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ENTRY # : |
75b |
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TITLE : |
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST II: DOOM EX MACHINA |
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ARC : |
RAGE OF THE MACHINES IV |
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ENTERED BY : |
Hazardman |
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DATE RANGE : |
June 21st, 2001 ctd. |
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HEROES : |
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VILLAINS : |
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PEOPLE : |
Crucible,
Cru-S,
Dr. Peter Hillary,
Psiborg,
Replicants,
Rufus Quintus,
Victor Stewart
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OTHERS : |
Bacta Tank,
F.O.R.C.E.,
Diamond Mountain,
Duchess Industries,
The Industrial Revolution,
Knightrider 1,
Sirenos Inc.,
The SkullBox (Communicator),
Sword of Amaterasu,
Synthezoids
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ENTRY : |
"What the hammer? What the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?"
- William Blake (1757-1827), The Tiger
Log Entry by: Hazardman.
So there we were. Inside the machine lair of the Industrial Revolution. Scattered. Fighting
for our very lives. Many of us wounded. Sentinel and I unconscious. And now, just when it seemed that
we might be gaining the upper hand, a powerful new opponent was added to the mix.
Servo exploded forth from its bacta tank and launched into StarSeed and Black Blur with the powers
it had purloined from Crucible and Sub-Zero. They responded by unleashing their own abilities.
If only I had been conscious to warn them.
Their attacks seemed successful. Too successful. Servo had learned cunning in its association
with the Industrial Revolution. Pretending to be felled, it dropped to the ground and - presumably
- began to analyze the abilities of its attackers. The better to duplicate them.
Believing the battle against this opponent won, Blur continued his mad dash to reconnoiter the
rest of the facility. Thus StarSeed alone remained to oppose Servo when the Synthezoid arose
and revealed a new weapon in its repertoire.
It now had the terrible speed of Black Blur.
Even as that battle was rejoined, there were several other matters of consequence transpiring
elsewhere in the base. Having left an unconscious Sentinel back in the entry hallway, DeSalvo
took out a small group of Boomers and penetrated deeper into the facility, where behind a blast
door he found a computer terminal guarded by a Combat Boomer.
This discovery drew another response, from the terrible Battle Chassis Mark III. Templar had been
devoting a large part of his power to somehow slowing down the Chassis as it attempted to return
to the battle from where he had teleported it. At about the time that
DeSalvo found the terminal, the Chassis found Sentinel. Threatening Sentinel with death, it forced
Templar to drop the spell that hindered it, then launched with all speed to intercept DeSalvo.
A terrible fight ensued amongst the twisty corridors of the installation, with the machines seeking
with steel and flame to drive back DeSalvo, who was reinforced by Black Blur and Templar. DeSalvo
managed to take out the Boomer defending the computer, only to be blinded (along with Blur) by
a powerful flare from the Battle Chassis. That robot proceeded to grab the terminal and attempt
a withdrawal. Pursued by the Knights, it made it as far as the entry hallway before it was dropped
at last by a desperate blast from DeSalvo.
To our great loss, this scenario with the guarded computer was not unique. Even as these other
battles took place, another of our number, encountered a computer terminal behind a blast door,
guarded in this case by a Legionnaire. Sub-Zero.
After destroying the robotic guardian with a hail of ice bolts, the Cold Shoulder of Justice turned
his attention to the computer it had been guarding. I cannot entirely blame him. He hasn't been
around the base much of late, and there is no way he could really have been expected to have
recognized the unit. In the midst of a war between man and machine, such an incident was almost
inevitable.
For this was no mere computer. It was one of our own. Our majordomo and ally in the battle
against the machines.
Cru-S.
By the time Sub-Zero was finished with it, Cru-S was a smoldering pile of barely functioning
components. That it wasn't completely destroyed can only be attributed to his response to a call
for assistance placed by StarSeed. As it was, Sub-Zero left that chamber only moments before
Cipher - who had used some other computers within a lab to locate Cru-S - arrived.
Ours is a game of moments. Of merest chance. By fortuitous circumstance of timing or chance had
we pulled through on a number of occasions, but the workings of chance had also cost us dear.
Crucible. Hydro. And now Cru-S.
Luckily, chance had not completely abandoned us on this day. Not only had we managed to bring down
Mordred and the Battle Chassis on the verge of escape, but we had been lucky in another respect.
Servo had been matched against what may have been the single one of us immune to his ability to
'learn' powers. His ability was potent, but seems tied to an ability to read the energy flows
through a living entity. It was unable to turn this ability against StarSeed, whose powers all
depend upon the sacred Sword of Amaterasu.
This is not to say that the battle was easy. Servo retained the powers it had absorbed from
two generations of Knights, and the toughness to withstand a great deal of punishment. Unable
to turn StarSeed's powers against him, however, the battle was held to a standstill until Ariadne
and Sub-Zero arrived in support. Outnumbered and with the rest of the base fallen to us, it used
Blur's speed powers to escape, but not before dropping Ariadne in its wake.
Victory was ours. But only a pyrrhic victory. And even that didn't last.
As we gathered our fallen and called in a F.O.R.C.E. cleanup squad to handle the aftermath,
Cipher had some other bad news to impart. Cru-S had managed to pass along a final message to
warn her. Even while we tracked our foes to this installation beneath the streets of Chicago
and launched our assault, our enemies had launched their own counterstroke. Robots bearing our
appearances, and with stolen powers (thanks to a trick learned from Servo) had launched an attack
against a Federal Installation. Replicants!. Evil robot us'!!!
Feeling suddenly vulnerable - particularly with F.O.R.C.E. already en route and unwilling to tell
us anything other than to order us to "stay put", we tried to get some intel from Dr. Stewart.
Only to overhear as Sirenos was raided by forces unknown.
If we hoped to remain free to clear our names, we would have to flee.
Now.
Not all of us wanted to follow this path. Although he too was implicated in the fake attack,
Agent DeSalvo chose to remain behind, depending upon the system to clear our names.
The rest of us weren't so trusting of either the system or those in charge of it. Grabbing
the remains of Cru-S, and the Battle Chassis, as well as Mordred, Sentinel and the liberated
scientist, we bugged out.
Once in the air and flying back westward, the debate began about what to do next.
I can't believe how simple that sounds in this log entry. The reality was a lot more frantic,
involving tears, recriminations (I believe Cipher held herself back from attacking Sub-Zero only
by the narrowest of margins) and near-panic. The news only went from bad to worse when Templar
mindfragged the scientist - Dr. Hillary - for information that he had been unwilling to reveal.
Apparently the government has been working on some Giant Robots to use against supervillains. I
don't know what use the Industrial Revolution would put to this knowledge, but I am willing to bet
I won't like it.
That is if the Government doesn't turn them against us first.
As we travelled on without a long-term destination in mind, we at least had one additional name to
work with, thanks to the last communication by Cru-S; Psiborg. This was the mastermind behind
these attacks and the source of all our problems. Find him and there was a chance that we could
clear our names. If only we could stay out of the clutches of the government long enough to do
so.
I've walked this road before. It will not be easy.
- - -
In a darkened office in Washington, the phone rang.
"Yes?"
"Yes, I have been kept up to date on the latest developments. The call is probably a trap.
We have no option; they must be unleashed for the protection of the American people and of this
Administration." The man shifted in his seat, then went on.
"General, make the call: Activate Unit 01. Target; the Knights of the Coast.
And may God have mercy on our souls."
It had begun.
- - -
Another office. Waco, Texas. Two men talk.
"Yes, I've heard. The Manchurian is dead. Reportedly stabbed, possibly by the Dagger of
Destiny. It seems that the universe is not without a sense of irony."
"Does Templar know?"
"Magister Tierce? He must be feeling the aftershocks. Already the rituals have begun
to elevate the apprentice to become the new Secundus. It is to no matter. This will not
affect our plans..."
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WRAPUP : |
Wanted fugitives. The words taste like ashes in my mouth. No home to return to, no allies
remaining. The group has endured through tough times before, but all that tenacity will
be needed to face the uncertain times ahead...
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