Tag Archives: AD7

Champions of Battle: AD7 – Awakening #9

It took next to no time to load the equipment.  Not only were the pieces designed to be portable, she brought a few mechanical workers with her.  Three headless long-armed machines with wheeled legs stood ready to assist with any project.  With the push of a button and a few directions they raced out of her ship and toward in all directions.

Next to no time was still too long for Adrianne.  The Mech War changed everything about the life she knew.  The one responsible for that war was at the research lab showing signs of life though she was not quite alive anymore.  Adrianne wanted to be the first person to speak with her.

She went into her ship, Silent Blur, knowing that her workers would finish faster without her help.  She spent the time instead on a brisk walk back to her ship to prepare for launch.

Reaching Silent Blur, she immediately turned off the radio.  There seemed to be a very underhanded move played by one of the racers to gain a lead.  However exciting a development it was, getting back to the research lab was too important to make any mistakes.

Walking towards the forward control station, she sat and gave a quick salute to a small sailboat floating in purple liquid encased in a clear globe.  “Aye Captain,” she said almost jokingly.  The small device, Captain Bubbles, had many purposes.  Several devices in the ship told her about the direction, acceleration, and gravity forces working on the Silent Blur.  Though well and good, a quick look to the good captain told her all those things and more.  It also doubled as an amazing air freshener.  Black Cherry Blast was the current scent.  Not her favorite, but still quite good.

With the a few flips of switches, Silent Blur came to life.  A few seconds later, her equipment, workers, and defensive droids were all secured into her ship.  With a quick leap and activated wing thrusters, she launched into the sky.  In no time, she was well on her way back to Rubin’s Trail at full speed.

Like the vehicles in the E-Ville Racing tournament, Silent Blur uses retractable wings to fly or a retractable weighted tail run like a squirrel.  Flying over the tree canopy was by far the fastest route back to Rubin’s Trail.

In a way, AD7 was her hero as well as a warning.  From looking at AD7, Adrianne was encouraged to look at the Mech Talents with new respect.  She even decided to discard her Gunner Talents for the Mech Talents.  Machines held incredible power, but the search for such great power without self-discipline could cause one to go mad.  Something about AD7’s story told her that it was possible to bring AD7 back to humanity.  Adrianne would be the first to speak with her, but she had to get back as fast as possible.

In her rush to get back to the castle, she almost missed the blip on her radar.  As a courtesy, she sank closer to the canopy to allow a potentially larger ship by.  However, a quick glance in her rear monitor revealed no ship following her.

Slightly alarmed, she quickly shot a ping of her surroundings checking for a half second of relative motion.  Everything was a blur except three ships.  Every ship was moving in her direction.

She knew full well that she was well outside any transport lanes.  Even if she was inside their lanes, there would not be three transports obviously following her.

This was exactly what she could do without right now.

“Gankers.”

#1 – Awakening #8 – Awakening #10

Champions of Battle: AD7 – Awakening #8

At the base of Rubin’s Mountain, a high quality stereo system echoes in the breeze.  A shout caster yells updates trying to keep up with all the action as best he can.  Doctor Adrianne Yu uses what she hears to get a general image of the race.

The racers’ vehicles had both flight and climbing abilities.  These powerful machines have to use both abilities to fly and jump though check points in the thick forest course.  The racers stop and change directions repeatedly to stay on the course, all at break neck speeds.  The machines use powerful steel claws to grab a branch after hitting one check point, immediately heading for another.  It would be impossible to keep up unless the caster knew where they were going.

The gravity forces and random  uncut branches make the race very dangerous.  Without gravity reducing suits and fast reflexes, it would be impossible to even start such a profession.  The racers themselves were particularly unkind to each other which made the race even more difficult.  It even seemed dangerous for the caster.  He could suffocate from lack of air or have a heart attack any time now.

It was the broadcast of the final race of the E-Ville racing tournament.  Racers and their teams modified their machines to navigate the forest course as quickly as possible.  Doctor Yu loved machines and what people could do to improve them.  While she was genuinely interested in who won, she needed the sound to be in the background.  She had her own tasks to complete.

Her own specially modified vehicle was parked a small ways away from her near the rock face.  The system stereo was set really high so that she could hear it while she set up the system.  Her defense robots made sure that she was not disturbed by any wildlife or any harmful wanderers.  It was time to test the weapon again.

Checking the devices over again, she made sure that everything was in place.  A heated rock selected from the sloping rock face sat on a launching device.  It was flanked by a few recording robots reminiscent of the small flying robots in the museum.  Instead of guns, the three of them held cameras.  They all sat ready and in position for her to give the signal.

Nervously she presses the button.  Imediately, the rock is launched into the air and the recording bots follow a split second after.  They sailed over her ship as her speakers played the shout casters updates.  As they pass, a missile is launched from her ship.  Seeking the heated rock, it quickly changes directions heading upwards.

“Come on, come on,” she says encouragingly.

The missile catches the rock quickly.  However, instead of exploding on the rock, the rock is engulfed in flames.  It lands, a rolling heap of fire while the recording bots fly back to Doctor Yu with the valuable data.

Checking the multiple angles of the recording, Doctor Yu looks at the high-definition holographic image in slow motion.  She fast forwards the recording to a point just before the impact.

As expected, the warhead splits into eight parts right before it reached the target.  As expected, the hyper-napalm is spread like a net while the eight tips continue to seek and catch the rock.  Unlike her last test, the tips actually catch the rock and dig in, securing a hold on the target.  The burning hyper-napalm follows the hooks and engulfs the rock in flames.

“Yes!  Perfect!”

In a moment of curiosity she walked over to the still burning target.  During the short trek, the flame died and she saw what has became of the rock.  Its once strong features were smoothed out.  It collected dirt and debris as it rolled, it now resembled a dirty glass tube more than a rock.  She knew better than to touch it.  She could still feel the heat from quite a few centimeters away.

Just then, her handheld rang.

“Doctor Yu.  You’re needed at the lab.  We have brain activity from Aa Dee Seven.”

“I’ll be right there.”

#1 – Awakening #7 – Awakening #9

Champions of Battle: AD7 – Awakening #7

Rubin’s Trail Museum: War Artifacts

An armored mechanical monstrosity the height of a chicken stood in a frightening pose.  Its jetpack and hydraulic limbs promised quick movement.  The large cannons on its arms and back promised destruction to whatever came near.  It did not more.  It could not move.  It was merely a display, no ammunition, energy packs, or programming.  These days, it was just a heap of machinery to show admirers a piece of what Rubin’s Trail defeated those years ago with the help of a ‘few’ Champions.

Rubin’s Trail welcomed viewers, for a moderate fee.  Champions and citizens alike traveled from around the globe to see the wonders of this museum, this wing in particular.  The horror known as the Mech War was still relatively recent.  Many changes were made throughout the world to ensure that it never could happen again.

It was early evening.  The last of the guided tours were finishing.  The tour guide walked backwards ensuring her group was together, not lingering on one artifact for very long.  “And now we enter the Mech War portion of the museum,” she spoke loud enough for everyone in her group to hear, a bit louder in fact.  Her voice echoed from the walls.

Immediately she heard the gasps from the guests.  The Mech Lord, as they were named by the Champions, was always an attention getter.  While recorded history and videos of them were easily accessible.  There was no substitute for seeing one up close.

The surprised looks on the guests faces was all too familiar to the guide.  The first time she saw it she had nightmares for weeks.  She shook off her fright and continued the tour.  She looked at the armored mechanical monstrosity and spoke again, “This is what is what was known as a Mech Lord.  They were dangerous by themselves but were rarely alone.  They were often accompanied by at least forty of those smaller machines.”

She turned around and pointed behind the group.  Incased in glass was an assortment of smaller machines.  Some looked a bit like them; others seemed to be inspired by flying insects.  All of them looked very, very dangerous.  Some of them had blades attached to their hands others had guns.  Each one of them had a small plaque with a bit of information just below them.

“The Mech Lord’s greatest weapon was its size.  It would draw all the attention while the smaller machines would attack from hidden openings in the fortress.  A Mech Lord wouldn’t have to do a lot of damage even though it was quite capable.”

She walked them to a far wall where two fist-sized balls of enchanted metal were set.  One was a bright red and the other was a light blue.  They were connected by a seven centimeter chain.  They were encased in glass and further secured by a metal cage.  “These are the actual weapons of Aa Dee Seven,” she pointed to the cage and gave each of them a chance to get a good look, “When the…”

“BING”

That was the chime signaling the close of the museum.  She had so much more to show them.  “It appears that we have run out of time with this tour.  Are there any quick questions?”

A male in the front blurted out a question, “Is it true that Aa Dee Seven was found in the Mech Fortress when it fell?”

“Yes she was,” the guide said with a little sadness, “but she lusted for the power of machines so much that she turned herself into one.  By the time they found her, she was unrecognizable as a Crisho.  That was the real tragedy,” she said solemnly as the moral of a story. “She became one of the monsters she created.”

“What did they do with her,” another voice called out.

“They keep her in a secured area of the museum.  It’s only opened on rare occasions.”  The chime sounded again, louder this time.  “It seems we must leave soon,” she said guiding them to the exit, “This way.”

—————

     Deep below the museum, in a chamber only accessible to the highest ranking scientists of Rubin’s Trail, a mechanical body shaped as a young Chisho female stands in a stasis field.  Covered in various metals and enchants stolen from champions over decades, it stays motionless.  It has been studied by great minds but is alone for the moment.  Reassembled and preserved lifeless for nearly ten years.

It awakens.

#1 – Awakening #6 – Awakening #8