Navy's Kraffen/Chapter 3 (Old)

Marley stared at the worktable before him. He was standing in his father’s old workshop, which Marley never understood what was for. He imagined now that his father was probably planning on building this “Controbot” himself, the robot shown in the blueprints he had in his hands.

Upon closer inspection, Marley realized that although he had little experience as an inventor, the blueprints seemed as though they were made specifically for him. So that he could understand them. His father knew him better than anyone else. Kassper understood how Marley worked, how he thought, and why he made mistakes when he did. Marley thought it was strange however. Why him? Why not people like Jared, who would jump at the opportunity to help the king? There didn’t seem to be anything dangerous about this robot.

The meat of the robot seemed to be the “brain”, which would allow it to rule the country similar to how a real king would. This was the future of Kraffen. The Controbot would keep the country safe, and last forever...it would be able to win wars, it would be able to make decisions, and it would see everything. Kraffen would finally be safe.

Grant Rene watched the Rainco building in Kraffen from a distance, high up in a tree. He had been watching the building for hours at this point. Claus Armstrong had rushed in hours ago with a clipboard and pen in his hand, and hadn’t come out since.

Disappointed, Grant began to descend the tree. In the distance, he could see a man working on some kind of mask over a checkered picnic cloth. He wondered where Jared was.

He sighed and finally jumped off the last stretch of the tree. He couldn’t help but think to himself that maybe he was being paranoid. After all, there was no way that this Armstrong lunatic would be able to prove anything against the military. Besides, the King had his back. Probably. If things got too bad, he could flee to Palekaiko and start a new life there.

Killing Claus Armstrong would not solve the problem. As much as he hated to admit it, Jared was right. It would raise suspicion and lead to everyone involved getting in trouble.

Grant considered his options as he aimlessly walked through the forest. Jared had probably already fled the country, and Marley was hopefully being extremely cautious.

...Marley.

Marley had been acting strangely for the past couple of weeks. Grant already knew Marley didn't exactly enjoy his job in the business, but recently he had become rather...distracted. Grant had tried to contact Marley earlier that day, after hearing Jared sent him away. But he wasn't able to get Marley's attention.

But it probably wasn't a big deal, right?

Jared walked up to an old sign that read “BUNKER - Please use only in the event of apocalypse!” He took a deep breath, and after some hesitation, knocked on the thick metal trapdoor of the bunker. He heard some footsteps, and then a “What do you want?” from the inside.

“H-hey, my name’s Jared Finite,” he began. “I’m k-kind of hiding from somebody right now, think you could let me in?”

“Depends,” said the man. “Who’re you hiding from?”

“A man named...uh, well, what does it matter?” Jared asked impatiently. “I’ll lose everything if he finds me!”

“How can I trust you?” the man asked. “You could be hiding from the police for all I know. You can’t even tell me the name of who you’re hiding from.”

“Alright, fine! His name is Cl-”

“I don’t want to hear it,” said the man. “This bunker is for emergency situations only. Come back when the entire country is in shambles, not just your life.” Jared heard the man walk to a different part of the bunker.

"Wait! W-wait!" Jared shouted, trying to pry the trapdoor open. After a few unsuccessful attempts, Jared sighed and began walking away.

Claus stared at the wall in his dark office at Rainco. All his co-workers were avoiding him now. They thought he was insane. But he was right. He was the only one in the entire country who wasn't blind to the idea that the authorities might be mixed up with the criminals. It was frustrating. Nobody believed him because nobody wanted to.

He had also noticed how everybody who he believed might be involved in the Oramania trade had suddenly vanished. Grant Rene was nowhere to be found, the other man who he had constantly seen walk in and out of SIREN had also disappeared, and the King was no longer answering his door. He might have lost his opportunity to put an end to these dangerous crimes.

Claus sighed, frustrated. He had nowhere to go. Not the royal family, not the military, and he couldn't trust the police.

...but what if he took matters into his own hands?

Claus stood up, and fixed his tie.

5 days later

Marley looked at the machine before him. He had moved it to the front of the castle with the help of some confused employees. He looked nervously at the robot. It was supposed to help Kraffen, but would it? It was just...a robot, nothing more. Marley didn't completely understand what he had just created. He had just been following the directions, blindly, without stopping to realize that he didn't understand how the robot would think.

Or the fact that he would lose control over the country the moment he turned on the machine.

...

Marley flipped the machine's switch, and watched it rise.

The Controbot would save them all.

The machine's one open eye flickered, and its slit-like pupil went from a dead, lifeless gray, to a bright lime green. Its glass-like body began to rise