*All characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 6

Upgrades

Bill worked for as long as he could. He didn't do much...mostly cleaning out what had gotten inside the curcuits and replacing old ones...maintanence, mostly. He DID have to upgrade Kain though, so he set to work doing only smaller things that would help in a drawn out sort of fight. Longer usage of the arm cannon...more power to the rockets...a slightly better radar. The only major change he did, was add a small data gatherer. It would help Kain, but at the same time, it might help Babe...Bill turned Kain back on, "Okay...I did what I could."

Kain got up and glanced at himself, smiling here and there, "Good job...but what's this other part you added?" He motioned to the reciever.

Bill cleared his throat, "It's so you can...eh...how do I put this."

"Bluntly, doctor."

"Okay, okay..." Bill tapped the reciever, "I've rigged up something so that, when you send out one of those false robots you've created, and Babe destroys it, the fight will get downloaded into your memory banks. You'll be able to learn whatever tricks Babe uses and have an edge the next time you fight him...I'd like to take the liberty to do the same with your false robots so they might learn as well...that way Babe will always have to do something different...he won't be able to win the same way twice."

"Excellent. You may." Kain motioned to his men, who led Bill to where the robots were.

This was it then...Bill hoped he could do it without the men noticing him...he began to work on the false robots...one by one, he added the same reciever and data gatherer he'd given to Kain. Nearing the last one, one of the men approached, giving Bill the chance he needed, "Excuse me, but I can't work very well with you breathing down my neck...could you and the others please back off so I can finish?!"

The man looked at him suspiciously, then agreed. He told the men they were to stand near the back. Bill breathed a prayer of thanks, and programmed a message to Babe, explaining what he'd done. By the time he finished, the three men were tired, and didn't bother to check if he'd done anything strange to the robot. He was led back to the contaniment cells, where, for some reason, it seemed emptier...

Pik's mother was gone.

"Wh--what are you going to do to me?"

Kain glared at her, "Shut up..." He placed her in the same cell he'd given the girl earlier. This one was sick...and if Kain was lucky, Babe knew that. It was imperative for Babe to find her soon. So, Kain would wait until the last possible moment, when this woman was at her weakest, when she would NEED the operation or die...he would take her, and crush Babe with her death. Of course there was that one possibility that a better impact would be made if Kain were to kill either Sarah or Babe's mother, but right now, this sickly old woman seemed the best choice.

"Uncle Babe?.." Michelle asked when she woke. Babe was dead...he'd told her that on the day he'd left...when he'd said goodbye...Michelle rubbed her eyes and went to the room where he was supposed to be, but he was gone. She frowned, afraid to be left alone.

Soon that fear was replaced by a curiosity. She began to explore around a little..."Wha?.." She came to a room where some plates filled with food were. The sight made her stomach growl loudly. The food had been left for her?..Well, even if it hadn't there was a LOT there. She doubted anyone could eat that much...so she...helped herself.

Babe continued to scan the city. He hoped Michelle had found her breakfast by now...it was supposed to last her for lunch and dinner too...if he didn't come back for a while. Most of the stuff he couldn't fix, only get for her. He hoped she knew enough to fix some of it for herself. Presence detected. What?! Babe concentrated on the new presence. Maybe he could find Kain! Warning. Object closing in at high speeds. Recommended action: Evade and counter. Babe dropped as a large robot shot just over his head. He glared up at it, hoping...no, it was a fake. He growled and attacked it anyway. It RESEMBLED the man he was after.

The robot turned to him and activated its arm cannon. So, it wanted a fight, did it? Even better. With a roar, Babe lunged. He fought with everything he had. In the heat of the fight, Babe's reflexes seemed to be at their sharpest. He could almost see where his opponenet would strike next. He found it was simple to block each attack, and managed to land quite a few of his own. The robot he fought seemed slow...almost unsure of itself. It left its head unguarded for the slightest second...which was all Babe needed. He blasted the head off with his cannon, and as it fell to the ground, deactivated, he followed it. A robot might not have the essential parts located in the head. All the head did was provide a visual. The power core and a motion detector could easily be anywhere else. The robot didn't get up. A scan showed that it was indeed, destroyed. He started to head away, but something caught his interest. A small box was attached to the robot at the waist...Babe walked back to examine it...some sort of data gatherer...and a reciever...what for? Something crackled at a speaker in the robot's arm. Babe filtered it through his sensors, wondering what it was. Even with the filter, it was hard to hear the whole message, "Babe...aref...you...Ka...ing...luck." Babe scowled and ran through the message again. It became a little clearer this time and he recognized the voice...it was Bill!

"Babe, be careful. I made this message to warn you...Kain has a...and it reads you. He'll know what you're capable...doing. Good luck."

Bill...Babe felt a tear start to slide down his cheek. He didn't stop it, "Thanks Bill..."

Pik and Kia were having a hard time...Player saw that easily. He didn't know what to do for them except keep them moving. It SEEMED to help...they didn't always look so down. He sighed and pushed the food items into Kia's hands, "Make SOMETHING. I don't know how to cook."

Kia smiled...she smiled!.."Okay James...why don't you watch TV or help Pik with the roof?" She began fixing them something to eat.

Player went to check on Pik, who, despite his fear of heights, was on a ladder, patching up the roof slowly. He kept looking down, and twice took a step down only to get back, eyes closed. Player laughed at him, "Pik, I never thought you'd be doing that."

"Help?" He asked. His voice had a slightly high pitch.

"Sure." Player helped Pik off the ladder...a task in itself, and got up, doing what Pik told him to help fix the roof.

Pik sighed in relief, grateful to feel the ground once more.

"I still can't believe you wouldn't get down, Pik."

"I got stuck Josh..."

"On a ladder!"

Pik ignored Josh and held up the next piece of wood for Player to nail in. They'd almost finished the frame...soon they'd be able to get the ceiling fixed, then put shingles on the roof and everything else!

Maik finished his slight clean up of the place. There was no way for him to fix the entire place up by himself...and he still had a few rooms to clean first before he could HOPE to rebuild a thing. Water bottle in hand, he stepped out for some fresh air. He almost didn't hear the rockets...

"What the--!" He turned and ran. Even from this distance, he could tell that wasn't Babe. Another step...another pounding step...Maik was breathing hard already from his cleaning job...The rockets were getting closer no matter how hard he ran. He looked back...the robot was coming closer...he closed his eyes and braced himself for impact...

There was none.

He looked again to see Babe locked in combat with the robot. Maik tried to stay out of the way, but the robot Babe fought always pushed the two of them toward him. It was nerve-wracking! A drop of something splashed on his hand. He looked down at the water bottle, "My water bottle!" Maybe he could help Babe...This time, when the two fighters were getting close, Maik found a way to manuever himself into a position nearer the robot and tried to squirt some of his water onto it. There were instantly some sparks. The robot kept moving, but its curcuits were so fried that it moved almost an inch before stopping completely. Babe lowered his cannon, slumping.

"Thanks..." He said. He sounded really worn out.

"Uh...sure...I didn't think that would work!"

"Well, it di--GET DOWN!" Babe threw himself against Maik, forcing him to the ground. A moment later, the robot Babe had been fighting exploded. They got up, Maik looking at the smoldering wreck that had been the robot. Babe sat down on the ground, looking upset.

Maik noticed something, "Babe, where's your helmet?"

"It broke off...it was worth it though...I saved Michelle. I haven't had a chance to look for it without someone seeing me...it's why I came here. Maik, could you find it for me?" Babe looked up. His face held an untold amount of misery already.

Kain sighed as the new data came in. If Maik hadn't been there...the fake might have been able to destroy Babe. Well, the rest of them could get protected from that easily enough. He took Bill out of confinement once more, "Make me and the fakes as water-proof as you can."

"What? But it might--"

"DO IT! I don't care what it might do! I can test what will happen with one of the fakes! Now MOVE!"

Bill cowered until Kain stopped shouting. Two men came up and led Bill to the fakes, where he began to work again.