he noticed how very tired he was. His visor darkened as his head slowly drooped forward.
For the first time since his arrival at Dr. K's abode, Cubix slept.
Author's Notes: I really like how this chapter came out. It was a little difficult to write, as this was, in my opinion, the most emotionally charged chapter. I hope that I managed to keep everyone in character. I know Dr. K is a little bit more evil in my fic than he probably is in the show, but I had to darken his character a bit for the story to work. I've been trying to keep everyone else as in character as possible under these circumstances. I hope you liked the story so far!