Machine Story

Past and Motives

Shaan, Niall, and David took one last look at the Diamond Enclave before turning away and continuing on their journey. They set off and traverse through the Skavolan Woods before sitting down to camp and rest for the night. The campfire was the perfect time for each of them to have their undying questions answered.

Shaan wanted to start first by asking Niall something he had on his mind. However, Niall spoke first, wanting to know what happened to David when he was kidnapped back in the Enclave’s Jail.

Realizing that this was going to need time to explain, David took a deep breath to clear his mind and calm his nerves before speaking.

David finally came around after losing control and going berserk. He woke up with major pain in his head. “You know you really shouldn’t make it a habit of falling asleep in random places.” Hearing that voice again, David had his guard up.

“Relax, if I really was your enemy don’t you think I would have you restrained or taken you out while you were unconscious?” David thought through what the mysterious figure said. Sensing that he made a valid point, David sat back down.

David began to inquire a few things like his name. The mysterious fighter said he had many names but to keep things simple, he said ‘Rice’ would do. “How long was I out for?” David continued. “Oh I would say about four days.”

Immediately, David reacted by jumping up and shouting at the top of his lungs, “FOUR DAYS?!” Rice laughed profusely. He couldn’t believe David believed him and the reaction he got was priceless. David on the other hand was not amused and gave him a serious glare.

“Guess you ain’t the joking type. Fine, you were only out for about 20 minutes.” David felt relieved that he wasn’t out for too long. “You are very lucky, others who become cyborgs like you normally suffer dire consequences.” That last sentence caught David’s attention, as it reminded him of what Anusha shared with him.

David had many questions for Rice but before he could ask anymore, he heard a loud noise in the distant forest, where the Enclave was located. He was wondering what could have made such a sound. “They are here.” David looked at Rice with a confused look. “The Metadross, they have arrived and they plan to eliminate the Amazonians.”

Instantly, David thought about Addyson and Niall who were both still back in the Enclave. He was preparing to speed back towards the enclave but Rice stood in his way. David demanded Rice to step aside or else.

“Or else what? You probably don’t remember but you lost to me moments ago in your berserk form. In that form you are much stronger physically than you are now.” David didn’t want to believe what he was saying but Rice continued. “The leader of the Metadross is no pushover. He is far more powerful than any foe you have faced. If you can’t even land a scratch on me at your peak strength, how will you defeat the Metadross?”

Lost in words and stunned, David fell to his knees. If everything Rice told him was true, then it wouldn’t matter if he just rushed to the enclave. He needed to become stronger, or he needed to find help.

“You! You are strong enough to take out the Metadross aren’t you? Please help us fight off the Metadross invasion!” Rice shook his head. “I will not fight a meaningless battle to perpetuate this war.” David began to feel anger towards Rice. “But I will tell you how to stop this current invasion.”

David was all ears as Rice spoke. “There will be a couple of elite Metadross, their strength is much greater than any of the typical Metadross you have faced. Ignore these two, they are not your targets.” David looked confused, if they truly were the strongest wouldn’t it make sense to take them out. “Instead, focus your efforts on destroying the giant cannon unit. Take that out, and the rest of the Metadross army will flee.”

The plan seemed to make sense but he had some doubts, like what if the army didn’t retreat after he took out the siege unit. More peculiar was how Rice seemed to know so much about the Metadross.

“You better get going, your friends need your help, and you don’t have much time.” Rice alerted him. David was still full of doubts and disbelief. He wasn’t sure he could take out the Giant Metadross unit by himself. He used all he had against Queen Arachnid and fell short.

“Of course you can’t beat the Giant Metadross unit all by yourself!” David was flabbergasted by his response. He was hoping for Rice to say something more uplifting and encouraging. “No one said you had to do this all on your own. Here is a hint, listen to your AI more.”

After those words were spoken, David’s mind felt enlightened. He finally realized that he didn’t have to shoulder everything on his own. He got up from his sad state to thank Rice, but he was already walking away.

“Wait! I have one more question to ask.” David shouted in hopes his voice would reach. “Who is the leader of the Metadross? What is his name?” He stopped walking for a moment to reply, “Sibleon.”

After that, David left and arrived back at the Diamond Enclave where he fought alongside Niall, Shaan, Addyson and the rest of the Amazons. Niall was satisfied with David’s response but now Niall had to answer Shaan’s questions.

“Niall, back when you were battling against those two elite units, you completely froze up against one of them. What happened?” Shaan inquired. Niall took some time to gather his thoughts as this was something that felt tougher to share. “That Metadross had someone piloting it.” There was a look of shock on Shaan and David’s face. “But it wasn’t just anyone, that person looked exactly like my sister.”

David looked puzzled as Niall never mentioned anything about him having a sister. On the other hand, Shaan was experiencing a mix of emotions as he replied to Niall. “If that really was your sister, then it's possible my brother is with them as well.”

At that moment, David realized Niall’s motives. “So that’s the reason you wanted to leave the colony. You wanted to find your sister!” Niall inhaled and exhaled before revealing the reason him, Shaan, and Roop formed their team was because they had all lost their older siblings during the Metadross invasions. They vowed to work together to find them all.

A laugh was held back by David but Niall heard the initial burst and called him out on it. “Oh just good to know you aren’t some guy who is crazy for revenge.” Shaan then grew curious of David’s motives, “So why are you out here with us?” He waited for a moment, making sure Siri was offline before he replied. “To stop what happened to me and Siri, from happening to anyone else.”