A sci-fi serial in 69 parts featuring original art with every chapter.
Braggadocio between American and Japanese robotics engineers on social media becomes serious once corporate backers join the fray and commission build teams for an international...
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Lumin faced a grim decision. With her world spinning into a vortex of absurdity, all she could do was laugh. She wiped the tears from her eyes when her brief fit of hysteria subsided and caught her breath. "How the hell did we get here, Eldridge?"
"Lumin?" asked Eldridge, raising an eyebrow.
"If you could only fathom how much I regret not joining that nonprofit conservation group. God help me, I was so sick of scrounging and scraping to survive. The $50,000 signing bonus Ryan Lumb offered me was too tempting. I abandoned Doug fir seedlings for Louboutins, only to end up wrecking every pair of fancy heels I bought."
"I'm not sure I'm following your train of thought," said Eldridge.
"Somehow, I never questioned why someone with so little experience would be considered for a management position. You were pulling Lumb's strings behind the scenes all along."
Eldridge shrugged a bit. "Only in regards to the tournament. It wasn't long after Mr. Lumb suggested the contest to Kengi Sato that I took the reins. I provided full funding to the American team so I could have more direct involvement in the project without raising too many questions."
"You're the one who hired me, aren't you?"
"After the original Project Manager proved to be a failure, I chose you from a packet of replacement candidates provided by Mr. Lumb."
Lumin took a deep breath and stared at the floor. "I was so young and hungry. You knew I'd work my ass off and do any outlandish thing asked of me simply to prove myself."
"I hired you because you were the best person for the job," Eldridge retorted.
"You hired me because you thought you could mold me how you saw fit, you psychopath!" said Lumin, her muscles tensing.
Eldridge shook his head. "No, that's absolutely—"
"I choose option number two," said Lumin with resolve. "I'm going to fight on like I always have." Her tone was adamant.
Eldridge sighed. "Lumin, you'll be killed. Your friends...will be killed."
"Bullshit. We've taken out everything you've thrown at us, Eldridge...and don't dare say it was all part of your plan, because I know we've thrown you for a loop on multiple occasions. You never expected us to catch on to your conspiracy so fast, did you?"
Eldridge ran a hand through his thick, silver-streaked hair. "You're absolutely right. Miss Lynch's quantum vibration blade along with your unusual battlefield tactics threw a large wrench in my original plans. Still, it's nothing I won't ultimately overcome. In fact, the quantum entanglement technology will be incredibly useful to maintain order after the war. But, I digress...I admire your confidence but you'll never defeat Andrew with eight battered robots."
"We're going to try," said Lumin.
"What's better, Lumin? Sacrificing yourself for your pride, or sacrificing your pride for the greater good? You're risking the lives of not only your teammates but the entire human race. Think about what you're doing!"
