THE ROBOTIC ANT

Chapter 2

Like the previous time, again it was held within an exhibition tent but this time, it covered a wider area. It looked as if it could hold much more than 2500 people which indeed gave me cold thrills. The whole structure was coved with white canvas standing on a supportive metal framework. As I walked closer to the entrance, the sounds from the inside grew much louder as if it was some sort of warzone and the whole thing would come down collapsing within a few minutes. I could see military officers moving in and out of the building, securing the checking points and inquiring suspicious subjects. I heard a bit of an argument between an officer and an innovator. The officer said that he doubted his appearance while the man was confronting that a scientist doesn't get time to shave and so he ought to have a heavy beard. Personally telling, this isn't true, I myself am always clean shaved.

I joined the line to the first check-point. There was only one person in front of me but he was taking hours making each step.

"Can you move any quicker?" I tried to push him forward but he was busy admiring the tent. I was going to ask him again but I was not in a mood to pick a fight with some 6 feet, muscular man. I wished I could skip in front of him but my instincts told me that those men in green uniforms were eagerly waiting for something like that.

Finally, I made it to the conveyor belt when I got the first peek into the tent and found out that they had planned it much seriously than I had it in mind. From this slightest view of the competition, I could see my hope of winning gone all the way down. I kept all my belonging on the track including the Anti-Bot who was now at 0% charging. They scanned me a several times before they were satisfied. The whole security thing to me looked quite more than I felt it was at the airport. The first thing I had to do was to charge my robot, anyhow.

ANYHOW...

Once I was in, I saw rows of robots on rows of table. It appeared more like a robotic invasion and their inventors were reacting like their caretakers. Some were oiling their robots while some where dusting theirs. If all the robots lose their minds all together, they were enough to takeover this entire town. I can't say why but many or I can say most of the innovators had the same thing in mind. There were so many humanoids on the floor and one of them was right across my table. I don't from how long but I got a feeling that he was staring at me like ever since I occupied my table.

Carrying my Anti-Bot, I began with my journey in search of one lonely, blind robot, an easy target who could lend me some power which I was not in a mood to return. Among those thousands of human like, eyed, humanoids, there were low choices whom I could call a robot but finally, I found a small box like robot which ran on wheels and hopefully didn't had eyes. I don't know what was it meant to do but I definitely knew what I was now meant to do. I plugged my wire into it and started extracting the power which went right into my Anti-Bot. I don't know what its owner was doing and where was he, but I don't think he was much interested in his own robot.

Once my robot charged up to 60, I decided to turn away before it was too late. I returned to my table. The humanoid across my table was again looking at me. But this time, he was also grinning a bit. His smile was getting larger by minute. I'm sure enough he saw me taking out the power from that robot, but I don't think he has any speech supporting system in it. I hope he lives with this secret and then dies with this secret.