The photographs were piled in six different stacks on the small, round table. Rock, Blues, Roll and Auto sat down around them, and waited for Blues to speak. "Up until now," Blues said to Rock, "We've only been able to take quick snapshots of thier resource facilities. Without these, the Virtuloids know that thier operations would cease in a matter of weeks, so they've put up heavy security around them."
"So you're asking me to break my way in there and level the place?" Rock asked.
"In simpler terms," said Blues, "yes. Of course, your raid on the factory yesterday turned some heads, so they've stepped up thier defenses a bit. Word has it that the Virtuloid officers that supervise those plant's operations have come to help defend them."
"So, where are they?" Rock asked.
Blues pushed a stack of photos across the table to Rock, and Rock began to thumb through them. "These are the six most critical plants that the Virtuloids need to survive," said Blues. "A hydro-electric dam, an incineration plant, an ore mine, a sub-zero storage hold, a nuclear power plant, and a weather-monitoring station. When all of these have been destroyed, we'll have them at their weakest."
"Sounds good," said Rock, "Which should I attack first?"
"Your choice," said Blues. "Go for whichever target you think you're ready for."
Rock took some time to paw through the photographs again. "I'll go with the ore mines," he said at length.
"Auto, prepare the teleportation machine," Blues ordered.
"I'm on it," Auto said cheerfully, getting up and moving to the hallway.
"Oh wait, Auto," Rock called, halting Auto.
"Yeah? What?"
"I've been meaning to ask you about my new body," said Rock, "I want to know all of what I can do with it first."
"Oh, that's right," Auto said, "I never got the chance to tell you. Blues, mind if I enlighten him before he goes?"
"Take all the time you need," Blues replied. Auto beckoned Rock to follow him out of the room.
*****
Rock, lying on his stomach on the same operating table he awoke on, felt like a vulture was picking apart his neck. "Ouch, watch it," Rock winced as Auto prodded the inside of his vertebrae with a thin instrument.
"Hey, you wanted me to spruce you up?" Auto asked, "Well that's what I'm doing, so lie still."
"I just wanted to- ow!" Rock said, pausing to yelp, "-just wanted to know what my body can do."
"Well, I must admit, when I first put you back together, it wasn't my best of my work," Auto said, "Blues kind of rushed me."
"Well- ow! God damnit!" Rock gritted his teeth, "Do you have to keep me awake while you cut me open and poke to death?"
"Yes, I can't garuntee the stability of your nervous system yet," said Auto, "And I can't poke you to death when you're already dead."
"Smart ass- ow," Rock muttered.
"Well, if you think you're in pain now, I could have restored your nerves to full sensitivity."
"I hate being dead," Rock pouted.
"Well, you'd better get used to it," Auto said as Rock winced again, "But hey, look on the bright side. At least you're getting a second go on this mortal plane."
Rock groaned as Auto began to stitch up the skin on his neck again. "Okay, well- ow- what exactly can my body do?" he asked.
Auto paused to dump his bloodied instuments in the nearby sink. "Well, for starters," he said, "I think you've already noticed your superhuman speed and strength."
Rock sat up and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the ribbing of threads poking out of his skin. "Yeah, I know," he said, "And the two cannons in my arms," he added, "What else?"
Auto rolled up a chair beside the table and sat down with Rock. "Anti-gravity speed propellers in your feet allow you to fly forward very quickly, but only for about a second. Those same propellers can give off a blast of anti-gravity in midair, just enough to do your jumping for you. But the propellers can only give you one burst, until you land again, they won't work."
"I found that out in the factory," said Rock, "And I also found that I can slide down walls by just putting my hand to them. Is that all?"
"Close," said Auto, "But not yet. I modelled you after Megaman and X, remember?"
"Yeah? So?"
"So, if you can destroy a Virtuloid, put your hand on his body, and your arm cannon can copy a part of his weaponry system. But which part it copies is completely random, so I can't garuntee you that it would be totally reliable."
"The more weapons, the better," Rock muttered. "Anything else?"
"No," said Auto, "but I'm still going to be working on new weapons and adapters for you," said Auto. "I'm not having any luck right now, though, but I'm sure I can build something."
Suddenly, Blues walked into the room. "Rock, are you ready yet?" He asked.
"Ready as I'm ever going to be," Rock said, standing up.
"Good," said Blues, "because we really can't afford to pass up any more time. Those Virtuloids are expecting another attack, no doubt, and the more time we waste, the more time they have to prepare."
"Well, I'd better get moving," Rock said, following Blues out of the room. "Hey Auto, good luck with your projects."
"Thanks Rock," Auto said as Rock and Blues disappeared, "you're gonna' need it..."
"So you're asking me to break my way in there and level the place?" Rock asked.
"In simpler terms," said Blues, "yes. Of course, your raid on the factory yesterday turned some heads, so they've stepped up thier defenses a bit. Word has it that the Virtuloid officers that supervise those plant's operations have come to help defend them."
"So, where are they?" Rock asked.
Blues pushed a stack of photos across the table to Rock, and Rock began to thumb through them. "These are the six most critical plants that the Virtuloids need to survive," said Blues. "A hydro-electric dam, an incineration plant, an ore mine, a sub-zero storage hold, a nuclear power plant, and a weather-monitoring station. When all of these have been destroyed, we'll have them at their weakest."
"Sounds good," said Rock, "Which should I attack first?"
"Your choice," said Blues. "Go for whichever target you think you're ready for."
Rock took some time to paw through the photographs again. "I'll go with the ore mines," he said at length.
"Auto, prepare the teleportation machine," Blues ordered.
"I'm on it," Auto said cheerfully, getting up and moving to the hallway.
"Oh wait, Auto," Rock called, halting Auto.
"Yeah? What?"
"I've been meaning to ask you about my new body," said Rock, "I want to know all of what I can do with it first."
"Oh, that's right," Auto said, "I never got the chance to tell you. Blues, mind if I enlighten him before he goes?"
"Take all the time you need," Blues replied. Auto beckoned Rock to follow him out of the room.
*****
Rock, lying on his stomach on the same operating table he awoke on, felt like a vulture was picking apart his neck. "Ouch, watch it," Rock winced as Auto prodded the inside of his vertebrae with a thin instrument.
"Hey, you wanted me to spruce you up?" Auto asked, "Well that's what I'm doing, so lie still."
"I just wanted to- ow!" Rock said, pausing to yelp, "-just wanted to know what my body can do."
"Well, I must admit, when I first put you back together, it wasn't my best of my work," Auto said, "Blues kind of rushed me."
"Well- ow! God damnit!" Rock gritted his teeth, "Do you have to keep me awake while you cut me open and poke to death?"
"Yes, I can't garuntee the stability of your nervous system yet," said Auto, "And I can't poke you to death when you're already dead."
"Smart ass- ow," Rock muttered.
"Well, if you think you're in pain now, I could have restored your nerves to full sensitivity."
"I hate being dead," Rock pouted.
"Well, you'd better get used to it," Auto said as Rock winced again, "But hey, look on the bright side. At least you're getting a second go on this mortal plane."
Rock groaned as Auto began to stitch up the skin on his neck again. "Okay, well- ow- what exactly can my body do?" he asked.
Auto paused to dump his bloodied instuments in the nearby sink. "Well, for starters," he said, "I think you've already noticed your superhuman speed and strength."
Rock sat up and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the ribbing of threads poking out of his skin. "Yeah, I know," he said, "And the two cannons in my arms," he added, "What else?"
Auto rolled up a chair beside the table and sat down with Rock. "Anti-gravity speed propellers in your feet allow you to fly forward very quickly, but only for about a second. Those same propellers can give off a blast of anti-gravity in midair, just enough to do your jumping for you. But the propellers can only give you one burst, until you land again, they won't work."
"I found that out in the factory," said Rock, "And I also found that I can slide down walls by just putting my hand to them. Is that all?"
"Close," said Auto, "But not yet. I modelled you after Megaman and X, remember?"
"Yeah? So?"
"So, if you can destroy a Virtuloid, put your hand on his body, and your arm cannon can copy a part of his weaponry system. But which part it copies is completely random, so I can't garuntee you that it would be totally reliable."
"The more weapons, the better," Rock muttered. "Anything else?"
"No," said Auto, "but I'm still going to be working on new weapons and adapters for you," said Auto. "I'm not having any luck right now, though, but I'm sure I can build something."
Suddenly, Blues walked into the room. "Rock, are you ready yet?" He asked.
"Ready as I'm ever going to be," Rock said, standing up.
"Good," said Blues, "because we really can't afford to pass up any more time. Those Virtuloids are expecting another attack, no doubt, and the more time we waste, the more time they have to prepare."
"Well, I'd better get moving," Rock said, following Blues out of the room. "Hey Auto, good luck with your projects."
"Thanks Rock," Auto said as Rock and Blues disappeared, "you're gonna' need it..."