Copy, (An Astro Boy Story)

Chapter 16: A Real Robot

The President Building

President Logan sat at his desk in his office, working tiredly on tedious presidential work on his holo-computer. If it was one thing he disliked about being president, it was the paperwork, and former-President Stone had left him with bucket loads. Some days, Logan was half tempted to walk over to Stone's military containment cell and dump it all on him and have him do it.

But that wouldn't do. He was the president of Metro City now. A respected, smart and not psychopathic president. He had to take the work that came with it.

The loud ringing of his desk holo-phone interrupted the president's working, and Logan gratefully took it as an opportunity to get away from his less-than-exciting city work and answered it. He pressed the button on the comm.

"Logan speaking," he said formally, fixing his glasses.

"Sir," the voice came on the other line, a hologram popping up of a familiar face. General Kisler. "We have a bit of a situation, sir."

Logan sat up upright in his chair, a look of worry coming over his face. "What is it, General?"

"It's Stone, sir," the General informed him gravely. "He's gone."

Logan almost fell out of his chair. "What?"

"Stone," Kisler repeated. "He's escaped. I don't know what happened exactly, but I have three guards down, all tasered. Somehow, he got a hold of a microsonic energy Taser and took them out. Former general Heckler is also gone."

Logan paled and sat back faintly, staring out into nothing for a long moment, his mouth hanging open with unspoken words.

"Sir?" the General asked. "Are you all right?"

The newly-elected president shook himself out of his shock quickly. "Fine," he responded weakly. "Have your men out and looking for him. I want every military employee out and searching until Stone and Heckler are brought back in, and I want no press leakage. Have you notified anyone else besides me?"

"No, sir," Kisler informed.

"Good," Logan sighed in slight relief. "Notify Tenma and Elefun at the Ministry then, but no one else. Tell them I want all there tested prototype weapons given to the military until Stone is found."

"Right away, sir."

"Okay," Logan sighed, closing his eyes thinking. "All right. Thank you, General, for notifying me. I trust you to do what you need to do to keep this city safe."

"Of course, sir, but Stone's not the only problem."

Logan's eyes flew open again. "What?" he exclaimed.

"The Blue Core, sir," Kisler reported. "It's gone missing. We received breach alarms early this morning and arrived to find the whole sub-basement in ruins. The guards were unconscious and the Core was gone."

Logan felt his breath leave him.

"Stone?" he queried.

"We think," the General confirmed. "But we don't know for sure. The guards are still unconscious, but from what we can tell the Core was stolen not long after Stone and Heckler escaped custody."

Logan bites his lip in worry, his knuckles white as he gripped his chair. "The robot," he said slowly. "If he has the Core, he'll be looking for the robot. He'll want revenge."

"The robot is scattered in pieces all along the Surface," Kisler reminded him. "I doubt Stone would be able to reanimate him."

Logan relaxed a bit at this reassurance but not completely. "He's crazy, Kisler. He'll do anything to get his revenge. We have to find him."