Author's Note: Oh man, not that much reviews for the last chapter. Oh well,
here's Chapter 6 anyway. Please read and review.
Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter 1
Chapter Title: Two SHARCs and a SPIDR
KND Antarctic Base
The lights flickered on as 274 threw the switch. A few of them kept on flickering on and off, giving testimony to the base's state of disrepair. Everything was frosted over with ice particles and the internal temperature of the base was frigid.
"Man," 5 said. "This place looks like the inside of a freezer."
"It even feels like the inside of a freezer." 1 remarked, shivering.
"Wee!" 3 exclaimed happily as she skated around on the slippery and icy floor of the base.
274 said nothing. He looked around the interior of the base, searching for where the spacecraft prototypes were stashed away. His eyes fell upon five containers that looked like water tanks.
274 pointed at them. "There, in those storage pods."
They all came over to the storage modules. 2 brushed the frost off one of them. There were markings written on the sides of the containers.
"SHARC," 2 read out loud. "Space-flying, High-speed Attack and Reconnaissance Craft."
"Yup, these are the ones we're looking for." 274 confirmed.
2 walked over to an instrument panel and pulled a lever. With a noisy hissing and creaking, the storage containers opened. Inside each container was a sleek, shark-like vessel with a two-person cockpit.
"Whoa." 2 said as he inspected the craft. "Considering where they're kept, these babies are in a pretty good condition. Although they're all missing some parts."
"Can ya fix 'em?" asked 4.
"Yeah, but I'll have to salvage parts from each of them." 2 said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I think I can get at least two of these flying."
"Good." 274 said. "We'd better get to work then."
"Wait a minute, 274." 1 said. "Each of those craft can carry only two people. If we only get two flying that means only four of us will be going to space."
274 shrugged. "It's better than none of us going there, three of us will have to stay behind and run the base."
"I think we already 'ave a volunteer for base duty." 4 said, jerking his thumb at 30C. "That chicken'll gladly stay outta the action."
"Hey, hey, hey, who're you calling a chicken?" 30C asked angrily.
"Oh yeah, mah mistake." 4 said, smirking. "You're a penguin, not a chicken."
"That's it! Come here, you little shrimp!" 30C said as he rolled up his sleeves.
"Shrimp?!" 4 said, stomping toward 30C. "Ah'll show ya who's a shrimp!"
Just as 4 and 30c were about to start brawling, 5 stepped in between them. "Alright, you two, back off."
"Ya'll can settle this later, right now we gotta help 2 with those SHARC things, okay?" 5 said in a reasoning tone.
"Penguin!" 4 said, but he was backing off.
"Shrimp!" muttered 30C as he backed off as well.
5 rolled her eyes. "Come on, you two. Let's get to work."
4 and 30C glared at each other one more time before they went to help 2. 1, 5, and 274 just shook their heads.
"Can't those two ever get along? 274 mumbled.
"Numbah 4 never did like 30C." 1 said. "Even before 30C sabotaged our mission."
"Yeah," 5 agreed. "And if there's one sure thing about 4 it's this, if he don't like someone he never will."
Nerd Star Space Station
Klaus and Maria inspected the pod and looked at each other. It didn't look good, the SPIDR (Super Powerful Interception and Destruction Robot) pod's launching systems had been damaged from the launch of the HORNET pod. Both pods had been placed too close to one another, causing one to be damaged from the launch of the other.
When both of them opened the pod they discovered that the HORNET pod's launch had also caused damaged to the SPIDR itself. The shock from the other pod's launch had damaged several internal systems and completely wrecked the SPIDR's computer brain.
"How does it look, guys?" Alden's voice asked over the intercom.
"Not good." Maria stated bluntly. "We can fix the launching system and most of the internal systems, but the cybernetic brain is shot."
"You mean to tell me that our only other ground attack robot is useless?!" Alden demanded.
Maria winced, feeling Alden's anger over the intercom. "Yes."
As Alden cursed over the intercom, an idea suddenly occurred to Klaus. He carefully thought over the idea in his head before he finally said: "Alden, I think ve can schtill maik use of der SPIDR."
Maria looked at Klaus questioningly as Alden's voice asked: "How?"
"Der SPIDR's frame ist large enough." Klaus said. "Ve could attach a cockpit on it and have it controlled manually inschtead."
"What?" Maria demanded. "The SPIDR wasn't designed to be manually controlled!"
"Ja, but this ist the only zolution I can think of."
The intercom was silent as Alden thought it over. Finally, the intercom sounded. "You really think this will work, Klaus?"
"Ja," Klaus said. "After ve attach a cockpit I could control der SPIDR und go after the KND meinself."
"Do it." Alden said simply.
Maria shot a look at Klaus. "This won't work, the systems were built to run automatically, not manually. I don't know if we can adapt them to do so."
"Vell, this ist all ve can do right now." Klaus said. "Now come on, let's get to vurk."
Maria hesitated, she wasn't only worried about the systems' compatibilities. No, she was also worried about Klaus. Launching an automated robot toward the Earth was one thing, launching a piloted one was another case entirely.
She looked at Klaus and sighed, he had an all too familiar determined look on his face. The same look he got when he got an idea he was absolutely sure of. And one thing about Klaus, when he got an idea stuck in his head, there was nothing you could do to stop him from carrying it out.
KND Antarctic Base
2 let out a long breath as he stood back and admired his handiwork. It had taken hours of hard work and cooperation, but they had done it. Two shark-shaped spacecraft stood ready to launch, fully fueled and armed.
"Well," he said. "I do believe these babies are ready for some action."
1 looked up at the machines and admired them. "Those things sure look formidable, I wonder why the KND never continued to build them."
"These SHARCs were supposed to be space fighters based here." 274 explained. "They were built in case adults would launch some space weapon to use against kids. But the Antarctic base and the SHARCs soon proved to be too hard to maintain. Eventually, both the base and the SHARC project were abandoned."
"Yeah, well, these things are definitely gonna earn their keep now." 2 said. "I can't wait to pilot one of these babies!"
"That brings to mind one problem." 1 said. "How do we pick who gets to go and who has to stay."
"We could flip a coin!" 3 suggested happily.
"Uh, there are only two sides to a coin, Numbah 3." 5 pointed out. "There are seven of us."
"Heck, we could just use three coins b'tween the six of us." 4 said. "We all know 30C is stayin'."
"What makes you so sure I'm staying?" 30C asked.
"'Cause you're a coward." 4 said bluntly.
"A coward?!" 30c yelled. He stomped to one of the SHARCs and hopped on. "I'll show you who's a coward! Come on, let's go kick some nerd butt!"
274 rolled his eyes. He took an empty bucket and a few discarded nuts and bolts. He put the nuts and bolts into the bucket and said: "There's only one fair way to decide who gets to go and who doesn't."
He shook the bucket. "Inside the bucket are three nuts and four bolts. If you get a nut, you stay. A bolt, you go."
Each of the KND operatives reached in the barrel.
"Oh man," 2 said, holding up a nut. "Looks like I won't be able to pilot a SHARC after all."
"Crud!" 4 cursed. "A stupid nut! Ah don't like this!" he threw the nut away in disgust.
"Hah!" 30C taunted, holding a bolt triumphantly. "After all that talk, it's you who ends up staying."
"Shut up." 4 muttered. "Yer just lucky, is all."
"Yay!" 3 said, holding up a nut. "I got a ring!"
"That settles it." 274 said. "2, 3, and 4 are staying. The rest of us are blasting off to stop those Nerds."
"This stnks." 4 mumbled. "Ah hate to be outta the action."
"You're telling me." 2 grumbled. "I work for hours on two excellent craft and I won't even get to pilot either one of 'em."
2, 3, and 4 watched as the others boarded the two SHARCs. 30C sent a mocking grin at 4, causing the Australian boy to clench his fists. 30C just laughed at him.
"Don't worry, 4." 30C said. "I'll be sure to give the Nerds your regards."
4 swung a fist at him, saying: "Ah'd like to send ya regards from mah fists!"
"Bye, you guys!" 3 shouted, waving at 1, 5, 30C, and 274.
With that, the base's roof opened. The SHARC craft flew through it, leaving behind a disappointed 2, an obliviously happy 3, and a seething 4.
Nerd Star Space Station
"Everything zeems to be vurking fine." Klaus said from the newly attached cockpit of the SPIDR. He checked the robot's monitors, the readouts were all in the green.
"I'm ready to go, Alden." He radioed.
"Okay," Alden radioed back. "Have Maria close the pod so we can launch you."
"Ja, Alden." Klaus said. He then turned to Maria. "Close der pod, Maria."
Maria hesitated, she still wasn't sure this was such a good idea. Seeing her expression, Klaus tried to reassure her. "Don't vorry, I designed this cockpit. I'll be fine."
"Alright." Maria said reluctantly. She reached out her hand to his helmet. "Just be careful."
Klaus smiled at her and gave her a nod. He closed the cockpit's window. Maria hesitated again before she finally closed the pod and sealed it securely. She then floated out of the pod bay to make it clear for launch. As she closed the airlock behind her she pressed the intercom button.
"Okay, Alden." She said. "Klaus is sealed in."
"Copy that." Alden replied. A moment later, Maria felt a slight tremor as the SPIDR pod launched.
'Be safe, Klaus.' She thought as she headed back for the Nerd Star's bridge.
Author's Note: Well, that was Chapter 6, with a hint of an OC/OC pairing too. I honestly never intended that to happen, it just came out as I was writing it down. Anyway, please review. I'll try to get Chapter 7 out soon.
Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter 1
Chapter Title: Two SHARCs and a SPIDR
KND Antarctic Base
The lights flickered on as 274 threw the switch. A few of them kept on flickering on and off, giving testimony to the base's state of disrepair. Everything was frosted over with ice particles and the internal temperature of the base was frigid.
"Man," 5 said. "This place looks like the inside of a freezer."
"It even feels like the inside of a freezer." 1 remarked, shivering.
"Wee!" 3 exclaimed happily as she skated around on the slippery and icy floor of the base.
274 said nothing. He looked around the interior of the base, searching for where the spacecraft prototypes were stashed away. His eyes fell upon five containers that looked like water tanks.
274 pointed at them. "There, in those storage pods."
They all came over to the storage modules. 2 brushed the frost off one of them. There were markings written on the sides of the containers.
"SHARC," 2 read out loud. "Space-flying, High-speed Attack and Reconnaissance Craft."
"Yup, these are the ones we're looking for." 274 confirmed.
2 walked over to an instrument panel and pulled a lever. With a noisy hissing and creaking, the storage containers opened. Inside each container was a sleek, shark-like vessel with a two-person cockpit.
"Whoa." 2 said as he inspected the craft. "Considering where they're kept, these babies are in a pretty good condition. Although they're all missing some parts."
"Can ya fix 'em?" asked 4.
"Yeah, but I'll have to salvage parts from each of them." 2 said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I think I can get at least two of these flying."
"Good." 274 said. "We'd better get to work then."
"Wait a minute, 274." 1 said. "Each of those craft can carry only two people. If we only get two flying that means only four of us will be going to space."
274 shrugged. "It's better than none of us going there, three of us will have to stay behind and run the base."
"I think we already 'ave a volunteer for base duty." 4 said, jerking his thumb at 30C. "That chicken'll gladly stay outta the action."
"Hey, hey, hey, who're you calling a chicken?" 30C asked angrily.
"Oh yeah, mah mistake." 4 said, smirking. "You're a penguin, not a chicken."
"That's it! Come here, you little shrimp!" 30C said as he rolled up his sleeves.
"Shrimp?!" 4 said, stomping toward 30C. "Ah'll show ya who's a shrimp!"
Just as 4 and 30c were about to start brawling, 5 stepped in between them. "Alright, you two, back off."
"Ya'll can settle this later, right now we gotta help 2 with those SHARC things, okay?" 5 said in a reasoning tone.
"Penguin!" 4 said, but he was backing off.
"Shrimp!" muttered 30C as he backed off as well.
5 rolled her eyes. "Come on, you two. Let's get to work."
4 and 30C glared at each other one more time before they went to help 2. 1, 5, and 274 just shook their heads.
"Can't those two ever get along? 274 mumbled.
"Numbah 4 never did like 30C." 1 said. "Even before 30C sabotaged our mission."
"Yeah," 5 agreed. "And if there's one sure thing about 4 it's this, if he don't like someone he never will."
Nerd Star Space Station
Klaus and Maria inspected the pod and looked at each other. It didn't look good, the SPIDR (Super Powerful Interception and Destruction Robot) pod's launching systems had been damaged from the launch of the HORNET pod. Both pods had been placed too close to one another, causing one to be damaged from the launch of the other.
When both of them opened the pod they discovered that the HORNET pod's launch had also caused damaged to the SPIDR itself. The shock from the other pod's launch had damaged several internal systems and completely wrecked the SPIDR's computer brain.
"How does it look, guys?" Alden's voice asked over the intercom.
"Not good." Maria stated bluntly. "We can fix the launching system and most of the internal systems, but the cybernetic brain is shot."
"You mean to tell me that our only other ground attack robot is useless?!" Alden demanded.
Maria winced, feeling Alden's anger over the intercom. "Yes."
As Alden cursed over the intercom, an idea suddenly occurred to Klaus. He carefully thought over the idea in his head before he finally said: "Alden, I think ve can schtill maik use of der SPIDR."
Maria looked at Klaus questioningly as Alden's voice asked: "How?"
"Der SPIDR's frame ist large enough." Klaus said. "Ve could attach a cockpit on it and have it controlled manually inschtead."
"What?" Maria demanded. "The SPIDR wasn't designed to be manually controlled!"
"Ja, but this ist the only zolution I can think of."
The intercom was silent as Alden thought it over. Finally, the intercom sounded. "You really think this will work, Klaus?"
"Ja," Klaus said. "After ve attach a cockpit I could control der SPIDR und go after the KND meinself."
"Do it." Alden said simply.
Maria shot a look at Klaus. "This won't work, the systems were built to run automatically, not manually. I don't know if we can adapt them to do so."
"Vell, this ist all ve can do right now." Klaus said. "Now come on, let's get to vurk."
Maria hesitated, she wasn't only worried about the systems' compatibilities. No, she was also worried about Klaus. Launching an automated robot toward the Earth was one thing, launching a piloted one was another case entirely.
She looked at Klaus and sighed, he had an all too familiar determined look on his face. The same look he got when he got an idea he was absolutely sure of. And one thing about Klaus, when he got an idea stuck in his head, there was nothing you could do to stop him from carrying it out.
KND Antarctic Base
2 let out a long breath as he stood back and admired his handiwork. It had taken hours of hard work and cooperation, but they had done it. Two shark-shaped spacecraft stood ready to launch, fully fueled and armed.
"Well," he said. "I do believe these babies are ready for some action."
1 looked up at the machines and admired them. "Those things sure look formidable, I wonder why the KND never continued to build them."
"These SHARCs were supposed to be space fighters based here." 274 explained. "They were built in case adults would launch some space weapon to use against kids. But the Antarctic base and the SHARCs soon proved to be too hard to maintain. Eventually, both the base and the SHARC project were abandoned."
"Yeah, well, these things are definitely gonna earn their keep now." 2 said. "I can't wait to pilot one of these babies!"
"That brings to mind one problem." 1 said. "How do we pick who gets to go and who has to stay."
"We could flip a coin!" 3 suggested happily.
"Uh, there are only two sides to a coin, Numbah 3." 5 pointed out. "There are seven of us."
"Heck, we could just use three coins b'tween the six of us." 4 said. "We all know 30C is stayin'."
"What makes you so sure I'm staying?" 30C asked.
"'Cause you're a coward." 4 said bluntly.
"A coward?!" 30c yelled. He stomped to one of the SHARCs and hopped on. "I'll show you who's a coward! Come on, let's go kick some nerd butt!"
274 rolled his eyes. He took an empty bucket and a few discarded nuts and bolts. He put the nuts and bolts into the bucket and said: "There's only one fair way to decide who gets to go and who doesn't."
He shook the bucket. "Inside the bucket are three nuts and four bolts. If you get a nut, you stay. A bolt, you go."
Each of the KND operatives reached in the barrel.
"Oh man," 2 said, holding up a nut. "Looks like I won't be able to pilot a SHARC after all."
"Crud!" 4 cursed. "A stupid nut! Ah don't like this!" he threw the nut away in disgust.
"Hah!" 30C taunted, holding a bolt triumphantly. "After all that talk, it's you who ends up staying."
"Shut up." 4 muttered. "Yer just lucky, is all."
"Yay!" 3 said, holding up a nut. "I got a ring!"
"That settles it." 274 said. "2, 3, and 4 are staying. The rest of us are blasting off to stop those Nerds."
"This stnks." 4 mumbled. "Ah hate to be outta the action."
"You're telling me." 2 grumbled. "I work for hours on two excellent craft and I won't even get to pilot either one of 'em."
2, 3, and 4 watched as the others boarded the two SHARCs. 30C sent a mocking grin at 4, causing the Australian boy to clench his fists. 30C just laughed at him.
"Don't worry, 4." 30C said. "I'll be sure to give the Nerds your regards."
4 swung a fist at him, saying: "Ah'd like to send ya regards from mah fists!"
"Bye, you guys!" 3 shouted, waving at 1, 5, 30C, and 274.
With that, the base's roof opened. The SHARC craft flew through it, leaving behind a disappointed 2, an obliviously happy 3, and a seething 4.
Nerd Star Space Station
"Everything zeems to be vurking fine." Klaus said from the newly attached cockpit of the SPIDR. He checked the robot's monitors, the readouts were all in the green.
"I'm ready to go, Alden." He radioed.
"Okay," Alden radioed back. "Have Maria close the pod so we can launch you."
"Ja, Alden." Klaus said. He then turned to Maria. "Close der pod, Maria."
Maria hesitated, she still wasn't sure this was such a good idea. Seeing her expression, Klaus tried to reassure her. "Don't vorry, I designed this cockpit. I'll be fine."
"Alright." Maria said reluctantly. She reached out her hand to his helmet. "Just be careful."
Klaus smiled at her and gave her a nod. He closed the cockpit's window. Maria hesitated again before she finally closed the pod and sealed it securely. She then floated out of the pod bay to make it clear for launch. As she closed the airlock behind her she pressed the intercom button.
"Okay, Alden." She said. "Klaus is sealed in."
"Copy that." Alden replied. A moment later, Maria felt a slight tremor as the SPIDR pod launched.
'Be safe, Klaus.' She thought as she headed back for the Nerd Star's bridge.
Author's Note: Well, that was Chapter 6, with a hint of an OC/OC pairing too. I honestly never intended that to happen, it just came out as I was writing it down. Anyway, please review. I'll try to get Chapter 7 out soon.
