Prodigy Eternal (book 2)

Chapter Forty-One

As two of the groups searched the building from opposing sides, the others waited on the street below. So far, the ground patrol had not seen anything out of the ordinary, and were getting a bit stir-crazy. To pass the time, they kept their communication lines open through their access pods.

“What do you think is going on in there?” Yuri asked openly to anyone who wanted to engage.

“Tough to say,” Kaio responded. “My guess is that they’re being extra cautious and moving slowly through the building. Could be a while out here boys and girls.”

Almost without warning, a dense fog rolled in, blanketing the entire neighbourhood.

“Are you guys seeing this?” Yuri asked. “Don’t tell me this guy can control the weather too.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Link said. “Stay alert guys.”

“Hey, Link, is it even possible to hack the weather?” Kaio asked.

“There are machines that create artificial weather, and yes, those can be hacked. Why do you ask?”

“Just making conversation.”

The fog descended upon the streets and old buildings, and with it brought thunder showers. The rain was relentless, causing discomfort for anyone who was outside. Being fully exposed, the troops who were stationed around the block looked for cover.

“What do you guys think, should we wait in the vans?” Kaio suggested, taking a step toward the parked vehicles.

“No, Kaio, don’t,” Yuri said, “it’s too dangerous. If this is part of some elaborate plan by The Fox, then we’d be sitting targets in the vans. We’re better off spreading ourselves out as Curik had instructed.

“Maybe I’m just the optimist in the bunch, but I don’t think—”

Just as Kaio was about to complete his sentence, the van he was heading toward exploded, sending him flying backward. The giant wall of flames dispersed parts of the vehicle a hundred feet in every direction. Flaming wreckage rained down, nearly hitting Kaio, who had been thrown to the ground from the force of the blast. What was left of the van was a contorted heap of metal, which was now hardly recognizable.

“Kaio, do you copy?” Yuri yelled into his pod.

Kaio lay on the ground with the rain pouring down on him. He was just as surprised as everyone else, and a little shaken up.

“Yeah, I copy,” Kaio said, “I’m fine… although I may be a little sore tomorrow.”

“What were you saying about optimism?” Yuri asked.

Before anyone knew what was happening, two RT 2100 robots dropped from the sky, piercing through the fog. Each one landed directly on top of the two vans. The impact of the RTs’ solid frames buckled the metal roofs of the vans and shattered the windows.

“Great, now how are we going to get home?” Yuri said.

With each crunching step, the RTs’ footsteps depressed the metal until they reached the end where they jumped onto the road. The RTs stood over seven feet tall and were completely encased in metal armour. They captured the imaginations of the unsuspecting group as most of them had never seen them up close before.

The bipedal battle robots used their advanced sensors to scan the streets and pinpoint any targets. About twenty feet away, Kaio was standing in plain view, frozen with terror.

“You need to get out of there, Kaio,” Yuri said with urgency.

The RTs locked onto him and took aim, but Kaio ran for cover. Splashing through the puddles, he made it to the nearest alley and out of sight. The RTs were equipped with various levels of artillery, but went for the most destructive forms they had. They deployed two rockets in Kaio’s direction, one right after the other. The small missiles shot out from the robots’ arms, and chased Kaio down the alley. Seconds later, the ground floor of the building that he had run into exploded with a loud boom that rocked the neighbourhood. Chunks of debris littered the streets and a large cloud of smoke billowed out from the building.

From Yuri’s vantage point, he had a clear shot at the robots. Without knowing whether or not Kaio was okay, Yuri stepped up to help his friend.

“Hey, tin heads!” Yuri shouted.

Holding his blaster rifle waist high, he squeezed the trigger of his pulse gun, releasing a powerful charge of electricity. The shot was perfect, striking one of the robots directly in the chest. The robot was designed to withstand high-voltages of electricity so the shot had no effect on it. It absorbed the blast and turned its attention to Yuri, who was staring in disbelief. The RTs locked onto his location and raised their arms.

“Oh damn,” Yuri said, taking off and disappearing into the fog.

“Link, remember what you said about solving problems. I don’t suppose you can hack these things?”

“Of course I can,” Link replied. “I’m already on it.”

The fog actually worked in the group’s favour since it prevented the RTs’ sensors from locating them. As far as the robots knew, there was only one target remaining.

“Kaio, come in,” Yuri called out.

“Yeah, I’m here,” Kaio responded. He was a little banged up from rogue shrapnel, but was still on the move. “What can I do for you, buddy?”

“Our weapons are useless against these things, got any ideas?”

From the rooftops, a second squad of troops hurled objects down at the street. Kaio had now reached the top of one of the buildings and got into position next to his friend.

“Kaio, it’s good to see you, brother.”

“Likewise,” Kaio said, joining in the rooftop effort. “What are we throwing today?”

“Well, we have a wonderful array of objects, ranging from metal pipes to pieces of an old air conditioner. May I interest you in one of our delightful projectiles?” his friend asked.

“Why thank you, sir. This brick shall suffice.”

“Ah, yes, you’ve made a fine selection indeed.”

With the brick in hand, Kaio propped himself up, and peered over the edge of the building. Unfortunately, the fog was too thick to even see the street below.

“I can’t see a thing!” Kaio lamented.

“Sorry, all sales are final.”

Kaio blindly lobbed the brick off the six-storey building then waited a few seconds for the impact. Much to his surprise, he heard the sound of rock on metal.

“I think I got one!” he shouted.

The brick smashed against the top of an RT’s head, yet it was unclear how much damage it had done.