Chapter 95-Winning the battle

Chapter 95: 95-Winning the battle

CRAAAAACK!

The joint gave way and the crab’s injured leg tore free. Its enormous body crashed onto the deck with a deafening impact and the entire ship shook.

Ambrose emerged from behind the equipment cabinet, staring at the fallen creature. "Did we...?"

"Don’t celebrate yet!" Noel warned and he was right to do so because the crab was still moving.

Its remaining legs thrashed wildly, scraping against the deck as it attempted to lift itself. One claw snapped at the air, while the other struck the metal beneath it hard enough to leave a deep indentation.

Even crippled, it remained terrifying and if it managed to regain its footing, the fight would begin all over again.

Noel looked at 009. The robot stood several meters away, its damaged body listing slightly to one side. Sparks continued to escape from its shoulder, and its movements had become noticeably slower.

They couldn’t allow the battle to drag on. "Ambrose, aim for the joints!"

"I’m doing that!" His brother was more than happy to jump into the action.

"Then keep doing it and make it hurt. That crab has done more damage!"

The brothers opened fire together. Their bullets struck the exposed areas beneath the crab’s armor, while 009 advanced from the opposite side and concentrated its remaining firepower on the damaged sections.

The creature screamed, its body twisted violently and then one of its legs collapsed while another followed. Dark fluid spread across the deck, flowing into the grooves carved by its own attacks yet it continued fighting.

It dragged its massive body toward the brothers, snapping its remaining claw at anything within reach.

Noel retreated, firing whenever an opening appeared. Ambrose moved to the side, drawing the creature’s attention away from his brother.

"Hey, ugly!" he shouted. "Over here!"

The crab’s remaining eye fixed on him. Ambrose immediately regretted attracting its attention.

"Oh, wonderful. It heard me."

The creature lunged at him, Ambrose threw himself behind a thick metal support as the claw smashed into the structure.

The impact sent a violent shudder through the ship. He stumbled, caught himself against the wall, and looked up just in time to see the crab wrench its claw free.

The support was badly damaged. If the creature struck it again, the structure might collapse. Ambrose’s eyes darted toward the exposed joint beneath the crab’s body and then toward Noel.

An idea took shape. "Noel!"

"What?"

"Keep it busy!"

Noel stared at him incredulously. "That’s your brilliant plan?"

"Do you have a better one?" He asked.

"Yes! Killing it before it kills us!"

"Excellent! Do that!"

Ambrose darted toward the damaged equipment cabinet and grabbed a heavy metal rod that had broken loose during the fight.

It was hardly an ideal weapon, but it was better than standing around waiting to be crushed. He circled behind the crab while Noel and 009 continued attacking its front.

The creature was becoming slower. Its remaining legs struggled to support its enormous body, and its movements had lost much of their earlier precision.

Ambrose waited until it raised its body to strike at 009. The narrow gap beneath its central shell was exposed.

"NOW!"

He charged forward and drove the metal rod into the damaged joint. The rod struck with a dull, sickening crunch and the crab convulsed.

Ambrose stumbled backward as the creature released a deafening screech.

"THAT’S FOR MY BROTHER!" He struck again. "AND THAT’S FOR THE SHIP!" He landed a third strike landed. "AND THAT’S FOR MAKING ME RUN AROUND LIKE A HEADLESS CHICKEN!"

"AMBROSE!" Noel yelled.

"What?"

"GET OUT OF THERE!"

The crab’s claw swept toward him. Ambrose barely escaped, throwing himself onto the deck as the pincer smashed into the spot where he had been standing. He rolled away, coughing and swearing.

Noel seized the opportunity. "009! Finish it!"

[Target vulnerability confirmed.]

The robot advanced. Its remaining weapon systems deployed along its functional arm, and a concentrated burst of gunfire tore into the exposed joint.

The crab’s movements became frantic. It tried to retreat, dragging its battered body across the deck but its remaining legs could no longer coordinate properly.

The creature had spent the entire battle relying on its overwhelming strength and now that strength was failing it.

009 moved closer. [Executing final attack.]

The robot drove its fist into the damaged joint with all the force it could muster.

KRRRRAAAACK!

The crab’s body jerked violently. Its remaining legs struck the deck one final time before collapsing. A horrible grinding sound escaped from beneath its shell and then silence fell.

For several seconds they stood amid the wreckage, staring at the enormous creature sprawled across their deck.

Noel’s weapon slowly lowered while Ambrose remained frozen with the metal rod clutched in both hands. The crab didn’t move again.

Noel cautiously approached it, keeping his weapon trained on its head. "009?"

[Monitoring target movement.]

"Is it dead?"

There was a brief pause followed as 009 run it’s analysis on the crab.

[No movement detected. Biological activity below detection threshold.]

Ambrose’s knees nearly gave way. "Thank God."

He dropped the metal rod and it clattered against the deck and then he sank down beside it, breathing so hard that his chest hurt.

"I swear, if I ever see another crab in my life, I’m moving to the desert."

Noel let out a shaky laugh. "You’d probably find a giant scorpion there."

Ambrose slowly turned his head. "Don’t you dare," he warned with a shiver.

Noel allowed himself to smile. They were alive. Their ship was damaged, their ammunition was running low, and 009 looked as though it had been dragged through a mechanical slaughterhouse but they were alive.

He remembered the robot and hurried toward it. "009, let me see your damage."

[Inspection unnecessary. I remain operational.]

Noel stopped in front of it and stared at its battered body. "Your shoulder is practically hanging off."

[Correction: the shoulder assembly remains partially attached.]

"That is not helping your case!"

Ambrose dragged himself upright and limped over to them. He inspected the torn armor, the damaged forearm, and the flickering lights with an expression that grew more troubled by the second.

"Can you repair yourself?"

[Self-repair capability limited. Replacement components required.]

Ambrose closed his eyes. "What do we do now?"

Noel’s expression darkened as he glanced at the destruction surrounding them. The railing had been crushed. The deck was punctured in several places, and deep grooves marked the metal where the crab’s claws had struck. A section of equipment had been reduced to twisted scrap.

They would have to inspect the hull and determine how much damage the ship had sustained before they could think about anything else.

"Inspect the ship for structural damage," Noel ordered, then looked back at 009. "And check whether we have the tools and materials needed to repair you."

[Command acknowledged.]

Ambrose rubbed a hand over his face. "First, we survive the monsters and then we repair the ship... find supplies and somewhere in between, we need to find a way to get Nathaniel to send us replacement parts."

Noel glanced at him. "You’re assuming he’ll answer."

"He sent us a robot that just fought a giant metallic crab and survived. I refuse to believe he doesn’t have something even more ridiculous tucked away somewhere."

009’s remaining eye brightened. [Master Nathaniel possesses additional resources.]

Ambrose stared at 009. "See? That’s what I’m talking about!"

[However, access to those resources is subject to authorization.]

Ambrose’s face fell. "Of course it is and let me guess, he’s the only one authorized."

Noel laughed again, this time with genuine relief. He turned toward the dead crab and the laughter faded. They had defeated it, but the encounter had taught them something neither brother wanted to acknowledge.

The ocean was changing and the creatures emerging from it were no longer merely dangerous animals. Some possessed bodies capable of tearing through reinforced metal. Others might be faster, larger, or more intelligent than anything they had encountered so far.

And if one of these monsters had found its way onto their ship, there was no guarantee another wouldn’t follow. Noel looked toward the dark horizon.

"We need to leave this area."

Ambrose nodded immediately. "Agreed. The sooner, the better."

"And we need to conserve ammunition and find a way to repair 009."

Ambrose glanced at the robot. "Absolutely."

Noel paused. "Also, when we get through this, you’re explaining to Nathaniel why his robot is missing half its armor."

Ambrose looked offended at being thrown under the bus. "Why me?"

"Because you spent half the battle shouting at it."

"I was encouraging it!" Ambrose defended himself.

"You told it not to get wrecked on your watch!" Noel let out. "That’s sounds like you sending 009 to it’s destruction."

"Which was a perfectly reasonable request. Don’t put this on me!"

009’s eye flickered. [Conversation recorded.]

Both brothers turned toward it. "DELETE THAT!" they shouted in unison.