Kirby and the Rod of Darkness

Chapter 18: In Good Company

Note: I've never actually played Kirby: Planet Robobot myself. I have done research on that game, however, so I used what I learned to write this to the best of my ability.


"This is the technology company known as the Haltmann Works Company. Previously owned by the late Max Haltmann, who led a mechanization project across the Gamble Galaxy. His daughter Susanna 'Susie' Haltmann now runs the company with the intention of promoting peaceful and happy lives." This was the information Mirrobo gave Shadread through his computer upon arriving at Susie's headquarters.

Shadread was a bit surprised by the familiar name. "Susie? Come to think of it, I did notice that one member of the group bore a striking resemblance to...Parallel Susie!" he turned to face the red-haired girl herself, who was standing behind him, "Are you and this woman related?"

"In a sense we are, but not by blood," she answered, "You see, I originated from negative thoughts and feelings she had at some point in her life. I may not be the original, but we all know I'm far superior regardless."

"Does not compute," Mirrobo remarked, "It is not biologically possible."

"That's what I thought but, it happened somehow. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some training to do." With that, Parallel Susie turned to leave.

Meanwhile Kirby, Magolor, Taranza, and Susie had arrived at the Haltmann Works Company (HWC) headquarters. It was basically a large spaceship capable of moving to other planets when necessary, looking a lot like the original HQ. And while Susie could have easily come by herself using the Business Suit, her three friends wanted to come along so they had all come in the Lor Starcutter.

"I appreciate your coming with me to the company headquarters," Susie told Kirby, Magolor, and Taranza as they entered the spaceship. Actually, she was thrilled to have their company because sometimes she got a little bit lonely. Though she technically wasn't alone because she had her workers, being the only organic member of the company meant she spent most of her time around robots. They accompanied her to the best of their ability, but it still wasn't quite the same.

The first room the four of them went through was a hall, which Kirby could tell was much safer than that of the previous HQ. Gone were the hostile robots and the photos of a stern-looking Max Haltmann (or as he was more commonly known, President Haltmann or simply Haltmann). Instead, there was a single photo of Susie on the wall.

A right turn from there led to a type of office containing a desk and chair, with a laptop on the desk and a few cabinets to the side. This was where Susie did some of her work and everything was neat and tidy...well, almost everything. As soon as everyone came in the doorway, it was obvious something was amiss; small robots were lying motionless all over the place. "Just as I feared," Susie sighed, "Everyone is in need of a recharge."

"I guess that's a robot's way of sleeping on the job," Magolor said.

Kirby, Magolor, and Taranza helped Susie take all the robot workers into the lab where machinery was built and repaired. As they were hooked up to the recharge station, one by one the workers reactivated. "It is good to see you again, Ms. Haltmann," one of them addressed their builder, "You mysteriously disappeared and we looked all over for you. Regardless, we kept up our work until we ran out of charge." (Susie was technically the president now, but no one ever referred to her as such. She preferred to be called by her name.)

"I must apologize for my unexplained absence," she answered, "I've been on an important mission with some friends. Not to worry, you're all good to go now! Let's get back to work, shall we?"

"Yes ma'am!" a chorus of monotone voices rang out, and all the robots filed out of the lab.

"They really are such good workers, aren't they?" Susie said cheerfully before turning to Kirby, "And Pinky, you won't have to worry about Haltmann robots attacking you anymore like the previous set did. I programmed these ones to only attack those who try to harm me or the company." It was clear that the new robots were mostly focused on their work rather than being a threat, even if they looked just like the old ones. For that, Kirby was very glad.

Now that the workers were up and about again, Kirby, Magolor, and Taranza decided to look around a bit while Susie went back to the office to take care of a few things. The three visitors found that part of the HQ was dedicated to business; the other part served as a living space for Susie, since this was also her home.

Everything went smoothly until Kirby, Magolor, and Taranza came to an exercise room (which Susie hadn't needed recently, as she'd been getting plenty of exercise chasing after Rods of Darkness). Kirby was curious about a treadmill in the center of the room, so he hopped onto it to get a closer look...but in doing so, he accidentally pressed the button to turn it on. Suddenly he found himself having to run fast to avoid falling off. "Help! Somebody turn this thing off!" he yelled after a few seconds.

Taranza came over and pushed the button to turn the treadmill off, resulting in Kirby falling to the floor. "Wow Kirby, I didn't know you liked to exercise on treadmills," Magolor said when he joined the other two a moment later.

Kirby was too breathless to answer him, but if he could say something it would have been, "Did I look like I was enjoying myself?"

When Kirby, Magolor, and Taranza rejoined Susie in the office, they found her seated at the desk using her laptop. "I can't believe I forgot about my work for so long," she was saying, "Now I'm drowning in emails!" But then her expression brightened. "Look, here's one Magolor sent me right before our adventure began!" The others came over to see, although Kirby had to climb on Magolor's head since he was too short to get a good view. On the laptop screen was an email from the mischievous mage himself...containing an image of him wearing a Susie mask. Susie laughed at the sight. "You always know how to make me laugh, Magolor!"

After everyone had a good laugh, Kirby decided to ask his friend something he was wondering about. "Susie, I was wondering...do you like your job?"

"Absolutely! I've always been fascinated by technology, and I get to help others as my dad would have wanted...before he lost his memories." At those words the pink-haired lady looked a bit sad, but she continued, "Admittedly, the company isn't as active as it was under his lead because I've been through so much already, I don't want to put too much stress on myself. But I still do what I can, such as helping the three of you find the Rods of Darkness."

"Perhaps the hardest part of my job is the fact that some people still don't trust the Haltmann name. After the whole mechanization project I can't say I blame them, but I would like to make it up to them somehow. I can't exactly help them if they won't allow me to." Kirby remembered the mechanization project, along with the rest of Susie's sad story…

Pres. Haltmann, her father, was once a good man with an interest in technology who wanted to use the HWC to provide resources to planets in need. He loved his work, but he loved his daughter more than anything else. However, everything changed one fateful day when an accident occurred during an experiment involving an ancient computer called Star Dream; Susie, only a little girl at the time, was sent to Another Dimension as a result.

Haltmann, believing she had died, was so overcome with grief that he tried to use Star Dream to bring her back, but the mechanical menace did not grant his wish. Instead it erased his memories and good qualities until he became greedy, selfish, and only concerned with his own prosperity. He began to use the HWC to mechanize planets and their inhabitants and steal their resources.

Susie, meanwhile, was in fact still alive and facing countless dangers in Another Dimension. When she finally found a way out in early adulthood, the first thing she wanted to do was reunite with her dad and resume her normal life. But her heart sank to the floor when she discovered he no longer knew who she was. Yet he hired her as his secretary, despite the fact that all his other workers were mechanical, because she still seemed vaguely familiar. And so Susie helped her dad mechanize planets, even though she knew it was wrong, because it was her only hope of bringing him to his senses.

Sadly, Haltmann never did come to his senses. After the HWC came to Popstar and battled Kirby multiple times, Star Dream suddenly took total control of him, somehow absorbing him before flying into outer space with plans to annihilate all life in the universe. With help from Meta Knight and Susie, Kirby destroyed the evil computer-but Haltmann was lost in the process.

When Star Dream exploded, nearly all of the machinery it designed went with it and all the mechanization it caused was undone. Susie was left with only her Business Suit, her Transporter, and whatever non-mechanical items were left. She rebuilt the company and restored it to its original benevolent purpose; and now that she'd made friends with Kirby and pals, she was beginning to heal from her traumatic past.

Kirby's thoughts were interrupted when Taranza spoke. "Some people look at what's on the outside. They believe whatever you did in the past must be what you do today. They don't understand how people can change. But we look at what's in the heart, and we see the good qualities you have inside."

"That's right, Susie!" Kirby added, "We're all so happy to know you! I don't care if we didn't get along at first-all that matters to me now is you're my friend!"

"Aww, Pinky...always such a sweetheart," Susie responded, her friends' kindness bringing tears to her eyes. She embraced Kirby, who gladly returned the hug. "I'm so thankful for you and your friendship; the same for Magolor and Taranza. All of you are the best friends I could ever have!"

Once the former secretary let go of Kirby, she remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot-I have something to show you that I think you'll like."

Kirby, Magolor, and Taranza followed her into a room they hadn't visited, which appeared to be where she used her musical talents. On one side of the room was a piano. "You have a piano!" Kirby said. He'd heard Susie mention she played the piano before, but he'd never actually seen her do so. "Will you play it for us? Please?" He began to jump up and down excitedly.

Susie couldn't help but giggle at Kirby's enthusiasm. "I don't see why not. You've been so kind to me, I'd say you deserve it!" And so, she took a seat at the piano and played a song called "Green Greens", and Kirby danced the entire time. When the song was over, Magolor and Taranza applauded.

"Bravo! That was awesome, Susie!" Kirby cheered.

"Thank you," she replied cheerily, "Music is my outlet. Whenever I have a bad memory or a bad dream, I'll sing or play the piano. It helps a lot."

Mirrobo, meanwhile, had seen and heard everything from where it hid outside the windows. "Analyses complete," it reported before returning to Shadread.