The bedraggled refuse collector blinked at McBride, still dazed from his fall. “What’s one life compared to the thousands”, he muttered.
“What?” demanded McBride.
De Coza stabbed his finger at his watch. “We’ve got 18 hours to get to the Toymaker before he activates his robot invasion force!”
McBride gave a short humourless laugh and turned to the biker girls. “You hearing all this? Our leader here thinks all this is real.”
Roadkill fixed McBride with a surly glare. “That 10 million bucks is real enough”, she snarled. “That’s all we care about.” Typhoid Mary and Uzi-Rider nodded in agreement.
Toby turned to Marty. “Tell them what you told me.”
Marty studied the ground, shamefaced.
“Tell them!”
“The guy playing the Toymaker left with all the others”, Marty mumbled. “I just kept the cameras running to try and salvage something from this mess. The competition was over the moment Toby’s robot offed the presenter.”
Roadkill, Typhoid Mary and Uzi-Rider looked at each other uncertainly then looked at De Coza. He was lying in a pool of muddy water, his tin hat knocked askew. He didn’t look much of a leader now, more like a small boy playing soldiers.
De Coza saw the biker girls looking at him doubtfully and he struggled to sit up. “Don’t listen to them, they’re all lying!” He turned to Kenneth and Gilbert. “Can’t you see they’re lying?” The Scannell twins stared back at him resentfully, sensing their reign of violence was coming to an end.
McBride realized everything hung in the balance. If De Coza surrendered now further bloodshed could be avoided. He hunkered down besides the refuse collector. “These last couple of days in the jungle have pushed you over the edge, Ray”, he said quietly. “Made you mentally unbalanced. You’ll be okay again once we get you home.”
De Coza looked at McBride in panic, the word home triggering a series of images that flashed through his mind in quick succession; hosing down the garbage-collection robots on a cold Monday morning; eating TV dinners alone in his scuzzy Brooklyn apartment; bickering with Connie on the holo-phone over child maintenance money. He squeezed his eyes shut and whimpered.
McBride looked at De Coza compassionately and gripped his shoulder. “It’s over, Ray”, he said. “It’s all over.”
All the fight drained out of De Coza. He slowly lowered his head, his face crumpled in defeat. McBride rose and turned to the others.
“McBride!” Kennedy yelled, pointing.
McBride spun round and saw De Coza was lunging towards him, his face a mask of obsessed fury. He savagely shoved the fire chief, sending him sprawling on the ground, then launched himself at Dumpmaster. “Prepare for combat!” he screamed.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
BLAST FURNACE VS. DUMPMASTER
Dumpmaster sprang into life and bounded towards Blast Furnace. McBride was caught between the two robots and had nowhere to run. A massive hooked claw slashed towards him and McBride rolled aside, inches away from being disembowelled. He jumped up and ran backwards, almost tripping on Blast Furnace’s tentacles that were drawing up water from the subterranean depths of the cavern. “Prepare for combat”, he yelled.
Blast Furnace accelerated forwards with a throaty roar, its flasher bathing the cavern in a flickering crimson light. Its water cannon swung towards the refuse robot, tentacles bulging as a body of water was channelled up into its crimson chassis and compressed into its upper supply tank. A super-pressurized jet of water blasted at Dumpmaster, hitting it squarely in the roof of its mouth. The force of the blast jerked the robot’s massive head upwards and Blast Furnace compressed its nozzle to its narrowest setting, increasing the pressure of the water jet still further. Dumpmaster’s open mouth caught the full impact of the blast, pinning its head against the cavern wall.
Blast Furnace accelerated towards the refuse robot. A side panel slid open and suddenly a firefighter’s axe was spinning through the air towards Dumpmaster. The axe blade slammed into the robot’s control panel, snapping the protective outer casing neatly in two. Another spring-loaded axe slid out of the side of Blast Furnace to replace the first and was sent hurtling through the air. It smashed into the control panel, the wooden handle vibrating with a loud judder and the delicate circuitry inside exploded.
Dumpmaster let forth a spluttering gargled scream, upper jaw still firmly pinned to the cavern wall. Blast Furnace warily circled the refuse robot, preparing to send another axe hurtling into Dumpmaster’s control panel. Suddenly the refuse robot’s claw shot out and with a devastating slash, sliced through at least a third of Blast Furnace’s tentacles. Blast Furnace’s siren ratcheted up an octave to an agonized shriek, its lashing tentacle stumps gushing water and green hydraulic fluid. The water pressure on Blast Furnace’s water cannon abruptly dropped, allowing Dumpmaster to break free. Roaring furiously Dumpmaster swooped down on Blast Furnace, powerful jaws snapping shut on its water cannon with a clang that reverberated throughout the cavern. The robot swung its powerful neck, wrenching off the water-cannon turret and sending it hurtling to the other side of the cavern.
Blast Furnace desperately tried to protect itself, its remaining axe thunking ineffectually against the side of Dumpmaster’s hopper. Batting the writhing tentacles aside, Dumpmaster’s savage head plunged down for the kill, teeth scrabbling on the firefighting robot’s smooth circular chassis. Unable to gain purchase, Dumpmaster stamped down on Blast Furnace’s caterpillar tracks then leaned forwards, pressing down on the firefighter robot’s chassis with all its body weight. The flasher imploded with a tinkle of glass, there was a splintering crack and the robot’s chassis was snapped off its wheeled base.
Mortally wounded, Blast Furnace attempted to escape, its squirming tentacles dragging its upper body away from Dumpmaster. The robot crawled into the shadows, leaving a trail of gloopy green slime, its smashed siren bleeping pathetically like a dying patient on a life-support machine. Dumpmaster came bounding after it, bellowing triumphantly. It took a running jump and gleefully landed on Blast Furnace, stamping on it with both feet. The fire-fighting robot crumpled like a crushed soda can, green gunk squishing out in all directions. Blast Furnace emitted one last sad bleep, its flasher flickered erratically for a couple of seconds then finally went out.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
BATTLE IN THE CAVERN
Dumpmaster roared triumphantly and De Coza ran out of the shadows to join his robot, eager to be associated with its victory. He gazed around the cavern fiercely, every inch the leader, and the biker girls and the Scannell twins flocked towards him. De Coza pointed an accusing finger at Toby. “Get him!” he roared.
De Coza’s gang advanced towards Toby and McBride, Kennedy and Thumper stepped forwards, forming a human barricade in front of Toby.
“You two kids, get going”, ordered McBride.
“But—” started Toby.
“There’s no time to argue! Get out of here!”
“I’ll go with them”, said Marty quickly, dragging Toby and Caitlin away. “They’ll never find their way through these caves otherwise.”
“Brave of you to volunteer”, said McBride dryly. He glanced at Lloyd and Dale who were skulking nervously in the background. “How about you two? Are you with us?”
Lloyd stared at De Coza’s gang marching towards them, the Scannell twins holding their spears before them like lances. “Um, I think my fight-or-flight reflex is telling me to…”
“… go with these guys.” finished Dale, jerking his thumb towards Marty, Toby and Caitlin. They turned and fled.
McBride turned back to Kennedy and Thumper and was grateful to see that Bubba and Billy-Bob had joined them, both clutching rocks as weapons. Shoulder to shoulder they stepped forwards, fists clenched, faces grim and determined. “This is it guys”, McBride muttered.
Kennedy nodded, his face set. “Time to step up to the plate.”
“Fight for what is right”, added Thumper, a little s
hakily.
De Coza’s gang smashed into them and a massive brawl ensued. De Coza swung a punch at McBride and McBride ducked, grabbed the refuse collector and bodily threw him through the air. He crashed into the wrecked carcass of Blast Furnace and crumpled to the ground. Roadkill leaped over De Coza’s unconscious figure and ran forwards. Thumper blocked her way, his knobbly knees visibly shaking. Roadkill roared with laughter, punched him out of the way without breaking stride, then waded into Kennedy and McBride.
Gilbert lunged at Billy-Bob, trying to run him through with his spear. Bubba promptly tripped him, sending him sprawling in the dust. Kenneth came at him, hissing in fury and grabbed Bubba by his hair. Billy-Bob stepped forwards, swinging his jagged piece of rock like a club. It connected with Kenneth’s jaw with a satisfying crack and the dentist went down.
They turned to help Kennedy and McBride who were taking a sound beating from the three biker girls. Roadkill saw Bubba coming and snarled at him. “Stay out of this, old timer, if you know what’s—”
Thumper launched himself at Roadkill’s legs, rugby tackling her from behind. She staggered forwards, slipped in the gloop left by Blast Furnace and crashed to the ground, striking her head. She didn’t get up and Thumper punched the air in triumph. “Yes!” he yelled.
McBride turned to see if Toby and the others were safely out of the cavern and saw Scotty streaking down the tunnel after Caitlin. “Oh no”, he muttered. He turned and ran after the robot dog. “Hey! Hey!” he shouted, his voice echoing down the cavern.
Caitlin turned and saw the fire chief silhouetted at the other end of the tunnel. “Lose the dog!” McBride yelled. “The dog’s how they’re able to track—”
“Greg, watch out!” Caitlin screamed.
McBride spun around and saw Gilbert Scannell sprinting towards him, his face contorted with hatred, his spear arm poised behind his head. He released the spear and it hurtled through the air like a javelin, arcing with deadly accuracy towards McBride’s heart. It slammed into the fire chief and he staggered backwards from the impact, the metal spear shaft protruding from his chest. He swayed for a second, gazing with incredulous disbelief at the dark stain expanding on his uniform, then crumpled to the ground.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
INTO THE CAVES
Caitlin screamed and started to run to McBride. “There’s nothing we can do for him!” Marty shouted, grabbing Caitlin’s arm. He pointed down the tunnel and Caitlin saw that Gilbert had joined his brother and they were now preparing to come after them.
“We can’t just leave him”, cried Toby.
“Come on!” Marty yelled, roughly pulling Toby and Caitlin away. They started to run down the tunnel, away from the twins and McBride’s unmoving body. The tunnel narrowed, getting darker, and Caitlin lifted Scotty, his glowing eyes dimly illuminating the length of the tunnel. They continued onwards, the group was as sombre as a funeral procession, the fire chief on everyone’s thoughts. They reached the end and the tunnel broadened, branching into two. Marty slowed, glancing at Scotty tucked under Caitlin’s arm.
“So what are we gonna do about the dog?” he asked.
Caitlin looked back down the tunnel they’d been travelling down. “Maybe it’s too narrow for Dumpmaster?” she suggested hopefully.
Nobody answered her.
Caitlin sighed and turned to Scotty. She saw he was gazing up at her, as if aware that his fate was being discussed. She turned to the others again. “Maybe we could—”
“I’m sorry, Caitlin”, Toby said gently. “You know we have to do this. The sooner we can get off this island, the sooner we get help for Greg.”
Caitlin looked at Toby rebelliously then turned back to Scotty. “Easy for him to say that, isn’t it?” she whispered, scratching the dog behind its ears. “Just because he’s lost his own robot.” She placed Scotty on the ground and pointed to the right-hand tunnel. “You’re going to have to leave us”, she said.
The robot-dog cocked his head at Caitlin, not comprehending why he was being banished.
“Go on…. Go…” she said, pointing.
Scotty trotted down the gloomy tunnel. He turned, whimpering, his large eyes glowing in the darkness.
“Go!” Caitlin cried, stamping her foot.
Scotty bolted down the tunnel and was swallowed up in the gloom. Caitlin stood and Toby gripped her shoulder consolingly. She shrugged his hand away and walked over to Marty, Lloyd and Dale. “Let’s get moving”, she said tonelessly.
The group started to walk down the left-hand tunnel.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR
DENTIST’S PLAYTIME
De Coza painfully rose to his feet. His face was a mess, his left eye black and swollen and his lip bleeding. He surveyed the cavern and saw bodies sprawled all around him. Roadkill, Typhoid Mary and Uzi-Rider were out cold next to the remains of Blast Furnace, their hair and leather jackets glistening with green slime. Thumper and Kennedy were unconscious as well, their bodies in a dusty heap on the ground. Bubba and Billy-Bob were lying near them, not far from the Scannell twins who were sitting cross-legged on the cavern floor, gazing at something obscured by a large boulder.
Scooping up his fallen helmet, De Coza walked over to them and saw McBride sprawled on the ground, the metal spear shaft jutting from his chest. Neither of the dentists looked up as he approached, gravely studying the fire chief like a couple of inquisitive six year olds who had found a dying rabbit lying in the road.
“What happened to him?” asked De Coza.
“He was going to betray us to Badernoch about the dog”, said Kenneth, his eyes not straying from the crimson pool expanding around McBride’s body.
McBride groaned in pain and Gilbert smirked. “It’s the same noise our patients make”, he said, indicating the drill-tipped appendage protruding from McBride’s chest.
“Oh yes”, said Kenneth. He leaned forwards and rolled the spear-shaft in his hands like it was a stick that he was using to make fire.
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz!” he said, imitating the whine of a dentist’s drill.
McBride moaned in pain and Gilbert laughed delightedly. “My turn, my turn!” he said, pushing Kenneth away. “Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz!”
De Coza shook his head disgustedly and walked over to Dumpmaster. He wrenched the axe from the robot’s console and studied the screen. “Well let’s just hope they haven’t sussed that we’re tracking them by their metal mutt”, he said, tapping the flashing light on the screen.
Gilbert and Kenneth didn’t answer, still playing with McBride, and De Coza looked at them impatiently. “Come on, you pair of bloodthirsty ghouls, let’s get moving! We’ve got less than 12 hours!””
The Scannell twins reluctantly tore themselves away from the fire chief. Gilbert grabbed the spear shaft protruding from his chest and wrenched it out of him. McBride gasped and De Coza shot the fireman a brief, regretful glance. The dentists joined him and they followed Dumpmaster out of the cavern.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE
THE SHIP
Toby’s group trudged through the tunnels, settling into a steady monotonous rhythm. The view never seemed to change, just a dimly lit tunnel forever stretching ahead of them and Toby had the uncomfortable sensation that he was walking on a treadmill. The route Marty took twisted and turned and Toby would have long suspected they were going round in circles if it hadn’t been for the fact that they had been constantly walking on a steady incline ever since leaving the cavern.
Toby glanced at his watch and saw with surprise that it was almost eight in the morning; they had been walking the entire night. They reached another intersection and Marty decisively went left and then right again, heading down a narrower tunnel. “You sure you know where you’re going?” he asked.
“Nearly there now”, puffed Marty, “nearly there.” His eyes flicked upwards to the tunnel roof and Toby saw a tiny video camera angled down towards them.
“Security camera”, said Marty shortly. Ignoring Toby’s suspicious look, he
strode on purposefully.
They reached another junction and Dale turned to Lloyd. “It looks like it’s getting brighter!” They hurried ahead, rounding the corner then laughed excitedly.
Toby and Caitlin followed them and stared in wonder. The tunnel dramatically opened out into a vast cathedral-like space. The far end of the vaulted cavern had been shorn away, revealing a panoramic view of the ocean. Rays of sunlight were fanning out over the horizon, and Toby stepped forwards, the sun welcome on his face after so many hours underground.
“Look”, Toby said, pointing.
Caitlin joined him and saw that a futuristic two-mast sailing ship was moored in the ocean far below them, her billowing sails glowing pink in the morning sunshine. “We’re safe”, she murmured.
Marty surveyed the ship with satisfaction and pointedly caught Toby’s eye.
“Thank you”, said Toby with a grin, and stepped into the cavern.
There was a sudden flash of movement as a figure dressed in a dark blue boiler suit stepped out from a metal doorway set in the rock wall. Toby froze as a second figure joined him, then a third, a fourth. They spanned out menacingly, and Toby could see their faces were nothing but a smooth expanse of shiny stainless steel. Robots!
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX
THE BETRAYAL
Toby shot a furious look at Marty, then retreated, dragging Caitlin with him. He turned back to the four robots and to his delight saw Eve emerge from the doorway, directly behind them. She advanced towards them eagerly, blades unsnapping.
“She’s a real shoot first ask questions later sort of girl, isn’t she?” said Marty.
Toby looked at Marty uncertainly then signalled to Eve to wait. The android reluctantly lowered her hand and Marty stepped out directly in front of the four robots. “As you were”, he said casually and the robots immediately about turned and filed past Eve into the doorway.
“They obeyed you”, said Caitlin.
“Of course they did, I am the show’s producer.”
“I take it these aren’t more of the Toymaker’s fighting robots”, said Toby.
Marty started to laugh. “These are just assembly-plant robots, part of the designer’s labour force.”
“Hey, take a look at this!” Lloyd called.