"Rivalry in the Seas" by Camilla ´Motone´ Whitney

Rivalry in the Seas

Prologue

            From the dawn of time, the rivalry between robots and pirates has been shedding blood and oil across the seas.  Fed up with their puerile bickering, the armed forces sent in their ultimate weapon—The Dreaded Pirate Robot!  It was shredded by both sides within five minutes of introduction to the battlefield.  Angered by what the robots thought was a cruel prank by the pirates, the robots stole and hid the prates’ ships as the pirates were landed on a small, isolated island.  The robots were celebrating heartily over what they thought a victory, but they did not take into account the other forces fate and the island had to offer.

Ch. 1

            It was a black day when Captain Mountanto cast his cruel eye over the unrippled sea.  There was nary a rigging or mast in sight.  He scowled heavily as his eye searched the tideline from where he stood, atop the forest behind the shore.  “Hell’s teeth,” he snarled.  “The machines have done it.”

            He turned to face his men.  They were a rascally, scallywagging bunch, ragged and beaten from years on the sea, and under his watchful eye.  It wasn’t a few who perished under his blade by displeasing him.  The greasy group now sat around blazes, over which roasted freshly snared doe and buck.

            “Buckies!” he barked.  “Mates!” The few who held bits of cooked meat accidentally dropped them as they jumped to their feet shouting, “Aye, Cap’n!”

            Captain Mountanto growled as he prowled through the ranks.  “I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news fer ye.”  He eyed each swabber as he passed them, they averted their eyes from his menacing gaze.  “Those robots are after us again.  Now, who was it said this island was safe?”

            Trembling, a man named Skinsbelt—wiry, oily, long-haired, scruffy, and near the back—raised his hand.  Mountanto was at his side in an instant.  “I’ve got a special job fer you.” he said quietly, his lips pulled back into a grimacing smile, revealing the brown of decaying teeth.  Skinsbelt nodded and gulped, his adam’s apple rubbing against the blade at his throat.

Ch. 2

Object: Bottle…Count: One (1)…Type: Glass…Contains: Wine

*Analysis complete*

*Extending right arm*  *Arm has made contact with bottle*  *Gravity pulls on bottle*  *Bottle makes contact with floor*

*Scanning…* *New image received*  *Running scan analysis*

Object: Rug…Count: One (1)…Type: Woven…Condition: Stained with wine

Setting: Food preparation area, known as “galley”…Condition: Wrecked

*Analysis complete*

Objective: To find oil…Results: Butter, lard, grease.  NO OIL.

*Scanning optical receptors*    *New image received* *Running scan analysis*

Object: Robot…Count: One (1)…Type: Serving droid…Series: QIX412…Class: E…Name: C41N

*Analysis complete*

*Transmitting sound*  “Gather the others.”  *Sound transmitted*

=Elasped time=

Setting: Atop the main living quarters, known as “cabin”

*Scanning optical receptors*  *New image received* *Running scan analysis*

Object: Robots…Count:  One hundred and fifty (150)

Type:  Prototype destruction bot…Count: Fifty (50)…Series: KI11…Class: B…Equipment: Various

Type: Police Mechanoid…Count: Ten (10)…Series: 51-14F7…Class: B…Equipment: Left arm, flame shooter; right arm, automatic machine gun; bullet generator installed in body; nerve gas emitter in head joint

Type: Soldier druids…Count: Sixty (60)…Series: W412…Class: D…Equipment: handguns, two (2); personal force field

Type: Serving, educational, emotional androids…Count: Twenty (20)…Series: Various…Class: Z…Equipment: Various

*Analysis complete*

*Transmitting sound (Mode: Triumphant)* “We have obtained the human’s transports.  Without the transports the humans are defenseless.  We have victory.”

*Scan analysis on self*

Object: Robot…Count: One (1)…Type: Prototype war mecha…Series: PO\\/312..Class: Unclassified…Equipment: Armor, Kevlar-titanium fabrication; exchangeable arm sockets, five (5) cases of fitted weapons…Position: Captain

*Analysis complete*

Ch. 3

            A shivering shadow, silent as a silvery slice of secretive solitude, stealthily stalks the forest.  The shapeless shadow streaks swiftly like a breeze—never seen, never heard, but deadly as a snake.

            The shadow spies on the bay, hidden in a tree.  Nearly invisible, but to a particularly sharp kindred eye, it is revealed to be a man, in perfect physical condition, clad and masked entirely in black, his long black hair braided down his back, a long katana at his side, named Sonju.  Through slit eyes he silently spies upon the ships in Naikai.

            When he saw all he needed to know, he made his way swiftly and silently back to the base, the kosatsu in the middle of the island, where he could tell Kenjou his news.

            As invisible as an unfelt breeze he flies to the ancient temple that his people have inhabited and made their base.  “Kenjou,” he said breathlessly as he arrived, and the others led him to their leader, the Master Ninja.

            A year ago, the entire Kunrensho no Kenjou, a controversial school in the training of the ninja practice, was exiled to this island.  They had continued training and everyday searched for a way off the island.  Until now, no hope had appeared.  But if they could reclaim those ships, they could sail back to Japan and exact their revenge.

            Sonju spoke his news quickly to Kenjou, and before long the command was set.  They would fight for and take the ships, no matter who or what got in the way. 

“Ichibun.” they all repeated together.  For honor.

Ch. 4

            Up! Down! Tree! Branch!  Vine!  Jump!  Swing!  Up!  STOP!

            Quiet.  QUIET!

            The chattering stops as they peer down at the humans below.  Their old enemies, who had invaded their island.  The big one, the king, grins evilly down at the black enemies.

            Coconut.  Fall.  On head.

            Screeching, the monkeys celebrate their latest victory over the black ones, disrupting the foliage.

            Swing!  Fly!  Jump!  Branch!  Vine!  The clan!  The King!

            Others on the island!  More humans!

            The wild cheering turns to dismay and fear.  Save us!  Save us, King!

            The King slaps his large hand across the messenger’s ear.  Why weren’t you with the rest of us!  You bring bad news!  Go!

            Whimpering, the messenger monkey retreats to a far tree.  The others growl and scowl as he swings by.  He hides his face in shame once he lands.

            The king began shrieking with rage.  The new intruders must be stopped!  More than coconuts!  More than bad fruit!  We fight!  We bite!  We get them off our island!

Ch. 5

            Mountanto glared at the sea before him as he was rowed on a makeshift raft with Skinsbelt to where the ships had been docked.

            “Now,” he growled, “go down.”

            “Go down?” Skinsbelt quivered.

            “Ye heard.” The light glancing off Mountanto’s ever-ready blade convinced him that he had heard correctly.  Taking a deep breath, Skinsbelt jumped off the side of the raft.

            “Owoh, it’s cold!  Save me, Cap’n!  There’s sharks!”  He floundered pathetically, splashing seawater onto the Captain’s coat.  Mountanto grabbed Skinsbelt’s collar and held him close, the point of his sword threatening his chest.

            “Shaddup, git down there and yell me if ye sees anything.  Ye could use with a bath.”  He shoved Skinsbelt with disgust into the water.

            Skinsbelt dove down and resurfaced about a minute later, shaking water from his sunburnt ears.

            “What didyer see? Anything?”

            “A lot of fish and mud, some seaweed…”

            Mountanto cuffed Skinsbelt across the ear.  “I don’t care about that, you oaf!  Were there any ships?”

            Thinking hard, Skinsbelt managed to come up with a solid, “No.”  So, the robots had merely stolen the ships, then, to their own folly.  With the ships still intact, the pirates could fight and regain them, freeing themselves from the island and hopefully ridding themselves of the nuisance of the robots.

            “This’ll only be too easy.” Moutanto growled to himself as they rowed back to shore.  When they got there, the Captain addressed his crude corsairs.  “How many of ye are ready for a fight?  It had been long since my cutlass has tasted the tang of blood, and it shall be long still, unless any o’ ye want to provide the meal!”  His crew quivered at the threat, Skinsbelt dripping water, fear and hate.  “We’ve got some robots ter slay!  Now,” he stalked through the rabble, glaring each man down, “We’ll find the mechanical scum that took our ships and send ‘em to the Dark Gate!”  The Captain picked out his First Mates from the horde, the leaders of each of the ships.  “Hasslehoff, take yer crew and head north.  Ratsbane, go east with yer men.  Nightshade, cut straight acrost the island and search the opposite shore.  Liefson, taker yer crew and go west.  My crew, stick with me, if ye knows what’s good fer ye.  If ye comes acrost a robot, get information and then stickem through.  Don’t leave any of ‘em operatin’.  If ye find the ships, send out four messengers t’ fetch the other crews and fight off the robots.  Is that clear?”

            The glare from the Captain’s eye assured the pirates that it was quite clear, and the Mates gathered their crews.  “All mates of The Gallant this way!”  “Oi fer Brigantina!  This way!”  “Over ‘ere if yer from Jolie Rogue!”  “Aghast Revenge, come on!”  “Stay where ye are, me mateys of The Marooned Skull!  Skinsbelt, stay where ye are!”  Mountanto’s  sharp eye caught the near-escape of Skinsbelt, who had been trying to sneak off with the crew of Jolie Rogue.

            “We’re searching every square meter of shoreline and forest on this island until we find those machines and our ships.”  The Captain polished his sword on a rag and inspected the result.  “You will not eat or sleep until we get results.”

            The crew didn’t dare groan under his menacing watch.  As they started marching Skinsbelt muttered to Hodger, the man next to him, “’E’s off ‘is rocker.  No food or sleep!”

            “Arrgh,” Hodger growled darkly.  “Our first chance for a fresh meal in months.”

            “Lissen, we’re mateys, right?” Skinsbelt whispered, dropping his pace.

            “Arr,” said Hodger, glancing about furtively.

            “This could be our chance.  Mountanto grows more insane each day.  He’s not capable of leadin’ ‘is crew.  If we get enough men together…”

            “I hear ye.” Hodger’s eyes glowed darkly of revenge as Mountanto yelled, “Quicken it up in the back there!”

            “We’ll quicken it, all right,” Skinsbelt growled as they quickened their pace, and soon whispers of mutiny spread throughout the ranks.

Ch. 6

Setting:  On deck the main ship…Time: Late day

Status report: Half of crew on shore.  Still no sighting of humans.

*Receiving sound*  *Translating*  “We have located humans on the shore.”

=Elapsed time=

Setting: On shore

*Image recieved* *Initiating scan analysis…* *Running scan analysis*

Object: Human…Count: One (1)…Age: Fifty (50) years…Weight: One hundred and ninety eight (198) pounds…Height: 6’1”…Hair color: Black…Hair length: Est. 4’…Hair style: Braided down back…Eye color: Black…Eye shape: almond…Race: Japanese…Action: Bowing

*Analysis complete*

*Running program HeatSeek.exe* *PROGRAM ERROR: Heat waves disrupted.  Unable to correctly perform scan*  *Closing program HeatSeek.exe*

*Transmitting sound (Mode: Smug)* “All your base are belong to us.  Ha ha ha.” *Sound transmitted*

Ch. 7

            The sweltering sun slips speedily towards the horizon, sinking rapidly around the orb.  The sun always moved quickly on this island, rather than the lingering twilight of Japan.  Their weapons were ready—Sonju with his long katana, Shinsama with his bo, Kenji with his nunchakus.  They were naturally invisible in the fading light and no one would guess that death lay in many forms, hiding in the trees.  The ninjas and kunoichi lay in breathless wait, suspended in the trees and crouched against the ground like overgrown spiders, breathing the sweet scent of dusk and death.  They were merciless outlaws, there were over a hundred of them, all trained in sullen silence and silky slaying.

            Still, Sonju felt a sense of unease.  Their enemy was not human, poison would not work, ninja-stars would not work.  The robots couldn’t choke or bleed to death, nor were they susceptible to mind games.

            The ninjas were dead silent, hidden by the lengthening shadows and impending night, in the outskirts of the forest, watching as Kenjou confronted the leader of the robotto.  Heat lifted gently off the ground, rising as the inevitable night cooled the earth.  Flat words stumbled from the machine, incomprehensible to the ninjas’ ears.  Kenjou understood it though.  His lips lifted in a smirk, and he spoke one word before lifting the long sword he had stolen from a (now dead) opponent samurai: “Baka.”  The orange sunlight that was left before the manifestation of night glinted off the blade as he swung it down and sliced clean through the body of the machine.

            Sparks flew, illuminating the face of Kenjou and the remains of the robot, as live wires flayed.  There was a shocked moment while the robots changed mode, then cacophony ensued as half the robots started blaring alarms and running about flailing their arms in panic mode, and the other half shouting fabricated, emotion-less battle-cries as they entered fighting mode.  Some stood as though already slain, their ineffectual circuitry shorted from the ambivalent emotions.

            The ambush flooded the shore as men and women in black, bearing many weapons, joined the fray and began dispatching the machines.  The rowboats were loaded and half the ninjas were soon swarming atop the decks of the ships, using weapons and intellect to disarm their opponents.

Ch. 8

            King think now.  Chittering quiet as King thinks. 

Somewhere in the group, a monkey screeches impatiently.  Come on King!  What do we do?  The King snarls in response, rendering the monkey silent, preceded by apologetic hoots.

            Quiet you!  Big smart King can’t think! 

A small one whimpers in fear.  King looks up, sees bigbirds flying.  What’s that?  Bigbirds fly only when scared.

King swings through trees.  Up down branch duck jump vine.  Others follow to bigbird nest.  They look down and see the enemy.

Monkeys grow evil smiles and scrabble for ammunition.  Enemies walk there no more!

Ch. 9

            At the head of the group, Hasslehoff cuts down vine and branch, blazing a trail with his saber.  “Bloody rugged monsters…” he groaned, “Takin’ me ship and leavin us t’ die on this blinkin island.  It’s enough to make a chap jolly sore, wot!”

            “Aye mate.  Arrgh.” replied the halfscore pirates nearest to him, unenthusiastically.  “Stupid buggers,” Hasslehoff continued, “ probably don’t even know how to sail the jolly things!”

            Behind him, a pirate named Cully stopped dead in his tracks.  “Oi, Cully!” said his mate Malloy, coming up behind him.  “Get amove on, yore ‘olding up the procession!  Er... Cully?” Slowly, Cully raised his hands up to his face, and when he drew them back, they were covered in a thick, not-so-sweet smelling goo.  By this time he had most of the others’ attention, so when he looked up, they followed, and were all confronted with the same sight:  An entire clan of monkeys hanging from the trees, holding rotten fruit and stones and sticks and other jungly rubbish in both hands, smiling maliciously down on the crew.  “Er, er, Hassle…” Malloy sputtered.

            “Keep on movin’, they’re just dumb animals.” Hasslehoff roared, pointing onward with his sword.

            But a few steps later, they were barraged by the monkeys, who, after throwing their ammunition at the helpless pirates below, jumped down themselves, screeching and flailing.  A rock had hit a mate square on the head, and he stood dazed as others rushed around him.

            “Ooh, he’s cute,” said Malloy dumbly, holding the little monkey, who had jumped on him.  “Look at ‘im.  Yowch!”  The monkey savagely sank his teeth into Malloy’s finger.  “Gerroff!  Little blighters!”  He punched the monkey square in the chest and it fell and began whimpering on the ground.  “Huh, you deserve it, you monster.”  Around him the other pirates were doing the same thing, fighting off the animals with whatever they could, including swords, knives, sticks, and their bare hands.

            “Run fer it!”  Hasslehoff finally yelled, and they did, still fighting off their predators.

            Meanwhile, Ratsbane and his men had reached a mountaintop, stretching over the ground below like a small cliff.  He surveyed the land, searching for some life.  He saw some too, a man in black running.  “Ahoy, matey!”  Ratsbane called.  “Ahoy!”  The man in black stopped, turned, and looked up at the crew.  Ratsbane could tell he wasn’t a pirate, he wasn’t bedraggled or dirty enough.  He waved his sword in the air. “Oi!” 

            The man didn’t speak, he just reached into a pocket somewhere and pulled out something that looked like a small flute.  “Oi!  ‘E’s gonna play a song fer us!” said a man named Raist, stupidly.  The man in black lifted it to his mouth, but no song came out.  Instead, Ratsbane clawed at his neck, where a spurt of blood was covering his fingers.  Soon thereafter, Ratsbane was dead.

            “That ain’t no pennywhistle.” growled a voice behind them.  They turned to see Klaus, a hulking, and usually silent pirate.  “Them’s poison darts.” He looked young, but he was experienced, and smarter than the average swabber, not to mention more skilled with a sword.

            “P…  P…  Poison darts?” Raist gasped.  Klaus nodded as he took a bite of a pineapple, straight through the skin.  Another dart zipped past Klaus straight to Rasit’s neck.  He fainted from sheer terror, never feeling the deadly effects of the poison.  The others began looking about warily, and then they noticed that men and women in black were closing them in on all sides.  The corsairs pulled out their cutlasses, but not much could be done against the flying darts and metal stars.  As soon as they tried charging them, they would seemingly disappear.

            “They’re magic!” someone yelled, and Klaus replied, “Don’t be ridiculous, they’re hidin’ in the trees!”  He was blocking the missiles with his sword, ducking and spinning and swinging his sword about like he was going some outlandish dance.  It looked rather silly, but it was saving his life.

            The ninjas took as prisoner whom they didn’t kill (Klaus being one of them), and proceeded to find the ships.

            “Alright crew, let’s take a break here!”  shouted First Mate Roseltha Nightshade of Jolie Rogue.  “Yes marm!” replied her crew, comprised entirely of females.  They rested in the shade of a clearing, and began scavenging for fruits and water to snack upon.

            “Oi Miss,” said a piratess named Celeste, after consuming a mango, “Wot d’ya suppose the Captain’ll do when we get the ships back?”

            “Keep on sailin’ an’ stealin’, the braggart.” Roseltha said, taking out her gun and eyeing it, before replacing it in her bodice.  “Bloody git,” she grumbled, “can’t find hisself a wench and settle down.”

            “Looks like the Mate got’s somethin’ fer the Captain!” crowed a voice near the back, belonging to a certain Tryphena.

            “Don’t be ridiculous!” snapped Roseltha, drawing out a dagger in case anyone wanted to further the accusation.  “Ye all know I get the fleet if anythin’ should happen to ‘im.  Besides, who could like that squabbling, self-righteous…”  She trailed off in anger, twisting her hands and accidentally pricking herself with the dagger.  “Owch!  Bloody…”

            “I know I sure do…” sighed Celeste.  “He may not be the prettiest thing, but he can sure swing a sword like you know what!”

            “Yeah,” someone agreed, “and I absolutely love his eyepatch!”

            Soon the crew was discussing all the male crewmates.  “I’ve always been particularly fond of Klaus, meself…” said one. “Ooh, he has such manly muscles!”  “I practically melt everytime I see his tattoos!”  “It’s bloody awful bein’ separated from ‘em on our own ship.” one of them sighed, and Roseltha replied haughtily, “The Noble Captain had a veeery good reason for it, I’m sure.”

            Fortunately, the crew was then distracted from their reminisces by a small robot dog which had just run into the clearing.  “Ooh, it’s lovely!” shrieked the women, swooping down on it. 

            “And you call yeselfs corsairs!  Yer hardly fit to carry a weapon or even look upon a pegleg, the way ye fall all over a stupid mechanical dog like that!”  Roseltha fought her way through the throng and looked at the dog herself, from the silver body to the softly pulsating red eyes.  She threw herself away from it almost immediately and began running toward the forest, yelling, “Get behind the trees, mates!  Get away from the bloody thing!” 

            Some of them obeyed, but a small group remained next to it, one of them saying, “Now Miss, just because it’s a robot that don’t mean—”  She never finished her sentence though.  When the dog exploded it took everything in a fifteen-foot radius with it. 

            “Oi, mateys!  Swabbers!  Corsairs!”  Roseltha yelled, fighting through the burning foliage to salvage her shipmates.  “Oi, ello!” the survivors shouted, finding their way towards her.  “Let’s get outta ‘ere!” she yelled, lifting her skirt of make it easier to run.  The others followed suit.

             “Leifson sir! Wot’s that?” A crewmate was pointing at a vast plain below, upon which milled behemoth beasts of gray. 

            “Them?” Liefson said, peering down at them.  “They’re just elephants.  Come on, we’ve ships to find.”

            “No, no!  I wanna go see ‘em!  Can we see ‘em?  Pleeeease sir?”  Other pirates added their pleas, and soon Liefson consented. 

            “But only for a few minutes.  Then we’ve got to go find our ships!”

            Whooping joyfully, the crew made their way clamorously down to the field.  They were never seen again.

            Skinsbelt and Hodger were again, near the back of the group, whispering mutinously to each other.  “I’ll think I’ll name mine The Rusty Cutlass.  Wot about you, Hodge?”  “One of ‘em The Lusty Wench, the other… Mermaid’s Revenge.  I do like revenge!”

            “Oh, so do I!” said a voice behind them.  They turned to face the glaring eye of Captain Mountanto himself.  “In fact, I like it so much that I think I may have some right now!”

            “Really, Cap’n?  That’s… tha…”  Skinsbelt began to flee, but none could escape the wrath of Mountanto.  The scream echoed throughout the trees as the sword stuck into his back.  Mountanto calmly removed his prized possession and wiped off the blood, then bellowed, “Onward, ye blighters!  We’ve killin’s yet!”

Ch. 10

            Simultaneously, the crews of The Marooned Skull, Jolie Rogue, and The Gallant found themselves on the shore in the secret bay, where their ships were docked and the robots and ninjas were already battling.  Mountanto charged roaring into the fray, followed by the other pirates.  The surviving ninjas from the ships were rowing out to the shore to join the battle, where blood, oil, sparks, bullets, darts and swords were flying.  The Gallant’s crew came bearing the entire clan of monkeys, who, screeching, began fighting both their ancient enemies and new.

            “Shiatsu!” yelled a kunoichi, jumping from the boat onto a robot, flashing her ono down upon it.

            “I suggest you run.” said the robot, who happened to be one of the police mechanoids, as it unleashed round after round into the kunoichi’s body.

            Ninja fought pirate, pirate fought monkey, monkey fought robot, robot fought ninja, ninja fought monkey, pirate fought robot.  The battle for the ships raged onward into the ever-darkening night.  And with the actual night came the night of death, where was found many of an inhabitant.

            We were getting sick of the noise.  How was one to mill around peacefully with all that clamoring and clanging and shouting and screeching?

            I believe that by the time we got there with our friends, the penguins, the robots and monkeys were pretty much diminished and it was down to the pirates and ninjas duking it out over possession of the ships.  We took care of them real fast, though, with a beak here and a stomp there, we proved that together, penguins and elephants rule all.