In my opinion, Steamworks has always been one of the creepier islands. I mean, it's theme is steampunk, and it's the first isolated island that I'd been on. Oh well. At least we got a break from all the crazy super villains.
The island, just as I expected, was totally deserted. There was not a single soul nearby, and all I could see is machinery. Silver and rusted machinery that's built into houses and towers and whatnot. Vines seem to cover the majority of buildings, which really show off their age. The first building Fierce Fox and I stumbled across was the Clockwork Cantina: a giant, golden-metal clock, with vines twirled in its circuits.
We- well, I- solved a little puzzle in the Cantina's engine, and I felt the gears turn. A multi-tool popped out; I grabbed it. To the left of the Clockwork Cantina is a scrap bin, which held a steam engine.
"Well, you know what they say," I said, with a grin. "One man's trash is another man's treasure." I picked up the engine, Fierce Fox giving me a face. I kept smiling. "Come on, let's go into the museum." She nodded, and we entered the museum, which is just as metallic and rustic as everything else in the island. The walls are grey, and platforms hung from them.
I pointed to a machine that looks like a bulldozer and a excavator had a baby. Fierce Fox jumped on its outstretched arm, while I raced to the back and pulled a lever. It rose, and I yelled instructions at Fierce Fox to grab a beaker from above somewhere.
After that, we headed back to the Clockwork Cantina. I pulled a lever, unleashing a platform, like a bridge. Fierce Fox climbed on it, me following. We found a locked door; I unlocked it using the multi-tool. Inside is the room of Mayor Crumb, which looks like it hasn't been used since the dinosaurs were around. I picked up on a clue on a picture on the wall: 05/16. Then we left.
We arrived at a new area and passed a few shops, like Sully's Steam-Powered Paraphernalia. I stopped in front of a large gear, which is connected to a spinning wheel which has two arms, like a clock. I jumped on the lower platform, which rotated the upper platform. Fierce Fox scaled the side, coming to a closed shop, with locked doors. I joined her, noticing a robot crab wandering around, its back filled with water. Praying that the R.S.P.C.A wasn't watching, I leaped on the crab's back, sending it into the air and onto its back. It dropped two things: itself and Sully's key.
Meanwhile, Fierce Fox snatched up a coil of old vine from a roof. I headed to Sully's Paraphernalia: an old, metal building with a picture of Sully himself; a crippling sign; grubby windows. I had to solve a steam terminal puzzle (with the steam battery), to go inside. And then I entered.
Sully's Paraphernalia is filled with rustic shelves, which carry various objects. The whole shop is covered with cobwebs, and vines dangling down from the roof. I headed towards the counter, where a robot was snoozing on the floor. He's small, and shaped like a circle, with a big umbrella hat over his head.
I gently tapped my finger on a bell, sending a little ding throughout the room. The robot's eyes opened with surprise and he hovered above the ground, due to the propeller on his head. He soon recovered from his surprise and flew into a more relaxed state.
"Hello, Sprocket," I said, as if I was talking to a kitten. "I'm Alice, and my friend Fierce Fox- who's outside- and I are going to find your friends like Zack."
Sprocket's eyes widened. "Zack?"
I nodded, "Yeah, Zack!"
Sprocket, if he was human, would definitely be smiling. "Okay, Alice," His metallic hood flashed over his face. "Wait... how do you know my name and about Zack?"
I shrugged, "Let's just say I'm a bit of smarty-pants hero 'round Poptropica," Sprocket followed me as I headed to a crate labelled 'various junk'. I took out a rubber mallet. "Come on, let's go and save your friends."
After a meet and greet session with Fierce Fox, we walked towards an area called 'The Hub'. It's an area with metal flooring, and pipes bursting from everywhere, rimmed with gold. Oh, and don't forget the vines crawling over everything. An opening, shaped like a cone, is in the ground. Its opening was bright red, and hotter than those girls in those magazines.
I brought out the robot crab. Sprocket lifted it above the ground, and smashed it onto the opening. The red colour died down, and it was cool enough to enter, so we did. In there's a dark room, full of bronze pipes, and surprisingly (not), vines. Sprocket had his spooked look back on, and for a very good reason. Something rumbled the pipe we were standing on, leaving a dent.
"Uh, what was that?" Fierce Fox asked, taking a step back. She glanced at me.
"Not sure if I want to say..." I answered, the hairs on my arms standing up. Cautiously, I took a step, while Fierce Fox ran. The creature continued to thump around in the pipes, which did not help my fear. Finally, I got down to the lower level. I ran straight into a plant creature, which was made of leaves and weeds. It had a purple, gaping flower mouth, and wiggling weed tentacles. I call it Planty. Fierce Fox stood beside me, and we watched it move around. I faced my partner. "I need the vine!" She nodded and handed it to me.
Above my head was a small, silver pipe, which had steam coming out of it. I threw the vine up like a lasso; it twirled around the pipe. I tugged it down; the steam poured onto Planty. Planty whined and disappeared.
We hopped down a few platforms, until we got to the bottom. A pool of water and a platform is there, connected by pipes. On the platform is an elevator's power source, which much to my surprise, works. I shivered at the sight of it; I didn't have a comfortable experience the last time I used an elevator. We had to solve a little puzzle to get it working, so we could use the actual elevator in another location.
We left the underground area and resurfaced to the Hub. I pulled a lever. A giant circular building, like a clock, began spinning around. All three of us climbed aboard, waiting until the platform was in the right direction. When it finally was, we leaped off and trotted across the golden, rustic pipe. We came to a heater shoving out hot air, and soared up that. Then we did some more jumping up platforms and slithering up vines, until we finally arrived at the elevator. With hesitation, I went inside.
As soon as we popped into the next room, thick, green vines reached out and grabbed Sprocket.
"Don't worry, Sprocket," I cried, feeling fear tingle my senses. "We'll save you!" I suddenly felt like some sort of iconic hero, because after all, superheroes say such things. Though it didn't sit right with me. Guess I'm not that sort of hero.
Underneath our metal platform, three vines were crawling out of three windows and clutching Sprocket. Fierce Fox trailed after me as I faced the vines. I slammed one window shut, cutting the vine off. Rinsed and repeated. Sprocket was free, and he was most joyous about it.
"Thank you!" he squeaked, flying over to Fierce Fox and I. "You saved me... Hero!"
"Thanks..." I replied, trying to keep bitterness out of my tone. "It's what I do, I suppose. Anyway, can you show us what Zack looks like? For my friend." Sprocket nodded. His eyes flashed blue, sending out a projection ray. It showed a red-headed Poptropican boy, with goggles and a leather jacket.
"That's who we need to find." I explained to an inquisitive Fierce Fox. She gave me a nod. Then, the three of us left, and did the same old jumping up platforms. We made it to Captain Ziggs' room, which is a small bedroom with an old blue wallpaper and a comfy, red bed. Yet again, it reflects age. A picture is on the wall; the same picture from Mayor Crumb's office.
A lock is underneath it. Using the code 05/16, I opened the lock and headed into Captain Ziggs' compartment. Inside is presumably Captain Ziggs' office, or workspace. It's a small room, with dark blue walls. Books are piled on a desk, and there are plants growing around. A skeleton lies on the floor, not making this island look any prettier.
Sprocket flashed his eyes again, and a figure stood there- Captain Ziggs. He has a black eye patch; spiky grey hair; a bristly beard; a blue shirt. So close to real. Anyway, we weren't finished just yet. I picked up a bridge key on the ground and the Weed Whacker mech attachment, which were both for later.
Once we exited, we headed towards a bridge. It was towering above our heads, like a sword sticking up in the sky. We solved a steam terminal puzzle, and the bridge fell down. The other side was in sight. We raced over there, skimming past rustic pipes and other various machines. I stepped over a crack in the ground, then smiled. I spoke some instructions to Fierce Fox; she hopped up to a crane, which was holding a wrecking ball. She pulled a lever; it fell down, landing on the crack and creating a hole. Because this is Poptropica, we entered such hole.
I bounded off a few sticking-out pipes, the other two following. We somehow got into a brand new area, and the sky had turned a pale orange. There are metal platforms everywhere, as well as machinery. I stopped in front of a machine, that's shaped like a large, wonky box. Parts of it are yellow, and glow. Buttons are in front of it, and we needed to push them.
"Fierce Fox," I ordered. "Go explore that side and find as many red things to push as you can." Fierce Fox gave me a nod and headed off to that side, which is shelves and platforms. I did the same thing on my side.
"How do you know what to do?" Sprocket asked, as my feet brushed against the metal floor. I shoved my fist into a red platform, connected to the wall via a spring.
"I..." I faced a nub platform, which appeared to be on a giant screw. "I just know a few things."
"But I can't believe you know about Zack!" Sprocket cried, as I climbed onto the nub. "Have you been here before?"
I shrugged, "Maybe. Maybe not," Then I realized something. "Hey... why aren't you following Fierce Fox?"
Sprocket gasped, "Do you want me to? Sorry, I-"
I waved my hand, "No, no it's fine. Just... well... People normally choose her." I felt a tiny bit of envy stab me.
"She didn't know so much," Sprocket answered simply. "Plus... I see more in you. You remind me of Zack."
"I see," I replied, getting weird feelings. I attracted quite an interesting audience. Gods, bronies, and now, robots. Who's next? I thought. "Well, I've hit all the platforms. Let's go back down."
I met Fierce Fox in front of the buttons. Next to them, in traffic-light style, are three alight lights. We jumped on the platforms, and another platform began whirring around above our heads. The three of us did some more platform jumping, blah blah, until we got to the tippy top of the area. Sprocket resurfaced the petrified look, because there was a slimy, alien-like creature hanging down from the roof.
It seemed to have been born from a flower that grew seriously wrong. It had moving, stem-like eyes and sharp teeth, releasing transparent bubbles of snot. Both gross and deadly. I slid under the disgusting snot bubbles, then came to hanging vines. Yippee. More vines. I grabbed the first one, my grip tight. The others were behind me; we swung across. We finally got to the end. With my instruction, Fierce Fox picked up a Mech Steam Motor, and all three of us slid into the above room.
Imagine a greenhouse mixed with a laboratory and the Jungle Planet, that went horribly wrong. If you can imagine that, then that's basically what the room we arrived in looks like. Sprocket hated it even more than I did, because his terrified expression was back. Despite that, Fierce Fox and I moved forwards, arriving at the end of the room. There were three capsules of different coloured liquids. Fierce Fox handed me the beaker from the museum, and I filled it with the liquids of the capsules, creating a herbicide. And then it was time to face Planty's brother.
Planty's brother was on the level above us. So of course we had to climb up there. Planty's brother looked very similar to Planty, and was guarding the maintenance closet. I chucked the herbicide mixture at Planty's brother, and it started shrinking until it was nothing more than smoke and dusk. I winked at Fierce Fox, then opened the small, glass maintenance closet. I gave her brief instructions and she headed inside. Sprocket, realizing the danger was gone, flew up next to my head.
"Hey, buddy." I greeted, happy to see him. As much as I liked Fierce Fox, it was kind of nice to have someone different tagging along with you.
"Hello." Sprocket replied. Suddenly, the security alarms went off, and the whole building flashed red. Fierce Fox exited the maintenance closet appearing distressed, while holding a key.
"Don't worry," I said calmly. "I know how to get out. Follow me!" The other two followed me as I raced to the top. Up there is a large, glass, thick dome, which is the roof. At the corner of the dome, a patch of glass was cracked. Using the rubber mallet, I smashed through, earning our escape.
The three of us stood on a moving platform inside the Living Quarters, which looks more like the Dead Quarters. The metal walls are filthy, and vines burst from everywhere. Some platforms wobbled beneath my feet, while others fell to the ground with a smash. More jumping, and we got to a special place: Zack's room.
Zack's room looks a bit grubby, but so does everywhere else. The pale brown wallpaper has holes, and vines peeping through the roof. Pipes are also everywhere, yet again. Sprocket, with more joy than before, followed Fierce Fox and myself up another level. We stood on orange carpet, that has seen better days.
We had to solve another steamworks (no pun intended) puzzle, which had to do with moving pipes around. When we completed it, a ladder came down from the roof. We climbed it, getting to the next level. It's filled with barrels, which are covered in cobwebs. A little window is at the side, so I jumped out that. The other two followed me running along a vine, which made me feel like a tightrope walker. I got to the other side and picked up the Mech Crank.
Finally, we had all the mech pieces, and were ready to hook up to the mech. The mech was in the garage, next to Sully's Paraphernalia. The garage is a large, hexagonal-shaped room, with the usual pipes and vines. A claw-shaped platform was holding the mech, with a message next to it.
We ignored the message and used all the mech things to start up the mech. I gestured at it, while making eye contact with Fierce Fox. Unfortunately it only had one seat, and I wasn't the one to get the medallion.
"Oh, thanks, prophesied hero," Fierce Fox said cheekily. I groaned, as she climbed in. "How'd you drive this?"
"Easy," I answered, grinning. "Just walk like normal, and shoot out your weapons." Fierce Fox gave me a nod, and started walking around in the mech, making the ground shake with every stomp. "Fierce Fox, head left to this hexagon-shaped door with all these vines, and smash them away with your weed whacker!" I shouted, as she bolted out the door.
"'Prophesied hero'?" Sprocket asked, as he and I followed Fierce Fox. "What did she mean, 'prophesied hero'?"
I sighed, "Well... it's a long story. Since... Well, your island's been a bit deactivated for the last few years, but basically I'm... some sort of hero worth a lot around Poptropica. Kinda famous, too. All the super villains want me and everything." I decided I wasn't going to tell him about my origins.
Sprocket raised his robotic brow. "I see," He gazed more intently at me. "But why you?"
"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I'm not a superhero or anything. Just some... girl." I stared at a hexagonal opening, which had been cleared by Fierce Fox and the mech. Sprocket and I entered, spotting Fierce Fox at the doorway. Sprocket suddenly froze up, returning to his fearful state. Meanwhile, I followed the stomping Fierce Fox and yelled instructions at her. We bounded along the ground, feeling it shake.
The mech hopped up a few platforms, getting to an oil pipe. I leaped up the mech and pulled a wheel on the pipe.
"This'll make life much easier for you." I said to Fierce Fox. She climbed onto the next, golden-plated platform. Like some child following their mother, I stuck behind her, while we jumped up even more platforms (what fun). I gazed at the broken walls; shattered glass and vines everywhere. This place needs more than a little weed spray, I thought.
Suddenly, a purple thing soared right past my face. It came from Planty's cousin, who was a lean, beanstalk-shaped creature. It had one bobbly eye, and sharp, purple hair. I leaped into the air, as another purple thing flew for my legs.
"Go!" I yelled at Fierce Fox. "Smack it with your weapon!" She gave me a nod, and smashed Planty's cousin in the midriff with the Weed Whacker, I guess you could say. Then more jumping, blah blah, and we came to another scary creature; probably Planty's aunt. It was shaped like a bean that came out of its pod, and didn't want to leave it. It had yellow skin, and a slug-like face, with sharp teeth. It opened its maw, and a bud of teeth came out. "Smash it." I said simply to Fierce Fox. She did such thing. "Again." And then Planty's Aunt was dead.
We exited there and headed for a gigantic fan, connected to a building made of metal and wires, with a secure door in front. Vines are twisted around it, again. A fan blade was covering the door, which we needed to get to.
"Smack that fan blade." I ordered Fierce Fox. Her mech smacked the blade; the fan swirled around, at a gentle speed.
"I can open the door," Sprocket said to us, noticing the door, as it popped in and out of hiding. "But it will take some time. Find a way to stop the fan."
"Already on it!" I called, climbing the mech. I slid up the fan's blades, then arrived at the top of the building. A gear is at the top. I brought out my multi tool and used it, which stopped the fan. Meanwhile, Sprocket opened the door.
"All done! We can enter!" he cried blissfully. I climbed down from the top and smiled at the two.
"You know," I commented. "We make a pretty good team. We could take on Poptropica by storm." Fierce Fox nodded in agreement. Even Sprocket looked like he agreed. I laced my fingers together.
"Y'know, guys," I said, feeling a dab of shyness. "This is the last boss battle… and Sprocket, you're going to see Zack. Just through this door."
"Zack!" Sprocket cried, as if someone had just offered him the world.
"But just saying," I replied, with a small grin, as the idea seemed to form in my head. "If you ever... Want to keep being a trio like this… Then yeah." I opened the doors.
Inside was almost pure darkness. I could see pale lights from freezers of preservation, and another pale light from a machine in the middle of the room. I used my multi-tool on the machine, and the darkness vanished. All around me were preservation compartments, carrying people that were over two hundred years old. Zack popped out of a nearby one, and Sprocket spun around with glee.
"Zaaackkk! Zack, I found you!" Sprocket cried, racing over to the red-headed boy.
"Sprocket! Is it really you? Did you finally free us?" Zack asked, with a smile.
"I helped, just a little." Sprocket admitted, gazing at Fierce Fox and myself.
"How can we thank you?" a lady said behind me. She has chestnut-coloured hair and olive skin, with gears as hair-pieces. She also wears a golden vest and a blue dress. "You've saved us... After all these years."
"200 years is a long time," I replied, walking to her. "You're free now. But there's one more little problem coming up." A few seconds after I said it, the whole room began to shake, like something was bouncing through the land.
"You're right!" the lady cried. She gazed at me. "Wait... how did you know that?"
"Long story," I answered. I turned to Fierce Fox. "Let's save everyone." Then I took a deep breath. "Do you mind... If I use the mech this time?"
The mech took a bit of getting used to. I now had huge, robotic legs, that made the ground rumble every time I took a step. Because this is Poptropica, it was actually pretty easy to use. I doubt it would've been so easy on Earth. Anyway, Fierce Fox and myself did a bit more climbing up platforms and brushing past vines lodged in the metal walls. We were going straight for Big Mama Planty, fully armed. I managed to shoot a few flying plant creatures, while Fierce Fox hopped on them.
Eventually, we dealt with all the minions and met Big Mama Planty #1. It was probably the most ugly creature of all. Imagine a slug, the ugliest monster you've ever seen, and the original Planty had a baby. That's basically what it looked like. Oh, and just when it couldn't get any worse, there was acid rising beneath us, sizzling. Awesome. Just awesome.
Big Mama Planty #1 swung its head towards us, its maw open wide. Then its extendable head pulled backwards, and I shot a toxic bolt inside its mouth. It made a weird chewing noise, then its scowl resurfaced.
"Now, jump!" I yelled at Fierce Fox, and the two of us did such thing. Big Mama was vulnerable; I shot another bolt in its mouth. We repeated this process once more, and the first Big Mama was defeated. Then I picked up Fierce Fox on my mech, and give her a piggy-back ride to the next platform.
Big Mama Planty #2 was waiting for us. Except this time, it shot large, purple acorns. However, defeating it was similar to the first one. I waited for it to strike and send its head out; I struck its mouth with my toxic blaster. Fierce Fox helped by distracting the monster, so I could continue to shoot the mouth. I started to get my hopes up. But Big Mama Planty #3 ruined everything.
We arrived in front of the big green monster, and for the first two times, things were okay. Then, one of the acorns hit Fierce Fox, and sent her flying backwards. The acid was rising, and Fierce Fox was directly above it. Meanwhile, Mama Planty was vulnerable.
"Fierce Fox!" I cried. "No!" I raced towards her. I can't lose you!
"No. Go for the monster thing. I'll be fine!" Fierce Fox yelled back.
"But..." I faltered. I thought of all the times Fierce Fox had to save me. And the times I had to save her back. When we were rivals. Failure. The word pounded in my head. You can't stand a loss. I gazed at the monster, who wasn't vulnerable anymore. Then, one simple fact hit me: logic. Fierce Fox would be regenerated. This is Poptropica!
Turns out logic is one of the cures for grief, at least for me, which ended up being something I got out of the fight. I defeated the monster, much to my dismay of Fierce Fox falling in the lava. But, like logic said, she was regenerated and got the medallion. I was happy about that.
"You have to go now?" Sprocket whimpered, when I told everyone of my departure. "Aww..."
"Maybe we'll see each other again one day." I replied, with a wink. Then I disappeared, preparing for my next adventure.