Part 37

We head over to Shrike to follow up our other lead.

A problem? Arising right at the moment I arrive, with me being the happy helpful sort of RPG hero, prompting me to offer help so as to continue the storyline? What are the odds?

Just that one skeleton guy. He's pretty dull though, he doesn't even have a cool hairstyle like an afro or something.

Take off every ZEKE?

So we're off to collect a robot mouse. I dunno, the last time I did something in this game that involved catching a mouse it was ridiculous and retarded. But hey, this time it involves robots, so...

Nakajima Robotics is also home to EngineerCar, who will gladly join any team that already contains a mec.

I grab him soley so that I don't have to use Riki between now and about fifteen minutes from now when I get another party member.

Yup. It's Sei's Tomb. Again.

Here's the mouse we're after. I swear, if this puts me into another silly and improbable chase scene...

Amazingly, the thing just sits there until I pick it up. Even more proof that Riki sucks.

I grab all the Sei items while I'm here as well, Gen needs some help hitting stuff.

He heads over to that object covered by a white sheet that's been sitting around in all my previous playthroughs...taunting...

It's some sort of little jet mec thing, the ZEKE they were talking about.

I'd make another Zero Wing reference, but it probably wouldn't be good for my health.

He's got a 'tude, just like all fast things, be they hedgehogs or guys in red speedsuits.

He finds the idea of HeavyG's lost mission to be romantic, so he asks to tag along.

He's very fast, starting off with maxed speed. His other stats are a bit iffy, though. He replaces EngineerCar in my lineup anyway, because EC is boring.

Time for some quickie plastic surgery!

HeavyG himself is considered Type1, amongst the others we have:

Type2, or the Rabbit model. It gets a few interesting missile and laser attacks and stuff.

Type3, the ZEKE model. As I said about ZEKE himself, this one is fast and not much else.

Type4, the BJ&K model. Decent at fighting, and also has some skills that heal non-Mecs.

Type5, the *Insert Character We Haven't Recruited Yet Here* model. Beats the hell out of things, but is very slow. (also, four built-in items is bad)

Type6, the EngineerCar model. Like the real EC, it can heal mecs and fight pretty well.

And finally, Type7, the futuristic pyramid model that isn't replicated by any recruitable character. Ergo, we'll be using it for awhile.

And Type8...oh, there isn't one. Oh well.

Sounds good to me.

There's two ruins in Shingrow, we want the one that looks like a giant crashed ancient ship. (The other one is where we encountered Berva way back in Red's quest)

Perhaps the best thing about Type7 is that it does a lot of pelvic thrusts.

There's still some sort of energy source active in these ruins, so we've got to find it. Because that's what you do in RPGs, dammit.

Ooh, a bat. You don't see this sprite anywhere else.

Touching it gives us a fight with 5 SonicBats, who, of course, kick my ass. They're here because there's an optional boss in these ruins called the AbyssBat, who might be triggered by fighting these guys or might be totally random, I really can't remember. I'll try and find it in Lute's quest.

This place is big.

That energy thingie is around here. We find it hidden behind a moss-covered wall.

The room remained undamaged the whole time, and the computer is even active.

It gives us these options to begin with (hey, he's called HeavyG now, dammit!)

So our 'bot here seems to be an Anti-RB model, whatever the hell that means. Luckily, the computer gives us the option to search "RB3," so we do just that.

But it's damaged. It lets us search "HQ" now, though.

Which is also damaged. Let's check that diary option.

OK. Yeah. So there's that.

It lets us download some programs as well. We can only get one (the machine breaks afterwards), but we'll probably end up getting all this stuff through battles anyway. I take CombatMastery since it helps Type7's Hammer skill.

So now we know HeavyG's mission: to destroy RB3.

Of course, now we have to figure out what RB3 is.

This place has way too many damn enemies, by the way.

See, I told ya.

We make our way back to Nakajima to tell them what we discovered, but...

Probably Trinity, since they're the evil coporate types around here. Oh well, time to go loot his lab pay our respects.

Oh god, the voices are back.

Obviously, when a disembodied voice tells you to do something, you must always comply. Even when it involves removing your pants. Especially when it involves removing your pants.

Hey, that looks kinda like Leonard, except for the SOULESS EYES ON THE BLANK FACE thing goin' on there.

Leonard is the very cautious type.

We tell him all the stuff that's happened, and...

He suggests we head to a place called Tartaros, which is some sort of Trinity base or mine or something. (He also takes us there immediately, without giving us a chance to save or go buy decent weapons or anything )

Leonard's a Type6 like EngineerCar, despite looking different and having a few different abilities. He's also much more awesome.

Really, I couldn't believe his art is so thin, his character sprite looks like a fatty. Oh well.