Rowdy Dead Productions

By David C. Daoust

 
‘Learn something new every day’, Hugo thought as he read through the scans that projected before his eyes. It was a holographic depiction of Harper’s skull, with small indicators highlighting what was wrong. Small squares of text appeared with a brief description of what was going on within the indicated locations.

To be honest, Hugo didn’t understand all the words. Not that he was exactly ‘uneducated’, but it seemed to use a lot of long scientific names for things. Hugo felt most people would be stumped by some of the jargon. The damage was not as severe as they had thought, or so Ratchet’s doppelganger, Ferguson, explained as it studied the information. Ferguson instructed how to activate the healing light, once the holographic boy was confident he had a good bead on the information.

Not long after- the First Wave girl was sleeping peacefully in her chair, the light did its work, and Hugo felt kind of good about himself. Steadily, he guided himself back to his chair, used the healing cane for a much more mundane and practical use, as he lowered himself back into his seat.

Wilford arrived, Hamlin and the Junkbot, the youngest Blue sister’s new companion, Margo, in tow.

“Where are the girls?” Ratchet asked as he turned in his chair to get a clear view of all those who entered.

Hugo was curious as well, expected to see the two small blonds join them on the bridge of the massive vehicle.

“We’re here!” Dicey’s muffled voice announced from within the junkbot’s belly.

Suddenly Margo’s lid-like head popped up a little as Grace appeared underneath, “It’s stuffy in there…” the girl griped- eyes downcast on a view screen.

Hugo was not surprised. Dicey had taken to playing inside the bot like a fort. He made sure she could breathe the first time he found her like this. She insisted she was okay, but he doubted it could be all that comfortable within. She said she had a blanket and the two went off on their merry way.

They were all relieved to find the children were okay.

Hugo did make note of the lack of chairs within the Bridge. Ultimately the sandcrawler was designed with two pilot chairs in the center of the room. Both of which were located under the invading Drone, whose squat leg’s sprawled throughout the room. Olivia was sitting in one, despite the massive drone overhead. And Ratchet set to the side of her in the other. Hugo sat in the back at communications station, with Harper nearby.

It was probably for the best that the girl’s were within the hovering junkbot- because they did not have anywhere else to put them.

Wilford rejoined his wife, placing a hand on her shoulder. The old man did not seem concerned with his lack of a seat to strap into, nor did Hamlin.

“Okay, we have everyone- now what?” Olivia asked. “There has to be something we can do…”

“I ‘been messing with the controls,” Ratchet explained. “I can’t get it to do anything.”

“Course not, doofus-boy Chance thinks he’s playing a game,” Grace inserted, eyes still glued to her view screen.

Everyone ignored her.

“This Drone has complete control of the vehicle,” Ratchet continued, frustrated with the terminal in front of him -with the whole vehicle- out of his control.

“…he won’t believe us…” the little girl said nonsensically.

“I don’t think they’re listening to you,” Margo said to Grace.

Hugo was equally as frustrated with the massive armored machine in the middle of the room. He tried using the communications array. There was nothing he could do. Everything was routed to the drone.

“We got more company,” Hamlin gestured to the swarm of battle drones that just appeared. “This doesn’t look good.”

“That’s what we’re dealing with,” Grace said as she glanced up from her display at last.

“They’re not listening to you are they?” Dicey’s muffled voice came from within.

“Nope,” Grace answered.

Suddenly, there was a load banging noise on the roof of the vehicle.

“What was that?” Hugo asked, startled. It sounded like the drones were attacking the roof.

“Good idea! That got their attention,” Grace said to Dicey.

“That was me!” Dicey announced.

“Watch,” Grace pulled herself up higher from the bucket- so her arms hung out, the small view screen gripped within her hands. Suddenly a loud clang could be heard from above, the girl explained, “That’s me landing on the roof.” She started clicking with her thumbs, and mouthing the beat, ‘Bam bam ba-ba-BAM, bam bam ba-ba-BAM’ the sound clanged out with her actions from above, vibrating through the whole Sandcrawler.

Hugo did not understand what was going on.

“How are you doing that?” Wilford pressed.

“That’s what I am saying,” the small girl insisted, “Chance thinks he’s playing a game!”

With this, she turned the screen around, and showed them all what she was looking at.