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"Stop it noob."
"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
"Spaz, you REALLY need to *SHAKOOM!* STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!"
"HA HA! DRIVE! DRIVE! AS FAST AS YOU CAN! YOU CAN'T CATCH— *SHZZZZZZZZOOooo* oh."
What is going on here? No, it's not your typical MW3 or COD conversation, there's a hint in the last sentence, can you find it?
If you guessed that it had something to do with tanks, then you're correct. Spaz, Shocker, Grudmun, Snip, Keel and Cy, to be precise. (See what I did there?) It had almost 85 years since their original creation, and had spent most of those years in the Combat Simulation Annex, blowing each other up. The weapons they used were all part of the simulation, so they weren't permanently damaged. Those words: "Awaken the Master." Were the last things on everyone's cybernetic mind, except Cy's. Cy had been pondering them for the last 84 years, to no avail, as such, Cy wasn't really focusing on the combat, and most often would just go hide in a secret area to think in peace. Today had sparked a new idea into Cy's metaphorical head.
"Maybe the database will have something on this 'Master'" Cy had thought while hiding.
"Spaz! Stop noob-tubing!" Shouted Grudmun when the simulation ended, revealing the Annex's empty black and white gridded surface.
"It's a perfectly valid strategy!" Spaz retorted in its high pitched mechanical voice.
"True, it shows you have no skill!" Snip added, glaring at Spaz.
"Cool your converters!" Cy ordered, turning the 5 vehicles of destructions' attention to it. "You remember back when we were built? That cryptic message?"
"Yeah, 'Awaken the Master' or something like that, why?" Keel replied, intrigued.
"I think I know how to figure out what that message meant." Cy continued. "We can check the database, see what it has on it."
"Just one problem." Shocker began, "Why do we care?"
"Aren't you the least bit interested?" Cy asked.
"Just as much as the next TANC, but I still don't think of it as something to freak out over." Shocker answered, rolling it's eyes. The others decided that it wasn't much trouble to just go and check. The six deadly and intelligent weapons exited the Annex, and entered the Shockbot main storage, on Yellow Storage Level, where the dormant Shockbots are kept.
"Let's check the Factory Annex, that must be where an interface of some kind would be." Cy reasoned aloud, leading it's 5 misfit friends towards the large elevator. There was another elevator, but it was much, much too small for them to even think of fitting. When they arrived at the Factory Annex, there was indeed an interface. A very small interface...
"Any more ideas?" Shocker asked sarcastically.
"Shh." Cy replied absentmindedly, as it was trying to form an idea that would allow the access of the terminal.
"Wait..." Cy drove closer, and the terminal activated, the interface holographically suspended above it.
"Search: Master" Cy said aloud, and the terminal brought up a single entry, which Cy began to read to the others.
"[ERROR] years ago, this planet was experiencing the first of its two "ice ages". At the time, no sentient life existed on the planet, except for [MASTER]— Huh." Cy paused to consider this. "This 'Master''s real name has been edited out...
"What happens ne-ext!" Spaz whined, anxious to find out what occurred next.
"Zip it noob." Keel ordered, giving Spaz an angry stare. Keel only referred to Spaz as "noob" as it didn't like Spaz much. Cy ignored them, and returned to reading the entry.
"...except for [MASTER], an [ERROR], a race of telepathic and telekinetic beings that live for thousands of years, who's ship had crashed here. In his ship were his entire family, including his newborn daughter. The experience caused him to contract amnesia, and he believed that this empty planet was his property. He built himself a large palace from the ship parts. After several years, [MASTER] froze solid in his throne, leaving him incapable of moving, but still able to perceive his environment. He was still able to telepathically communicate, but nothing was on the planet for him to communicate with. For several hundred years, he sat there. Something about the ice prevented it from melting, so he was never able to move again. Near the end of the first ice age, [MASTER] was surprised to find that sentient life was appearing, bizarrely advanced. It seemed as if they just, appeared. The beings in question were miniature winged equines, with disproportionately large ice-blue eyes with nearly every color excepting their blood, pupils, irises, etc. were shades of white. They also had two horns that curled back. Eventually, the creatures found him frozen solid on his throne. But one of them, a female approaching adolescence, was the first to discover [MASTER], and the first that he had spoken to. He asked her what her name was, but the female being responded with fear, as she was hearing his voice directly in her head. Attempting to calm the her down, he gave her instructions on how to enter his snow covered palace. Once inside, he and she were able to commune face to face. The stark white female creature revealed her name to be ["SLAVE" IS THE ONLY NAME I NEED.]— What the..!?" Cy exclaimed, utterly bewildered.
"Oh Fr'ij, that's messed up!" Grudmun shouted in disgust, shuddering. (?)
"Ze plot, she thickens." Snip said seriously in a mock French accent. After some more remarks from the others, Cy continues.
"Where was I... Oh yes here.— as well as what her race refers to itself as: Cryaquines. [MASTER] explained that he was ruler of this planet, and [SLAVE] was surprised at his claim, but believed him, and accepted him as her ruler. After several minutes of conversation, [SLAVE] expressed desire to go home, and [MASTER] gives her leave, but makes her swear to return the following day. [SLAVE] swears and leaves. The following day, [SLAVE] returns, bringing with her a small book, which she reads aloud to [MASTER] every day for two months. When the book is completed, [MASTER] gives [SLAVE] a reward for entertaining her sovereign, a golden collar. [SLAVE] was thankful. [MASTER] explained the collar would allow her to act as a vessel for [MASTER'S] consciousness. [SLAVE] felt honored to serve her sovereign in such a way. [MASTER] tested the collar by transferring his consciousness from his body to the collar. It worked perfectly, and [SLAVE] headed back home, [MASTER'S] voice constantly in her head. [MASTER] was surprised to find that his subjects were prospering in the frigid climate, and seemed to be immune to intense cold, but vulnerable to warmer temperatures. [SLAVE] was an orphan, whose parents had died in an industrial accident. [DATA MISSING]:- All Cryaquines accepted him as their sovereign. For many years, the Cryaquines prospered, extending their borders to the edge of the sea, bringing back tales of snow-white bears, flightless birds, and massive glaciers. They had cities on land, in the air, and even one on the side of a mountain. (Modern day Canterlot.)—What?" Cy stopped again and frowned. (?)
"'Modern day Canterlot'? So there is a city somewhere called that right now? Interesting. I would like to meet these Cryaquines, they seem friendly enough."
"And very subservient." Added Keel.
"Hey! There's some kind of creature telling us to be its subjects! Sounds fun!" Keel continued in a fake voice to illustrate.
Cy continued, noticing that it seemed to take a bit of a nasty turn, "Then the ice age began to end. The warmer climate forced the Cryaquines to evacuate their cities until only those at the tops of mountains remained, including the one near where [MASTER'S] palace was located, but the promised to return when they could. Only one stayed behind, [SLAVE]. She knew that [MASTER] had been alone for hundreds of years, and she couldn't just leave him. The warmer temperatures caused her to almost die, but [MASTER] kept her alive by telekinetically surrounding her in ice, but it was only enough to keep her from instant death. The heat caused her brain to forget things vital to her survival, such as eating. [MASTER] had to telekinetically feed her, which was easy enough. Then she forgot how to breathe, and [MASTER] had to force the air in and out of her lungs. Then [MASTER] noticed that more lifeforms had appeared. The lifeforms were all also equine, and divided into 3 "factions", or races. One faction/race possessed wings, power over the weather, and the ability to walk and live on and in clouds, and are referred to by the other two factions/races as the Pegasi. (Pegasus:- Singular.). The second faction/race consisted of culturally oriented ones that also possessed horns, and using these horns, allows them to physically alter the natural world, and are referred to as the Unicorns. (Unicorn:- Singular.) The third had no genetic augmentations and was by far the largest in population, and are known as "Earth Ponies". (Earth Pony:- Singular.) Strangely, this faction/race seemed to produce the largest and strongest in physical size and ability. A strange cycle of dominance resided between the 3 factions/races, the Earth Ponies provided food for the other two, in return for the Pegasi keeping the weather amiable. It is unclear exactly what the second faction/race provided in exchange for food, perhaps knowledge? The 3 factions/races were quite far away, from [MASTER], so he ignored them. When the second ice age, or rather, a very long and cold winter, arrived, [SLAVE] was finally able to move again and the Cryaquines returned as the colder temperatures allowed them to return to their cities and for [SLAVE] to exit the ice cage, for lack of a better word. For some reason, her personality drastically changed. She [ERROR- DATA MISSING]— thus referring to [MASTER] as "Master" and herself as "Slave". [MASTER] didn't seem to acknowledge this, as he had something else worrying him. In the event of his death, what would happen to his subjects? They would descend into anarchy, and destroy themselves, he needed an heir." Cy read ahead a bit, and nearly blew a circuit!
"OHUG... That is disturbing!" Cy exclaimed.
"What? What is it?" Spaz queried in an excited tone.
"Something very strange and freaky. Uhg!" Cy replied.
"Well that answers absolutely nothing." Keel commented flatly.
"It's really strange," Cy began,
"—he needed an heir. So he attempted to artificially impregnate-:[MASTER HURT ME, BUT I WANTED IT, I WANTED TO FEEL THAT PAIN, THAT RIPPING AND TEARING OF MY FLESH. MY ONLY REGRET WAS THAT I WASN'T ABLE TO PRODUCE HIS HEIR.]" Cy turned to see the reactions of the other 5, each and every one where making loud comments about how that was sickening, horrible, twisted, disturbing, and utterly nutty. I won't put them here as most contained profanity.
"This must have been edited by 'Slave'." Cy reasoned, shuddering, but continued from where it left off.
":-unable to produce offspring. [MASTER] had no choice but to pursue Project iS.3, [DATA MISSING] The 1000+ failed impregnations seemed to have a lasting effect on [SLAVE'S] DNA, allowing her to survive in warmer temperatures, extended lifetime, as well as minor telepathic abilities. E.g. transmission of simple feelings, as well as reading other's current emotional status. The Cyraquines once more had to evacuate to the tops of their mountains for the warm season, a task made easy thanks to high level technology, but [MASTER] noticed that the land area where 3 faction/races was only getting colder, and the Earth Ponies' crops would not grow, and they each blamed each other for it. [MASTER] guessed that the foolish creatures must not understand the cycle of cold to hot that habitable planets experienced every million years or so. The 3 factions/races each independently decided to seek out a new land that wasn't "trapped in a cold cycle", and the 3 factions/races spread out towards [MASTER'S] location. When they arrived, the cold seemed to be following them, rather strange. Then the expedition parties, which consisted of each of the 3 factions'/races' leaders and their assistants, got themselves trapped in a cave, but were somehow able to unite and escape, which seemingly in turn warmed the entire land area. To [MASTER] infuriation, the lifeforms claimed the Cyraquines' cities they had left for the warm season for their own. When the winter of that year arrived, the Cyraquines returned in massive teleporters in the middle of their cities, and were slaughtered. Only a few escaped back to their refuge on the mountains. [MASTER] was enraged, and swore revenge for the dead Cyraquines. But before Project IS.3 could be enacted, the 3 factions, now united, attacked his palace and [DATA MISSING]:- [SLAVE] took [MASTER'S] conscienceless into the collar and escaped. [MASTER'S] body was destroyed, but his soul escaped. [SLAVE] imputed his soul into the Darkbot chassis, and there he lay dormant until a time to strike back could be found.
:–END OF FILE"
"Holy Fr'ij. That's some deep stuff!" Shocker exclaimed when Cy had finished.
"Yeah! Those 3 races just up and killed almost all the Cyraquines! Bloody murderers!" Grudmun put in angrily. Keel had other thoughts.
"That doesn't tell us how to wake up this "Master", and what about that "Slave" character? Do you think she might have been the one to build us?"
"It's possible." Spaz reasoned.
"Where's the Control Annex? That might be where "Slave" is." Snip asked Cy, but the interface brought up a map before Cy could question it.
"At the L-Green Storage! Let's go!" Without another word, the 6 TANCs quickly boarded the elevator, and went down to the bottom level. When they arrived, the weren't surprised to find a certain Cyraquine, fast asleep in the Control Annex.
"Hello?" Cy asked, trying to wake up "Slave". She didn't stir, but she was alive.
"OI! WAKE UP YA' SNOWFLAKE!" Spaz shouted into the Control Annex, gaining it angry comments from the other 5, but still "Slave" slept on.
"I don't think she can hear us." Cy reasoned aloud.
"Oh yeah..." Spaz said. "I forgot we were just masses of intelligent metal."
"You're more than that." All 6 TANCs froze in place as the calm, and smooth voice bounced through their auditory preceptors.
"You're Master's tools to exact justice upon those who sit in his throne, ruling his planet." All 6 turned to look at Slave who was suddenly standing upright, wide awake.
"Have you read the entry?" She asked. The TANCs didn't know how to reply, so they stayed silent.
"I can hear you, Master gave me gifts when he hurt me, one of which is reading your minds, even if they are electronic ones."
"You made it sound like something you enjoyed in the file." Snip stated.
"I did enjoy it, every second of excruciating pain." Slave clarified, a strange smile creeping its way onto her lips. Snip winced and shuddered.
"I understand your repulsion, but if you had been me, you would understand." Slave said, the strange smile growing.
"I don't doubt it." Snip replied, trying hard not to imagine.
"Our Master is beneath us, and there's a passageway leading down. It's over here." Slave said, exiting the control annex, and walking to the far end of the room.
"He's YOUR Master, but he's OUR King." Cy said to Slave. (The "OUR" refers to the 6 TANCs BTW.) Slave nodded in response, and pulled a lever on the side of a rockface, which in turn opened a large passageway big enough for even the TANCs.
"Spaz," Slave began, turning to it.
"Eh?" Spaz answered.
"Did you really akin me to a snowflake?" She giggled, as she said this. Spaz suddenly disappeared down the passageway, in the blink of an eye. (CANON SHIPPING!?) The 5 that remained had a good laugh before they too headed down the dark passageway, which closed behind them. Slave was now all alone, again. She slumped against the way, shivering not from cold, but from the lack of sound. Her eyes darted from Cyborg to Cyborg waiting for them to suddenly wake up, and drive to surface armed with weapons of destruction.
"Why so quick to leave Spaz? You can't give a girl a compliment and then leave." Grudmun teased when they caught up to him.
"Shut up." Spaz grunted.
"It seems he's a noob at more than war." Keel teased, laughing.
"I was just trying to wake her up!" Spaz shouted, quite flustered.
"Are you sure that's ALL you had on your mind?" Keel whispered.
"SHUT UP!" Spaz repeated dashing ahead again, which the others laughed at. The passageway continued downward and to the left for quite some time, and as they went down, it got hotter and hotter. When they reached the bottom, the passageway opened up into a large circular room. But what stood out was the large pure black cube in the middle of the room. The ceiling was nonexistent, and extended up seemingly forever.
"What is that?" Shocker asked, staring at the black cube.
"It's the Darkbot, and it must contain "Master's" soul, but how do we activate it?" Cy said, not noticing the small terminal on the wall.
"With this most likely." Spaz said, approaching the terminal, and activating it. Suddenly, the Darkbot began to move, the sides opened and two pairs of treads extended out on both sides, the front peeled back to reveal a screen, with two electronic red eyes slapped on it. the eyes blinked, and looked at the 6 TANCs, but remained silent. The room suddenly began to move upward at an alarming rate. The Darkbot continued expanding, armor plating extended outward, covering the tops of the bare treads. Two long gun barrels folded out of the rotating turret, and swung around to point forward. As the massive elevator climbed even higher, glass windows showed the trillions of TANCs, dormant no more, load up on weapons, and head to the surface, and Cy just barely made out a white blob on the L-Green Storage level before they passed it. Two antennae extended up from the back of the massive Darkbot, and the entire vehicle began to mechanically whine as wires and pipe attached themselves to various parts of the machine, and crackled with electricity. Cy looked up and saw large doors open up, to reveal a blue sky, large clouds floating around, a peaceful sight. Then a Mega Mortar sailed over the hole, obliterating something on the other side. The Darkbot wasn't finished, 3 MORE barrels extended outward, making a line of 8, 4 on each side, with 2 more on top, making 10! The elevator stopped and the 6 TANCs were greeted with a truly destructive sight, BILLIONS of Spazbots, Shockbots, Killbots, all of them were firing huge amounts of payload at the technicolored equines, destroying hundreds with every shot. The Spazbots were mostly running them over and shooting each other by mistake, the Shockbots led the attack launching cluster bombs and nukes high into the air, before they slammed into the ground with huge explosions following, much to the delight of the Shockbots. The Sniperbots were hanging back, taking careful aim with simple mortars and hedgehogs. The Grudgebots were also leading the attack alongside the Shockbots, laughing maliciously as they fired all manner of weapons randomly, not caring to take aim as long as the weapons killed something. The Killbots wore skillfully targeted those trying to escape the carnage, and rarely missed. The Cyborgs? They were using tactics from the other 5 kinds, sometimes planting shots that none of the others could compute.
"Yeah! I'mma' going to kill some things!" Grudmun shouted, and attempted to shoot at a cyan one, but realized it had no ammo.
"Dang it!" Grudmun grumbled, instead crushing the creature with its treads. Then a voice echoed through each and every one of their heads:
"Combat..." The Darkbot loaded 10 Shiva Bombs as every TANC turned its guns to the mountain castle, and...
"Initiate." TRILLIONS of missiles, rockets, bombs, bullets, nukes, and mortars launched, heading straight for the castle that was once inhabited by the Cyraquines, now occupied by those invaders. Impact was inevitable, every TANCs' aim was true and steady, the weapons primed, warheads charged, and...
That was it.
iS.3
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iShoot 3
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