Chapter 4

The Great Forest of the Kingdom of Acorn

3:43 AM

Maya squinted through the dim red lighting that filled the hovercraft interior to examine Seltic's computer for the dozenth time, her eyes darting from image to image. Frustrated, she handed it back to him and said, "I still can't make much out of this, how do you know Robotnik hasn't found Armadi?"

He rubbed his face in exhaustion and took the computer. "Like I said, this list shows every picture taken by his main GPS satellites over the past three days. For the most part, they're taken at thirty minute intervals, which makes quite a few pictures to sort through, but after looking at the past day and a half, I'm pretty sure he didn't spot us."

"Yes, I know that, but how can you be so sure?"

"Well, for starters, the satellites appear to take samples from random places unless told to do otherwise. Given that, there was only a single picture taken of the forest during the fire, and it had just started at that point. Unless he examined that one specific picture, at that one specific spot, he'd probably never know it even happened."

She raised her hand to her chin and looked over the image, replying, "I think I understand now."

"An awful lot of work just to find out he was completely oblivious," Kyros said to the two from the seats across the passenger compartment.

"We couldn't afford to just sit around and hope that he didn't notice," Maya snapped.

"She's right, I think we did learn something else important," Seltic added.

Maya perked up and glanced over to him. She asked in a distinctive worried tone, "What exactly do you mean?"

"I'm not sure what to make of it, but throughout the last half of yesterday, the satellites were snapping pictures of an area close to Armadi. Clearly, Robotnik thought something important was there."

"What do you think it could be?" Kyros asked.

"At first I wasn't sure, but while it's close to the settlement, it's on the other side of the mountains. I find it unlikely that he was looking for us there. I actually think Robotnik's out there personally snooping around."

"You mean he wasn't even in Robotropolis?" Maya added.

"I don't think so. Usually he or Snively blurt out some dramatic speech about how he's going to catch us and roboticize us, if he finds out we're in the city. Even after being discovered, he never uttered a peep. That, and in the radio chatter across the city, I noticed that the computers were directing security by themselves."

"What could he have been looking for then?"

"He's so unpredictable at times that I couldn't even begin to guess with any certainty, but with a new project of some sort obviously going on, it's probably something to do with it."

"I think we should check it out, it's not too far from here, is it?"

"About eighty kilometers, but it'll take a while to get there through the mountains and forest."

She paused for a moment before standing and walking off toward the cockpit. "We're taking a detour."

"Sir, it's freezing out here! Why don't we just send in the robots and go home?" Snively exclaimed to his rotund uncle.

Robotnik frowned and cut his eyes to him. "Because, Snively, today is a special day. Can't you just smell it in the air?"

Snively grimaced and ducked back down into the transport with a grunt. Robotnik followed shortly, and took a seat at the lone computer console in the compartment.

"All I smell is you, Julian...," Snively muttered as he found a seat away from Robotnik.

"What was that Snively?" the doctor growled, baring his teeth and scowling.

Snively jumped from his seat and grabbed at his shirt collar. "Oh, I uh...," he stammered.

"Save it. I'm in too much of a good mood to be distracted right now. After all, once we're done here we can begin the real work!" He studied the computer screen before him and grinned widely. "And it looks like the excavation and security teams are nearing their targets."

"Well, maybe we'll be out of here by sunup then," Snively whispered to himself.

Robotnik sneered at his nephew before standing. After a moment of glaring at his subordinate, the massive man strolled toward the cockpit with a equally large grin on his face. He stopped at the end of the hallway and bellowed, "Driver! Bring us to a stop here!"

Moments later the sound of the engines slowing was followed by a lurch as the ship prepared to set itself down on the ground. Robotnik clasped his hands together and chuckled. "Ah, yes. So it begins!" he thought aloud. "Computer, open a link with the excavation teams."

After a signal to proceed, he spoke, "This is Dr. Robotnik, what is your status?"

Through the static choked response, he heard, "My lord, we are prepared to begin. However, there are complications that require your input."

He puzzled and asked, "What is it!?"

"We are currently three hundred meters from our target areas, and already we have spotted several residents. It is probable that they will resist, and radio communication is likely to fail once we enter the mountain."

"Inhabitants? Odd how we missed them for so long, considering how close we are to Robotropolis," Snively said.

"Yes. Oh well, the more slaves the better!" he replied. "Security teams, detain anyone you can, but let no one stand in your way. Terminate any who resist."

"Understood, my lord."

The piercing red glow of the eyes of the captain's team blazed through the predawn darkness, faint moonlight glistening across its glossy black metallic skin. The roboticized cat led its followers down from their observation point toward their destination at the mouth of the caves. The infrared signatures of several lifeforms ahead filled their vision, prompting the captain to halt their progress.

"Lord Robotnik wants as many alive as possible, arm your weapons in case of resistance. Aim for extremities to minimize traumatic injury, but do not hesitate to kill any who pose too much of a threat," it signaled the others through its integrated radio. The others replied in turn, signaling their understanding.

With the team prepared, it continued onward, breaking into a jog and ultimately a run. The team followed suit, charging after their commander as they barreled down the slope and toward the unsuspecting creatures below. As the commander had anticipated, they were caught completely by surprise.

"Halt and surrender yourselves to lord Robotnik!" it shouted to the bewildered inhabitants. As the robot drew closer, their forms became more clear. Three bats scrambled over themselves from the confusion, and froze in place as they caught glimpse of the approaching robotic soldiers.

"If you submit yourselves to Dr. Robotnik, you will live under his rule. If you attempt to defend yourselves, or attempt to escape, you will be executed," the roboticized cat continued.

The bats remained silent, trembling in fear. The captain stepped forward and picked one up by her shirt and examined her. She and the others were clearly in poor health and condition, with ragged clothing and apparent malnutrition. The cat opened a radio link with Robotnik and spoke aloud, "My lord, we have detained three bats. They are in poor physical condition, but should be suitable for robiticization."

"Excellent, I am sending a team of SWATbots to hold them, continue into the mountain and clear it out. I can't have anyone getting in my way," he replied.

Satisfied, the robot set her back down and looked to one of her accomplices. As he matched gaze with the machine, he panicked and lost his composure. He turned and bolted away from the gathering towards the opening of the cave. The captain growled and shouted to one of its team members, "Watch these two, the rest of you, follow me!" It then looked to the prisoners and continued, "If you move, you will be killed."

With their presence soon to be known to anyone else in the cave, the nine free roboticized soldiers dropped into a sprint after the runaway. After a moment, the leader raised its arm and brandished an integrated particle beam projector. As the bat came back into view, it lined its weapon up and snapped off several shots. The crack of the particle beams ripping through the air were followed by a shocked shriek as they chewed through his body. He was thrown from his feet by the force of the impacts, and landed in a crumpled heap a short distance away.

The robots slowed to a stop as they approached their victim, and cautiously approached his motionless body. The captain glanced over him and noted the massive bloody crater marring the bat's body. Their victim let out a pained sigh and fell limp where he laid, prompting the commander to signal the others, "He will not live, leave him and follow me into the caves."

Scores of heat signatures flooded the team's vision as they stormed down the tunnel into the mountain. Already the residents were aware of their impending doom, and several of the prior heat sources flared as makeshift laser weapons were discharged. Flashes of light washed out the machines' artificial night vision as the shafts of focused light drilled through the tunnel. The defenders were far outclassed by their attackers, and their untrained shots rarely hit home. The few laser beams that struck the invading robots were far too weak to cause substantial damage, only leaving charred blemishes or chipped paint.

In response the captain directed its team to return fire, preferring limbs and weapons as targets. Five precision energy beam shots stabbed back into the tunnel, felling or disarming the brave but foolish defenders. The commander quickly analyzed the wounds inflicted as they continued into the tunnel network. Two bats laid sprawled out with varying injuries to their bodies, with a third dying from devastating wounds to his vitals lying at the feet of a fourth disarmed but unwounded bat.

The captain stormed up to the cowering boy and pinned him against the wall with its clawed hands. "Are there others? Tell me their locations and you will not be harmed."

He stammered in response and choked on his words before pointing with a trembling finger indirectly down the tunnel path. The captain directed a subordinate to watch the survivors as it continued the trek down into the mountain. As they came across a branching path, it commanded its followers, "Split up and take each path. Search each as well as possible." It pointed to the open tunnel ahead and continued, "I will take this path alone. Proceed."

As the others split up as commanded, the captain took a moment to scan the environment as much as possible. Unsurprisingly, the rock interfered a great deal with most sensors, and only a few scattered heat sources were still apparent. With the almost nonexistent light boosted enough to see, it marched along the path to the only visible exit. Sounds of weapon fire echoed from behind as the others engaged hostile defenders.

Ahead, the captain could hear hurried footsteps and movements as someone prepared to defend themselves. The blurred heat pattern from the room transformed into the image of a young adult bat as the captain entered the room. She backed away from the robot and braced herself against the far wall. As she drew a weapon, she managed to choke out, "What do you want with us? P-Please, just leave us alone."

The roboticizer's mental reprogramming of the captain failed to inhibit a cocky smile as it examined her weapon. Her ancient solid-slug weapon posed absolutely no threat to its armored skin. The robot lowered its guard and repeated its standard response, "Submit yourself to Dr. Robotnik. If you lower your weapon you will live."

She crouched in response and lined the pistol up with its head. With a trembling hand she squeezed the trigger, looking away and closing her eyes as the mechanics within the gun began to click. The captain ignored her display and took a step towards the terrified woman. A moment later the weapon discharged.

The bullet miraculously hit its target, crashing into the captain's head. The robot reeled backwards in surprise as the armor penetrating shell tore into its body, followed by a secondary explosion as the tip of the round detonated. Damaged badly, the robot stumbled backwards, clutching at its shattered eye where the bullet entered its head.

The bat exploited the lull and pulled the trigger a second time. As the old mechanisms clicked again, the captain responded by throwing itself prone to avoid the round. The shot sailed over its shoulder, ricocheting off of the walls of the cave. Startled by the bullet impacting and detonating in the ground in front of her, the bat lost her concentration and cowered against the wall.

Using the moment, the captain fired its laser at her. The beam lanced out and blasted the gun from her hand, causing her to reel back. As she cradled her wounded hand, the robot leaped up and grabbed her by the arm. It snarled at her as it drew her close, and slammed her against the rigid wall. She yelped as she crashed into the wall and was jerked free. With its free hand, the captain formed a fist and landed a blow squarely into her chest.

She stumbled backwards from the impact, gasping for breath. The captain again sneered with satisfaction as she slumped to the ground. With a moment to think freely, the captain slowly scanned the room across several light spectra to complete its mission. The robot glanced at the fallen bat once more and opened a communication link with Robotnik.

Through the badly degraded signal and static, Robotnik impatiently demanded, "What do you want!?"

"My lord, we have apprehended several refugees. The cave appears to be mostly cleared at this point. As you suspected, my sensors have already detected an inordinate amount of radiation."

"...Excellent, bring in the other team to begin excavation immediately. A SWATbot team will be there momentarily to take the survivors in for roboticization."

"I just don't understand it, really," Seltic addressed everyone in the cafeteria after he swallowed another spoonful of ice cream. "It looked like Robotnik had been gone for hours before we got there, and I'm still not sure why he even came."

"Do you think he really was looking for us out there?" Stanley asked as he scooped up some ice cream.

"Well, he probably would have come personally if that was his intention, but overall I don't think so. It looked like there had been some fighting in the caves, but more puzzling is the mining. It seemed that he just took a few tons of rock and left in a hurry."

"Any idea at all what he was looking for? Or why he was in such a hurry?" Maya asked as she handed a bowl of ice cream to Marcus.

"I guess it was important to whatever he's plotting, and he's known to get in a hurry. But as for what he was looking for, I'm really not sure. Normally I'd say he was digging for oil or something, but in the mountains, he'd have to have been looking for a solid ore of some sort. It could have been iron or titanium perhaps, but with such a small amount taken, even that's unlikely."

"Well, I don't like this. We know Robotnik's up to something big, and it just keeps getting stranger," Kyros added.

"We'll figure it out eventually," Sissera offered, "but right now we've got a ton of ice cream to eat, and I don't intend to let Robotnik spoil it!"