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Chapter 2 (Xrd)
“IF YOU LOSE I’M TAKING NAKED PICTURES OF YOU,” a robot had challenged.
Sol Badguy wasn’t the type to fight dirty or unfairly, but his style was brash and belligerent. Sometimes, all a situation called for is a punch. Sometimes, someone or something’s face deserves more than just a punch. Sol drove his sword into the ground and summoned a fissure of rising fire at Robo-Ky.
“GUNFLAME!” he growled. 1
On the brink of overheating, the robot’s face glowed bright red. An explosion erupted from its chassis, incapacitating the machine. Two photographs fell from Robo-Ky’s pockets before it promptly fled.
“Hey dumbass! You dropped these.” Sol yelled, “HEY!”
Too late to care. The wind blew the photos away. By chance, one landed flat against Sol’s chest.
“What’s this shit?” Sol picked it up for a look.
“KY?!”
And where in the Grove did the other photograph land? In a tree far away. The Maiden of the Grove walked her path home. She is a humanoid except her feathered wings and her lizard’s tail. She held a book in one arm and basket of nature’s bounty in the other. Her name is Dizzy. She had been collecting vegetables and herbs. Now, she spots a photograph, the blank side, in a tree.
Curious. She spread her wings and pushed herself into the air. A ring of light around her feet maintained her hover. She picked up the photograph and turned it around.
“Huh…!
“Why can’t I stop looking at this?!”
Her face flushed red, she dipped the corner of the photo in her book, at the gap between a page and her bookmark. She headed back to return to her crew, The Jellyfish Pirates. However, she would later find the man in the photo and leave her crew on friendly terms.
In Illyria, formerly the city of Rome, she resided at the Kiske Manor. Her knight and husband was now the First King of Illyria. They had a son named Sin, an adolescent who wore an eyepatch and grew to be a tad taller than his father. Where that old book and photo would chance upon, it was he that would find out.
“Study? Reading?” Sin bemoaned, “Do I have to?”
Where and how Sin and Ky were raised were a world apart. By their words, many would tell. The unrecognized prince of Illyria had lived a carefree life of adventure, kept safe from crises and political threats. The young man could hunt and survive in the wilderness. But his limited vocabulary and education meant he would fare poorly in society.
“Your mother and I spent yesterday afternoon getting the study room ready for you,” Ky said. “You can pick a book this time.
“Read three chapters, and you’re done for today,” Ky left the room.
Sin shook his head. Ky never seemed to get it. Maybe a tome had fine leather covers and quality binding. Maybe a bookshelf stored plenty within optimal space. But a book was never the world of fantasy or the conduit of imagination as described by his parents. His eyes favored motion and color, yet a book had only to offer black text upon white pages. When he would otherwise listen to the song of birds and the flow of water, he had only silence. Sitting in one place for a long time— having ran and smiled in the sun, wind, or mist for most of his life— was not easy to do. If only he had the words and could articulate that to Ky, but he couldn’t.
Sin sighed and plucked a tome from the shelf. He could stand to read the first page. Half of which was dedicated to “CHAPTER 1” and empty space. But after page two or three, the story’s hook had lost its traction. And Sin’s interest slipped away. It became more entertaining to flip through and have the pages fan his face.
Though in the middle of the book, Sin found a photo. An old picture of a young man with short, spikey hair, the same shade of blond as him and his father.
“Uh. Dad?”
Ky wore his hair in a ponytail now, and Sin never expected Ky to ever be in such a situation and pose. Sin wasn’t sure at first, but the details compounded. The undone clothes of a knight: his father’s profession; his father’s colors: blue and white; and his father’s choice in weaponry: a two handed sword with a lightning enchantment. But the photo wasn’t taken in honor of Ky’s accomplishments and valor.
“UH. DAD?!”
Sin fled from the study room, passing by Ky.
“Sin? SIN!” Ky scolded.
But Sin kept running with a clearly distraught expression on his face. Ky let it slide. Could it be a good sign?
“Sin, an engaged reader? I can hardly believe it,” Ky smiled to himself.
Ky walked to the study room and found the book on the floor. So the pages would not get damaged, he lifted the book from the ground, only to notice a blank card drop from the book to the floor.
The other side of the card, as Ky picked it up, was smooth and glossy. Ky turned the photograph around.
This can’t be!
The outskirts of Illyria was sparsely populated in the late morning. The time of day when most citizens were at their jobs was the time of day that attracted the least attention. Sin ran to Sol, the former having his polearm (a war flag) holstered and ready for adventure.
“Yahoo! Old man, we’re on another bounty! Who are we looking for?”
It could be a murderer, a monster, a vampire, or even a Gear.
“We’re looking for a robot,” Sol said plainly.
“A robot?”
“Ky wants to settle things with a robot. Going by local rumors, it should be around here. Just check around the streets.”
“Metal like those armored guards on his airship?”
“Something like that.”
Where in a city would a robot hide? Sin ran around the block. Not at the Chinese restaurant, for sure. Robots don’t eat. The florists? Nah. A print shop? Unlikely. Sin figured he would head towards the mechanic’s, a good distance away. The next block over, Sin came across a street corner. From behind, he found a blond figure who stood at his fathers height and had his father’s sense of style.
“Dad?” Sin asked. “I didn’t know you came too. You cut your hair? WHAAH!”
The figure turned around had a face of metal and bolts, and two glowing eyes.
“I AM NO ONE’S FATHER. I AM JUST A STREET CORNER ROBOT,” Robo-Ky said.
“Old man! Old man!” Sin called. “I found the robot! I just have to beat it up, and we can go home, right?”
“Just don’t over do it,” Sol said.
[Sin versus Robo-Ky! Get ready to rock!]
Sin’s weapon warped and curved with each forceful swing. A hard overhead slam knocked Robo-Ky to the ground. Though the robot got back up, it hadn’t fully recovered. Disoriented and stunned, Robo-Ky held its head and was open for another attack.
From under Sin’s eyepatch, a faint red light leaked. Sin lunged at Robo-Ky, sending both of them into the air. Like his father, Sin wielded power over lightning. Unlike Ky’s royal blue light, Sin’s was red. It arced and charged as Sin glared into the robot’s blank eyes.
「悪いけどまじだから、ちゃんと大量!」 2
[Buckle up! ’Cause I’m going all out!]
“UNHANDLED EXCEPTION,” Robo-Ky said, “RESPONSE ASSET NOT FOUND.”
Sin and Robo-Ky made a crater in the distance. Sin called forth the storms from the skies. A barrage of lightning converged to a thick pillar of light that terrorized the ground like a tornado.
“RAIDEN!”
DESTROYED.
Sin landed to the ground and twirled the flag pole. With the cord undone, the fabric flew proudly in the wind.
「これでまだたすなら、俺の気合入れるな!」 3
[If you can stand after all that, I’ll be impressed!]
Sin Kiske wins.
Sin and Sol returned to the capitol with Robo-Ky, remaining out of public eye. In the cellar of Illyria Castle, they met with Ky Kiske, the First King.
“Well, Your Majesty,” Sol said, “There’s your bounty. Are you going to finally decommission the last of these freaks?”
“Death or decommissioning is a penalty too steep for what’s been done. But I can’t allow more of those photographs to remain.
“So I ask,” Ky interrogated the robot. “What other photos are out there?”
“PHOTOGRAPHS ARE CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK. YOU DESTROYED MY COLLECTION REMEMBER? EVERY DUEL I EVER WON.
“THOSE WERE THE TIMES!” Robo-Ky said. “IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ORDER A PRINT, MY TONER MODULE REQUIRES A REFILL.”
“Robot dad makes picture books?” Sin said. “I can read chapters of those any time.”
Ky sighed. It doesn’t have the kind of pictures you want to be looking at…
“WHAT THE HECK? MY ORIGINAL HAD A KID? YOU AREN’T HIS BROTHER?”
“Yeah? I mean no!” Sin said. “Ky’s my dad and Dizzy’s my mom!”
It’s only been five years since Robo-Ky and Ky had last met. At the time Ky was twenty-four years old. Sin stood taller than his alleged father and did not match the physiological profile of a five year old.
“DIZZY. QUERY COMPLETE. SPECIES: NON-HUMAN. SUSPECTED GEAR.
“THE POLICEMAN WHO TRIED TO BAIT ME INTO TAKING NAKED PICTURES OF AN UNDERAGE BOY IS NOW MARRIED TO AN 8 YEAR OLD. NOW I’VE SEEN EVERYTHING.”
“Enough!” Ky said. “So the only barrier to producing more photos is your ink cartridge?”
“I AM JUST A STREET CORNER ROBOT. THAT IS ALL I DO NOW. IF YOU HAVE A JOB, I WILL DO IT FOR OIL, BOLTS, AND SPARE PARTS.”
“You’re equipped with digital photography,” Sol said. “Problem solved if the files were erased.”
“Huh,” Sin said. “I’d feel sad if I couldn’t remember any duel I’ve won.”
Ky sighed. Sin… He didn’t want to say it out loud, but he agreed with Sin. Everyone had their own memories. Embarassments of their own or of other people included. But not everyone was connected to a printer.
“Sol, what’s your input on this?”
Sol was a scientist over one hundred years ago. He had a lankier build then than he did now. Of the 21st century, he remembered the Gear Project and a competing proposal: artificial intelligence. Though after the Gear Project’s potential military applications were clear, the United States government lost interest in AI.
“A memory’s a memory,” Sol said, “I don’t have schematics to tin can, but the fundamentals don’t change.
“You have neurons in your head. Tin can has nand gates, perceptrons, or so on. You aren’t violating any human rights if you just scrap the annoying shit.”
“BEEP,” Robo-Ky shook nervously.
“It wouldn’t be a crime,” Ky said, “but it would be an injustice nonetheless.”
“SO. DOES THIS MEAN I’M FREE TO GO?”
Ky glared. “No.”
Robo-Ky wondered what his original had in store for him. After his exchange with Ky, Sol, and Sin, he was taken away by the guards. To a jail or dungeon in the castle basement? No. Robo-Ky was escorted to the main floor. Not quite a prisoner nor trusted, the robot waited in the lobby until he was called to a conference room.
Fine wooden furniture. A bright, sunny window. A warm welcome from a well dressed man.
“Greetings, Mr Robo-Ky. I represent my client The First King of Illyria. Have a seat.”
Robo-Ky sat.
“Based on the information you have provided, we would like to arrange an contract,” he slid papers forward. One of which was titled ‘NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENT’.
“So please read the terms carefully, and sign your name when you are done. Just remember,” he pointed to the fine print at the bottom of the contract. “By signing this contract, you agree to resolve all disputes in the High Court of Illyria.”
Robo-Ky scanned the pages. A red light emitted from his eyes and sweeped over the page. It’s a list of stipulations regarding his old photography.
“SO WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?”
“All the bolts, oil, and parts you require provided on behalf of the Kiske estate,” the attorney said generously. “Ink cartridges not included.”
“DEAL!” Robo-Ky signed his name.
Notes:
Sin’s Instant Kill Scene: https://video.hardlimit.com/videos/watch/fa52ea82-3775-4c4c-b4b1-b7e002ddc52f?start=55s
Sin Kiske is fairly difficult to understand because he (his Japanese voice) blends words together. “kiai ireru” is generally “kiai o ireru”, but Sin says it fast like it isn’t in there.
When I first heard Sol performing this move in-game, I thought he was saying “Guilty” like the developers were nodding to the title of the game. But according to Dustloop, he is saying Gunflame: https://www.dustloop.com/wiki/index.php?title=GGACR/Sol_Badguy#Special_Moves↩︎
warui kedo maji dakara, chanto tairyou↩︎
kore de mada tasu nara, ore no kiai ireru na↩︎