Chapter 26 – Robots and Codes
A/N: I got my trial streaming results back… Although I ranked 102/488, I was put in the worst stream… Damn! I guess I've got to brush up or else… So don't expect a fast update people… Sorry… ENJOY!
Cagalli felt the fingers of dread creep up her spine and started to dance across her back. What is she? The same question plagued her mind; echoes of her own trembling voice repeated her question. A million different ideas whizzed in her head as she stared at the standing figure of Marionette; her black hair hanging over her face. She raised her face and grinned. Cagalli felt her breath, all of it, rush out of her in a spilt second. Her eyes widened as she looked at the tattered remains of Marionette's skin. Metal gleamed under the peeling skin.
"Scared? No human alive can outdo a robot. And I think all of you know that." Marionette said; her voice gleeful. Cagalli tried to move as the figure that was Marionette vanished, appearing in front of Athrun and Miriallia. Both her fists plummeted into their guts. She brought her right leg up and stepped down on Athrun, who was now lying on the floor, fighting to keep conscious. Marionette caught Miriallia's fist, twisted her body to the brunette and flipped the auburn-haired woman forcefully onto the ground. Cagalli tried to move her feet, but they were stuck firmly on the ground.
Marionette walked towards the silver and brown haired duo. Yzak stepped in front of Shiho and took a defensive stance. Shiho flashed her knives, her eyes daring the robot to move closer to them. Marionette regarded them fro a second. She let out yet another one of her chilling laughs as she sat down on her (miraculously) still intact bed. Folding her legs onto top of the soft silk sheets, she grinned. "You guys are alive only because I let you live…" She continued with a much more menacing voice, "But I'm not sure about how much longer I would allow you to do so though…" Cagalli stood her ground as she processed the grinning machine in front of her. Think Cagalli! Think! How do you destroy high-tech robots hell bent on killing you at an agonizing slow pace? Squirt water at her to let her short circuit herself? Nah, she could easily have a waterproof certificate… Fire? Torch her to a temperature that she would melt? Nah… damn heat resistant materials! Cagalli glanced at the form of Marionette. She was still grinning like a Cheshire cat. Damn the robot!
Cagalli was frustrated. She was never good at robotics… Emery was though… Tears threatened to prickle her eyes as the thought of her mentor came back to her. Then guilt hit her again. She had dragged all the people she had come to trust and call friends into this mess. She was condemning them to a fate they might have been able to escape from. Cagalli felt her heart being weighed down at the severity of her thoughts. The dying embers of her confidence were getting weaker by the moment. It took her a moment to realize the fact that Yzak and Shiho had moved beside her. Cagalli felt her mind cloud with confusion. Athrun wiped the blood off his chin and took his place behind her. Miriallia and Dearka both scowled darkly at the robot regarding them with interest on the bed. She looked at them, puzzled. Yzak glanced her way, a determined silver fire danced in his eyes. Shiho bowed her head slightly as her gaze swept to the brunette. Cagalli saw the thumbs up her best friend gave her and the wink Dearka sent her. A squeeze of her right hand was all the comfort she needed from the blue-haired man. Tears streamed from her eyes as a small smile cracked onto her face. She returned the squeeze with her won and felt the embers in her heart flare again.
"Touching scene but the pitiful act isn't going to work on me darlings…" Marionette smirked. Cagalli bristled. Another squeeze and a shake from Athrun's hand stopped her. He tapped his finger on her palm… and then tapped twice… his finger tapped again, this time lingering two seconds longer. He was sending her a message… via Mores Code. Let Yzak do the job? Cagalli thought as she decoded the message in her head. Her question died in her head as Yzak opened his mouth, "We didn't ask you to watch it. So bugger off robot!" Cagalli almost quirked her eyebrow.
Mores Code
Athrun: We can destroy Marionette by destroying her central processor. But the problem is, the central processor is hidden somewhere either inside herself or outside of her.
Cagalli: Knowing her, she would have placed it somewhere outside her. In some unsuspecting place. But then again how does this central processor thingy work?
Athrun: That is the power where humanoids like Marionette draw from. It allows them to operate properly and have their functions flow normally. Humanoids are capable of radial detection so it is possible that Marionette has her central processor placed outside her body. This is called the external core.
Cagalli: Let me guess… This external core thingy is micro sized.
Athrun: Bingo. I could disrupt the core by emitting another radial wave to distort the original waves… But the van is destroyed in the bomb blast… I guess she anticipated that…
Cagalli: Is it possible to destroy Marionette by crushing the small thingamajig?
Athrun: Yes it is but Marionette probably bought the best for herself… That is the latest edition of external processors… I heard it weighs barely one gram…
Cagalli: Damn…… Maybe we could destroy Marionette by stretching her to her limits.
Athrun: She's a robot… She could have no limits.
Cagalli: No… no… I mean stretch her to her limit…
Athrun: You mean something like, boiling her at one second and freezing her immediately after?
Cagalli: Yeah something along those lines… Or we could find a larger force to crush Marionette…
Athrun: I think it would be easier for us to find the external core…
Cagalli: I agree…
Cagalli returned to reality only to see the platinum blonde smirking at a pissed Marionette. The robot snarled at them. Her eyes flashing dangerously before a grin sneaked onto her face, she strutted to them and in an instant she vanished. Yzak felt himself being lifted up and thrown at the wall. He groaned and barely managed to open his eyes as he surveyed Marionette whipping their butts. A hand felt his forehead and he blinked to see Shiho flashing a brief smile at him. Her brown locks were matted on her neck and her cheek had a bruise forming. Yzak could only begin to imagine his own damage. He almost wished that a fairy would appear and take their wounds away. A silent message was passed to him: Can you stand? Yzak pondered for a second before nodding slightly. He could feel the cramp of his neck muscles and the ache of his limbs as he stood. Then, Shiho was pressed against him. Her eyes were wide as she pushed him away. Yzak watched in confusion. With a battle cry, the brunette turned and landed her leg right into the abdomen of Marionette. When her back was turned to him, Yzak could only stare. A knife was sticking out from her back. The air within him just vanished. Shiho only smiled slightly, her eyes rolled as she fell; unconscious.
A/N: …