Caleb and Ruby struggled to follow the zombie scientist through his absolute disaster of a room. There were unfinished gadgets and very dangerous looking equipment, with loose wires and exposed joints scattered about. The duo looked over to the right, and saw one of many cork boards that was filled with way too many blueprints, the handwriting such an incomprehensible chicken scratch that no one would be able to read it.
Doom, the far more confident of the three, jumped up onto what looked to be a robot arm hanging from the ceiling. The cat seemed content to just remain there for a while, but was scared off when one of the chains holding it lowered suddenly, spooking the animal off and onto Ruby's shoulder.
The girl giggled as Doom let out a relieved violin strum, but Caleb was distracted with everything around them. The deeper they went into the room, he felt like the robot parts were getting… Familiar. Bulky arms started to get strange and broken chainsaws, there were makeshift flamethrowers and snipers, and what looked to be plungers.
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as the trio finally caught up to Zomboss, who was doing some calculations on a console a distance away from four things covered in tarps.
Caled walked up next to the scientist and looked down at the screen, seeing all the complicated equations. "So what have you been working on, Zomboss?"
"Something very special", he responded. "And back over the line, there's high levels of voltage." The boy looked down, and stopped Ruby from walking any more forward when he spotted a marked caution line on the floor. "That car was the last thing I needed to get these four lugnuts finished."
"What does that…" Ruby started, only to trail off when she and Caleb looked to the right and saw the now dismantled trivia game grand prize. "Oh…"
"I needed very specific parts, and this way I don't need to rob it from anyone else", the scientist continued, eyes still glued to the screen. "And it all lined up. So now it's time to get them fired up and ready for life."
"What did you build?" Caleb asked.
"I heard of plenty of impressive robots over these last three years. But there were three in particular that I took an interest towards. And I felt something that we faced before could be an excellent ally."
The others all shared a look and faced the four tarps in worry. Nothing else was said as Zomboss continued to type away on the console, doing something that kicked up the thick cables that fed under the tarps. Glowing blue pulses headed under, and the sounds of clicking joints and whirling gears started to sound off.
The tarps started to move as smoke started to bellow out from under one of the covers, with a blue light shining under another. Ruby and Caleb took a few steps back as Zomboss started to laugh, with the four mysterious inventions shifting and moving. Shadowed arms and legs could briefly be seen as the things under came to life, the movements only making Zomboss' laughter louder and more crazed.
Sparks flew, metal crashed, and steam bellowed as the machines screamed to life, and the quartet were forced to shield their eyes when a bright flash and rush of steam blew past. As things calmed down, and the room cleared, Caleb looked up at the now uncovered robots, and gasped.
The first one was bulky, wearing a naval captain's uniform, missing his left eye, and with a chainsaw replacing his left hand.
The second robot was cylindrical in shape, with a massive gas tank on his back and a flamethrower in hand. All the face had was two friendly yellow eyes on a black screen.
The third robot was on four legs, with large flat feet. The upper body was more human, although the clean silver head had a red scope covering his right eye, and a sniper was strapped to the back.
All three of the robots wore varying shades of purple with silver accents, with logos that weren't of Z-Tech Industries, but rather the coat of arms of the Capital. But the final robot was nothing like the first three, as it was all too familiar.
It was a Dalek, only with colours and design features that made him line up with the other living machines. Rather than the plunger arm, it was a claw that seemed built for hacking and grabbing, while the singular eye was a deep and oddly comforting green.
Caleb, Ruby and Doom looked at the quartet of machines in shock, with the four now alive beings looking around their surroundings.
The chainsaw robot looked over at the four organic beings, and walked over with an orderly march. When he stood before the four, he saluted.
"It's an honour to meet you, Master Caleb and Mistress Gloom", he said in a firm tone. "I am Warlord General, and Zomboss built me and my comrades to be strong allies for you and the others."
Caleb shook his head and blinked. "Yeah… I remember you. You… Pyro…" The boy pointed at the flamethrower wielding robot, "And Viper…", he pointed at the sniper wielding robot. "You three are from the game Robocalypse…"
"You're a smart lad, Zomboss made sure we knew that", Warlord said, his visible red eye glinting with amusement.
"Zomboss told you about us?" Ruby asked.
"They're all from an AI I made based on their origins", the zombie overload said as he walked beside the admiral. "Warlord, Viper and Pyro were particularly easy, but the last one was… a hurdle…"
Caleb and Ruby looked over at the Dalek, who was moving over towards them. It was dead silent, its single eye studying them. The bespectacled boy started to get worried, especially when he looked down at the infamous weapon that could fell a whole civilization.
When the Dalek was before them, it lowered both appendages. "Greetings, Master Caleb", the Dalek said in the unrecognisable voice. "My name is Dalek Vec, and I was looking forward to meeting you in particular."
"Why's that…?" Caleb said in a worried tone.
"As per my creation, Zomboss used some of your DNA to give me, as he said, humanity." Caleb glanced at the zombie, who just shrugged as the Dalek continued. "I am aware of my species' history and our violent temperament, but I assure you I am your friend. I wish to keep you safe, and hopefully you can accept me into your family."
Caleb relaxed as Vec spoke, the emotion in his voice becoming more noticeable. Carefully, the boy walked forward and put a hand on the top of the Dalek's dome, and was surprised at how warm it was. Caleb looked down and found himself staring into the blue eye of the usual killing machine.
It had this glint of safety and warmth, something familiar that made Caleb melt a bit.
Used some of his own DNA.
"So… Are we technically related then?" The boy asked innocently.
Vec somehow tilted his dome, and nodded his eye stalk. "I suppose so…"
Caleb smiled and took a step back, looking over the four robots. "Well, Zomboss, I'm pleasantly surprised! You definitely outdid yourself, and I have to admit that this was worth the secrets."
"Why thank you, Caleb!" He responded with a smile. "I felt that we could use some new additions, and a part of me felt like we needed more heavy metal. So, this idea came to mind."
Ruby walked up to Pyro, who looked down at her, both of them looking at each other with equal curiosity. "So you four are soldiers?"
"That's right, sister!" Pyro said proudly, hollering his flamethrower and thumping his fist on his chest. "If you never have any issues with anyone, I'll be more than willing to torch it to ash!"
"Relax, Pyro", Viper said as he walked up, putting a hand on the pyromaniac's shoulder. The sniper looked down at the rag doll girl with a reassuring look. "We'll only act if needed, so don't worry. Right now, we're willing to find our place and fit in."
"Well, why don't we introduce you to the others?" Caleb said happily. "The sooner the better."
"Hang on!" Zomboss said suddenly. Everyone looked over at him in questioning, but when he flicked a switch and a massive cylinder behind him. Magenta lines lit up, with the shape of a cracked heart in the centre. A bright yellow light flashed on high above, and the group all looked up to see the massive thing seemingly looking down at them.
"S-Star Dream?!" Caleb cried out. "Zomboss, you remade Star Dream?!"
"You know this thing, Master Caleb?" Vec asked.
"He should", Star Dream spoke, its voice almost ethereal. "I am glad you recognise me, Caleb. While Zomboss was reconstructing me, I've been growing curious about the only true human in all the multiverse."
"Why's that?" The boy asked fearfully, Warlord putting a protective arm in front of him, Ruby and Doom.
"Because I wanted to know how much you know about me", the super computer responded. "I am aware of how much you love the franchise I herald from, so I was simply curious how much you would enjoy my company."
The group, minus Zomboss, all relaxed and looked up at the super computer carefully. "You mean that?" Caleb asked.
"Of course. Zomboss made sure that I had the free will, while also showing me the beauty of this world. So I wish to keep it safe, and hold that sanctuary in peace."
Caleb smiled slowly. "Well, I'm glad someone as powerful as you is helping with that."
Star Dream didn't nod, but rather he unlocked one of his deactivated wings and angled it down so he could pat the boy on the head. Caleb giggled and watched as Star Dream lifted up just the slightest bit, making everyone take a step back. The super computer, now visible at his towering height, rotated a bit to face Zomboss. But his eye still seemed to be staring at the others.
"May we finally explore the rest of the palace, Zomboss?" Dream asked.
"That we can! Just be careful leaving my room, I don't want anything broken." The zombie glanced at Caleb and Ruby. "And I promise I'll deal with the mess soon."
The boy and rag doll shrugged and started to head out, Doom Kitty deciding that having a nap on Vec's head was preferable to walking. The Dalek made no move to remove the cat, and rather seemed more content.
Caleb chuckled at the sight and headed out of the room, with Ruby and Vec right behind…
Only to freeze completely solid when he immediately bummed into The Doctor, who stared at Vec with a horrified expression. Caleb and Ruby locked up with wide-eyed expressions, while Vec didn't seem to react at all. Doom, sensing the tension, scampered away to let things explode.
Things were deadly silent, the Time Lord slowly turning with a deadly glare on his face. "Caleb… What is that thing doing here?"
The boy looked between the bow tie lover and the robot, feeling the tension rise to an almost suffocating level. "Well, you see…"
You could hear the roar of rage from across the entire planet.
~X~
Everyone had assembled in the Rec Room to meet the newest additions, but things were still as tense as ever. The Doctor made sure Amy and Rory stayed as far away from Vec as possible as all the robots remained lined up before them all, Star Dream behind them. Zomboss was mumbling as he paced off to the side, and Caleb sat on the couch, looking between the machines and his family constantly.
"Sooooooo… These are they guys you were working on, huh Zomboss?" Ralph said, his tone laced with uncertainty.
"Yes, this was my secret project", the zombie said. "I thought I could see how far I could push my inventing skills to the logical next step. And this is what was the result."
The group all looked over the robots, but Caleb could catch them all quickly shooting repeated looks of worry at Vec, all except Ruby. The twenty year old swallowed nervously, his eyes darting about as he mentally thought of any sort of way to elevate the tension.
Vec seemed unfazed by the tension, but honestly it was impossible to tell the full extent of how he felt because of his lack of ability to really express himself. So it was somewhat unnerving to see him standing there, zero reaction to everyone's distrust of him.
"I still can't believe you made one of them, Zomboss", The Doctor hissed as he glared between the zombie and Dalek.
The overlord raised his hands defensively. "I wanted to experiment, and Vec is perfectly safe! I designed him myself, using some of Caleb's DNA to make sure it had some sort of humanity."
Caleb paled as the others (minus Ruby) all gasped. "You did what?!" Maria roared, marching over towards him. "We're not letting you weasel out of this, what did you do?"
"I just took some loose hairs that I found on my lab coat!" Zomboss defended fearfully. "Seriously, I wouldn't do anything that's put us in danger. I have Crazy David and his army of weeds, but I would never do that to you all!"
"Says the freak that brainwashed me and Majima", Jenny said bitterly.
"That was before I joined, don't hold that over me!"
Caleb watched as everyone started to devolve into vicious insults and furious arguing, with it mainly being Zomboss against the others. It was getting to the point that Warlord and Viper were backing up the zombie, offering their own two cents on everything. The boy then glanced at Vec, and saw the Dalek finally have enough and leave the room. He gave chase, with Maple and Gladius close behind.
In the hallway, Caleb looked down to see Vec head outside onto the balcony. Heading out, the Dalek looked over the courtyard with this sense of longing.
The boy sighed and walked up next to him, leaning against the railing. "I'm really sorry about that, Vec. You know they're just worried."
"I am…" The robot said. "It hurts, but I know their fears aren't misplaced. Especially with The Doctor. He has lost so much to my kind, so seeing me here… It shatters the safe space he set up for himself, that he had for three years. No risk of death or danger, and the Ponds get a second chance after everything with the Weeping Angels…"
Gladius hovered around so he could look Vec in the eye. "I will say that I had no ill will towards you, Vec. I trust you, especially if Caleb trusts you."
The boy smiled gratefully as Maple climbed into Vec's done head. "That is appreciated, Gladius. I know my presence will take a while to get used to, moreso for the others. But thank you for giving me a chance."
Caleb nodded, and relaxed against the railing. A sound came from behind, and he turned around to see Purdy, Z-Tron and all his Pokemon running over. Worry turned to joy as all the little critters started to look Vec over in awe, seemingly set on using him as a jungle gym. The Dalek seemed unmoved by the action, but did nothing to stop it.
Purdy pawed at his base, Klink and Z-Tron seemingly tried to communicate with the Dalek in a language only machines could understand, and the others all simply ran around and played happily. It did help lift the earlier tension, so Caleb took everyone over to the stairs and into the courtyard proper.
As all the smaller me members all ran off to do their own things, Caleb, Gladius and Vec headed down one of the trails. The plants were covered in dew, adding to the relaxing vibe.
"I am glad I can appreciate this beauty…" Vec said as he eyed the plants. "If someone like the Emperor or Dravos were here, they'd burn it all because of who they are."
"It is sad how… disconnected and elitist the Dalek race is", Gladius said with a sigh. "I am so sorry you have to be dragged down by the rest of them."
"It's alright, Gladius. I'll eventually find my place here. The others just need time to adjust and see who I am."
"Do you think The Doctor will ever warm up to you?" Caleb asked.
"Insufficient data to come to a conclusion. The Doctor is a very mysterious being, so I am unable to determine what the future would hold."
"Fair enough", the boy said with a sad sigh. "I just hope it'll turn out good…"
The trio fell into a comfortable silence as they continued down the path. Occasionally they would spark up conversation, stop to look over a particularly interesting batch of plant-life, and even converse with any staff or visitors who came from the museum. No one else seemed to be worried about Vec, which only fueled the bitterness in Caleb's heart because of earlier.
He shook that feeling away as they entered the museum, heading off in a random direction to simply pass the time. As they walked, the boy's mind was dragged back to the argument, and how he just remained silent through it all. Internally kicking himself, he silently promised to do better.
"You don't need to rip yourself apart over the argument, Master Caleb", Vec said suddenly.
Caleb stumbled and blushed as Gladius looked at him. "How… How did you know?"
"As a Dalek, I have very sensitive scanners. And because of my heightened emotions, I can tell you're still upset."
The boy blinked, then looked down. "I can't help it, okay? I literally did nothing, so I'm feeling kinda crap."
"You didn't need to do anything, Caleb. The others will come around when they want, you shouldn't need to act as the great equaliser. You are only human."
"Vec is right, Caleb", Gladius said with a nod. "Everyone will butt heads, but this is a necessity if they are to accept our new Dalek companion. Just give it time."
"I just… I hate arguments. I hated how everything fell apart so fast because of Vec, and I hate how I didn't do anything, and the fight just made me really scared… God, I'm a mess…"
The Dalek and sword shared a look, then looked at the boy again. "Scared?" Vec asked.
"Bad memories…" The bespectacled boy mumbled sadly, hugging himself. "I remembered how my parents and brother would argue all the time, and it was always so scary. So whenever arguments get that bad, I just need to go. But I also want to try and stop it!"
Galdius put a reassuring wing on his shoulder, calming him down. "I know it's hard, Caleb. And seeing a fight like that definitely didn't help, but just know everyone is looking out for each other, and seeing a Dalek made by a supervillain… It just ruffled some feathers."
Caleb sighed, and leaned against Vec as they continued along their way. "I know… It just really got to me. So Vec heading out was kinda my escape."
Ven nodded, the internal whirring sounding like a sigh of his own. "I suppose I should just stay out of the way and by you till the others eventually understand I am here to stay."
The other two nodded and the trio kept exploring the museum. It was quiet and relaxing, with the tension from earlier slowly dissipating. After a while, they decided to head back and see how things had changed for the others, but as they neared the hallway, they could hear the argument still going on, and growing in volume the closer they got.
Gladius groaned. "They're still going at it? This is just sad now…"
Caleb nodded, but jumped when The Doctor walked out of the Rec Room looking exhausted. The Time Lord looked over at them, and let his gaze fall on the Dalek. With a light glare, he walked over and stood tall over Vec, the robot not making any move to get away or push past.
"Zomboss is adamant that you are safe", he said with a stern tone. "But I don't believe it. After everything I've been through, you honestly think I'll go and trust a Dalek?"
"You trusted Oswin", Vec said.
The air was frozen as The Doctor looked at Vec in shock. "How do you know?"
"I'm a Dalek. As an AI, I was allowed to watch your show… And I saw Oswin. She was a human turned Dalek. I am Dalek with the heart and mind of a human. What makes that different?"
"You… You just aren't", The Doctor deflected.
"But what about the hybrids in New York? The ones made by Dalek Sec? They were human with Dalek in them. So I ask again… How am I different?"
The Time Lord blinked as he simply silently stared at the Dalek before looking at Caleb and Gladius.
"Vec is right, Doctor", Caleb said. "You gave them chances, showed them remorse when they died, and hope for things to get better. I don't… I know and will be fine if you never like Vec. But you need to know he's not dangerous. He's here to protect us, not hurt us."
The Doctor remained silent as he looked back at Vec, his fist tightening before letting go and becoming limp. "You truly promise not to harm us? That you aren't here to start some invasion?"
"I promise, Doctor. I'm not like the Daleks you met in World War II. I am your ally and, hopefully, your friend."
The Doctor leaned back, tilting his head a bit. Vec mirrored the motion, which made Caleb giggle quietly. Then, Vec held up his claw hand, seemingly wanting to do a handshake. The Doctor hesitated, but eventually complied. And nothing happened, the Dalek nodded after the shake and continued along his way. The Doctor watched him go, an unreadable expression on his face.
"Am I really willing to let a Dalek into my life…?" The Time Lord said quietly. "Am I actually okay with that?"
"You'll get used to it", Caleb said as he headed towards his room, patting the man on his shoulder. "I mean, I got used to you guys." The Time Lord did a double take as Caleb flashed him a cheeky grin, before disappearing into his room.
The Doctor blinked, then let out a laugh. "Maybe so…" He headed back down the hall, intent on silencing the argument still ongoing, but as he grabbed the door knob, he paused and looked down the hall. Vec was looking back at him, with a look that said one simple thing.
I trust you.
With a nod, The Doctor headed inside, intent on fighting the others into accepting Vec's addition to their lives.
~X~
And so ends another chapter of DCT2! This one added a few new faces, namely Warlord General, Pyro Assault, and Viper Sniper from Robocalypse (A DS Real-Time Strategy I adore), Star Dream from Kirby: Planet Robobot, and an original Dalek OC of mine. A bunch of new faces so expect a lot of them in the next few chapters.
But yeah, robot takeover. I know it seems weird, but I really wanted to give Robocalypse more attention, mainly because the first game has such a unique charm to it. As for the others… they're just bonuses, lol. Just wanted some fun additions. So why not one of the most dangerous killing machines ever, and a reality warping supercomputer.
I liked how this chapter came out even if it's a bit simpler than the previous ones, but sometimes you need simplicity to balance the complexity. So I see it as a necessary evil.
Anyway, I hope y'all liked this chapter! I'm excited to get to the big stuff with this story…
Up next: Merida and Izzy head out on a date, unaware to the fact that some of their friends are doing everything in their power to make sure it goes perfectly…
~Caleb~