Petty Squabble [ROUND 3] [Goldhenge]

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

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Despite all the commotion in Fort Ayers, the base's research lab had been relatively calm. This was quite fortunate, as the scientists had been desperately looking for a way to solve at least some of their problems.

"Got it!"

The researcher smiled, but only received empty stares from the other lab technicians as they looked at the small metal sphere in his hand. It had an antenna poking out of it and a circular base, but was otherwise unremarkable.

He sighed.

"It's a jamming device. The range isn't very high, but it should be able to stop that robot, at least. Then maybe we can take it apart and see what makes it tick."

"Congratulations," said one of the younger lab assistants. "So, how are you going to get close enough to that thing to jam it?"

A few minutes later, as he walked down the hall carrying only a small pistol and the jamming device, the assistant made a mental note to himself.

Don't ask "how" to someone who outranks you.

***

"Great. First we lose our target, then there's an explosion," the sergeant grumbled. "As if we didn't have enough problems out there! And what the hell is wrong with all of you? I take one minute to call in and see if we have any idea what this guy's after, and when I get back, I find out we've got a man wounded because you just let the bastard tell you what to do?"

There was a wave of apologetic murmuring from the company.

"You're all an embarassment. But we need all the men we've got, so I guess I'm stuck with you. Just don't let it happen again, you hear me?"

Before he could get a response from the company, Six ran down a hallway right in front of them.

It didn't take the sergeant long to regain his composure. That was one of the reasons he was a sergeant.

"After him, men!"

***

Parsley cursed his luck. He'd lost sight of Sir Archibald for only a moment, but it had to be right before the hallway split into two.

The first thing he tried was touching the wall in front of him; after all, he could hardly count on the demon showing him every available path. But it felt solid.

Unless the tricky bastard's even messing with my sense of touch, he thought.

Then he paused for a moment, and held his hand to the wall again. This time, he concentrated on it, and turned a small portion of it to bread.

Stone, he thought, pulling his hand away from the wall. It's stone. Or was, at any rate.

He'd always been able to feel materials as they changed with his power; and he doubted very much that this demon, powerful as his illusions were, could fool such an unusual sense.

It was comforting to know he had that option in order to gain his bearings; of course, he couldn't use it on everything, since it involved changing whatever he was testing into bread. And that carried its own risks.

For the moment, however, he had to find Archibald before the poor fool hurt himself, or somebody else.

Then he heard footsteps and shouting somewhere to his right.

"Blasted demon must want me over there," he grumbled, heading down the hallway towards the commotion. "Suppose it's as good a lead as any."

***

"We've got him now. That hall leads to a corner. Circle around and we can trap him!"

"Sir, um... are you sure we can hurt this thing? Not to mention, it doesn't seem hostile at the moment..."

The sergeant glared.

"That thing killed some good men, soldier. We're going to stop it before it kills any more. Is that clear?"

"Hold on! Hold on!"

The man running down the hall waved his arms frantically. The sergeant recognized him as one of the lab boys. Even if he hadn't, the labcoat and the strange device in his hand were big tip-offs.

"What's that you got there, Fritz?" he asked calmly.

"It's a jamming device." He pointed to its circular base. "Magnetic. We stick it on the robot and squeeze the sphere, and he stops moving. But somebody has to actually get it on him."

Fritz tried to hand the device to the sergeant, but was rebuffed.

"You keep that. I don't know how that thing works, and these idiots would probably just drop it on their own feet. We've got him cornered now, so we'll keep him distracted while you do your thing with that doohickey."

Fritz sighed.

"Yes, sir."