Star League 6 (3 page)

I watch as the Star League try to fight back against the robots. They manage to take out a few of them, but there are just too many robots. Jay gives the signal to stop fighting and the robots surround them, holding them prisoner.

Sam, can you still hear me?
asks iRis.

‘Affirmative,' I answer.

Those robots down there are Sentrybots that have been programmed to break into the factory,
explains iRis.
They will hold your friends hostage until they find what they came for. However, when the job is done they will … dispose of them.

My systems process this information. I quickly reach the decision that this is definitely not something I want to happen.

‘Understood. What are your directives?'

Sentrybots are not very intelligent. They follow the orders of the lead robot. If you can destroy the leader they will let your friends go.

I glance down at the Sentrybots. ‘How do I know which one is the leader?' I ask. ‘They all look the same.'

You must sneak down there and pose as one of the Sentrybots. It doesn't matter that you don't look like them, they'll recognise you as a robot and leave you alone as long as you follow their commands. Then, once you've figured out which one is the leader, you can disable its programming.

‘Understood.'

I quietly climb down out of the air vent and sneak over to where the Star League are being held. Jay spots me and mouths something that looks like ‘get help!', but I shake my head. I stick my chest out and walk confidently into the middle of the Sentrybots. A few of the robots point their weapons
at me but none of them fire.

‘Sentrybot 11XQ3 reporting for duty!' I announce. They lower their weapons and ignore me. I fall into line with the other Sentrybots as they march in a continuous circle around the Star League. Jay and the others stare at me in confusion but say nothing.

Every so often the Sentrybots change direction as the leaderbot gives the command. It's almost impossible to tell which robot the command comes from. There are so many of them and they all react almost in sync with the leader.

Soon I start to notice a pattern. The robots to my left move faster than the robots on my right, which makes me think the leader is to my left. I move along the chain of robots in the direction of the leader, careful not to break the pattern of marching in case they realise I'm not really one of them and choose to exterminate me.

I march along the line until I think I've figured
out who the leaderbot is. I shuffle up next to it and watch closely. Its movements are so quick that a human eye wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but luckily my enhanced robotic reflexes are able to see that this robot is the first to move. It's definitely the leaderbot.

I'm about to reach out to short circuit its wiring when the Sentrybots suddenly grind to a halt. I have no choice but to stop too or they'll realise I'm not really one of them.

‘Greetings, Sentrybot 16YJ9,' drones the leader. ‘You have returned.'

I turn and notice another Sentrybot has entered the room.

‘Were you able to find the top-secret technology we were sent to steal?' the leaderbot asks the new robot.

‘Negative,' says 16YJ9. ‘The Megadroids are nowhere to be found.'

Megadroids? I scan my databases but they
return no search results. I've never heard of that technology.

‘That is unfortunate,' says the leaderbot. ‘The Megadroids must be found. We shall proceed to search the next location on our list, Falcon Laboratories. But for now the prisoners have heard too much. It is time to exterminate them!'

The Sentrybots pull out their weapons and point them at the Star League.

The Star League are so shocked they can only gape as the Sentrybots prepare to fire their weapons. Luckily for them I'm a little faster to act. I lunge towards the leader of the Sentrybots and slap my palm down on its control panel. Then I send a short burst of electricity through my hand that scrambles its circuits.

‘SYSTEM ERROR! SYSTEM ERROR!' The Sentrybot's head spins around and sparks fly out of its control panel. Then the red lights in its eyes go dull and it powers down.

‘ENEMY DETECTED!' screeches one of the Sentrybots. ‘ATTACK!'

I guess iRis was wrong when she said the Sentrybots wouldn't attack me if I destroyed their leader!

A Sentrybot lunges at me and I dive to the floor. I crawl under the legs of a row of Sentrybots and towards the Star League.

‘On the count of three, jump!' I tell them.

‘What?' asks Roger. ‘What are you –'

‘There's no time for questions!' I interrupt. ‘Just do as I say! One … two … three!'

They jump into the air, and the minute their feet are off the ground I send a wave of electricity crackling through the metal floor. It doesn't deactivate the Sentrybots completely but it stuns them, which means that if we work together we might have a chance of defeating them.

‘I request your help!' I shout, and the others leap into action.

Jay moves quickly with a combination of martial arts moves to power down the bots. Connor fights with less style but a lot more strength as he tears the robots apart in werewolf form. Asuka uses her wooden staff to destroy the control panels on
the Sentrybots' chests. Roger throws a potion that turns the robots around him to rust, and Leigh and her monkey, Chu, work as a team disabling the robots' wiring.

In two minutes and forty-eight seconds all of the Sentrybots have been deactivated.

‘Phew! That was close,' says Asuka.

‘Yeah, I'd like to know who sent those 'bots so we can teach them a lesson!' agrees Roger.

‘Well, the Sentrybots did say they were heading to Falcon Laboratories next, so maybe whoever sent them is going there, too,' suggests Leigh.

‘Sounds like a good idea,' says Jay. He turns to me. ‘Thanks for helping us out back there, Sam. If it weren't for you we'd be history!'

‘Yes. It is a good thing I had reason to believe you were walking into a trap and waited behind,' I tell them. I expect them to see the logic in this, since everyone is safely out of robot hands, but instead they look outraged.

‘What? You knew it was a trap?' fumes Asuka.

‘How could you just stand by and let that happen?' asks Leigh.

‘My systems confirmed this plan had the highest chance of success,' I explain.

‘We could have been hurt!' says Roger.

‘But you weren't.'

The others glare at me before storming out of the room. Only Jay stays behind.

‘I don't understand why everyone is mad at me, Jay,' I tell him. ‘My statistics indicated …'

‘Sam, not everything's about statistics.' He pats me on the back. ‘You can't just listen to your head all the time. You also need to do right by other people, and that means listening to your heart.'

‘But I don't have a heart,' I tell him. ‘I have a nervous system comprised of wires and …'

‘That's not what I mean.' Jay sighs and then smiles. ‘I guess the whole “having feelings” thing is like learning to walk for a robot. You've just got to
take it one step at a time.' Jay turns to leave. ‘Come on. The others will get over it. For now we'd better get to Falcon Labs and try to catch whoever is behind all this.'

I'm about to follow Jay down the hall when I feel a hand on my shoulder. As I turn I'm surprised to find a robot standing behind me.

She looks almost humanoid, though I can tell she's a robot by the glowing control panel on her wrist. Around her shoulders she wears a purple cloak with a hood that covers her face.

‘iRis?' I ask.

The robot nods and puts a finger to her lips to show that I should be quiet. Then she backs away down the hall.

‘Are you coming, Sam?' Jay calls from the doorway.

‘I will return in one minute,' I yell, then I follow iRis into the shadows.