LJI 11 W3: Gregor Has a Plan
"So you like plan, yes?"
Gregor's armored sensor pod tilted to the side in a manner Jonni interpreted as proud self-satisfaction. Gregor's combat chassis didn't have anything that even vaguely resembled a face, and he really only had the one expression. But after years teamed up with Gregor, Jonni had gotten pretty creative with interpreting that tilt.
"It sounds suspiciously like every other plan you've come up with. Ever. Plus, we need to know where that thing came from."
They lay low behind an abandoned truck on the side of the road, a few blocks away from their primary hideout. Jonni had carefully placed this one, and several other old vehicles like it, at strategic locations they could hide behind to scope the area for trouble when returning home. This time the prepwork paid off. Gregor had a camera peeked over the hood of the truck so they could safely watch their unexpected guest. It was an early model multi-purpose droid, human-shaped but obviously mechanical, and it obviously loitered with a view of their entrance.
"Consistency is mother of consistency. Why mess with good plan if it works? But for you, we adjust. New plan is we smash robot with rock. Then, we sell parts, except for little robot brain so we can get info. Better?"
"You really are a giant hammer looking for a nail, you know that?"
A quiet, clunky tapping noise emanated from somewhere inside Gregor. Could have been meant as a chuckle, or a sigh, or maybe it was just an internal ammo magazine as it fed a round into one of the many weapon systems Gregor was outfitted with. Jonni hoped it wasn't that last option, they tended to not leave much of the target behind.
"No need to look. All problems are nails. You have nail sticking up, you hit it on the head. Bent nail sticking up? Hit it on the head, then hit it some more. Not pretty, but still out of way. Screw sticking up, hit it harder on the head. It'll be funny shaped nail and not a problem. Robot shaped problem?"
Almost faster than Jonni could track the motion, Gregor snatched a softball-sized chunk of curb off the ground and stood up. With an explosive shriek of hydraulic compressors Gregor's arm snapped forward and launched the impromptu projectile toward the robot in question. The target looked in their direction and deftly caught the rock with its face, which became a new impromptu projectile that bounced down the street.
"Hit it on the head! Problem solved!"
Down the street several armed men in body armor appeared around the end of another one of Jonni's makeshift barrier vehicles and headed towards the easily seen Gregor. He looked back at Jonni and gave his "head" tilt again.
"Sometimes, there are new problems. For example, we are out of rocks."
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For more of Jonni and Gregor, check out my week 1 entry!
Gregor's armored sensor pod tilted to the side in a manner Jonni interpreted as proud self-satisfaction. Gregor's combat chassis didn't have anything that even vaguely resembled a face, and he really only had the one expression. But after years teamed up with Gregor, Jonni had gotten pretty creative with interpreting that tilt.
"It sounds suspiciously like every other plan you've come up with. Ever. Plus, we need to know where that thing came from."
They lay low behind an abandoned truck on the side of the road, a few blocks away from their primary hideout. Jonni had carefully placed this one, and several other old vehicles like it, at strategic locations they could hide behind to scope the area for trouble when returning home. This time the prepwork paid off. Gregor had a camera peeked over the hood of the truck so they could safely watch their unexpected guest. It was an early model multi-purpose droid, human-shaped but obviously mechanical, and it obviously loitered with a view of their entrance.
"Consistency is mother of consistency. Why mess with good plan if it works? But for you, we adjust. New plan is we smash robot with rock. Then, we sell parts, except for little robot brain so we can get info. Better?"
"You really are a giant hammer looking for a nail, you know that?"
A quiet, clunky tapping noise emanated from somewhere inside Gregor. Could have been meant as a chuckle, or a sigh, or maybe it was just an internal ammo magazine as it fed a round into one of the many weapon systems Gregor was outfitted with. Jonni hoped it wasn't that last option, they tended to not leave much of the target behind.
"No need to look. All problems are nails. You have nail sticking up, you hit it on the head. Bent nail sticking up? Hit it on the head, then hit it some more. Not pretty, but still out of way. Screw sticking up, hit it harder on the head. It'll be funny shaped nail and not a problem. Robot shaped problem?"
Almost faster than Jonni could track the motion, Gregor snatched a softball-sized chunk of curb off the ground and stood up. With an explosive shriek of hydraulic compressors Gregor's arm snapped forward and launched the impromptu projectile toward the robot in question. The target looked in their direction and deftly caught the rock with its face, which became a new impromptu projectile that bounced down the street.
"Hit it on the head! Problem solved!"
Down the street several armed men in body armor appeared around the end of another one of Jonni's makeshift barrier vehicles and headed towards the easily seen Gregor. He looked back at Jonni and gave his "head" tilt again.
"Sometimes, there are new problems. For example, we are out of rocks."
-----
For more of Jonni and Gregor, check out my week 1 entry!