The Right Things
Andrew J. Talon
Disclaimer:I don't own Atomic Betty, nor am I making any profit from this endeavor.
Fourth (or eight) chapter of the series, depending upon your POV. Enjoy!
The Messiah, despite her considerably advanced technology, could not simply boost herself beyond her top speed. Even with hyperspace drive technology, the starship could not just get anywhere instantly. Captain Noah Parker tapped the side of the holoplanning table in irritation, willing their ship to get to the Prison system.
"Captain, I would advise patience. We are returning, abruptly I might add, from the edge of the galaxy," X-5 consoled.
"True… However, it'd be nice if we could get just a bit faster," Noah sighed. X-5 shrugged.
"We will arrive when we arrive, sir. There is little else we can do." Noah steepled his fingers and looked down at the screen once more.
"X-5… You were once part of Betty's crew. Not to mention, the Galactic Guardians," the captain said quietly. The robot nodded.
"Yes, Captain."
"Then why did you join our crew? The Earth effectively destroyed the Galactic Guardians. We imprisoned Betty on that planet. You could have joined the resistance of the Galactic Guardians… Or simply retired on Crushta. And yet, you chose to join Messiah. Hell, you helped build her. Why?" The robot was silent for a moment, indicating to Noah that X-5 was having some difficulty with the question himself.
"Captain Betty was not dismissive, or abusive of me. Most of the Galactic Guardians, however… And the galaxy in general, considered me and my fellow robots to be simple tools. At most, perhaps servants: Valued, but not respected as equals." X-5 looked intently at Captain Parker, his eyes zooming slightly in an emulation of concentration.
"Captain Betty treated me with respect and kindness. She thought of me as a real, living entity. She refused to have me replaced with newer models of robot assistants, and always valued my input and opinion. As did her grandmother, when we visited her on Earth. When the war began, I was assigned, with Betty, to a desk job, monitoring Crushta and the surrounding areas." Noah nodded.
"I remember… B-1's uprising started spreading among other robots in the galaxy. A few planets were hoping to destroy Crushta to keep you in check. Earth offered an alliance to Crushta: In exchange for assistance and equal rights, you fought alongside us in our war against the Galactic Guardians."
"And we have never regretted that decision, Captain," X-5 replied. "Betty actually supported robots being granted the same rights as organic beings. When Crushta joined the Alliance, the Galactic Guardian Command began to round up all robots and have their memories wiped, in order to prevent us from turning against them. Betty pretended to be knocked unconscious by me… To allow me to escape." X-5's antenna drooped slightly.
"She had no choice but to fight against Earth after that. She'd taken the desk job to avoid fighting the Galactic Guardians for Earth, and to avoid fighting Earth. She could not choose between the two. But I… But in order to save me, she had to fight. Otherwise, my defection would have had her declared a traitor and… Executed." Noah blinked in disbelief.
"Executed!"
"The GGC was losing more and more of it's own to the Alliance every day," X-5 elaborated. "Anyone not committed to defeating Earth and it's allies was considered at best a deserter… And at worst, a spy and traitor." X-5 sighed mechanically.
"I wanted her to not have to make that choice, between fighting her home and fighting her friends. I thought that her being "betrayed" by me would cement the GG's trust in her, and allow her to keep to a job that wouldn't bring her into conflict with Earth or the Guardians. I miscalculated their reaction severely." Noah shook his head.
"It wasn't your fault."
"That's what she said," X-5 replied sadly. "She only fought in the last few battles… But she was ultimately considered a traitor by her own homeworld. The world she hadn't wanted to fight. All because she refused to choose between them." X-5 shook his head.
"The idea that robots are living beings has not been easily accepted by many in the galaxy. Earth has led the call for our recognition, and every human I have met has treated me with respect." Noah shrugged and smiled.
"Beatrix emphasized that robots were not considered real beings to the rest of the galaxy. The leaders of Earth decided that, in order to get your support, we would recognize your rights as true, living beings. But, to be honest, most people after seeing you and other robots like you on TV, were convinced you were alive anyway."
"However, the fact that I am free, while my captain is not, is… Disquieting," X-5 confessed. "My circuits continue to struggle with the concept. I am unsure why."
"Just means that… That you're conflicted," Noah sighed. "Which, more than anything else, says that you are alive."
"Must I always be so conflicted?" X-5 asked.
"Well… That depends on you, X-5. And on how you decide to live. We all have to find our own way in this universe. It's never easy… But it's worth it, in the end." Noah sighed and leaned back, stretching.
"If you're strong enough…"
The Earth cruiser Titan had been the first starship built by humanity. A rather blocky, wedged design, she resembled a giant hammer with small wings and pods flanking her aft section. Her superstructure was blocky, almost like an office building growing out of the tail of the ship. And her initial shakedown and testing cruises had both turned into very real, very dangerous combat situations against Martian raiders marauding between Mars and Earth.
And yet, this awkward-looking vessel had emerged victorious in every battle it had fought in. Her heavy rail guns, based on human designs but upgraded with alien technology, threw motorcycle-sized projectiles at close to the speed of light with deadly accuracy. Where lasers could be countered by shifting shield frequencies, missiles shot down, and particle beam cannons by electronic jamming, simple kinetic force got through and rendered the thin-hulled ships of the Galactic Guardians scrap metal.
Her (supposedly primary) missile weaponry had also granted her a considerable advantage. Packing over a hundred in her vertical-launch tubes, she could fire off a huge snap strike of thermonuclear warheads, allowing the Titan to throw whole enemy formations into chaos with the first blow. The long-range of her missiles also let her stand off well out of weapons range of enemy ships and stations, pounding them to rubble from safety. And, if the enemy ships could intercept her missiles ahead of time, Titan could simply use her missiles to take up the enemy's attention and fire while she closed to gunnery range. Her thick, trintanium hull plating and advanced shields let her shrug off considerable fire, and (if necessary) gave her the ability to ram enemy vessels and still continue the fight.
As Earth ships went, she was probably the oldest-nearly nine years old, built two years after the first Martian invasion. But the ships that followed her all retained her features as standard: Heavy armor, over-powered reactor systems, missiles, and rail guns. She was not obsolete by any means-Rather, the "grand old lady" of the fleet.
Lamprey saw the icon of the Titan, scourge of the Galactic Guardians, from his small ship's sensor array. He whispered a curse at this mighty vessel, as it probed the Prison System with its active sensors and fighters.
"The Titan," Nuclea growled, her glowing eyes narrowing at the familiar starship. "Flagship of Earth… Phuh!"
"Yes… That accursed vessel ensnared me after taking care of the GG HQ," Maximus ground out. "The technology on that ship… Curses! If only I'd gotten it-I could have ruled the galaxy!"
"As if YOU could ever undertake anything like that yourself," Icicla sniffed. "Their ship is such a disaster of looks! Why it won the war, I will never know."
"Excuse me… But could someone please tell me WHY ATOMIC BETTY WAS BROUGHT WITH US!" Roared Atomic Roger, furious. "NOT TO MENTION ALL THESE VILLAINS!"
"Admiral Degill is willing to grant you all pardons, and give you virtually anything you could ever want… In exchange for your services," Lamphrey coolly replied, checking Betty in the copilot's seat. Betty, looking as comfortable as a mouse at a cat show, tried to remain calm with all of her worst nemeses in the cramped cargo ship.
"What services!" Demanded Maximus. Lamphrey smirked.
"Your assistance, in taking control of the most advanced starship in the universe… And helping him conquer Earth." Betty gaped at Lamphrey, while the villains talked about it amongst themselves.
"Lamphrey! You can't be serious!"
"Earth destroyed the Galactic Guardians! And they banished you to that backwater world!" Lamphrey argued. "Don't you want to have justice?"
"Well yes! But not by unleashing the galaxy's greatest super villains on billions of innocent people!" Betty squawked. Lamphrey shook his head.
"Betty… Earth does not care about you. Not anymore. All your friends and family abandoned you. And betrayed you. Not to mention, Earth has broken about five hundred Galactic Guardian codes of conduct," Lamphrey replied. Betty bit her lip.
"Yes… But, conquer? Galactic Guardians do not conquer!"
"Not so much conquer, as occupy," Lamphrey sighed. "You know, we'll take control of Earth and make sure they never cause any trouble for anyone ever again." Betty balked at this.
"WHAT!" Beep! Beep! Beep! The sensor monitor on the console alerted Lamphrey and distracted Betty and the villains/other guardians. Lamphrey zoomed in on a hyperspace window emerging near the planet they were hiding by. The nephew of Admiral Degill grinned.
"Right on time. All right everyone, little time to explain, but our first mission just arrived. Get ready!"
Messiah burst out into normal space without a tremor, the great starship smoothly cruising into the Prison System. Noah, standing with Paloma at the plotting table, nodded his satisfaction. The IFF transponders of ten Earth and Allied vessels registered the Messiah's entrance, and their information was instantly displayed in holograms before the captain.
"Allright… Sensors! Full system-search, maximum power. We're going to spook out the fugitives." A translucent, bright blue sphere burst from the icon of the Messiah, sweeping over every planet, ship, star, and other major body within nearly a lightyear. A second sweep mapped the thousands of asteroids, comets, and various other "space junk" littering the same area. A contact, represented as a yellow dot, registered in the shadow of the sixth planet in the system-The ship nearest to it being Messiah and Titan.
"Looks like our escape ship," Paloma remarked. She hit a button on the table, and the dot grew to full size and took the shape of a boxy transport. "Firscal Industries light cargo carrier. Short-range. Looks like it's been modified with sensor-jamming tech and light-absorbing materials…"
"That do squat against subspace mass displacement sensors!" Sparky remarked, over at the weapons console. Noah nodded with a small smile.
"Indeed. Navigation, lay in an intercept course. Ready the transporter and tractor beam arrays. Mr. B1, please have our Marines ready to greet our guests in the brig." The robot security chief saluted, before loping off, his built-in tazer beam emerging from his forearm. Noah returned the holo-display to it's default, now showing Messiah and Titan closing in on the small ship. He then frowned.
"Sir?" Asked Paloma. Noah shook his head.
"… Why aren't they running? Prisoners desperate to get out of here should have jumped away well before we showed up." Paloma cycled through sensor settings, and shrugged.
"Their jump drive seems to be down. I'm guessing they hoped to hide while they repaired it." Noah nodded, but he retained the frown.
"… Just in case, raise shields and arm weapons," he commanded. "Better safe than sorry." Paloma nodded.
"Aye sir."
"… Exactly what are we waiting for?" Betty asked. Lamphrey actually giggled, while the villains sat on the cargo ship's few chairs, whispering angrily amongst themselves.
"The Messiah. Now, let's just see if it's still there… Uncle said it should be… Ah ha!" He pointed triumphantly at a red dot blinking on the icon representing the Messiah. "I knew he'd be there!"
"He? He who?" Asked Betty, confused. She then got it. They had a spy on the Messiah. But what could one being do against over a hundred?
Lamphrey hit a small button on the console, before flipping a few switches. Finally, he inserted a data crystal into the reader in the control panel. The little cargo ship's communications array lit up outside. Lamphrey smirked.
"All right everyone, just a few more seconds to go…"
X-5 blinked, before his eyes abruptly turned bright red. He turned from his position at the Sensor station, and floated over to the planning table. Noah and Paloma looked up.
"X-5? What is-?" The robot fired a laser bolt, hitting Noah in the chest. He fell, a look of surprise etched on his face. Paloma drew her own laser gun and tried to shoot down the robot, but X-5 hit her as well. He then thrust his golden-plated arm into a data-socket on the holographic planning table. Even as the Marines on the bridge and a number of crew members moved to stop him, they were all enveloped by white light and vanished. A second later, the bridge lit up and the passengers and crew of the little cargo ship flashed into existence. Lamphrey looked about, wrist weapon out, before he walked over to X-5 and smirked. Betty and Atomic Rodger, with the other rescuees, crowded around the plotting table.
"It's a little known secret, that the Galactic Guardians installed a control chip and data link into every one of our robots," Lamphrey explained. "In case they turned against us organics. However, they can also be used to receive information from the robot… And take it over when necessary." He knocked on the robot's head. Betty glowered.
"Lamphrey, let him go. We have the ship, let's let him-"
"Go? He already betrayed us! Betrayed you, Betty!" Rodger sneered.
"Speaking of betrayal," Maximus began, before Rodger and Lamphrey's wrist weapons extended into full-crowd control mode. The villains froze.
"We can set you all back on that planet, quick as we please," Lamphrey said coolly. "X-5 only responds to my commands. And the Chameleon isn't here." The villains, as one, back off. Lamphrey shakes his head.
"You'll all be richly rewarded for your cooperation-Each of you will receive nearly ten million human slaves once we conquer Earth." The villains, again as one, grinned at their reward. Betty, understandably:
"WHAT! I won't allow that!" She assumed a fighting stance. "You're not getting anywhere near Earth! What the hell has happened to the Admiral!" Lamphrey rolled his eyes, before turning to X-5.
"X-5, transport Betty to the brig." Betty opened her mouth, but vanishes in a transporter beam before she could speak. Lamphrey turned to the villains.
"You can all have a shot at Betty, after Earth is conquered. Understand?" X-5's head turned.
"Alert… Alert… Earth vessels closing on us." Lamphrey checked the holo-monitor, and sighed. He then smiled evilly.
"Maximus… You have some familiarity with super weapons."
"SOME!" Maximus snarled. "I am a MASTER of superior weapons of mass destruction!"
"In that case, would you like to test the Messiah's binary fusion cannon array, in actual combat?" Asked Lamphrey. Maximus fairly beamed at the idea.
"I'd LOVE to!"
"Excellent! Dr. Celebra, feel free to look over the weapon yourself. I am sure you would like to create one for your own purposes. Every one else-Earth is attempting to take back this ship. I don't think we should let them…"
Ba ba bum bummmm!
More to come! Stay tuned!