And here I start the habit of answering the reviews that I've gathered so far. In any case
JadeNoRyuu- You can thank Paul G's Future series for giving me the impetus to actually start this story series and continue to tell it. Though I still recommend everybody to read it because it's a great expansion and what if to Ratchet's universe. And yet again all elements of Paul G's series belongs to him. I'm merely borrowing them. As for the Deadlocked Program, well without the influence of Chairman Vox, the deathmatches for the heroes of the universe won't happen. That doesn't mean that the company isn't involved with some questionable programming though. As for Ratchet's nightmare, well the trauma of nearly seeing those he cares about coming so close to death with blood staining everything would really take a toll on the young lombax's head wouldn't it. Though it could be because of those dreams that he is at the moment relatively well adjusted.
P.A.W.07- Keep guessing, you won't know until the reveal comes. But in any case I must tell the truth that the idea of lombax government comes from Paul G's work. His future series as I've stated is a near must read for any R&C fan. In any case real life interrupts my chapter flow, and aggravation over word choice and minute details, but I'll keep on trucking for your enjoyment. Thank you for your kind words and watches.
evil Ratchet96- A possible scene as you suggested is in the works. Watch this space for it.
And now we continue our story of a lombax, his robot companion, an ever increasing arsenal of weaponry, and a stranger who has yet to be revealed. Thank you and enjoy. Comments are always welcome.
Eudora shone green against the backdrop of dark space. Ratchet and Clank's courtier ship lightly skimmed the sea of green tender leaves before touching down near a clearing. Ratchet pulling himself around the side of the ship breathed deeply. The crisp and fresh temperate air rushing in. Fastoon and Veldin were rather lacking in humidity and Novalis and Kerwan had vehicles flying all around. So this breath of air in an undeveloped and verdant area like this was quite novel. Though he would protest that it would be the scent of adventure that he smelled. However, the lombax's enjoyment was marred with not only the taste of smog and soot but also the grinding screech of saws.
Invading this natural sanctuary were Blarg issue robots, foresters laying their sharp instruments upon the trees and felling them. That was bad enough but the robots bearing the insignia of the Blarg just left the fallen trunks down there to rot. Clank had his circuits sparking slightly at the illogical waste and the blatant disregard for regulations. Eudora was supposed to be a nature preserve according to the Solana records of legislation, so where were the authorities that were supposed to be guarding the grounds? "Ratchet perhaps we should inform the Solana government of the illegal activities here?" Ratchet shrugged saying it would hardly help, after all, wouldn't somebody else had already done that? Clank came to very disquieting conclusions either the Blarg were very good at covering up their activities or the Solana government's own forces aren't up to the task of fighting the Blarg forces. Regardless of the actual truth, it just brought forth the importance of finding Captain Qwark. Then Ratchet said something. "I think I'd thin the crowd here." There was a whir of clockwork and electrical parts.
Consider the Eudora Monarch butterfly. Small, orange with black striped patterns. It flutters around with little care among the forests of Eudora. Spending its lifecycle flittering from flower source to flower source, providing the service of pollination in exchange for the liquid food supplied by its customers. Although in the past few days there was a lack of flowers and blooms to feed upon. They had either been crushed beneath giants or seared away by flame and noxious materials. However the butterfly in question finally found some flowers to drain of sweet nectar. This tiny insect so focused on feeding would not notice the huge meteor of flaming metal soaring to it. Soaring through the air, like a shooting star in the middle of its fiery death. The approach the burning slag took towards the butterfly was slow and majestic. The winged insect endured a few seconds of terror stretching to eternity, before the burning part of a robot soared swiftly over the butterfly. Though the butterfly having being startled from its meal would fly away seeking far more safer pastures to feed upon. It would tot notice in its compound eyes the sight of a golden yellow feline creature unleashing fiery and explosive death upon the strange hard things that moved and cut down the trees and soiled the earth.
In any case the feline creature, one lombax that answered to the name of Ratchet Nova was surrounded with the smoldering and sparking remains of lumberjack robots and assault drones. The lombax found himself standing over a large cliff with no other way forward. "Hey tin can, got any ideas? Cause I don't see any other way across this." The robot craned over the lombax's shoulder and sent out a sensory ping. A certain response gave him an idea of how to proceed. "Ratchet that bolt over there recalls some surveillance drones into the area. Perhaps you would be able to use your swing-shot to make your way across the chasm." The lombax nodded and went to use his trusty wrench to turn a bolt located on a large yellow tri-pod. Several yellow drones with green lenses came spinning in place. One series of swing shots later, Ratchet was making his way across the forest and its large number of gaps when he spotted something shiny and spinning in the air.
Two large and barefoot yellow feet came down upon the grass. But Ratchet's green eyes were focused only the hovering and rotating weapon before him. "Is that what I think it is?" His gloved hand, brown leviathan leather worn smooth with dexterous work over the years reached out reverently to the weapon. It dropped firmly into his grip. "A suck cannon! Gadgetron hasn't even come out with these on the market!" He gave a few test runs with it. Crates were pulled in and reduced into quantum storage, then they were shot out to explode in radiant balls of flame and combustion. Ratchet's green eyes went wide at the mayhem he could unleash, months before the proper release date.
"Ratchet do you not think it is odd that a Gadgetron weapon still in development just happened to be here on this planet out in the open for you to take?" Clank asked, a single finger tapping his lower mandible. "Nah" Ratchet said and swung back over the several hundred meter chasms where destructive robotic minions of the Blarg were sucked up and shot at their fellows. Gates attempted to bar Ratchet from going further towards a building that seemed to be the headquarters for whatever operation was taking place on Eudora. They collapsed like so much paper once battered apart by the combined efforts of Ratchet's Trespasser and lombax intellect. All the while Clank witnessed the destruction and mayhem that Ratchet had to spread alone. To the robot, however he was growing frustrated at needing to put all these troubles on Ratchet. Clank could only let himself be carried and let the lombax put himself on the line. While Clank could now assist Ratchet in reaching areas too high or far for the lombax's natural athleticism to reach. The robot still wished he could do more.
They made their way through the door of the command center for all this planetary destruction. Ratchet leaving behind the scrap of countless war and lumber bots. Clank hopped off the attachment bolt on Ratchet's back and walked side by side with the lombax. Inside was an entire surveillance system involved in inspection over the Blarg project towards Eudora's destruction. Standing tall and wide in military green was a robotic commander of Blarg make. Clank felt the impulse, irrational perhaps but high in priority seizing every byte of his processing power. He needed to do something, anything that could contribute to this mission. Limbs held up threateningly and in a stance to hold his ground, Clank glared with cold hard green optics at the robotic commander. The Blarg follower took one look and fled. Clank turned back to Ratchet who had very quickly returned his Omni-wrench to storage and was trying to look nonchalant. The lombax noticed the robot looking and said "You sure showed him!" The small robot tilted his head, finger to his chin. Something about the lombax's behavior was puzzling to Clank, but with his current naivety he couldn't tell what it was. "I suppose I did" Clank said, and then his antenna beeped in proximity to another info-bot appearing around the consoles from hiding. It approached the pair and began showing the video in its memory banks.
On screen was another Solana citizen attempting to fix a leaking pipe and ending up with sludge in the face.
Drek's voice came through "Is your current occupation leaving a rotten taste in your mouth?" The Blarg leader himself stood onscreen among a backdrop of asteroids and illuminated space. "Then you need to know about BTS - Blarg Tactical Research Station. Hi,
I'm Surpreme Executive Chairman Drek, and we here at BTS are seeking motivated individuals to fill positions in these exciting careers." Said individuals came on screen suffering horrible fates such as grindrail between the legs, explosions from faulty warheads, mutant animals eating their feeding handlers, robots malfunctioning and ripping their repairman limb from limb, a scientist sucking in his colleague into a similar suck cannon that Ratchet found with the kickback knocking the wielder off the testing platform and into thin air. And finally another Solana citizen in the midst of tax paperwork but surrounded by robotic commandos pointing laser pistols at the man, giving off the impression that honest filing wasn't looked well upon by the Blarg company.
Chairman Drek reappeared on the screen with a satisfied smirk on his face. "So call BTS! Build our weapons while you build your future!" The chairman waved, though his greasy smile coupled with the Blarg company's policies revealed just who would be profiting from that future. The scene shifted to that poor sap of a pipe repairman from the commercial's start. "I'm calling BTS today!" He said, dooming himself to a workplace filled with deathtraps and likely from all the money the Blarg were putting into their planet project, low pay and no benefits. Yet as the infobot returned to Clank's storage unit, Ratchet green eyes blazing and wide had this to say. "Now we're talkin'! Did you see all the cool gadgets they were making? Let's go get some!"
Clank turned to the lombax, eyes narrowed with all the authority his several solar cycle existence could muster "No, we must continue our search for Captain Qwark." To the robot's surprise the lombax smiled and shrugged, looking far too cheerful.. "You're absolutely right" Ratchet said. "I am?" Clank questioned, his jaw dropping at the very sight, nay the very sound of the lombax actually agreeing with him like this.
"Sure, we need to find Qwark." Ratchet waved off into the distance, his teeth glinting under the artificial light. "Although when we find him, wouldn't it be nice to tell him where Drek is?" To Clank that seemed entirely logical. Captain Qwark would be able to swiftly respond to the galactic threat if they had the necessary location of Chairman Drek. So Clank admitted that Drek's location would be a reasonable piece of information to have when they found Captain Qwark. "Well," Ratchet went on "we go to the space station and talk to the scientists." The lombax tapped one of the security monitors, showing that the deforestation forces on the planet were now leaving. "They work for Drek, so they're bound to know where he is." Ratchet said. Clank looked skeptical though and stated clearly that sort of logical inference was rather shaky. "Aah, you think too much! Come on, let's go!" Ratchet said but Clank answered that it was probably all about the gadgets for the lombax. "Well they've been helping us get this far right? " To this Clank had to agree. " So don't worry, better we have a gadget when we need it than running back to go looking for it." Clank only said that Ratchet should be more focused on keeping an eye out for Drek or Qwark's whereabouts. It was with that awkward atmosphere that they left the planet.