Chapter -2-
The Many Links of Link

Daruna 2, 2050 A.D.
S.R.O.L. (Spectacle Rock Observatory and Laboratories)

A young man stood in front of a large window. He studied his faint reflection and used it to adjust his green tie. His gaze passed through his image, focusing on the horizon where the world curved. After a moment, he turned from the observatory window and faced the waiting area room. It was silent and empty except for a uniformed woman at a desk at the far end.

He picked up a magazine with his image on the cover, thumbed through to the article about himself, and then he went back to the beginning of the article to read the headline. 'LJ Kasuto, highly educated for his age, raising his child sibling, managing an adult life like a mortgage and taking night classes at the local community college … how did this young man in his early twenties find time to research the past and write a book about it? We interviewed LJ Kasuto, and we learned what makes this young but motivated novelist tick…'

He closed the magazine and put it atop the pile of periodicals. Without a word, he approached the security guard at the desk. "How much longer do you think I'll have to wait, ma'am?"

The guard, dark skinned with sharp eyes, a Gerudo, reached up and put her hand on a square panel on the desk and closed her eyes. She paused briefly then drew her hand back from the panel and said, "Sav'aaq. They'll be ready as soon as they are able. There has been a complication and they wish for me to stay at my post with you. You'll have to wait here in the observation lounge. What was your name again, young man?"

"Link Josiah Kasuto. Most everyone calls me LJ." He cleared his throat, adding, "So, uh … what's up?"

Rather abruptly, she asked, "Ever been to see the original Kasuto ruins? The people just up and moved to a secret town one day."

"Uh, yes ma'am." LJ fidgeted. "I interned for a college class there. I am in the right place, right? Dr. Bagu Tantari, the guy with the PhD, told me to meet him here and to be prompt." LJ turned back toward the large observation window.

"Yes, you're in the right place, Mr. Kasuto. They've had a bit of a complication."

"Should I reschedule?" LJ kept his eyes on the window at the other side of the room, as if compelled to return to it, but he remained next to the security desk.

"No, they asked me to keep you here. I didn't want to alarm you, but the compound is locked down."

"Excuse me?" LJ turned back to the security desk and put his hands on the counter, leaning over the woman sitting in the chair. "What happened?"

"We're asking that you stay in the lobby for your safety. Please, don't be concerned, young man."

LJ ran his hands up through his blond locks then rubbed his forehead for a moment. "With all due respect, this is a science research facility. I was just standing in the window. It's beautiful outside; so clear you can see the ruins of the North Palace. I don't see anything out of place. No Sheikah ninjas out there." LJ's eyes widened at what he'd just said. He saw the facial response of the guard and quickly said, "Okay, wait, that sounded racist, sorry. I just mean … I don't see anything out there moving in the shadows of the tree branches or … whatever. Okay, I'm an ass. I'm sorry. It wasn't said out of bigotry. It's just … when you think of a group that's capable of taking down a secure compound up in the highest mountain of Hyrule, Sheikah ninjas are at the top of the list for contenders. They're badass. And … now I'm rambling, but, yeah, my point stands – there are no ninjas outside this window. Ugh. You know what I mean. There's nothing outside to suggest an issue. Nothing outside except, uh, vure. That's the Gerudo word for bird, right? So there are vures outside … vures? That's the plural for birds, right?"

"Sir, please understand I'm just following orders."

LJ rubbed the nape of his neck, feeling like a complete idiot. "Unless it really was ninjas, and they're already inside. In which case, I stand corrected. Okay, so, look … my sister is in middle school and she watches those Sheikah cartoons where the characters have powers and do martial arts and … by the goddess, you probably think I'm some idiot vehvi voe."

The guard leaned back in her chair and sighed. "You basically called yourself a man-cub. Listen, kid, I saw your security clearance come through the office this morning. So, I know you've been vetted by the security minister of Hyrule. I'll tell you, all right?"

Link nodded. "I appreciate that."

"Sav, sav. Look, King Gustaf the Eighth and Zelda Daltus are trapped inside of a SCIF with two scientists, one of which is your PhD interviewer you're here to meet, as well as some … other guy."

"Sarqso … did I say that right? Oh, wait, what? They're trapped? Like from a malfunctioning door?"

"No, from intruders."

"Okay, we're back to ninjas, right?"

"Good heavens, no. I mean, not that I know of."

"Okay, so the royalty, the scientists … who's the other person?"

She rubbed her chin in thought then said, "To be honest, the other man sort of looks like you, now that I think about it, and I'm not saying that because you're both Hylian. Anyway, they have no weapons, but that SCIF is safer than a panic room. It's impenetrable. We sent security guards but they…" she trailed off and offered LJ a weak reassuring smile, albeit not a convincing one due to the worry in her eyes. She licked her lips and added, "...haven't checked in." As an afterthought, she added, "It's pronounced sark-so."

"Sarqso," LJ said. "Okay, so, wait, the King and crown princess of Hyrule are trapped here due to an attack of some sort? So, uh, what's going on? You're sitting here trying to make small talk … how about we cut to the chase instead? Who are the attackers? Should we be taking up arms or something? We have to rescue the monarchy, right? I mean, what's the plan?"

"The attackers? Mm, you wouldn't believe it if I told you. So, I just need you to have a seat and relax."

LJ eyed her for a moment then shook his head. "We're in this together. We're both apparently trapped here together. So how about we try working together. Just tell me what's going on … please?"

The guard stared at LJ for a moment then looked down at her security monitor. She reached to the left side of a Q-LED panel and slid her finger across the bezel. A holographic emitter built into the top of the monitor began to glow.

After a few seconds a holographic display came to life above the security desk. It started as bluish-green at first but, slowly, other colors seeped into the image until showing what looked like a laboratory being ripped to shreds by strange looking metallic creatures.

"Old holo-emitters," she muttered, adding, "Only two-fifty-six colors. It takes a moment for some of them to show properly. Emitter is probably fifteen years old. All the budget goes to the labs, though."

The image distorted briefly with jagged polygons jutting out on the sides of the hologram. It re-rezzed and the resolution cleared up.

LJ leaned in close, studying the image. "Those aren't thieves or attackers. Nor are they ninjas for that matter. They're robots."

"I don't even know what they are. I've never seen anything like that."

"I have." LJ smoothed his green tie down then said, "LD-300, LD-006 and LD-009. They're robots made by The Ancients. They're probably four thousand years old, maybe even five thousand. I've only seen the LD-301 in person, in a museum, and that didn't function anymore. I recognize these models because the molds that were used to make them were unearthed a few years ago. I read an article on them where they had an illustration depicting what they'd look like. I've been trying to build one. I 3-D printed most of the parts, but it's not finished, yet."

"I see. Archeological stuff your hobby, kid?"

LJ ignored the question. "Holy Hylia, look at how they're acting. They're not tearing up the lab at random."

"They're … not?"

"No. Watch them carefully. See how that one just tore off the top of that workbench on the east wall? Now it's leaning down into the workbench. Now, see how it's moving on like some sort of grid? They're searching for something. How are those things even running? There's no way they could hold power in their depleted battery cells after four or five thousand years."

"Young man, if you're an expert, what do you suggest we do? We need to deactivate them because they have members of the Royal Family trapped down there in the side office."

"Doctor Tantari, the guy with the PhD…?"

"Yes, Dr. Tantari one of the scientists trapped in the SCIF," she replied with a firm nod.

"Sorry, you did say that, earlier."

"News of an attack can be stressful, it's not uncommon to be distracted at a time like this."

"Actually, I don't feel stressed. I don't know what I'm feeling. Helpless, maybe? I want to do something." LJ reached up and rubbed at his face, pulling down on his cheeks. "Anyway, yeah. Tantari is the one who summoned me and asked me to be prompt today. Look, call for reinforcements. Tell them to bring something called an EMP device. It'll put those robots on their asses. You'll have to find a manual release for the blast door on that office, though. Nothing will have power after we use an EMP."

"Can't," said the guard. "The first thing Dr. Ruto said when she called up here was that we cannot use an EMP, because the information on their servers is irreplaceable. The servers and backup servers are both on the premises. We have royal soldiers coming from the city, but it'll be thirty minutes before the tac-team can arrive."

"All we can do is wait, then." LJ froze. His eyes widened; he pointed at the image on her screen and the hologram above. "Wait, look at'em now! They're going after the blast door leading to the office."

"Oh, my Goddesses," said the guard. "They dispatched the standard security team, my coworkers, in just minutes. And they killed the Royal Guard that accompanied the King and Princess. If those … if those things get into that blast door…"

"We're not going to let that happen," said LJ.

"What can we do?! You didn't see the initial attack; I did. Guns didn't do enough damage to stop them!"

LJ met her gaze. "Miss, I need you to stay here, feeding me information because you can see the security feed. I'll need a radio, though."

The guard opened the top drawer of her desk and pulled a radio and earpiece from the drawer. "We usually use the 'thought panels' to communicate, but we do have these in case of emergencies." She plugged an earpiece into the side of the radio, turned it on, and then checked it with the base unit.

"Great. Where's the armory?"

"Armory? Mister Kasuto, this is a research facility, not the castle guard quarters." She paused then sighed. "There will be weapons available on the floor in the hallway outside of the lab. The robots disregarded equipment used by our security team."

"Fine. We can't just let those things break into that office, not with the royal guard thirty minutes out. There's no time for the King and Princess. At the very least, maybe I can draw them off that office and buy those people some time."

"That, uh … sounds like a plan, young man. If you can see security cameras, I'll be able to see you, and then I can watch your back. If you go where you can't see a camera, I can't help you if something sneaks up on you."

"Noted. How do I get there?"

"Elevators are locked down. Go down the stairs, three stories down, then I will unlock the door from here. You'll see the hallway. Just follow the … bodies."

"Great." LJ took a deep breath followed by a long sigh. "Just what I wanted to do today when I woke up: get eviscerated by antediluvian robots." He took another slow breath then snatched the radio off the counter and headed for the stairs. LJ rubbed his thumb against the earpiece. He discretely sniffed it. It smelled like rubbing alcohol. Satisfied it was clean, he stuffed it into his ear then clipped the radio to the waistline of his dress pants. "Good goddess this is going to suck," he muttered, followed by, "Radio check," in a louder tone

The guard gave a thumbs up, and said, "Test response, one, two, three."

LJ ignored the slight feedback, which faded as he opened the door at the far end of the room. A sign on the hallway wall depicted stairs. He opened that door, stepped through, and descended the stairs down three stories then pushed on the door at the bottom. Locked. He thumbed the earpiece and said, "Okay. Let's be incredibly brave and stupid all at once."

"May the Triforce of Courage be with you, young man."

"Ma'am, no offense, but that stuff is just a myth."

"What will motivate you to bravery?" she asked over the line.

LJ exhaled through clenched teeth and gave the question some thought. A wry smirk tugged at the corners of his face. "Let's hope the princess will praise my testicular mettle. I hear if you're awarded the Citizen's Medal of Valor, you don't have to pay taxes anymore. Maybe that's why they're usually awarded posthumously." LJ silently berated himself for rambling. "Don't mind me, I don't know how to handle anxiety. I get sarcastic and sometimes I rant. Okay, let's do this. I have a postmortem medal to win."

"Let's, uh … let's hope it doesn't come to that," said the guard over the line. "I saw the whole fight, by the way. Those robot things didn't seem to move very fast. That's what I noticed about the initial attack. Maybe you can use that to your advantage, Mr. Kasuto. Just keep them occupied until the Royal Guard arrives."

"All right. That's the plan."

"Sav'aavarh."

"Yeah. I need all the 'good' 'good luck' I can get."

"You understand Va Eheniv better than you think. Most white boys are avvore, but you add E-he dialect with a flourish. It's refreshing to hear a Hylian voe speak it correctly."

"I only know words and phrases. Why add 'sav' at the beginning of aavarh?"

"It basically translates into 'best of luck' that way."

"Oh. I see. And just call me LJ. So … what's your name, officer?"

"Lance Corporal Ovona Nabumyre."

"That's not, uh, 'oflani,' right?" said LJ into the radio earpiece, while standing at the door.

"No. It was an awarded surname." She unlocked the door from her end.

LJ pushed it open and stepped through. The hallway was the exact opposite of what he expected. It was well-lit and, despite a few gashes on the floor and walls, the lights were undamaged, bright, and otherwise cheerful. But it was also empty and long. He began walking with quiet footsteps. "Okay, we have time … feel free to share the story behind that."

"Very well, then. I was what you might call a valedictorian at the Nabooru University, and when our physics lab used a modified particle collider to open a wormhole to the Golden Land, the desert's mirrored side, Misery Mire, swallowed the students operating the lab. Halfway through my speech, I leapt off stage and dashed out to the quad. I saw the eerie negative light glowing from over the science building and hurried to it without a thought. I jumped through the event horizon after learning that the students were swallowed into it. I rescued all six students and brought them back. When you perform a deed of great honor in my culture, you are awarded with a surname befitting your deeds."

"Holy crap. Seriously? And you're working here? As a security guard?"

"Yes. I still need to eat, and the health benefits are good. I was qualified, but I follow orders and today, my orders were to secure the north wing and hold my post. And if you must know, I was born Ovona Ashdani. Okay, back on topic…"

"Back on topic," he repeated. He paused to stare at a deep gash in the wall, directly beneath a security camera.

"Very good."

He lifted his gaze to the lens and said, "Actually, this is helping me. It's keeping me distracted, so I don't piss my pants."

She sighed softly. She blew raspberries over the line, then said, "I was a four-year volunteer in the Hyrule Royal Guard. I still do two weekends a month for the reservist check. It's good money and I kept my benefits. My point is, I know the men that died fighting those … those … robots."

"Wait, that means you have some sort of, uh, Hyrule-Gerudo post-military title, right?"

"Mm, yes. 'Hairulésha.' An 'ally of Hyrule.' Perhaps we should focus, so … enough about me, Mr. Kasuto."

"Sorry, it's just … it's more relaxing to talk to a woman than to think about my impending doom."

"If you want to know more about me, you'll have to survive, and then I will be, how you say, as an open book. Besides, you'll never be awarded a medal for your testicular fortitude by the Princess if you don't actually go and rescue her."

"Good point. Okay. What am I walking my happy-ass into?"

Ovona chuckled over the radio. She cleared her throat and immediately took a tone of professionalism. "The royal guard these robots killed … he was no pushover. I knew him back when he was Quartermaster Sergeant. His armored vest will have the Royal Crest on the front and back. His name is Conductor Barker Parapa. He was one of the highest-ranking soldiers in the Royal Guard. He was awarded the Hylian Cross, the Hero's Medal of Hyrule, had the green, blue, and red ribbons for his dress uniform, and he had a bunch of other decorations. He was a really tough, smart guy. A hybrid jock-nerd."

"I started out feeling brave. Now I feel incredibly stupid," said LJ with a sigh. "My sister's name is Aryll Smith-Kasuto. If something happens to me, that's who you'll be talking to. Tell her I was awesome and fought like one of those heroes from those fantasy stories she likes so much. Or, better yet, like one of the super-powered characters like one of those Sheikah-animation shows with the 'bishounen' boys she likes so much. Okay … I see the bodies in the hallway. Ugh. Not pretty."

"Hold it together, young man."

"Yeah." LJ leaned down and picked up a gun.

As a secondary thought, she added, "A bishounen is the only voe I would allow into the Gerudo capital. You know, if you had a pair of capri pants, stuffed a blouse, and wore cute shoes, you could probably pass enough to enter our capital city."

"Oh, ha-freaking-ha. Very funny." He pulled back on the slide, just like he'd seen on TV shows and in action movies. It offered more resistance than he expected. LJ drew the slide back just enough to see a round was chambered within.

He checked the magazine then pushed it back into the handle with a click. "This thing is a pea shooter. No wonder those robots weren't damaged. I may not know guns as well as a soldier, but I do know a thing or two about ancient tech. These bullets wouldn't even penetrate the metal armor plating used on robots from that era; they're designed to mine through solid granite."

He switched on the safety, another thing he'd picked up from TV shows and action movies. Next, he approached a medical satchel adjacent to one of the motionless security guards. He rummaged through it for supplies, opened it wide, and held it up at an angle so that the nearest security camera could see into it.

"A first aid kit is useless to you. You're not going to be able to self-administer morphine or wrap your arm in gauze while being attacked. Also, everyone in the room is dead, so there is no one to save."

LJ was a little taken aback by her candor. He exhaled and nodded firmly. "Right. Got it." LJ dumped the useless first aid kit on the floor. He up-righted the bag and stuffed the gun into it. "I may not have been trained for this, but I can do this. Video games and R-rated movies prepared me for this, like, my entire life."

"If you think you're going to be able to shoot a weapon because of what you saw or played, you're sorely mistaken."

"I meant handling the gore. Bodies. The shock value isn't the same for me as it would have been for people that lived before modern TV and video games. It's still very uncomfortable, but I assume that even battle-hardened soldiers will never get used to seeing bodies strewn about like this."

"You're rambling. What you're seeing would make anyone feel vulnerable and mortal. You're handling it very well, but not because of cinema or realistic game graphics. You're handling it because you have … what did you call it? Testicular Fortitude. But you're also handling it by rambling. Stay focused. Stay sharp. Stay frosty."

"You're a good battlefield life coach, Ovona."

"Heh. Sarqso, Mr. Kasuto. All right, keep moving."

Shouldering the strap, LJ made his way into the next hallway. It was lined with a glass panel on the left. Recently unearthed artifacts adorned the hall like trophies behind a clear panel. He eyed them for a moment.

"Mr. Kasuto…"

"These are nice, Lance Corporal Ashdani-Nabumyre."

"I see what you're trying to do. It would not be professional to call you 'LJ' when we don't even know one another." She cleared her throat over the radio, close to the mic, with purpose to draw his attention. Then, in a calm but firm tone, she added, "Now, with all due respect, this is no time for sight-seeing. They need your help. So, unless you find a tatsu, use the gun and keep moving, young man."

"Ovona, mind if I call you Ovona? It's a pretty name – I need you to relax, else you're going to make me feel even more anxious. Some of these artifacts were used as weapons in the days of warriors. These artifacts are some of the things I wrote about in my book. If I can figure out how to use them strategically, they might help me."

"Be brief about it. Please."

He withdrew the gun from his satchel and used the handle to smack the glass panel, but it didn't even scratch the surface. He pointed the gun at the display case, tilted his head, using his right shoulder and left hand to hold his ears. LJ pulled the trigger. The weapon discharged, cracking the panel. It took four more bullets to bring the glass panel down.

He thumbed the safety and put it back into his bag then withdrew a blue cane, a recently oiled sword, and a gauntlet with a speared attachment mounted on the wrist section.

LJ shoved the hookshot into his satchel, hooked the cane into the strap that went diagonally across his back, and unsheathed the sword. He lifted it up then frowned at its weight – a little more than he could properly handle without training and muscle memory. "This thing is no joke, but … if only Aryll could see me now." He continued down the hallway, leaving the sword's sheath on the floor near the display case.

He made a left at an intersection, following scratches on the wall that led to a room clearly marked "Research Lab Epsilon." The door continually attempted to slide closed on metal tracks but with part of the doorframe crooked, it couldn't seal itself.

Upon closer examination LJ could see that someone's head had been slammed into the wall, disfiguring the frame. He continued closer to the doors at the end of the hall. Just as he suspected, a body lay just inside, on the laboratory floor, strewn across the tiles with its head smashed in.

He looked away and swallowed back trepidation. "Aryll's fantasy heroes wouldn't be afraid."

Ovona's voice came over the radio earpiece again. "And they wouldn't be ashamed of executing a well-planned tactical retreat. Don't try fighting those things. Don't do anything stupid. We have a plan, and you must stick to it. Plans keep heroes alive, Mr. Kasuto."

"Yeah. I gotta get my, uh, testicular half in check. Oh, and hey … you were right: I don't have the emotional fortitude to handle seeing someone's head opened. It's like this one time when Aryll spiled strawberry syrup meant for ice cream. She took the top off to remove the new container seal, but then dropped it before she could put the top back on, and it gushed all over the kitchen floor because it was shelved at room temperature, you know? And it gushed red syrup all over the floor. We even joked how it looked like a crime scene." He continued through the first lab and into another hallway labeled as "Beta Lab."

"You're doing great, LJ. Your sister is going to be really proud of her brother when his social media profile picture shows him with a sword next to the Princess of Hyrule."

"Yeah." LJ swallowed.

"But, for the record, a syrup container holds a few ounces. A voe soldier his size would hold roughly one-and-a-half gallons … and a head wound like that would expend roughly a half gallon in the twenty minutes since his death. I'm only telling you this so that you differentiate blood from food, else you will never be able to look at strawberry syrup or pasta sauce ever again."

"I, uh, noticed the head wound when I first came through that doorway. I looked away because my first thought was … it's a lot more than the syrup incident. Incidentally, how can you hear me? I don't have the radio button pressed."

"I have audio and video feed to each of the labs. By the way, before you even ask, no … I cannot hear into the SCIF, because that's locked down. It's meant for analysts to discuss things of confidential nature, so I cannot talk to anyone inside there and they can't hear me. We used the Thought Panels to talk, earlier. That's how I know they're still alive inside the SCIF."

LJ cleared his throat again. He couldn't think of a response, so he decided to simply remain quiet. He continued through the hall, licked his dry lips with apprehension, then approached the last lab at the end. He lifted the heavy sword and used the back of his wrist to wipe sweat from his brow. "This thing is heavy," he whispered.

"Based on my experience with swords, I estimate the blade to be one-inch thick. If it is steel, I estimate between forty-five and fifty-five pounds. Far too heavy to use effectively. A soldier's broadsword should weigh about four pounds."

"Nowhere near fifty pounds. But definitely a thick blade. It's polished like metal, but it doesn't … I don't think it's steel. But it's been oiled recently. I don't know what it's made from, I definitely don't know how much it weighs, but if I had to guess…" LJ lifted and lowered the sword a few times in his right hand, then his left, then his right again. "As much as my gaming laptop at home. So just a little over two pounds. Three tops. I'm just muttering about its weight because of the way I'm holding it outward in front of myself. Bad form on my part."

"Now I'm curious about that sword. I would like to hold it myself when you've rescued the princess, just to see how it feels."

"Nice. I see what you did there." He stopped in front of the door, exhaled sharply, drew in a deep breath, and hopped up and down a few times to get himself psyched up. "Okay, Ovona, open the door to this lab and keep it open."

"Good luck, courageous one. You are the hero, and you can do this. Stay focused."

"Remember, her name is Aryll Smith-Kasuto. Just in case, y'know?" LJ took a deep breath. The door slid open with a hiss then locked into place in the wall. He withdrew the gun and stepped in the room.

One of the three well-aged robots turned away from the blast doors of the SCIF, across the lab, and began scanning him. He pointed the weapon and fired. Surprisingly, the bullet was fairly accurate, striking the robot an inch above its left eye lens.

The metallic head snapped back then sprung into place again. The copper jacket of the round remained stuck to the metal panel of its forehead, yet didn't penetrate the ancient metal armor paneling.

"Freakin' impressive after several thousand years." He pulled the trigger again, but the gun clicked empty. "Oh, dammit. Used them all on the display case," he groused in a soft tone. The discouraged boy threw the gun at the group by the SCIF doors, then he brought his right palm to the sword handle, holding it firmly in both hands. He swallowed back his fear. "This is it. Now I just have to make them think I'm enough of a threat to chase me and abandon the blast door."

Without warning, the robot with the dent in its forehead suddenly zipped across the room in the blink of an eye. It blocked the door leading out into the hallway. "Holy Freaking Farore! Did you see how fast that guy is?!"

"It has you blocked in, Kasuto!"

"Yeah, this is going to suck… I charged in here like a moron. Should have played it a little smarter. Guess if the goddesses are real, Nayru can point and laugh at me when I die."

"You're rambling. Keep it together."

"If they're gonna kill me, I'm not going down without a fight." LJ looked over at the robot on his left by the door, then to the other two on his right. One turned back to the blast door, the other approached with a leisurely gait.

It lifted its arm and swung at LJ.

He brought the sword up to block the strike. The power of the robot threw him off balance, but he didn't drop the sword. Instead, he stumbled to the ground and rolled away from the robot. He swung the sword, clumsy and low, hitting the robot in the leg. The old blade was in remarkable shape, and it diced through the armored paneling, but he didn't strike the robot hard enough to faze it.

"Be careful how you swing that! It is apparently quite sharp, and if you strike yourself with it or if the blade is knocked back at you, it could kill you. Open your stance and swing through the enemy as though your target is behind your opponent."

"I'll keep that in mind next time I…" The robot backhanded LJ into silence.

He landed on a workbench counter at the center of the room. Already splintered by one of the robots from earlier, it gave out beneath his weight. One of the four table legs gave out. The whole damn thing shifted. He rolled off the side and his sword clattered across the tile floor several feet away.

His satchel turned over, spilling the hookshot on the floor and, with slack in the strap, the blue cane clanked on the floor as well. "Crap, crap, crap," he muttered and snatched up the cane. He reached for the hookshot, shoving his hand into the gauntlet section beneath it.

"Oh, e-me!" she cried over the radio channel.

The robot in the middle of the room took a swing again.

LJ instinctually lifted the blue cane. The metallic arm struck the cane then, quite suddenly, the robot went flying in the other direction, as though repelled by an unseen force.

"Kitit lae va Me-Ehxi! What did you do?!" Ovona cried over the radio, obviously excited and worried.

"I don't know!" LJ exclaimed. He looked around, trying to compose himself. A faint distortion in the air flew about his body in a circle. "I … can you see that aura, Ovona? The faint thing flying around me?"

"No, I don't see anything around you. That robot is getting back up, Kasuto!"

"I … I think I read about this. The cane of … Bah-reena, or Byran or … Byrna. Yeah, I think that's it – Byrna. Somehow it started doing … something when that thing hit it."

The robot approached again.

LJ bit his lower lip. "So … maybe we can talk about this, mister robot. Do you speak my language?"

It didn't reply. Instead, the robot swung at him again.

LJ cringed in anticipation, but its attack came nowhere near him. Instead, the barely visible aura repelled the robot.

It went tumbling back. The ancient metal contraption looked down at its metallic digging hand, confused, then tried again, swiping at him. Its metal limb bounced off the unseen force of the Cane of Byrna.

LJ's confidence welled up in his chest. "It can't hurt me! That's what this cane does!" He walked over to the ornate, red-handled sword with the Triforce effigy emblazoned upon the base of the blade. He took a deep breath and picked up the sword by its handle. "This thing looks … badass." He slid the cane back into the strap of his satchel and hooked it into the strap so it would stay on his back. He turned to the robot then lifted his sword. "Come on, ugly. You're in trouble, now."

It swung once more, still unable to inflict damage.

LJ swung his sword and hit the robot in the face. He dented the metal panel of its facial cover. He pointed the hookshot at the robot and triggered it. The mechanism had tremendous kickback.

The hook lanced through the creature's torso and out the back but also dislocated LJ's shoulder.

He cried out in agony, screaming every cussword he could think, repeating several when he ran out of words to use.

The hookshot began to retract, pulling him again by the arm. The hook remained inside of the robot, which tried to resist being pulled. Again, LJ cried out in frustration and pain once more.

The robot jerked back, pulling LJ forward again.

His felt his arm jerked forward a second time, causing the ball joint to drop back into place in his shoulder. He gasped in relief then unleashed another barrage of curse-words for the remaining pain.

"Are you okay, kid? It looks like you hurt your arm or something."

"Shoulder," he wheezed. LJ caught his breath, winced, and said, "I just … Holy Hylia that hurt like hell."

"Less alliterating, more attacking. And maybe you should want to be in better shape in the future."

The robot stumbled and began to topple forward. The hook came from its chest and retracted into the hookshot. The robot dropped onto its face, warbling about, unable to get up.

"They did a…" LJ paused for a quick breath, before continuing. "… A good job of cleaning these artifacts; they still work great." He approached the robot, lifted the sword in his left hand, then drove the blade down into the backside of its head, fueled by adrenaline.

The robot flailed about, rolled away from LJ, and somehow managed to upright itself.

Over the radio, Ovona said, "It did NOT like what you just did to it while it was down. I hate to say it, but you need to knock it over again, and try stabbing it again, just like you did before. That thing acted like a wounded animal trying to get away."

"I don't think my shoulder can handle using this damned hook-chain again." LJ took off the gauntlet. He moved it to his other forearm, fidgeted with the handgrip then pointed it at the robot. With the sword in his left palm, the hookshot gauntlet on the backside of his left forearm, he gingerly brought his right hand over to steady his left wrist.

He opened his stance and fired the hookshot again. The pointed end penetrated the chest panel of the robot, same as before, then pulled it forward. There was a brief tug of war. LJ put his foot on the base of the workbench in the middle of the room. He tumbled over to his hands and knees.

In unison, the robot toppled forth as well.

LJ got to his feet with a huff of indignation. The pointed claw disengaged from the metallic torso and recoiled hard, back to the hookshot.

LJ nearly lost his footing from the power of the chain's return. He lifted his sword in his left hand, keeping his right palm on his left forearm. He winced in pain, raised the sword, muttering under his breath about his hopes that it would not chip the ancient blade, and then he drove the beautifully forged weapon back into the robot's metallic skull a second time. This time, the sword went a little deeper.

Again, the robot flailed. The sword became disengaged. LJ stumbled away and the monstrosity got back to its feet. A wisp of smoke poured out of the damaged section on the aft panel of its head.

Something began to overheat inside the robot due to the damage. The metal case over its head began to glow orange from the heat.

"By the goddesses, it's like a video game," he panted. LJ took a deep breath, held it for a half second or so, and said, "Like, I've hit him twice and he's glowing orange. I guess life really does imitate art sometimes." He took another deep breath then began panting from exertion and exhaustion. "And you know what else? My shoulder really freaking hurts. Not as bad as when I first dislocated it, but still … damn this hurts."

"You're doing really good, Mr. Kasuto. I'm proud of you."

"Yeah." LJ spit a bit of red on the floor. "I think I bit my lip when I hurt my arm. I can taste blood." He grimaced at the salty metallic tasting liquid on his tongue and spit a second time. Then a third. "Okay. Let's finish this asshole."

"You know, you could try finding other words…"

"Yeah, I'm trying to break the habit. But right now, it's helping." LJ fired the hookshot again. Just like before, he used his right hand, gingerly, to brace his left wrist. The hook lanced from his left forearm and plunged into the robot's chest.

There was another struggle.

He stumbled. His tie wound up over his shoulder. Not wanting to lose the opportunity to strike again, he ran around the broken workbench, where one of the table legs was still firmly fastened in the floor. The chain of the hookshot marred the wood leg with an obnoxious noise. He continued to run, using the chain as a pulley for leverage.

The robot tumbled over but this time the hook remained inside its chest.

"You've hooked it! Like a fish! Now is your chance!"

LJ released the gauntlet, it lurched away from his hand and retracted itself to the robot halfway, only to catch on part of the workbench. LJ ran toward the robot, lifted his sword in his left hand, and drove it into the backside of the robot's metal head.

He climbed up onto the back of the creature then lifted his foot and stomped on the handle, driving it the rest of the way in until the blade poked through the face of the robot.

It flailed. Its lower extremities moved at a different cadence than the top half of the metallic chassis.

LJ lost his footing and fell on his back. He immediately reached his left hand across to favor his right shoulder. The robot continued to heat up. The light grey smoke turned black. All at once it burst with a powerful explosion. Debris glanced across the cane's nearly invisible shield. Metal shards became lodged in the nearby walls.

The robot pounding on the blast door turned away and approached LJ. It was then that the boy noticed this other unit was significantly better armored. With his sword and the hookshot lodged in the remains of the other robot, he felt naked as it approached. "Aw g'dammit."

"Just keep telling yourself this is a video game, and you can beat this one the same as you beat the others."

LJ spit a bit of blood again, then swallowed back a lump of emotion welling up in his throat. "Uh, I don't know if I've leveled up enough to take on the area boss, and I can't save my game because I'm playing on 'realistic mode.'"

"Mr. Kasuto … you may wish to run, now. Else, you are … what's the Hylian term?"

"I'm fucked."

"Eh, yes … I suppose that would be more accurate."

LJ couldn't help but notice the better armored robot was also a little taller … just a little. But enough to be more menacing.

He swallowed again. "Well, here goes everything or nothing…"

X

X

2013 A/N: And now, onto chapter 3.

But first, a word from nobody's sponsor.

...So yeah, I've been working on all original material for Sci-FA stories that can be found in draft format on FFnet's sister site, FictionPress dot com. Same pen name, Kit-Karamak with a hyphen. You can even use your FFnet account to sign into FictionPress dot Com, to leave reviews and stuff. Anyhow, I'm waist-deep into the series. I re-wrote act1 as a trilogy, I'm going to re-write it again with some touchups and additions, re-write Act2 as a trilogy, finish the Prequel (there's a lot I wanna change in what I've got already for that – like I want to add Rufus' sister, Peri, much earlier in the prequel, etc). I also want to finish act 3. But it's expensive (3.9 cents per word from a professional editor, with a 30% discount on text documents over 75k words), which brings book 1 of act 1 to a wonderful price of $2,500… and 88 cents. Ugh. SO! I need to do a kickstarter, and I need to finish the re-write before I submit it for editorial… and right now, having just written 8 books worth of material in under one year, plus the initial act1 re-write (which was a really big re-write, lots of new stuff added, etc)… I have to admit… I'm fried out.

I NEEDED A BREAK. I can't NOT write. I get cranky when I can't do what I love most… writing and playing drums. So! I decided to take a little break and do a Zelda FanFiction for fun.

I know I add a lot of Sci-fi elements to this story, and for those of you who are hardcore fantasy types… I am sorry. But it's a lot of fun for me to write Sci-FA.

Now, on to Chapter 3!