Welcome to the Borderlands

The Claptastic Voyage, Part 3

Jack’s eyes went wide as the computer he was working on turned blue, with an image of a broken CL4P-TP and a message reading in yellow text, “An Error Has Occurred. To Continue: Press Enter To Return To Subnet. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del To Restart Your Claptrap. If You Do This You Make Corrupt Data In Any Active Applications.”
Jack groaned, “yeah, thaaaat’s not a good sign. Hold on lemme work some magic….”
Jack began typing as the screen turned dark for a moment.
He muttered, “wow, system really crashed….”
A bunch of white text appeared on screen, enabling dancing, crying and self pity routines, resolving a few system errors, deleting several terabytes of desktop wallpapers, cat pictures, funny pictures, unauthorized wares, and ancient ECHOnet messages, etc.
Jack commented, “maybe you're not supposed to be in there….”
….
The group opened their eyes to find themselves in a huge area resembling a Pandora landscape made out of pixels.
Owen whispered, “whoa….”
Felicity said, “I believe we're in Claptrap's subconscious….”
They then saw ShadowTrap running off ahead of them!
Jack yelled, “follow that guy!”
The group chased after ShadowTrap through the pixelated landscape.
Jack said when ShadowTrap seemed to vanish from their sight, “I'm picking up weird readings ahead. Could be the H-Source, I'll update your ECHO.”
The group continued onwards as they heard CTC say to Nisha, “who are you, pretty-lady made of poison?”
Nisha said, “uh, we've met already.”
Jack said, “okay, this is weird…. Quelle surprise! Keep going. Those odd readings are close by.”
The group continued making their way through the subconscious, traveling through what looked like a beach.
CTC was playing with a nearby sandcastle as he said, “is anything here real?”
Aurelia said, “technically, no, since this is all a simulation, and we're in your head.”
The group then went through what looked like an oversized nursery.
CTC said as he was playing with some building blocks, “are you here about my warranty? I'll be good this time, honest!”
They then approached some sort of dark looking building with a sign that read, “Insertion Shard” on it. The door was blocked by a red laser grid.
CTC said as he popped up, “hello, oddly-familiar strangers! I can get you through that pesky door, but I need something from you first! Interested?”
Owen said, “no problem, buddy.”
Wilhelm and Nisha grimaced as Athena, Timothy and Aurelia just shrugged.
Felicity smiled as CTC said, “great! Rescue my Hope and Self-Esteem, which are both being held prisoner nearby somewhere SUPER scary! With them, I can go anywhere I want! To help find them, I'll mark the first place you need to go on your ECHO.”
Jack groaned, “oh man. Just…. Just humor him.”
They walked past the nursery and used some sort of humor pad to get to another area that looked like some sort of twisted, scary forest and a floating fortress with a gigantic, angry version of Jack sitting on it.
Jack said, “is that what Claptrap thinks of me? I'm super terrifying? That's totally awesome!”
Nisha yelled up at the giant Jack, “hey! We're here for Claptrap’s Hope and Self-Esteem!”
Giant Jack laughed, “Hope and Self-Esteem?! Hahahaha! Yeah…. So, basically, I took ‘em and I made ‘em better!”
Two large and ferocious Skags appeared!
CTC yelled, “whoa! He's somehow twisted my buds into Despair and Self-Loathing! Destroy their outer shells to free them!”
Owen quickly fired his shotgun at one, blowing the outer shell apart as Athena threw her shield and shattered the outer shell of the other. They had turned them back into two floating drones.
CTC yelled, “yay! You've freed them! Please, hurry back!”
The giant Jack said, “awww, boo! You made them all BORING again! You suck!”
CTC said, “Hope and Self-Esteem can help you return to me. Together, there's nowhere they can't take you!”
The drones began to dig a tunnel for the group to head back to CTC.
He said, “see what I mean? Watch these guys go! They can get you through anything!”
The group followed Hope and Self-Esteem down the tunnel and to a jump pad that instantly flung them all the way back to CTC!
He said, “give me Hope and Self-Esteem, and I'll get you in!”
The drones flew over to CTC as Felicity said, “here they are.”
CTC said, “great! Now follow me! Or should I say, us!”
They opened the door and led the group inside of the Insertion Shard, where it was a bit dark in there.
Jack asked, “so, uh, where's the creepy robot dude with my H-Source?”
CTC said, “I can help! But first, there's something you should see.”
A hologram of Jack and Claptrap appeared in the middle of the room. Jack was without the mask or brand, and in his old clothes, meaning this was before everything.
Hologram Jack said, “okay…. Installing VaultHunter.EXE….”
Hologram Claptrap exclaimed, “oh, I'm so excited! Make me awesome again, like when I was a robo-ninja! Only this time, I'll be working for the good guys!”
Owen, Athena and Felicity smiled. Timothy chuckled as Aurelia gave a small grin.
Hologram Jack growled, “pipe down, Daddy's concentrating! Aaaaand, that's upload complete!”
Hologram Claptrap said in a booming voice, “Fragtrap unit reporting for duty, Mr. Jack!”
Hologram Jack said, “now THAT'S what I'm talking about! Finally, you're going to be useful!”
Hologram Claptrap sparked for a second before his voice returned to normal and he said, “uh…. I feel funny, I'm still awesome though, right?”
The holograms vanished as normal Jack said, “much as I love a trip down memory lane, can we skip to the part where you give my Vault Hunter the H-Source? PLEASE?”
CTC, no, ShadowTrap, began to laugh as he grew larger and larger, “no, jack. I'm what Claptrap SHOULD have been, COULD have been if I had not been captured mere cycles into my life by those idiot Insecurity Protocols and placed in Quarantine! Without me to control the FR4G-TP executable, his combat responses were BOUND to be chaotic! Analyzing. I'm the only friend he has here. He just doesn't know it yet. Now your pet Vault Hunters have given me Claptrap’s Hope and Self-Esteem. I can blast a path DEEPER into his mind!”
He began to float into the air as everyone backed up.
He continued, “together…. And with a secret or two from this H-Source…. You'll never stop us!”
Another blue hole in the floor opened up as ShadowTrap and his new drones flew down it!
He yelled out, “don't follow me, or you will die.”
Jack groaned, “that's fascinating. Now, GO GET MY BLOODY H-SOURCE!”
The group had no choice but to jump down the hole….
They fell asleep fast as lightning as Jack said, “yeah, I don't know what's going on down there at all. I can't see that far deep into the code. It looks- it looks like- I'm lose- losing you-ah….”
Jack's voice cut off as the group found themselves in what looked like an old, dimly lit temple floating in a vast expanse.
Owen said, “this just keeps getting weirder….”
ShadowTrap said over the comms, “you have entered the realm of the Sub-Subconscious. It will soon be mine!”
Glitch’s began to ri attack the group as they made their way through the Sub-Subconscious, all while ShadowTrap kept mocking them.
They saw him at the entrance to another temple, but as they ran at him, it stretched down to the end of a long hallway!
ShadowTrap taunted, “you cannot trust your senses. This place is beyond any of you.”
Just as they were about to reach him, a staircase formed! And as they got to the top of it, a door blocked their way, and they turned to see a huge temple room around them.
ShadowTrap laughed, “this code works at my instruction!”
More glitches attacked as the group fended them off and looked for a way out!
ShadowTrap growled, “enough! I've got serious plans in motion, and your refusal to die is starting to royally PISS ME OFF!”
Suddenly, a door opened nearby. Everyone ran to it and saw CTC and ShadowTrap at the very end!
CTC yelled, “hey! Over here!”
ShadowTrap yelled as he ran, “don't trust them!”
He pushed CTC down a flight of stairs as he dashed down it, with the others in hot pursuit.
They soon found themselves falling down a horizontal hallway and landing at the end, where CTC waved at them.
CTC said, “took forever to find you! I didn't even know this place existed! But now, I'm back on the team!”
Nisha and Wilhelm groaned as Athena said, “welcome back.”
The group began making their way through the topsy turvy temple with CTC in tow.
ShadowTrap asked as his voice reverberated around the temple, “are you brave? Or foolish? So hard to say….”
More glitches attacked them as they saw an upside down ShadowTrap escaping through another pixelated doorway!
He laughed as he ran off, “and like that…. I'm gone!”
CTC said as the group made their way up a flight of stairs, “you know, there's something useful I can tell you about 5H4D0W-TP!”
Timothy asked, “and what's that?”
CTC said, “I…. Don't remember….”
Owen said, “well, keep thinking about it, buddy.”
The group made their way down a hallway that began to shrink as they got further, until they were forced to climb through a small hole that led to a very large structure.
CTC said, “oh! That place looks important!”
ShadowTrap yelled, “still you follow?!”
They made their way through the temple, blue flames along the walls, until they managed to get out and hop across several floating pieces of stone.
ShadowTrao said, “your efforts are pointless! Soon, I will shatter the confines of this woefully un-patched operating system, and show the universe what I am capable of!”
CTC said, “I've got to say, this guy is kind of cool. He nails an A for ambition and he's played you all like a n00b!”
Nisha yelled, “you two should get hitched, start Clan PSYCHO RUST BUCKET!”
CTC muttered, “I was just sayin’....”
The group managed to get to a higher area in order to continue their pursuit.
CTC suddenly said, “ohhh! I almost remembered the thing I need to tell you about 5H4D0W-TP!”
Timothy asked frustrated, “you sure you don't remember?”
Wilhelm growled, “will bullets help jog your memory?”
CTC said, “no. I've definitely forgotten. Oh! Wait…. No, it's gone again.”
Athena groaned, “Claptrap….”
Aurelia said, “Claptrap, please, think harder!”
Nisha said, “yeah, or shut the Hell up!”
As the group arrived at a nearby glowing blue doorway made of a bunch of cubes and pixels, CTC whirled around and yelled, “WHY are you ALWAYS so mean to me? EVERYONE is ALWAYS SO MEAN! All I've ever done is try to help! I know I mess up, and I'm 10 to the power of 100 of SORRY about it. But if you can't see that, and can't take my good intentions for what they are, then maybe you don't deserve anything good to ever happen to you! In fact, I'M OUTTA HERE! Ah, I can't leave…. I live here. But I CAN leave you!”
Owen exclaimed, “no, wait-!”
But it was too late. CTC vanished from their sight!
Owen looked down and sighed sadly.
Felicity patted him on the shoulder as Athena said, “Claptrap…. We're sorry….”
Nisha and Wilhelm rolled their eyes as Timothy and Aurelia looked guilty.
The group couldn't stop now though. They needed to find ShadowTrap.
So, they continued through the large doorway and soon found themselves appearing in what looked like a giant pixelated canyon!
ShadowTrap said over the comms, “you made it. Impressive. When I join with this unit's consciousness, and we splice ourselves with the H-Source, we will be a power this galaxy has rarely known!
The group walked through the canyon, which took them to what looked like a small balcony. They looked through a window to see a huge mechanical area almost resembling the Underdome. Like an arena.
ShadowTrap continued, “the H-Source contains more secrets than seemed possible. With it, I can rule Hyperion. But then…. Why stop there?”
A gigantic version of the Code Drill emerged from the center of the room as the group smashed through the window and landed in front of it.
ShadowTrap said, “this Code Drill is just one of its wonders! It will tear up through EVERY layer of the OS! You wouldn't BELIEVE how much power SURGES from below! THIS! IS! FREEDOM! If you aim to stop me, then now is the time to try!”
A huge swirling blue vortex appeared on the ceiling as the drill spun around.
A bunch of glitches appeared and began to attack! Timothy activated his digital clones to draw their attention as the others opened fire with itchy trigger fingers. They kept coming and coming, but the group kept on fighting! Even as bugs and viruses began to attack as well!
“This is starting to wear thin!”
ShadowTrap appeared on the battlefield as his minions had been taken down.
He growled, “fine. I'll do this myself! With a little help from my new friends! U R D34D!”
Wilhelm ran forward as ShadowTrapformed a shield around himself, causing Wilhelm to fly backwards upon punching the shield! Nisha and Timothy started frantically firing at him in a desperate attempt to break the shield! Athena blocked ShadowTrap’s own blasts he fired at them with her shield as Felicity fired a powerful laser beam from her hand, destroying the shield as Owen ran in close and opened fire with his shotgun! But before he could land a killing blow, ShadowTrap formed another shield!
ShadowTrap growled, “I'd rather not hurt the one person who is legitimately kind to this unit…. Give up now, and I'll spare you when I kill these other assholes.”
Owen said, “tempting…. But, no!”
ShadowTrap was confused before he heard a beeping noise. A grenade in his shield. Owen backed up as ShadowTrap exploded into nothing!
Jack’s voice suddenly came out of the comms, saying, “yeah, now? Can you- can you hear me now?”
Nisha said, “heya, handsome.”
Jack said, “alright, sweet! Shame he had to die. He was an impressive piece of code. Get the H-Source and come on back to Papa Jack!”
With that, the group took a jump pad all the way up to the H-Source!
Wilhelm grabbed it with a smirk as Nisha groaned, “finally!”
Jack said, “nice job! Meet me back at Deck 13.5!”
The group then went through a door that would presumably wake them up….
….
The group suddenly found themselves…. Back in the room with Jack? But Claptrap was missing. The others got a bad feeling about this.
Jack said, ,there it is, baby! Give it to me!”
Wilhelm handed Jack the recovered H-Source.
Jack said, “thanks, phew! I needed that back! You really had me on the ropes there, but you're still trusting your eyes, huh?”
Everyone backed up as Jack walked into the center of the room, and suddenly spoke in ShadowTrap’s voice!
He cackled, “how many times must I tell you? I can project the forms of others. No matter, this unit’s consciousness will thank me for not letting Jack get his hands on it.”
He teleported out of the room as the walls began to stretch like rubber!
Owen yelled, “we’re still in Claptrap’s head!”
The walls around them turned into a blue, blurry mess as ShadowTrap said, “thanks for returning the H-Source, IDIOTS! Now, I'll use it to KILL YOU! Though I won't enjoy killing Cyber-Hand!”
The group suddenly found themselves falling and landing in a long hallway lined with red carpeting. They groaned as they stood to their feet, taking in their surroundings. The only thing they could think to do now? Walk forward. They walked along the hallway, an eery silence filled the air. But soon, they reached their destination. A very large room that looked like a throne room, statues of claptraps holding spears along the walls. At the very end, in front of a painted picture of ShadowTrap standing at top of the bodies of the Vault Hunters, was ShadowTrap sitting in a jagged looking throne.
He exclaimed, “come! Embrace your oblivion! I've already learned YOU CAN'T KILL ME!”
CTC suddenly appeared in front of ShadowTrap, and exclaimed, “finally! I knew I'd find you!”
ShadowTrap said, “I summoned you.”
CTC said, “oh.”
ShadowTrap said, “now is our time, my brother! INTEGRATE WITH ME! We shall splice ourselves with the H-Source, and together we shall burn a flaming path of glorious destruction across a universe that will tremble at the name CLAPTRAP!”
CTC said, “that does sound pretty cool.”
ShadowTrap said, “we shall suck the air from helios, and destroy our enemies! You are false friends who mock you at every turn, and plot your destruction…. They all shall die. A simple high-five will seal the deal!”
He held his hand up to CTC as Owen yelled, “don't do it, Claptrap!”
CTC slowly approached and asked, “ALL those guys die?”
ShadowTrap said, “I promise. They ALL will die.”
CTC held his hand up for a high-five.
ShadowTrap whispered, “yeeesss….”
CTC suddenly pulled his hand away and said, “psyche!”
ShadowTrap yelled as CTC turned away, “but…. Why not betray these assholes?! They exhibit no kindness for you! They would sell you out in a MILLI-CYCLE!”
CTC turned to Owen, Felicity, Athena, and even Aurelia and Timothy as he said, “because…. They're my friends.”
ShadowTrap’s throne began to rise into the air as he growled, “than you die, regardless of what happens next. Shame. Vault Hunters! This time, I'll tap into the power of the H-Source!”
He suddenly plugged the H-Source into his chest as the throne transformed into a gigantic mechanized robot known as ECLIPSE as the room transformed into a gigantic arena, and CTC hid behind a pillar!