ONE
UNFORTUNATE CONTINGENCE
Review Corner
The Colonel: I'm excited! I look forward to it!
Mobmal: I appreciate your enthusiasm. I hope you like this second part.
ZOITEC Corporation,
Eastern Continent, Planet Zi,
October 15, 2127
The cafetaria had been Saskia's favorite place to escape when office nitty-gritty overwhelmed her. It was packed at lunch break but during regular hours it was empty like a morgue at night. There were plenty of rooms for Saskia to take some load off while she munched on snack and watched the TV. Most of the time it broadcast news around the Eastern Continent, but today it covered some political brouhaha from the Helic Republic. Marshal Diavel, the head of Helic Military, was scrutinized by the newly-elected Senate for alleged nepotism. Apparently his skyrocketing career was catapulted by his closeness to the President of The Helic Republic. How much of this was true, the Senate was working furiously to find out, although the Marshal fervently swore it was not the case.
Five years removed from the firestorm that almost tore Helic Republic apart from inside, Saskia found herself on top of her own league. Leaving a prodigious position in Helic Military in favor of saving her zoid, she went to the Eastern Continent and tried her luck at ZOITEC. Her hands-on experience with zoids when she was in the military helped her secure an engineering position at ZOITEC, and her do-or-die attitude gained favors from decision makers on the company. Within five years she commanded a lead engineer position at ZOITEC, with a windowed office and half a dozen workers reporting to her. It wasn't the life she always imagined, but she was content nonetheless. Besides, she wouldn't complain about the salary.
But she always wondered what would happen if she accepted Marshal Diavel's offer as a captain in the Air Division of Helic Military. She would live her passion to fly. Here at ZOITEC, she spent most of her time sitting in front of a computer, and got to fly only on weekend. Her Gilvader had to stay on the ground for 5 - sometimes 6 - days a week, and the lack of action deteriorated its morale. Saskia started to worry that one day the big zoid would snap and go on a rampage.
However, she didn't have a choice. Marshal Diavel had made clear of his intention for the Gilvader, and this was the only way she got to keep it alive.
"Saskia," a shrilling male voice interrupted from her afternoon break, much to her chagrin. She knew of him from the structures laboratory. "I have produced the report you are waiting for but some trivial matters necessitate more in-depth discussion."
"In what regard?" Saskia was provoked.
"Suffice to say safety is the biggest shortcoming," the scientist pulled up a holo-video and put up a hologram of a zoid part in between him and Saskia. "This radius block will not hold its integrity if subjected to extreme compression load, and we both know this part trees up into construction zoids that is exposed to high load on daily basis. This part here…"
"The manufacturing unit does not have that luxury," Saskia snubbed the scientist's account. "They are in need of absolution today, so did you or did you not approve the design?"
"I approved it but with dozens of annotations…"
"That is enough assurance for them…"
"But Saskia, I must object to haste…"
"Further delay of this project will cost ZOITEC millions," Saskia rose from her chair. "So do you stand behind this design or do you care to elaborate the shortcomings to the manufacturing manager?"
"They have my full support," the scientist replied in a grumble.
"Should they believe your words or do you have something to validate your claim?"
"My report, signed and dated," the scientist handed in a folder to Saskia. "Evidence of shortcomings and the way to improvements are there, if they choose to do so."
"Gratitude," Saskia rushed back to her office, leaving the scientist dumfounded. She skimmed the report to make sure nothing glaring came out of the report that could stir an inter-agency war. Satisfied, she called her runner. "Kenny, it's Saskia. Meet me outside the lobby. I need something delivered in urgency."
"Three minutes," the guy on the other line responded quickly.
"Three minutes," Saskia cut off the phone link and took the stairs down to the lobby. She was just walked out of the door when a boy, ripe in his mid teen, rode his organoid up the sidewalk. The boy's bronze skin, partially covered with cut-off t-shirt and knee-length short, gleamed in the sun as he dismounted his metal pet. His brown shoulder-length hair danced in the wind, and his white cap shielded his eyes from the burning sunray, but his big round eyes and cocky smile were still visible. His organoid, a small Troodon-type metal dinosaur, nodded and chirped in enthusiasm.
Saskia never understood Kenny. His organoid could've helped him control a powerful zoid, or turn any zoid into a powerful one, and catapulted him into a legend like Van Flyheight. Yet Kenny used his organoid as a two-legged scooter, zipping around town delivering goods and messages, even food. He was good at that; he was fast and dependable, and he kept his promises. But an organoid wasn't meant to run around town as a delivery scooter, and his adamancy to do so made Saskia shake her head everytime she met him.
But she wasn't complaining. Kenny was very reliable in making sure people receive her delivery on time. Electronic messages and phone calls were often ignored by busy colleagues, but nobody would disregard a 7-foot metal dinosaur with a pushy teenager as its rider. Saskia relied on Kenny more than she did on her computer or phone, and the frequency of their interaction developed their relationship from patron-customer to brother and sister.
"What service can I offer you today?" Kenny approached Saskia with a grin.
"The ordinary," Saskia handed in the folder. "ZOITEC manufacturing unit needs this report. Make sure the manufacturing manager receives it before the day's closing."
"This is no ordinary request," Kenny quipped as he put the folder into his satchel. "The manufacturing plant lies at the far side of ZOITEC complex. Your demand necessitates Cleto to go full speed for an hour. This service requires extraordinary fare."
"As long as you deliver it on time," Saskia pulled a few bill from her wallet. "The manufacturing unit needs this document today to avoid financial forfeit."
"The irony of money," Kenny grinned as he snatched the money from Saskia's hand. "Can't live without it, can't live with it. Seems like we do everything for money instead of the life of our choosing."
"And what is the life of your choosing?" Saskia seized the opportunity to talk about his organoid. "Delivering goods for a fraction of money?"
"What of the life of my choosing?" Kenny sneered.
"What of it? You are blessed with an organoid, Kenny. Any organoid holds a purpose far greater than to run around the city delivering goods. Learn your history. Do you think Van Flyheight became a champion on his own merit? His organoid helped him during the first days of his career. If you choose to become a zoid pilot, your organoid can assist you to greatness, Kenny, just like Van Flyheight."
"Cleto?" Kenny grimaced, taking a good doubtfull look at his organoid. "I am well-versed in the life of Van Flyheight, but Cleto is no Zeke. He is too small and weak to command even the smallest zoid. I wish for the day when I climb into a zoid and battle the best this world has ever known, but today I am not blessed in such fashion."
"Is that a fact? Do you even know if it is a fact?"
"Do not address me as you would a miscreant who knows nothing about organoids, Saskia, because I am well-versed in that matter too. Cleto is not a zoid-controlling organoid. Of this I truly believe."
Saskia realized that further pressing the matter would only strain their relationship. She wisely took a step back. "Apologies. It is not my intention to pry into your private life, or alter your belief."
"None needed," Kenny smiled like his old cheerful self. "You are like a sister I never have, Saskia, and I treasure your courtesy for my regard. But my life is my own. I am a big boy. I can take care of myself. Now if you excuse me, I have to save ZOITEC from said financial catastrophe." He bowed and gave Saskia a fake salute, then walked back toward his organoid. "Come on, Cleto! We have a job to do."
Cleto the organoid lowered his stance and Kenny climbed up to his neck. The metal Troodon chirped and took off, kicking a cloud of dust at Saskia's face. Kenny made a quick wave before wrapping his arms around Cleto's neck as the organoid picked up speed.
Saskia could only smile. She imagined what would happen if Kenny realized the potential he had with Cleto. It wasn't that he was ill-informed. He knew what an organoid could do. He could be the next generation of Van Flyheight. It was just that the boy didn't believe in his own organoid. It made her itch. One of these days Saskia thought she would take Kenny and Cleto to the production line, borrow a zoid, then show them what an organoid could really do.
Thinking of zoids, Saskia remembered her own. She looked at the watch, called her supervisor that the project had been delivered to the manufacturing unit, then asked for an early afternoon off. She had been too immersed in this project that she had neglected her closest friend. It was time to make amends.
ZOITEC complex was an hour drive from Rose City, the small town Saskia called home, and the drive was horrendous during rush hour. At an early afternoon like this, only a few motorists shared the road with her. It was just under one hour when she pulled into the parking lot of a large hangar on the outskirt of Rose City. The moment she walked out of her car, an animated growl greeted her.
"I miss you too, Gilvy," Saskia entered the hangar to meet her zoid. The hangar used to house a Whale King, so the Gilvader could fit inside with plenty of room to stretch out its wings. She bought the hangar cheap, and she transformed the control room into her bedroom. Nothing satisfied her more than waking up in the morning with the sight of her Gilvader in the main hall. "Apoligies, but work had consumed me. The urgency of this particular project had sucked me dry. But it is done. This week is over for me. We can spend quite some time together. How does the stratosphere sound to you?"
The Gilvader let out a series of short snarls. Saskia had been with it a long time to understand the language of her zoid. She understood that her zoid was as excited as she was, maybe even more.
"Are you warmed up?" she asked playfully.
Instead the Gilvader lowered its head and popped open its hood. Saskia was about to climb up when she felt tremor in the ground. The Gilvader roared and quickly raised its head as the tremor turned into a series of quakes. Its horns glowed in glorious purple hue. Saskia hadn't seen those horns in that state for 5 years, and the memory of General Krauser came back and seized her brain, so intense she felt her heart stop beating.
"Gilvy get out!" she screamed from the top of her lung.
But she knew the Gilvader wouldn't listen. She knew the black dragon would rather stay and fight, even though doing so resulted in harm rather than solution. She could only watch haplessly as the quakes intensified, and within seconds two Killerdomes busted out from the ground inside the hangar. The Gilvader's head fell like a guillotine and the Maser horns split one Killerdome like it was made from paper. The ensuing explosion destroyed windows and tossed around pebbles, furnitures, empty cans, anything within its reach.
The other Killerdome, however, opened its canopy to expose a weird-looking javelin gleaming in reddish light. Saskia didn't know what it was, but no known Killerdome was equipped with it. She knew instantly that it was trouble for her Gilvader, but she was powerless to stop it. The javelin launched and stabbed the Gilvader at the heart, just as the big zoid was about to jack-hammer the Killerdome as it did the other one. Then something unimaginable happened. The Gilvader's head snapped back, its body went limp, then crashed.
"Gilvy?" Saskia walked toward it in horror, a harrowing reminiscence of the time she walked into the cave to find her zoid for the first time. "Oh My God! Gilvy! What happened to you?"
The black dragon didn't show any sign of life, and Saskia ran toward her zoid as hard as she could, but another Killerdome burst from the ground right between her and her zoid. The canopy popped open and four men covered in black lunged at her and tackled her to the ground. Saskia writhed and struggled as hard as she could, but the four men easily outwrestled her. They bound her hands behind her back and restrained her ankles together, then waited for the fifth men to climb out of the Killerdome.
At first Saskia thought it could be General Krauser, somehow surviving the 'crucifixion' by the Guardian Force at the end of his ill-fated upraising 5 years ago. Or it could be a loyal sympathizer of Krauer's. Or it might even be a Guylos or Neo Zenebas agent trying to steal her zoid. But when she smelled the stench of cigar, her heart sank. This was worse than Krauser or agents from the enemies of Helic Republic… much worse.
"I am a man of many names but what I am not is a liar," Fat Bob blew a cloud of smoke from his nose as he walked triumphantly toward the immobilized Saskia. "I told you to watch your back. It seems that a good position at ZOITEC had pampered you sloppy. Finding you is easy. Busting into here and beating that hound dog of yours is even easier."
"What have you done to Gilvy?" Saskia growled, trying vainly to get out of her restraint. "Did you kill it?"
"As much as I want to, I don't benefit from killing zoids," Fat Bob munched on his cigar. "Somebody had his eyes on this zoid."
"Look, I may know a few things to buy back Gilvy from you," Saskia spoke in desperation. "Name your price and let us go."
Fat Bob roared in laughter. "After all these years, your naivete still amuses me. To tell you the truth, the guy offered me wealth far beyond your comprehension. I could have been rich to the point everything else is pointless. But I spurned it. I denied my share. I did this for free." He knelt beside Saskia, who could only look at him with utter confusion. "You are my prize. The guy can get his zoid. I get you." He slid off Saskia's shoes and grazed his fingers on the soles of her feet, eliciting a muffled groan from her. "Rest assures I will have a grand time with your tootsies, just like I did the last time. Only this time you are not going anywhere. My dungeon will be your home for the rest of your life."
Saskia grunted but a man put a bag on her head. Then they carried her inside the Killerdome. Saskia could only feel the hardness of the floor and acrid cigar stench in the air. Everything else was beyond her senses. Her eyes welled up with tears as she heard the hum of the engine intensified, then the floor trembled, a sure sign that the Killerdome was on the move. Where to, she didn't have a clue. She just surrendered to her fate.