Part 21: The Red Dam is Entirely Unlike a Box of Chocolates

Chapter 17: The Red Dam is Entirely Unlike a Box of Chocolates



Boy howdy, Nei sure was somethin' special. Rolf was lucky to know her.

I mean, don't git me wrong. Amy's a nice gal an' all, but she's a bit uptight. Reckon she'd make a good match fer Rolf, though.

An' as fer the two gals back home, they's got their good and bad points too. Anna's easy on the eyes, but she sure is one hell of an ice queen. Seems like she ain't interested in anythin' but fightin' an' learnin' how ta fight. Plus, every time Rudo's around they end up fightin' over somethin', an' since I bin trainin' with Rudo a lot lately, Anna's bin keepin' clear of the both of us. Shir... well, she ain't so bad, but she don't seem ta like me too much neither. An' she could do with a li'l more fillin' out in front, if'n ya know what I mean. Mother Brain made the Wonderbra fer a reason.

But Nei, she was different. It weren't just that she was nice ta look at -- but don't git me wrong, she sure was nice ta look at -- but she jist might be the sweetest gal I ever met. Whenever we got into a scuffle with some Biomonsters, she'd throw herself right into the front lines, an' after it was done with she'd always make sure none of us were hurt before she healed herself. She was always like that, puttin' others before herself.

Ah, I shouldn' be gettin' all sentimental. Nei wouldn'ta wanted that. She woulda wanted us ta keep on fightin' for Mota's future, so that's what we're gonna do.



Didn' take us long ta find the floodgate control computer for the dam. Only trouble was, it was on the other side of a great big honkin' hole in the floor. There weren't no way we were jumpin' across that, so we'd jist have ta take the long way round.



And let me tell you, the long way was pretty damn long. I shouldn' be complainin', though -- least this dam weren't so big as Climatrol.




All these robots didn't make it any easier for us neither. Now y'see, the Wirehead is a communications robot, but if'n ya turn its microwave transmitter on at full power it packs one hell of a punch. I know that 'cuz I got fired from my third job as a mechanic for startin' a fire that way when I was tryin' ta heat up my lunch. Anyhow, I used Eijia on 'em, which made 'em rust up. It don't shut 'em down as fast as Nagaj does, but it don't make me so tired neither.



We found a funny-lookin' slasher in a box in one room. Rolf pressed a button on the handle an' the blade got red-hot, jist like the way Amy's staff works. I guess what that li'l furry critter said 'bout weapons in the dams was true after all.



Next robot we ran into was an Eyesore, which is a big ol' hunk o' steel on legs with two different kinds o' laser gun. They's bad news all around, 'specially since swords an' all that don't work so well on 'em.



So anyways, even with all the robots tryin' to stop us we were makin' progress. We went on a big ol' scenic route around the outer edge o' the dam, 'cuz Rolf thought maybe that way we could git around to the other side o' the control computer, where there wasn' a big ol' hole in our way.



Trouble is there was a big ol' hole in our way on t' other path too, but there was a li'l walkway that we could use to git across if'n we went one at a time.



Well, wouldn' ya know it -- that was jist the time when a whole pack o' Poleziax robots caught up with us. One o' them plugged me square in the chest with a stun gun an' I was down for the count. Good thing the rest o' the team had my back. I gots to say, they's some damn good fighters. Even Amy ain't so bad with that fire staff o' hers.



Well, speak o' the devil. With two fire staffs, Amy could beat the shit outta anythin' that didn't take well ta bein' set on fire, which was pretty much everythin'.

We were back in spittin' distance of the dam control computer, too. Too bad we were still on the wrong side of the great big honkin' hole in the floor.



Next thing we found in the dams was an old-lookin' sword. Even though I didn' see a power source or any controls on it, I could swear it glowed a little.



Soon as Rolf picked up that sword, somethin' seemed different 'bout him. He got this look in his eyes, like a coyote on the prowl. Amy musta noticed it too, 'cuz she asked Rolf if'n he was okay. He said nothin' was wrong, but that's what he always says.



Next time we ran into some robots, Rolf ran right at 'em, swingin' his sword around and screamin' his lungs out. Damn near cut one of 'em clean in half.



Damn fool even tried the same thing on a fuckin' Sonomech. Those things are built like tanks -- swords don't do shit to 'em. Rudo was shoutin' at Rolf to step back 'cuz he couldn't git a clear shot with him in the way, but Rolf jist kept on hackin' away at the thing until it stopped movin'.



Anyways, after takin' the long way round for a second time, we got to the control computer. 'Bout time, too.



Ah, now that's a sweet sound. I gots to say, it's a good feelin' knowin' that for once I've helped fix somethin' instead of wreckin' it. Even if all I did to help with the fixin' was wreckin' everythin' that got in our way.



Sure 'nough, when we went back outside there was a right ol' torrent o' fresh water comin' outta the dam an' down t'river. Good thing we tied up the boat real secure-like or it woulda been washed away. I dunno why Rolf wouldn' let me help with that, though.



Rolf wanted ta give the fire slasher to Anna so she could test it out, so we went back ta Paseo. Rudo was none too happy 'bout that, o' course.



Oh boy, yer takin' Anna, Amy and Shir with ya on this one? This is gonna be great. Jist as long as we don't take Hugh. I bet he's the one who keeps takin' my booze an' cigarettes, 'cuz he keeps tellin' me smokin' an' drinkin' so much is bad fer my health.

Hey, Rolf, don't forget 'bout me. Yer takin' me with ya, right?

Right?

Rolf?