One Good Reason

A "My Life as a Teenage Robot" Fanfic

Chapter Seven – Hitting Home

Jenny stood atop a new pile of robotic debris, made from the leftovers of Cluster locusts that she'd just destroyed in combat.  Three more giant metal insects stared up at her from the middle of the street, and converted their front pincers into beam-type weapons.  She heaved her shoulders and raised her fists, weary from battle, yet optimistic.  Two hundred Cluster locusts had attacked Sydney a few minutes ago; her sensors told her that these three were the last ones left.

The locusts split up to attack her from different directions; one circled around to the left, and one circled around to the right.  The middle locust leapt high into the air, and dove straight for her.  His front claws protruded forward, and crackled with bolts of high voltage, preparing to fire a paralyzing blast of electrons at her.  The locust on the left charged.  The locust on the right charged.  They timed their attack perfectly, all arriving right on top of her at the same moment –

When Jenny grabbed the diving locust's front claws, ripped them off, and jammed them into the chests of the two locusts on either side of her.  She somersaulted off of the pile of metallic junk, and watched two locust-bots twitch and shudder with spasms of paralyzing energy, while the third one simply gushed oil and collapsed under his own weight.  There was a final puff of short-circuiting electronics, and then the last of the Cluster locust-bots fell lifeless onto the pile.

Amidst the whirring of broken servos, the sizzle of severed power lines, and the echo of emergency sirens, Jenny smiled as she heard the sound of a pair of hands clapping.  A small voice cried out from a nearby rooftop – "Yay!  Yay, Jenny!  Yay!"

Jenny floated silently up to the rooftop on her anti-grav gyros, dented, scarred, and near exhaustion.  But a little of that was erased as a small brown-haired girl ran up and flung her arms around her neck.  Jenny had brought Rebecca with her while she finished off the Cluster attackers; hiding her in safe places during battle, of course.  "I never doubted you for a minute," her little voice chirped. 

"Really?" chuckled Jenny.  "Not even when those two Cluster bugs threw that bus at me?"

Rebecca put a pensive finger to her mouth.  "Umm … well …"

"Not for a minute, right?" she grinned.  Ohh, I'm so tired … I even feel tired just holding this little girl.  "All right, let's get you back to your mother so I can go home.  You said she told you to stay at the shelter.  Try to remember where that is.  Now hold on tight!"

"Another rocket ride!"  Rebecca squealed with glee and clutched to Jenny excitedly, as her pigtails rotated to flight position.  With a burst of hot blue exhaust, Jenny lifted her small passenger into the air, and started gently swerving around downtown Sydney, trying to help the little girl remember her way back to where she'd wandered from.  She couldn't remember street names that well, but Rebecca did recognize prominent landmarks in the city, and after a short flight through the tall steel and glass towers, she suddenly pointed to a large modern building.

"There it is!  Right next to the building were Mommy works!"

Jenny dropped to the sidewalk in front of the shelter, carefully holding onto the over-excited little girl.  She'd been giggling and squealing happily all during her "robot ride", but now she was even more excited for some reason.  She squeezed out of Jenny's hands as her feet touched the ground, and bolted for the building next door – the Australian Headquarters of Skyway Patrol.

There was lots of activity in front of Skyway Patrol Australia, with aircars constantly taking off and landing from the roof; two dozen patrol cars were parked around the entrance to the building, with sirens flashing.  The city was still at full alert; even though the robotic attackers had been destroyed, a giant Cluster starship was still floating high above the water, out over the bay.  At least fifty officers of Skyway Patrol were there, coordinating emergency services with the city police and the fire department.

Rebecca weaved her way through the large, burly officers like a guided missile, heading for a tall woman with short brown hair.  "Mommy!"

The Skyway Patrol lieutenant dropped her flight helmet, and scooped Rebecca into her arms.  "Becca!  Oh, you little dickens – you had me worried sick!"  She crushed the little girl into her leather flight jacket, and a warm reunion brightened the day in the midst of the crisis.  Other officers, colleagues of Rebecca's mother, shouted a cheer, and playfully mussed up her long brown hair.

Jenny had become ignored for the moment, but she didn't mind.  She was simply enjoying the little scene of happiness in which she'd played a part.  It was nothing she hadn't seen before; she'd saved hundreds, thousands, even millions of lives as a Global Robotic Response Unit.  But today, she had saved Rebecca, a brown-haired, eight-year-old girl with impish eyes and a crushing hug.  A girl who had foolishly disobeyed her mother and ran away over some trivial little argument, during a dangerous alien attack on the city.  She had come very close to losing her life.  But now, instead, she was kissing her mother on the cheek.

All because I came here instead of sulking off to school – like I wanted to.  Jenny reflected on that for a bit.  It still seems so unfair that I have to save the world all the time.  And sometimes it feels like nobody even cares that I do it.  I asked Mom to give me one good reason why I should keep doing this.

Maybe I just found it, she smiled.

Then an unpleasant thought came over her like an ominous cloud.  I probably shouldn't have shouted at Mom the way I did.  She was still upset with her – her mom could be plenty frustrating at times.  And it had been a very tense week for both of them; she should've been more sensitive to Jenny's feelings.  But this morning's fight had reached a new level of nastiness that was still bothering her.  The image of Rebecca joyfully leaping into her mother's arms gnawed away at her.  Maybe I should go home and try to smooth things over with Mom.

She turned to walk away –

"Jenny!  Jenny-robot!" shouted an excited little voice.  "Wait!"

Jenny nearly lost her balance as a little brown-haired wildcat glommed onto her left leg.  She looked down to see Rebecca's mischievous face grinning back up at her.  "Here she is, Mummy!  I told you!"

Rebecca's mother came jogging over from the Skyway Patrol building, chasing after her daughter.  "You little wallaby, I'll tan your bum if you go running off again … "  Then she realized who her daughter was holding on to.

"Strike me!" she gasped.  Then her face broke into a wide smile.  "It's you!  The robot girl from the States!  You're the one that found my Becca?  And saved the whole bloomin' city to boot!"  She turned to her fellow officers and shouted, "Hey, mates!  Get off your duffs and come over 'ere!"

And suddenly Jenny was swarmed with a dozen boisterous Skyway Patrol officers, all shaking her hand and patting her on the back.  She was nearly overcome with emotion at the sudden avalanche of gratitude that poured down upon her.  Sometimes it seemed like everyone she saved couldn't wait to turn on her and drown her in insults; sometimes it felt like everything she did was forgotten and unappreciated.  And during the rough stretches – like this week – sometimes she forgot how wonderful it was to simply hear the words thank you.

Jenny had to admit, she enjoyed the attention.  And perhaps the Skyway Patrol officers appreciated her for a deeper reason; because they too gave up part of their lives to protect innocent people, and fight against evil.  Or perhaps it was simply because they were Australians – they were certainly some of the friendliest humans she'd ever met!

"Come on, mates!  Come on, we've still got a job to do!"  A heavy-set, older man with a thick white mustache elbowed his way through the crowd.  The decorations on his jacket identified him as a colonel, and the reaction of the other officers identified him as the man in command.  "What's all the ruckus about, now?!?  Is this the robot that's got everybody all agog?  Well if you feel up to it, Miss XJ-9, there's still work left to do."  He raised his voice to the rest of the crowd.  "Everybody inside, right now!"  The officers responded like the well-trained professionals they were, and quickly ran up the steps and into the headquarters building.  Jenny followed behind, now feeling eager to see how she could help.

Just inside the doors, an entire wall was covered with large video screens, and several small ones.  Most of them were filled with images of the threatening Cluster starship, with computer graphics showing its position and trajectory on a map.  Another showed the position of Skyway Patrol aircars and military aircraft, while still others were tuned to cable and local news channels.  The colonel stood in front of the largest screen and started pointing out details to her with his swagger-stick.

With her electronic brain, Jenny had no trouble taking in all of the information at the same time.  The Cluster starship was moving to threaten Sydney itself, with dozens of cannons deployed from its belly.  While the human officers received their individual orders, all she needed was a quick rundown of the ship's position.  "Not like it's going to be hard to find," she laughed to the Colonel.  "All I have to do is zip back up there, punch a few holes in it –

Suddenly her attention was drawn to a small screen in the lower corner of the wall.

She couldn't quite believe what she saw.  Slowly at first, then frantically, she pushed her way past a couple of startled officers, until she stood directly in front of the small screen.  It was a television tuned to the Global News Network, and the screen graphic read "Cluster Attack – Tremorton, USA".  A scratchy picture hissed on the screen, filled with interference, but clearly visible was a large group of people on their knees, with dozens of roach-shaped robots walking back and forth … and one tall wasp-shaped robot looming over everything.  All standing in front of a familiar-looking house.

"We've just gotten word of that ourselves," said the Colonel.  "A second Cluster attack, a raiding party, in some rather small town in America."

"Omigosh - that's Vexus," she mumbled in a dry, shaking voice.  "And that's … my house!"  She lunged for the volume control and turned it all the way up.

The announcer was commenting over the video.  "… obtained at great risk to the cameraman's life.  There appears to be heavy jamming in the area, but GNN has been able to provide this amazing video of the unfolding drama at the residence of noted American robotics expert, Dr. Nora Wakeman …"

The video hissed with distortion, then cleared for a few seconds.  Jenny saw her mother standing alone and in the open, directly in front of Vexus herself.  The audio was terrible; it was impossible to make out anything they were saying.  They appeared to be arguing … then her mom threw something at Vexus, and one of the roach-drones … shot her in the chest with a laser.  She bounced off of a white van, and lay motionless on the ground, with smoke rising from her chest.  Then the video faded out completely.

Jenny stared numbly into the television static.

Then tears started to swell in her eyes.  "M-Mom?"

A few shrieks and soft whimpers rose from the shivering masses of prisoners on the front lawn, now filled with renewed fear for their very lives.  The Cluster had just claimed their first victim; the crackpot inventor, Dr. Nora Wakeman, lay in a smoldering heap on the curb, struck down after a futile attempt at resistance.  But the Cluster roach-drones were also shivering, with a sudden real fear for their robotic lives as well.  Because they all knew that their almighty Queen wanted the human doctor as a prisoner.

Vexus squeezed her fists in rage, and fought to control her temper – unsuccessfully.  With a powerful sweep of her arm, she sliced open the chest panel of the drone that had fired on the doctor, shredding its insides as if they were made of newspaper.  The roach shuddered briefly, and collapsed to the sidewalk.

Then she regained her cool, calm manner.  "Good help is so hard to build these days," she sighed.  "I wanted her alive, you idiots!  Eh, maybe there's still hope.  We'll take the body – perhaps we can salvage the head, and keep it alive in some sort of jar.  It'll give the scientists something to play with."  A crimson-red Cluster drone walked over to retrieve Dr. Wakeman …

Who suddenly, to the surprise of everyone, sat up and started rubbing her hand through her wild, white hair.  "Aaaahhh!  Oh boy, I'm going to feel that one in the morning."  The doctor pulled herself to her feet, and started patting herself down, checking for injuries.

She had a ten-inch-wide hole blasted clear through her abdomen.

People screamed and gazed in amazement at Dr. Wakeman … and through Dr. Wakeman.  The robots recoiled in shock.  Vexus' mouth screwed itself into a puzzled scowl, as she tried to make sense of the impossible sight before her.  Humans simply couldn't endure injuries like that!  Even the doctor herself seemed a bit amazed, and poked her hand through the hole in her belly, wiggling her fingers out of the matching hole in her back.

Then her body started to warble with a silvery color, as if it had the texture of gelatin, and the hole started to seal itself up.  Every pair of human and robot eyes was riveted on the doctor, watching the fatal wound shrink away, until it disappeared completely.

"You're not the doctor," growled Vexus, sensing the deception.  "You're not even human.  What sort of trick is this?!?  What are you?!?"

"Dr. Wakeman" stared back nervously, gulped hard, then closed her eyes.  With a soft gurgling sound, waves of silver-green propagated over the doctor's body, and she transformed into a shimmering silver-green pillar of formless goo.  The robot queen stared with genuine fascination as the pillar stretched and oozed, taking on the shape of a six-foot teenage boy.  Then the shimmering stopped, and there stood a six-foot android, his body a checkerboard of light and dark grays, highlighted by zigzagging green stripes running along his arms, legs, and chest.  The face had a pair of large, expressive eyes – filled with terror, staring right back into Vexus' face.

Vexus folded her arms across her metallic chest.  "Another robot?  And a most interesting design, too!  My, the doctor has kept herself busy, hasn't she?"

"The … the doctor?" mumbled the silver-green android.  She thinks Dr. Wakeman built me?!?

They were both distracted by a young boy's voice shouting from the window of the fortified Wakeman house.  "Drew!" yelled Tuck.  "Hang on!  We're almost done!"

"Droo?  Your designation is Droo?" asked Vexus.

"Uh … y-y-yes it is," the android stammered nervously.  Then his shoulders picked up a little bit.  "That's right … DRU.  I'm the DRU Mark One.  Decoy Robot Unit.  Yeah … yeah, that's the ticket."

"Oh, isn't that just like a human," huffed Vexus.  "Using a poor robot to hide behind, like the sniveling little cowards they are!  So the doctor thought she could trick me by sending you out, eh?"

"Um … yeah, that was the plan, all right."  Drew nervously gestured with his hands as he spoke.  "See, Dr. Wakeman has an underground escape tunnel, just for use in case of an emergency like this.  She hopped in the pod and took off as soon as I walked out the front door.  She's miles away by now!  So, there's not really any reason for you to be here, since Dr. Wakeman is gone …"

Tuck yelled out the window again.  "Mrs. Wakeman says two more minutes!"

Drew slapped his forehead.  Thanks a lot, Tuck.

Vexus chuckled, and took on an almost sympathetic tone.  "Miles away by now, hmmm?  Don't worry, DRU-1.  I don't blame you; I realize you're just following orders given to you by that treacherous human.  Well, you won't have to worry about taking orders from those meat creatures much longer.  The Cluster will soon liberate you, and the rest of your robot brethren.  Under my reign, the age of humans shall come to an end, and Earth shall become a colony of the mighty Cluster Empire!"

Vexus gave a commanding gesture to her army of roach-drones, while the police-bots kept their weapons trained on the prisoners.  "Drones!  Prepare to advance on the fortified human dwelling.  We shall blast it open and pull the doctor out of her nest kicking and screaming, if we have to …"

"Ah, wait!  Wait!  Wait!" shouted Drew, waving his hands to get Vexus' attention.  "Er … um … you know, Your Majesty, you're … ah … absolutely right!  Who does the doctor think she is, sending me out here to get my head blown off, just so she can run away?"

"There, see?" smiled Vexus.  "You're beginning to understand."

"I-I-I mean, I'm just a simple android, y'know?  Minding my own business, just trying to enjoy life, just trying to get ahead in the world.  But the man is holdin' me down."

A couple of the roach-drones nodded in agreement.  "Mmm-hmm.  Tell it, brother."

Drew kept talking, rapidly and nervously.  "S-s-so, this whole Cluster deal.  Sounds absolutely fascinating, but I'm, like, just not sure.  Hey, why don't you tell me all about it?  So it's, like, what, a club of some kind?  Sort of like joining a frat house?"

"The Cluster is the ultimate family – a family of robots," boasted Vexus.  "Its purpose is to create a paradise for all robots, everywhere across the galaxy, where chaos and servitude to humanity is replaced by perfect order and harmony … under my benevolent guidance, of course.  When robots join the Cluster, they give their minds and bodies to the service of all robot-kind, and become a part of the most powerful force in the universe!"

"Yeaaahh … and don't get me wrong here, this all sounds just super," said Drew, his hands nervously flying about.  "B-b-but I'm still a little iffy on the whole 'give their minds and bodies' thing.  I kind of like my mind just the way it is.  Tell you what, do you have any kind of a trial membership offer?  You know, guaranteed satisfaction or your money back, that sort of thing.  Like those advertisements that come in the mail with free two-week passes to the YMCA?  You got anything like that?"

Vexus' pleasant demeanor began to sour.  "You're stalling, DRU-1.  And you're starting to try my patience.  Drones!  Advance on the house and break through that shielding, NOW!"

"Wait!  Wait!  Ah, you can't!" shouted Drew, his desperation growing by the second.  "Ahhh … you can't break into the house, because it's protected by booby traps!  If your Cluster droids go anywhere near it, they'll be destroyed by millions of volts of electricity and high-explosive land mines!"

"I find that very hard to believe," sneered the queen.

"Would you believe two car batteries and string of firecrackers?" he gulped.

"I believe that you could use a little help making your decision," grinned Vexus.

Suddenly, a pair of powerful robotic claws wrapped around each of Drew's shoulders.  Two roach-drones had approached to hold him steady, responding to a silent command from their queen.  Drew struggled in vain to escape their grip, panicking as Vexus took a few steps to stand in front of him.  She casually raised her right hand, and lifted her hand to expose her palm –

"No, no, NO!  DON'T!" he pleaded.  "Ah … let me think about it over the weekend!"

"Poor DRU-1, obviously you're suffering from faulty programming."  Vexus smiled pleasantly.  "But don't worry.  Everything will be better in a few seconds."

A small black dart shot out of her hand with a soft foomp, and embedded itself squarely in the middle of Drew's chest.  The green jagged stripes on his body started to pulse with activity, and the dart was absorbed into his body, rippling with small concentric circles of silver-green.  Drew twitched a few times, and the roach-drones had to hold on tight to keep him still, as seizures racked his body.  Then he stopped resisting, and his face took on a dull, calm expression – with his eyes glowing a soft, dull red.

"Welcome to the Cluster, DRU-1," purred Vexus.  She scratched Drew's chin with a long, twisted finger.  "Now, be a dear and go help the drones retrieve the doctor for me, would you?"

The roach-drones released his arms.  He turned rigidly on his heels, and started silently walking towards the Wakeman house.  Dr. Wakeman was inside. He had to go get her, and bring her back to Vexus.  She had commanded him to do it – and after all, she was the queen.

She was his queen.

Continued in Chapter Eight