Digital Nexus: Book 4 - CPU Going Commando: Chapter 3 - Maktar Resort
On their way to the Maktar Resort, our heroes came under attack by Gummi Heartless. With some expert piloting and shooting by Ratchet, the squadrons had no chance against them. This also allowed Xoruxshy to pilot the TARDIS to gather Gummi Blocks and Gummi Ship Blueprints.
Once they finally arrived at the Maktar Resort, the group got out of their ships, Ratchet equipping his Lancer, Xoruxshy equipping her Pidgeot Pistol, IF equipping her Pidgeot Claws, and Kevin equipping his Pidgeot Feeder. Xoruxshy brought up the mission display.
Xoruxshy: Okay, we've got two missions to complete here. #1 is to find a way to the Thugs-4-Less jamming array, and #2 is to win the arena battle. The Thugs-4-Less jamming array seems to take the right path up on the nearby split. I say we go there first as a priority mission, then go to the arena afterwards.
Ratchet: Got it.
As the group of heroes heads down the entry ramp, they come across their first enemy of this planet, the Thugs-4-Less Brute. These are medium-sized, muscular Thugs carrying a two-handed carbine blaster, wearing a grey tank top, with their spikes sticking out of the back, and a utility belt. Ratchet uses his Lancer to dispatch this enemy, knocking it into the explosive crates behind it, blowing it up.
Heading to the path Xoruxshy mentioned earlier, while passing to the next section, they meet a new enemy, the Chickenbots. These enemies are blue-tinted silver robots created by Megacorp. Xoruxshy easily takes these out with her Pidgeot Pistol. Upon reaching the end of this area, they see a spot for Ratchet to use the Tractor Beam, as well as a barrier powered by floating power cells. Shooting at it does nothing, so they move the Tractor Beam pillar, finding a goofy looking robot with a tractor beam icon on its body. Getting an idea, Ratchet moves the robot with the Tractor Beam onto a platform with two shoe prints. This opens the door, allowing them to get past. In the next area, they see a Tractor Beam Bomb, and more Chickenbots. IF slashes the Chickenbots, destroying them, while Ratchet drags the Tractor Beam bomb to the glass door blocking their way, revealing a Thugs-4-Less Brute. Kevin absorbs the electricity from the building, before using the Pidgeot Feeder to channel it at the Brute, turning it to soot and bones.
Using a Tractor Beam slingshot device, they drag the robot from earlier to it, launching it onto the next security clearance panel. Climbing up to this next section, they see a couple of slot machines. They decide it wouldn't hurt to play the slots for a little bit, and they win quite a few times before the machines blow up, revealing Chickenbots, which they easily dispatch of. Continuing onwards through a hallway full of Chickenbots, they are ambushed by a Thugs-4-Less Brute. Ratchet shoots this one to bits with his Lancer, and they move into the next room.
Here they have to navigate a Tractor Beam Bomb to the glass door by going down a hallway and coming back across platforms hovering on a laser grid. By achieving this, the quartet of heroes are able to get to the next area, leading to that barrier grid from earlier, as well as a Tractor Beam Bomb connected to a slingshot device. They use this to break the barrier, allowing the heroes to enter the vehicle taking them to the Thugs-4-Less Jamming Array.
Once there, the heroes clear out the nearby Chickenbots, allowing Ratchet to expose the rods powering the first jamming signal tower. Once exposed, Xoruxshy whacks the rods out of commission with her Keyblade, blowing up the tower due to shoddy construction. From here, they go directly north, following the cables to the next tower. Here they find a larger horde of Chickenbots, which IF swats away with her Claws. This allows Ratchet to expose this tower's rods, after which IF slices into them, causing the tower to blow up again. Following the cables, they head east, using a jump pad to reach the next tower, running into a Megacorp Security Robot Chainsaw Model on the way. This process continued until the last tower was destroyed. Returning to the limo, they were contacted by Mr. Fizzwidget on their way back to the Maktar Resort.
Fizzwidget: Good work, agents! You are proving to be invaluable in this underwear! Anyhoo, it appears the thief is now under the protection of Thugs-4-Less, but I may have found a way for you to insinuate their operation.
Ratchet: Is it dangerous?
Fizzwidget: No, no, no…well, actually, yes it is.
Xoruxshy: Good.
Fizzwidget: Take a look at this.
Infomercial
Sponsor Voice: The wind in your hair, the sun on your skin, the bugs in your teeth… We are the Desert Riders!
Desert Rider #1: Before I became a Desert Rider, I didn't fit in anywheres. I had low self-esteem, bad breath, and a thing for ladies undergarments. But these guys understand me. They really do.
Desert Rider #2: Yeah, I'm just here for the bake sales. (Burps) Oh yeah, yeah. I also make these cute gloves for all the guys.
Sponsor Voice: So if you've got what it takes, use this temporary membership to enter the most grueling Hoverbike race in the galaxy. Win it and become one of us. Desert Riders: the number one leisure choice of Thugs-4-Less.
Fizzwidget: Desert Riders all use Megacorp bikes so I just had to pull a few strings. Contract me as soon as you get more indignation. Fizzwidget out!
Upon landing back in the Maktar Resort, the group notice that a pathway has opened up back to the split they used before. This time they take the left path, heading for the Arena, hitting the slot machines along the way, as well as taking out the thugs blocking the way to the limo that would take them to the next area. Due to the Power Ring in Ratchet's Lancer reaching full charge capacity, the weapon evolved into the Heavy Lancer, with a 50% increase in ammo capacity. At one point they were overwhelmed by Thugs-4-Less Brutes, and Xoruxshy used another Chaos Blast, electrifying the enemies around them and vaporizing them, while leaving an ozone stench again.
IF: Note to self, buy some perfume to mask that stench.
Using the elevator to take them to said limo, they get the jump on the Thugs-4-Less Brutes and Chickenbots looking the other way with Ratchet's Gravity Bomb, which he switched to after the Lancer evolved. After entering the Limo and exiting on another platform, Xoruxshy shimmied her way up to the top of the area, where she took out the enemies by herself. This consisted of many Thugs-4-Less Brutes who attacked enmasse. However, these ones were slightly paler and had the rubbery sheen that all Lesser Nobodies have. This caused her to pull out her new Rattata Blaster, a purple-colored blaster that shoots Normal-Energy projectiles from the barrel, with teeth resembling Rattata's hanging from the grip, and shoot all of them. Down below, the group heard lots of weird rubbery noises coming from up top, until it stopped. Climbing up, they see a bunch of MP Bubbles and Munny all over the place.
Ratchet: Let me guess, Nobodies again?
Xoruxshy: Yep. Looks like Xehanort wants me back bad. It probably means that after we're done in this universe, I'm going to have to go to the Kingdom Hearts Universe. And that is going to suck. Not just because of the "World Order" nonsense that I'll have to put up with from Donald Duck, but because of the immense amounts of time-space shenanigans I'll have to deal with.
Ratchet: Well, then, I'm going with you. You need at least four people to pilot the TARDIS, right?
Xoruxshy: Thanks Ratchet.
Wall-jumping up to the next area, IF took out the next set of Thugs-4-Less Brute Nobodies, while Kevin turned the Chickenbot Nobodies nearby into burnt rubber. (Or at least something similar) On the connecting bridge between this section and the next, they are ambushed by more Thugs-4-Less Brute Nobodies. Ratchet defeats these with the Heavy Lancer, popping them like balloons, as well as the nearby Chickenbot Nobodies. Seeing a nearby Ammo Vendor, Ratchet restocks his supply, before the heroes enter the Battle Arena.
Announcer: Is everyone ready for tonight's Mega Battle?! Introducing… from nowhere in particular… these guys! (The camera zooms in on Ratchet, Xoruxshy, IF and Kevin as the crowd boos, ticking Ratchet and Xoruxshy off) If they can make it past all of our Gladiators… (the crowd cheers) they'll take home 4 brand new Electrolyzers. If they can't make it past our Gladiators, they'll receive a consolation prize… Let the games… BEGIN!
The first round begins as Ratchet equips his Heavy Lancer, taking out the first 6 Gladiators with ease, before tagging out with Xoruxshy, who takes on the next set of enemies, being some of Megacorp's Security Robot Chainsaw Models, somehow emitting a dark energy and twitching slightly. Next, IF takes her turn against the third round, being a bunch of BitBlades. Slicing and dicing these bots, she also notices the slight stench of Darkness emitting from the robots.
Announcer: These guys are on a rampage!
For the fourth round, Kevin slams his Gauntlet into the ground as his sparks with a full charge of electrical energy, heading straight for the Gladiators that enter the arena, frying them instantly. During the fifth round, fans come up from the floor, and Ratchet comes back in, initially using his Gravity Bomb against Megacorp's Security Robot Flamethrower Models.
Announcer: I've got my money on the Lombax, Foxes, and Human with spunk!
For the final round, Xoruxshy shows off her Chaos Thundaga Blast, frying all remaining opponents.
Announcer: Ladies and gentleman, the first…and, well… only… winner of the Gladiator Games… these guys?! (Four Electrolyzers fall from the ceiling) You're now eligible for our championship series! Come back and fight again or big cash prizes!
Xoruxshy: What do you guys think? Should we keep fighting for money? I mean, we still have that one weapon to buy.
IF: I'm game if you are.
After multiple battles, one of which involved defeating Chainblade, and another involving the B-2 Brawler, the group used the Electrolyzer to return to the ship. Halfway there they see a photo booth.
Ratchet: Hey, this would make a nice souvenir for Clank. (Walks up to the camera and gets his picture taken) He-he. (The picture on the screen changes from having Ratchet's face to the Unknown Thief's, before turning into a video message)
Unknown Thief: You have no idea what you're involved in. Return to your own galaxy immediately… or this will happen to you. (The Unknown Thief hits the red button on the machine next to him that Clank is strapped to, which doesn't do anything. The thief looks back seeing nothing happens, then tries to do the thing again, this time aiming for the green button) …or this will happen to you. (Clank is electrocuted) Farewell!
Ratchet: Aaaaaarrrghhhhh! (Is about to stomp off to the ship before the machine prints out his pictures) Oh. (Grabs the pictures)
Xoruxshy: Great, now we have two locations to head to. Let's get back to the ship.
World Complete! Reward: Maktar Mirage Keyblade! 2 Platinum Bolts
New Energy Source Discovered: Platinum Bolts - This Energy Source is an upgrade from the Gold Bolts of the Solana Galaxy. There should be more across the Bogon Galaxy!