Bionica: Origins

Chapter Ten

Ratchet

Gayge is hounding me about needing to get Siren and Glitch back to base, so we get them up and make sure they're fine and aren't, y'know, still possessed. Once we're sure they're not going to kill us, our little procession walks back to the air locks. Gayge leads, Sprocket brings up the rear, and it's pretty much a little rebellion sandwich.

Siren presses the button to let us back into the compound. "We have to hurry," she says. "Tronyx isn't gonna be far behind us. We've gotta get everyone we can find ready for battle."

"I got it," Gayge says. "Sprocket, where did you hide everyone?"

Sprocket tilts his head to the left. "In the bunkers."

Gayge breaks off and goes to help them. Meanwhile, Crescent takes a turn in the opposite direction to go do stuff with bionic crap, I guess. Eclipse turns toward the strategy room, Sprocket goes to the armory, and Siren heads for the infirmary, which leaves me just one place to go.

I turn down a rarely-used hall and stand in front of a door with a weird-looking spider hanging in front of it. After squishing the spider, I open the door, look at what's inside, and smile at my marvelous creation.

"Hello, little friend."

_______

Gayge

The hall leading to the bunker looks unused, except for the thousands of footprints that have worn their way into the dirt floor. I follow those and come across the first bunker. Upon opening the door, at least a hundred eyes have turned in my direction.

"Tronyx has sent out a clone of me!" I say, kind of making it up as I go along. "She is intelligent and ruthless. We won the round, but it won't be long before Tronyx sends out the big guns. We need all of you to be ready for whatever comes ahead!" With that I turn on my heels and go spread the word to the other bunkers.

When I come up out of that hellhole, the air is filled with orders being barked, boots slapping thick metal, and confused mumbling. It's the kind of environment I thrive in. Breaking off towards the strategy room, I find Eclipse talking with an assistant of hers.

"Make sure Kraken and Pollux stay in the field hospitals," Eclipse says. "And put Matchbox in tech with Crescent and Scope."

I extend a questioning hand. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, I need Matchbox out in the field. He's the best explosives guy I've got."

Eclipse stares at me. "That's why we need him in tech. He's going to be a lot more helpful making grenades than throwing them."

I get the feeling this is going to go on all day, so I let up. "I'll go scout out their armies," I say, turning on my heel and walking out of the room.

_______

Crescent

Bionic pieces keep pouring into the tech room, waiting to be upgraded. It's just me, Scope, and Matchbox in here, and Matchbox doesn't have a clue what he's doing. I've gotta replace him...

"Hey, Matchbox?" I say, motioning for him to come my way. He saunters over, hands in his pockets. "Can you go to Eclipse and ask to be transferred to Pluto in field operations? Tell them I sent you. And ask Eclipse to send me Klondike and Harlem." Matchbox looks almost relieved. He nods and runs out of the room. I continue to work on the influx of wires and metal, hoping this battle will start soon. Maybe then there'll be less to do.

_______

Glitch

Recon work is my forte. This is not. They had too many people on the scouting party, so I'm stuck in the armory. I'm handing out weapons to people who aren't normally in field ops. A lot of them look battle-ready, but there are a few who hide fear behind their eyes. My hands are in a back-and-forth motion, going from the gun rack, to the line of people, and back again. But suddenly I turn and there's no one there to give the gun to. I hear sobbing and look down.