It's amazing what goes on when I leave town....

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Yep, I can see what a welcome it is...

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Good on Mark for being honest at least, not that makes everything all right again.

I wonder, have Spectra managed to reprogram Zark somehow?

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Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope. - HELEN KELLER

Good questions! I can't wait to find out myself!

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“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them." --Ray Bradbury

Awww Cep, happy to see you are alive and well!!

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Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope. - HELEN KELLER

And the story continues!

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An electronic chirp came from Mark’s bracelet.

“Ears on.”

“Mark,” Zark’s voice was artificially calm. “I need you to come to my control room.”

“I’ll be there shortly.”

“And please bring ElectricWhite with you.”

It didn’t seem possible, yet she became even paler. Mark shot her a questioning look. She nodded.

“We’ll be there in a few minutes.” Mark replied.

“Oh good! I’ll see you both!” With that, the call ended.

EW wheeled herself over to Mark. She covered his wrist communicator with her hand before whispering, “Is there any way we can let somebody know without tipping Zark off?”

Mark thought a moment and then nodded.

“Then let’s go.” EW said, “We don’t want Zark to wait too long!”

* * * * *

After a brief detour, Mark transmuted and pushed EW’s wheelchair toward the control room. As they rode in the elevator, EW tried to think of what it was that was bothering her. She knew it was important – if not vital – but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. At best, she barely brushed it with her fingertips.

The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened with a slight hiss.

“Ah, Commander, EW,” Zark said with an unnaturally cheerful tone,”I’m so glad you’re here! Please come in!”

The Eagle and the Gatchamaniac exchanged uneasy looks before entering the room.

“So,” Mark said, sounding as if nothing was off, “what’s up, Zark?”

“Well, Commander,” Zark replied in a tone EW hadn’t heard before – a deathly serious tone, “I’m very disappointed that you failed to complete your mission.”

“But, Zark,” Mark replied, “that wasn’t a Spectran base –”

“I know.”

EW looked around the control room. What if a fight broke out?

She figured the most she could do was roll a little one way or another...or get in Mark’s way.

That’s probably why Zark wanted her there. Damn.

“You mean you wanted us to kill innocent civilians?!”

“The Omega Protocol must be completed, Commander.”

“What’s this ‘Omega Protocol’?” Mark’s voice raised in pitch and volume, “Do you think it’s some sort of law?”

Something clicked in EW’s mind. “Zark,” she said with a voice full of authority instead of the fear gripping her chest, “what are Asimov’s Laws of Robotics?”

“What?!” Mark hissed at her.

“Well, that’s an unusual request for this time!” Zark said, “But they say we live in unusual times!” The robot let out a giggle. “Very well.”

The robot made a sound like he was clearing his throat. “The First Law states: A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being come to harm.”

“Aha!” EW cried, “By following the Omega Protocol, you’re in violation of the First Law! Look at me – I’m proof of that!”

“Oh!” Mark gasped, “I get it now!”

“Oh no.” Zark answered, “I didn’t inflict those injuries on you.”

“But you ordered G-Force to do it!” Mark proclaimed, “That conscious action caused humans to come to harm!”

“Oh my.” Zark gasped. “One moment...processing...processing...” He seemed to become oblivious to everything around him.

“How did you come up with that?” Mark asked in a hushed tone.

“I was a big sci fi nerd as a kid – I always had a science fiction book with me.”

Zark’s arms dropped to his sides and his antennae drooped.

“Did he shut down?” EW asked.

“I think so.”

==========

To be continued..........

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“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them." --Ray Bradbury

Aw, shucks, thanks DT!

And now, back to the story!

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Zark remained motionless and silent. But then the antennae returned to their normal position, and his arms raised slightly.

“He’s rebooting.” Mark explained.

“Is that a good thing?”

“I don’t know.”

“The Omega Protocol of Gatchamania.com overrides the Laws of Robotics!” Zark proclaimed. Faster than EW could see, he pulled out his sonic boomerang and let it fly. Mark snatched it from the air before it could hit her face.

However, the Eagle couldn’t stop the small sonic boom the weapon produced. EW’s head snapped back, and she let out a small cry as the concussion hit her face. For a moment she could have sworn the already bruised skin had split open – the pain was fierce.

Mark sent Zark’s boomerang back and flung his own. The robot effortlessly plucked them both out of the air.

“Tsk! Tsk! Now, Commander, you honestly didn’t expect to harm me with a weapon I designed, did you?” He then twirled them before stowing them in a small compartment in his body.

Mark tensed, preparing for another attack.

A series of electronic tones filled the room. “Oh!” Zark cried, “I have to answer that! Please excuse me.” He turned and made his way to the main console.

“Did he just stop the fight to answer the phone?” EW asked, still a bit dazed.

“Yeah.” Mark replied, a bit befuddled himself, “I don’t know if I should be relieved or insulted.”

“Center Neptune Control, 7-Zark-7!....I have received your request....I’m sorry, access is denied.”

Both Mark and EW were slightly slack-jawed as they watched – this wasn’t anything like what they expected. Also, something Zark said bothered her, but, again, she couldn’t figure out what it was. The frustration of her mind being so muddled, in addition to the pain and stress of the past few hours, had her to the point of almost breaking down and sobbing uncontrollably.

“Yes, that is the correct code.” Zark continued, “But I know you couldn’t possibly be who you claim. Therefore, access is denied!” He paused, as if he was listening. “I’m not interested in the story you are clearly fabricating in order to convince me to wrongly grant you access!” he proclaimed, “I am terminating this –”

Zark suddenly stopped and let out a buzz. Electricity arced between his antennae – he looked like a piece of equipment in a mad scientist’s lab. He rolled back a bit and then leaned forward a little. Smoke began wafting from several joints.

Chief Anderson stepped into the room, carrying what looked like an oversized Tazer.

“Glad you’re here, Chief!” Mark declared as soon as he saw Anderson.

“When you told me Zark had summoned you,” the chief explained, “I decided to get a weapon and get up here.”

“Good thing, too.” EW said, “We were in some serious trouble – he’d decided to disregard the Laws of Robotics in favor of the Omega Protocol. Mark might have been able to get away, but I was sure I was a goner!”

“I’m just glad you disabled him before things got really ugly, Chief!” Mark declared.

“But I didn’t.” Anderson said, “The electricity was arcing between Zark’s antennae when the door opened to let me in.”

“Then what the –?” EW muttered as the threesome sent a wary look toward the smouldering robot.

==========

To be continued..........

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“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them." --Ray Bradbury

OT but Is everyone having problems? I know the host had trouble last week. And yes whilst super busy, I am still alive

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Thanks Cep

Gatchamania.net Administrator

ITA LW, it's certainly great to have the site up and running again....

Sadly though, I don't think it's the last we'll be seeing of these lockouts somehow

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Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope. - HELEN KELLER

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And, finally...

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EPILOGUE

It was Jason’s turn to make the rounds at Gatchamania.net’s main site. He didn’t bother to be in Bird Style here – it was just a matter on seeing the repairs being made and how well the injured were healing. The place was one big good mood without being sappy.

But he had one last person to see.

He cast his eyes around the main courtyard, unsure of where to go. He spotted KT1972 and took a few steps toward her. She saw him and waved.

“Can you tell me where –?” he started to ask.

“She’s in the Rant Room, of course!”

He waved his thanks and started off in that direction.

The Rant Room was actually a building wing full of small suites where Gatchamaniacs go to vent their emotions. As soon as he stepped through the Rant Room’s main entrance, he transmuted – just in case.

He looked at the digital display beside each door telling who – if anybody – was in the room. Finally, he came upon the suite he was after.

“This is driving me nuts!” he heard her cry through the door. “I can’t stand all the itching!”

“I know.” he heard the medic from Center Neptune, “But you’re healing up very well. Thanks to the accelerators, you only have a couple of weeks to go instead of a few months.”

“Yeah, I know.” she sighed. “I’m just sick of everything – the itching, the aches, the wheelchair –”

Jason chose that moment to burst in. “Can’t you do anything beside bitch, Amethyst?”

“It looks like I’m doing more than you.”

Amethyst sat in a wheelchair while Center Neptune’s medic knelt before her, unrolling a bandage while winding it up a leg. The medic finished bandaging Amethyst’s left leg. “You know the routine –” he said to her, “if it swells, turns red, or has any unusual pain –”

“Notify you immediately.” she recited from rote.

Meanwhile, Jason palmed a couple of foil packets from the medic’s bag.

The medic bagged up the old bandages, gathered his equipment, stood up and left with a, “See you in a couple of days.”

The medic was barely out the door when Amethyst leaned forward and began tapping the sides of her calves.

“What the hell – ?” Jason asked with a chuckle.

“This is what they told me to do when the skin under the bandages itches.” she replied. “I don’t know why I bother – it’s doing nothing!”

Jason had slipped around behind her. “I’m going to lift your shirt up a little.”

She nodded her consent, though there was no doubt she would consent for the Condor. She felt a gloved hand under her blouse. It seemed as if he was using his fingers to measure distances from her spine. Then the smell of rubbing alcohol stung her nose.

“Ow!” she cried as something sharp poked her in the back. “Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow – oh!”

“What?”

“The itching – it’s totally gone!”

“That should hold you for a few hours.”

Jason returned her shirt to its normal position and came back around to her front. He ripped open a foil packet , pulled out a small cotton square, and wiped the tip of a feather shiruken.

“Hey,” Amethyst cried, “Aren’t those poisonous?”

“This one isn’t.” He tossed the foil packet and cotton square in a nearby wastepaper basket. Then he put the shiruken tip in his mouth. He grimaced and pulled it out of his mouth – rubbing alcohol isn’t known for tasting good.

“Thanks.” she said to him, “This is great. But what should I do when it wears off?”

Jason let out a snorting chuckle. “Just do what you always do – ride it out and move on! This isn’t your first – or worst – crisis ever.”

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fin

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“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them." --Ray Bradbury