Opening File: The Karajor
The flagship of the Glorft fleet in the future and the mothership of the Glorft in the twenty first century, the Karajor is a gigantic warship, holding a crew of over one million Glorft along with an army of mechs, tanks, armed shuttles and other war machines with enough fire power to invade an entire solar system. The Karajor possesses a null-space generator, allowing the ship to enter null-space, a point in between dimensions where the Glorft can affect repairs and maintenance to the ship will plotting their next attack. This warship dwarfs even other advanced warships of the era, easily larger than Megas or the Absolution and it is suspect that the ship itself has an alternate mode: the Eradicator.
Close File
Xxx
"I've mentioned once that we've all been angry before. Some of us let it go, some don't. There's nothing wrong with being angry. It's all in how you deal with it." TOM watched as the files closed. "Anger can be a motivational tool. Rage can hold you back. You have to turn it into something positive. Otherwise, you'll never learn from your mistakes and be angry forever."
Xxx
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Kiva and Jamie both screamed as Megas entered the atmosphere, starting to catch fire from the friction and falling to the planet like a meteorite.
Kiva climbed into the drivers and looked at the controls.
"What are you doing!?" Jamie cried.
"Trying to figure out how to pilot Megas so we don't die!" Kiva said as looked over the controls. "It's no use. I don't even know how Coop's controls operate! This might be it, Jamie."
"Oh Glob please don't let me die!"
"Perhaps I may be able to help."
"Who said that!?" Jamie asked hysterically.
The dashboard screen displayed a red ball of energy with lines going through it. "Greetings I am a fragment of the AI Warmind designated as Rasputin. He uploaded me into Megas when Anastasia contacted you after the EMP in order to predict the Glorft movements but now that your pilot is gone, I will offer my assistance in order to help you pilot the mech."
"PLEASE DO!" Jamie shouted.
"Splendid! Ms. Andru, you possess a neural implant to help you pilot mechs. I've created a neural interface to allow me to share my mind with you. This way you will be able to know how to operate Megas." The fragment said. "While doing this I can also multi-task and fix the teleporter that Mr. Cooplowski made and use it to teleport the base back to its original place on Reach."
"Do it." Kiva said without hesitation.
A cord came out of the dashboard and plugged into Kiva's neural implant. Kiva gasped as in under a second, all of the information on how to pilot Megas through the controls Coop had installed were downloaded into her mind. With Rasputin's AI fragment guiding her she grabbed the steering wheel in both hands and grabbed the throttle, bringing it to 'Avoiding death at the very last second'. Just as Megas was about to impact the surface it pulled up, avoiding crashing into the ground with enough force that Kiva and Jamie would have likely died from the impact and flew back into the air.
"I…I understand how it all works now." Kiva gasped, looking at all of the controls and memorized what each of them did instantly.
When Coop had found Megas and modified it Kiva had been unable to understand how it worked anymore since Coop moved, shuffled and even removed the instruments installed to the point it was a mess trying to understand it all. Now she knew how everything worked in and out, no matter how different it was from the advanced mech she built or crazy it was that any of it worked in the first place.
Jamie let out a sigh in relief, having avoided certain death. "Whoa…That was close."
Kiva looked forward, spotting two Glorft mechs flying at them she took one of the game controllers and successfully took out the mechs with the car's beam lasers.
"Whoa, he wasn't kidding." Jamie said awestruck.
He knew for a fact that Kiva wouldn't have known to do that. He figured that under normal circumstances Kiva would be a wreck if she tried to pilot the mech.
"Rasputin any plans on taking out the Glorft?" Kiva asked.
"The EMP cannon and tractor beam would pose problems. I recommend that you take out the EMP first and then the tractor beam once I have the teleporter working in 15 minutes." The fragment said.
"Good." Kiva said as she narrowed her eyes.
She had been waiting a long time to use Megas against the Glorft to repay them for all the pain and suffering they've caused her. This may be her only chance to do it and now she has to save her home planet.
Xxx
Ana couldn't believe she let the Glorft get the drop on her. She knew she could've taken them and now Coop teleported himself onto the base instead of teleporting the base back to its place on Reach. While she was thankful his invention didn't kill her she was mad that his carelessness got himself captured and probably destroyed his mech along with his friends. Right after Coop was shackled they were both transported to what was likely the Glorft mothership, held in a large room with their arms restrained above their heads and tubes come out of the floor up to their waists, keeping them moving.
With the Glorft now having captured her, Coop and Rasputin she didn't know how things could get...
She noticed something on the back of one of Glorft guards.
It was a rifle.
More specifically her rifle, the Polaris Lance.
"Hey, you." She called to the Glorft.
The guard looked to her. "What do you want human?"
"That's my rifle. Give it back or I'll have to show you my ugly side!" Ana snarled.
"You humans are already ugly." The guard said and then began to laugh and was quickly joined by the rest of his men.
Ana gritted her teeth and began to glow purple. "I said. Give. It. BACK!"
Suddenly a volt of energy traveled through her, shocking her and stopping her from attacking while she cried out in pain.
"Hey!" Coop called out as the shock ended. "What's your deal?"
"Special restraints for our prisoners of war that interface with their neural system." The Glorft guard explained smugly. "Reminds them of how weak they are."
Ana was panting but otherwise was unharmed as she threw a nasty look at the guard. Before she could say anything the door opened and in walked Gorrath, marching up to the two humans and staring at them with an evil look in his red eyes.
"So…" Gorrath started, looking at Coop. "This is the primitive that always thwarts my plans." He poked Coop's stomach. "Not very impressive."
"Yo, I'm right here." Coop retorted.
"Hmm…Clearly limited intelligence." Gorrath stated. "Hideous biological design. Poor motor skills."
"Poor motor skills?" Coop asked, getting the idea he should feel insulted. "Have you been paying attention to the whooping I've been giving you?"
Glorft stepped forward, looking Coop in the eye. "You are the one stain on my perfect record of conquest."
"Then you must have gone up against some pretty lame chumps." Coop said smugly.
Gorrath turned away, stepping a few feet away. "You know nothing! I've led the destruction of enemy species in over one hundred wars!"
The Glorft guards banged their staffs, cheering for their leader.
"Oh yeah?" Coop called out. "I've led the destruction of…lots of stuff. Mostly your robots." He added smugly at the end.
Gorrath looked over his shoulder. "I've conquered over eight systems the universe over!"
Ana looked down at her restraints, taking advantage of the macho contest Coop and Gorrath were having to see if she could work out a way to escape.
"Is that it? I've 'conquered' over eight video game systems in the last month." Coop retorted, now seemingly enjoying himself.
Gorrath marched back up, looking Coop in the face. "I've never been defeated! Never!"
"I don't remember it that way." Coop shook his head.
This time the Glorft guards faltered, seemingly torn between agreeing with Coop and risking the ire of their leader.
Narrowing his eyes, Glorft leaned in closer. "Listen here, monkey man. You and the female will turn over the prototype and the AI and show me how to reactivate the time drive. Then I will subjugate your world and return to my time, a hero. Earth, past, present and future shall belong to the Glorft!"
"I ain't telling you nothing. I've whooped you guys since you showed up and I'm going to do it again this time." Coop retorted.
"Fool!" Gorrath shouted before looking to Ana. "I hope for your sake you are smarter than this fat monkey."
"You can try and intimidate me all you want but you won't get anything out of me." Ana snarled. "And Rasputin will delete itself before serving you."
"You think we can't force an AI in this primitive time to serve us?" Gorrath grinned. "We'll have it reprogrammed in no time. Of course, it will only be after we've torn it apart and put it back together perhaps a thousand times before it's something…Worth using."
Ana narrowed her eyes but said nothing else.
"But since you are both two stupid to accept defeat. You force us to use more extreme methods." Gorrath's grin made Coop flinch while Ana steeled herself for the likely torture that was about to be inflicted on both of them.
Xxx
SMASH!
CRASH!
BOOM!
If Coop and Jamie were to ever imagine Kiva piloting Megas they'd probably laugh. Despite Kiva being an accomplished pilot from the future they were so used to her giving orders from the backseat instead of actually fighting and Coop easily took her and her robots down when they first met her. With the Rasputin fragment supplying her with the knowledge of how to pilot Megas in its configuration after Coop modified it she was not only fighting against the Glorft.
She was winning.
"Wow." Jamie marveled, watching as Kiva destroyed three Glorft mechs with relative ease.
Unlike Coop who fought brutally, utilizing combo moves he had picked up from playing countless video games, Kiva was able to have Megas preform various forms of martial arts, ranging from Muay Thai, Capoeira, Tae-Kwan-Do to Karate and Boxing. She even utilized the Light Gun Blaster to shoot the mechs that opted to stay at a safe distance.
It was almost like she and Coop had switched seats.
"Nice." Jamie admitted after Kiva had Megas blast through another batch of mechs before regaining his composure. "I mean, not bad…I hope Coop's okay."
"Me too." Kiva admitted before looking at the dashboard. "Rasputin, where's the Glorft mothership?"
"Moving away from the Reach. It's possible with Ana and Mr. Cooplowski as hostages they believe their work here is done. The base is already onboard their ship and they appear to be on a direct course for Earth."
"All right." Kiva opened the glove box, finding the nav computer inside. "Plotting a course after the mothership."
Megas took off into the sky, breaking the atmosphere in a matter of minutes.
Xxx
"AH! OOOH!" Coop moaned pathetically as Gorrath placed a mega-slushy in front of him.
"You want this?" Gorrath laughed evilly.
"You slimy green suck up!" Coop snapped.
"Tell me how to activate the prototype's time drive." Gorrath demanded.
Coop shook his head. "No way!"
Gorrath raised a fist and slammed it down on the slushy.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Coop whimpered and let out an anguished cry, stopping when Gorrath held something in front of him. "A philly cheesesteak? Oh man. That's low!"
Gorrath opened his mouth and took a bit of the cheesesteak, swallowing and letting out a pleased hum with a satisfied smile.
To Coop it was a personal insult.
"I'll remember this." Coop said with narrowed eyes and a mean glare. "When I'm back in my bot."
"Give me the information to pilot the prototype!" Gorrath bellowed.
"No! No one pilots Megas but me!" Coop refused.
Gorrath gritted his teeth before looking at Ana Bray. "And what shall we use to break you?"
"A lot more than food." Ana retorted.
"I believe this will work." The guard holding Ana's rifle came up and held it out to Gorrath. "She seems to have sentimental value to it."
"Really?" Gorrath grinned as he took the rifle into his hand. "I wonder how she'd feel if we were to take it apart then."
Ana's eyes narrowed and they flashed purple. "You do that and I'll tear you apart slowly from the inside."
"Or maybe…" Gorrath aimed the rifle at Ana's head. "I should use it to terminate you both here and now myself."
Coop then got an idea. "Hey, squid? You want to really tear us apart, don't you?"
"Oh, you have no idea." Gorrath answered, his index finger lightly pushing on the trigger.
"So how about you take us on like a real fighter? You, me, Ana and whatever chump you pick in a two on two match." Coop proposed.
Ana looked at Coop while Gorrath considered the idea, lowering the rifle. She was about to ask what he was doing when she heard a sound in the speakers.
"Idite vmeste s yego planom. Zaymite ikh kak mozhno dol'she.(Translation: Go along with his plan. Keep them busy for as long as you can.)"
Gorrath looked up at the speakers. "What was that?"
One of the Glorft did a system's check. "It seems to be an error, Warmaster."
"Make sure it doesn't interrupt us again." Gorrath snarled. "I have a proposition to consider."
But Ana knew better.
It was Rasputin, speaking to her in Russian. He must have interfaced with the Glorft's systems and sent her message to play along.
Does that mean Rasputin had a plan but needed time?
"A chance to brutally squeeze the life out of you sounds intriguing." Gorrath grinned. "Go on."
"So up for it? Or you too afraid to fight without a big robot?" Coop asked.
Gorrath handed the rifle back to the guard. "All right, Earther. Since you want to die like a warrior I'll grant you this. But let's make it interesting. If we win, you turn over the prototype and the AI will submit to us."
"Sounds fair." Coop shrugged. "And if we win?"
"If you somehow win, which you won't we'll release you and the AI." Gorrath answered confidently.
"Sounds like a deal to me." Coop looked at Ana. "What about you? Want to get in on this?"
"Seems I have little choice." Ana glared at the guard holding her rifle. "I choose him to be my opponent."
"It matters little." Gorrath chuckled. "Release them and take them to the sparring chamber. I hope you're ready to die a warrior's death, Earthers."
Coop and Ana's restraints were removed, freeing them and allowing them to stretch their limbs. Once freed the Glorft guards escorted them out of the cell, taking them to the room where they would be fighting.
"You sure this will work?" Ana asked. "There's no way they'll let us go, even if we win."
"Relax. We just need to keep them busy until we get a plan to escape. Besides, I know you want a piece of them." Coop said assuredly.
Well, he wasn't wrong about that.
"Besides, this could be fun."
Ana rolled her eyes. "I hope this plan goes better than your last one."
"Don't worry. This one is different."
"How?"
"It's going to work." Coop answered simply.
Xxx
"Looks like Rasputin was right. The Karajor's on a direct course for Earth." Kiva said, bringing up the navigational display on the dashboard computer.
"Say Kiva, now that you know how to pilot Megas again does this mean…" Jamie trailed off.
"Mean what?" Kiva pressed for an answer.
"That you'll want to keep it and be the one to pilot all the time?" Jamie finished. "Because you know Coop will never stand for it. I think this is one of those things he'd actually die before letting it happen."
"You think I'm petty enough to just say I don't need Coop anymore thanks to Rasputin?" Kiva asked, sounding insulted.
"Well the whole point of you sending this robot back in time in the first place was so you could take out the squids. The only reason you even trained Coop in the first place was because he messed it all up for you." Jamie pointed out. "For all I know you'd want to keep the AI and Megas so you could get back to the future."
"Jamie, because you're Coop's best friend and because you are worried about him I'm not going to take offense to the fact you implied I would simply abandon Coop and take off with Megas. Yes, it's true because of the AI fragment I can pilot Megas again and maybe it can help me fix the time drive so I can get back to the future and beat the Glorft once and for all but do you want to know what's stopping me from doing that?" Kiva asked stoically.
"What?"
"I'm not like the Glorft." Kiva answered, her voice now having a cold tone to it with her eyes focus forward but Jamie had the feeling her gaze was aimed right at him and that made him shiver. "I don't exploit people for their skills or resources and I don't abandon people I consider friends. Yes, Coop pretty much tore my robot apart and rebuilt it to the point I couldn't recognize it anymore and yes he broke my time drive stranding me here. You are both so annoying and immature to the point I can't believe Earth made it past the twenty first century but at the same time Coop has kept Earth from being destroyed by the Glorft and so many other threats since I got here and no matter how much damage he causes he's still…a good person. I know if we were held captive on the Glorft ship he'd come and save us and he'd do it because he considers us friends and I'd do the same for one simple reason."
"Okay…" Jamie said slowly. "What is that?"
"I consider him a friend too." Kiva side-glanced at Jamie. "You and I don't get along, Jamie. You consider me overbearing and bossy while I consider you weak, selfish and cowardly."
"Hey." Jamie protested quietly. "No need to rub it in."
"And somehow, some miraculous way no one thought possible I consider both of you my friends. I don't have a lot of friends in the future, just comrades." This time Kiva looked at Jamie. "So don't ever question my loyalties again, Jamie. I don't run out on my friends and even if I can pilot Megas again I'd never force Coop to sit in the back. Megas is now his as much as it is mine and I'd never force him to give it up. So are you satisfied and are we cool?"
Jamie gulped and held up his hands. "We're cool, Kiva. We're cool. I just…You know…"
"I know." Kiva adjusted the throttle. "I know."
Xxx
Coop and Ana stood on small platforms that rose up, taking them into what looked like a stadium. In the center was a wrestling ring with a force field projected from the posts. The stands were packed with Glorft, many of them watching eagerly for the fight that was about to commence. The shackles binding their hands deactivated, allowing them to flex their wrists as they looked around.
The watching Glorft began booing at them, many of them holding signs that said 'Earthers stink', 'Kick them in the jorblocks' and many other taunts and insults. There were even Glorft vendors selling food and drinks.
Above the stadium a Glorft announcer made its way to the microphone. "Attention all Glorft. Standing before us today is a rare treat. Two Earthers will fight for their lives against our own Warmaster, GORRATH!"
Gorrath and the guard that held Ana's rifle rose up onto the arena floor in the same manner Coop and Ana did. Both Glorft had shed their armor, revealing the inner grey combat suits underneath but that mattered little. Both Glorft were much bigger and more muscular than the Humans and Ana could tell that they had spent years training and fighting in countless wars.
'One hundred wars if Gorrath was telling the truth.' Ana reminded herself.
Gorrath lifted up his arms, raising his fists into the air as the Glorft in the audience cheered.
A light shined down on him from above, making the attention all the sweeter as he looked at Coop. "This is going to be enjoyable. I hope you don't die too quickly on me, Earther scum."
"I might from the smell." Coop waved a hand in front of his nose. "Sheesh, there's a thing called soap. You hear of it in the future?"
Gorrath growled, clenching his fists and cracking his neck. Coop stepped forward, deciding to go first while Ana hung back, watching the guard that stared at her. Coop spread his feet out until they were shoulder length, turning his toes outward and lowered his body until his thighs were parallel to the floor. Ana was surprised as she watched Coop take a sumo stance.
From her earlier interactions she didn't think Coop was much of a fighter outside of Megas. Gorrath paid no mind as he and Coop stared each other down.
"And now…Let the carnage…BEGIN!" The announcer said, a belling ringing to signal the start of the fight.
Gorrath started first, letting out a battle cry as he reared a fist back and slammed it into Coop's face. A yellow Aura shimmered, seemingly taking the blow but Gorrath was far from deterred. Gorrath followed up with a series of brutal punches, focusing on the face and the stomach and Coop seemed unable to block or dodge. Finally Gorrath uppercut Coop, sending him flying into the air and slamming into the force field around the arena.
Coop fell to the ground, appearing to be unconscious. The Glorft in the audience cheered while Gorrath raised his fists in victory. "Foolish Earther! Not even a minute has passed and you thought you could fight me?! No human can contend with me!"
"Want to bet?" Ana asked coldly, deciding to step in.
"Oh come on. I haven't even begun." A voice stopped Ana and Gorrath in their tracks as they looked to see Coop getting up, dusting himself as he stood up and looked otherwise unharmed.
"What?! Impossible!" Gorrath shouted in complete shock.
"You call those punches? Man, I wouldn't felt them even without Aura." Coop laughed. "Granny Coop hits harder than you and she uses a wheel chair these days."
Gorrath snarled at the insults Coop was throwing at him.
"My turn!" Coop said before rushing forward. "WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Gorrath let loose another punch but to his shock Coop batted away and launched a punch of his own right into Gorrath's face. The Glorft Warmaster was knocked off his feet and sent flying into the force field wall on his side. The Glorft guard watched in stunned silence as Gorrath slide down to the ground, stunned from the blow.
Meanwhile Coop blew on his fist and whipped on it on his shirt as he glanced at the surprised Ana. "What? You didn't think I could fight?"
Ana stuttered a bit. "We-Well, I-"
"Ah, I don't blame you. But when you have a grandma who graduates from Lucha Academy and spend endless hours watching wrestling you pick up a few things." Coop shrugged.
"Your grandmother was a student from Lucha Academy?" Ana asked, now very surprised but her Huntress training could see the fighter in Coop now.
It was obvious from how he moved and fought that he took the bulk of the enemy's attacks, enduring it until they dropped their guard and then he fought back with immense strength and power.
"This is why you dared them to fight you in a match like this!" Ana realized. "You wanted them to fight you on your home turf!"
"Well, it sounded better than being tortured and waiting for someone to come save us…If anyone will save us." Coop shrugged before looking back at Gorrath who got back up and glared at the insolent Earth with immense rage. "So, squid. Had enough?"
Gorrath was feeling something in his mouth and a second later he spat out a tooth. "Don't get cocky, Earther. You only caught me off guard with a lucky shot. Now you're about to see why I've never lost a battle, with or without a mech!"
And with that Gorrath charged forward again, letting a battle cry as he planned on beating the insolent Earthers to death.