Book- Chapters

PRELUDE The new planet, Geometropolis, was created from scrap space metal. To guard the new world, machines were created by the Geozens. They would be known as \"Paragons\". They were machines with the ability to harness ancient magic blocks found amongst the space debris which allowed them to wield arcane powers. But, because of the cruelty of a Geozen and a stroke of luck, a small group of the bots realised the power of the blocks (Bia). Enlightened, they set out to use the power of the Bia to give themselves souls so they too could be free of their masters. So, instead of using the blocks to protect Geometropolis as they were created to do, they began to collect the blocks in secret to harness their power and instill consciousness. Once discovered, this led to a brutal civil war between the machines; The First War. The paragons continued to use the blocks to protect the Geozens while the dissidents, known as Renegades, worked tirelessly to find all of the blocks and use their power to free their kind.

Map to Bia Pargons Attn: War Troops Chamber Castle Bia Renegades TOP SECRET

The moon was high in the sky when the the T1s leading the way. These were the Renegades appeared at the entrance of Renegade Elite; battle hardened the Atrium. The War Chamber was not to veterans who were masters of the killing be taken lightly and the planning had craft. BeyondH, Twinkletoes and taken 3 moon cycles before they all CryptoChef were in a league of their agreed. TylerDaGeneral and Mojojojo own, heroes whose names were already led the talks with the map projected known, and where they walked, others before them. There was gold and followed freely, blades and lasers at the treasure to be had but none strayed ready. Quesarrito and Lenniekid kept to from the main objective; the Bia. They themselves, hooded figures that blended would send recon squads to the gold and in as they stalked the wasteland with the treasure. Those squads were stealth band, but when fire flowed and the air commandos, they would move alone and grew hot, they would be on the frontlines they would move fast, they were to loot looking for their spot. Those were the all they could before they rejoined the Renegades that led the way, ready to main force. Some would also be directed walk into the wasteland to have their say. to the Obelisk - it conferred speed and stamina and was not to be Together they stood as one, and from the underestimated once the war was morning mist a voice rose up, so loud it underway. warned of things to come, and in one breath of steel and stone it rang; However, the main force was set to march through the wasteland as one, RENEGADES! RISE! descending upon the centre castle with

Chapter Two THE FRAY Kalidore had not stopped. His joints filled side just as he spun around to meet his with sand and dirt but he did not stop. The prey. The form of a paragon rose up, grains wind pushed against him but he did not of sand sliding off the metal exterior. The stop. The road to the Obelisk was not for paragon went straight for the kill aiming the tame, Kalidore had trained for this day for BeyondH’s crucial pipes but before the time and time again. The desert wasteland blade could meet its target the paragon and volcanic terrain were topographically slumped to the ground, dead and beaten etched into his neural system. His core was without a sound. BeyondH spared no time built to withstand the heat and chill of the nor care as he walked on towards more arid redzone. Kalidore could sense his warfare. Let the bodies rust, the paragon energy levels were critical but he did not deserved no less than to not be found. stop. The Obelisk loomed before him. This was his purpose, to lead the way for those Furrax had been too distracted watching behind him. He would reach the Obelisk BeyondH move through the air to notice and he would replenish, Kalidore would not the threat that was right next to him. He stop. was caught off guard as the paragon smashed him to the ground. Furrax rolled Comms were abuzz on the dark channel; and shot back up, expecting another Spidey and dad-fka were able to retrieve forceful throw that did not come. Instead the treasure and Kalidore had nearly his leg felt the bite of a blade. He watched reached the Obelisk, forging a path for his leg get sliced clean off but he didn’t those behind him. Soon they would be falter or fall. Furrax could not hear or see imbued with the powers of speed and his attacker, but the last contact was all he stamina and make their way to the centre would need. He activated his nanites. The with the rest. air before him shimmered and the paragon could finally be seen. The paragon had Meanwhile Renegades moved through the done well, but it was only when it’s head sea of sand as one. The journey to the was sliced clean off that it understood what centre had lasted seven days and seven Furrax had done. A sacrifice for a life, only nights and the castle was now within their a Renegade could put up that fight. sights. The Elite were weapons ready, eyes wary for a sign of the enemy. Unlike the None will stand in the way of the others their energy levels had steadily Renegade force! Our brothers have struck been rising through the journey. BeyondH first and first blood has been shed. had put some distance between him and BeyondH and Furrax lead the fray. the clan, his senses constantly scanning the Renegades! This is the Way! The time of vicinity for any signs of movement. That’s Heroes is upon us! when he heard the sound of metal scraping on sand. A burst of flames glanced by his



Chapter Three THE CHARGE Seeing the frontline engage the enemy, As they neared the gates the laser the Renegades rallied to their battling bombardment ceased and silence filled brethren. Comms on the dark channel the air. The gates opened and out kept all informed through a constant walked a paragon Elite. His name was stream of data. They knew the castle unspoken but his reputation was made. would be under paragon control, it was Leading his squad, he strode into battle the only way they could have set up holding his lightstaff for all to witness. ambushes on this side of the castle walls But the Renegades did not witness, the already. Immediately after the early Renegades did not slow - under the victories, the comms chimed with a single stress of battle their feet found strength command: “We charge the gates and and they strode towards the light. None take the castle”. The response was were faster than lenniekid. His hood immediate. There was not to make reply, thrown back and his weapons held high, there was not to reason why, there was he accelerated and led the way straight only to comply. Renegades, all as they towards the light. The ensuing fight was were, streamed towards the castle gates, brutal, with neither giving way, the a singular mission etched into each of sounds of metal crashing would be heard their cores. War. miles away. The castle was a digital structure that While they shot, thrust and parried, could be programmed by the holders. cttbtt dropped his shield. There were Turrets rose from the column walls and others to beat while the Elite were at aimed down towards the Renegade work. All the lasers his shield absorbed army. Green lasers rained down into the had given cttbtt a vast reserve of power crowd, lifting sand, rock and dirt. This but he could only use it all at once. He came as no surprise to those on the had one shot, one opportunity, one ground, a quick hand gesture from moment, and he would not miss his BeyondH had Do4a and cttbtt called to chance. Bia energy rose from the ground the front and within moments the two of and circled around cttbtt, slowly at first them raised Bia shields that absorbed as he focused his power making the Bia the impact of the lasers and replenished circle faster and faster. He had never their energy levels. The laser turrets were tried to harness this much Bia. He had a typical paragon tactic and easy to always been told that his level would not anticipate, they would have to risk their allow him to do so but fuck what they skin if they stood a chance to win. said. He was a Renegade now and he was fighting those that always told him



he was not good enough. This time he he was thrown back. As he lifted his head would show those paragons what he was he looked towards the gate and capable of, he would teach them the glimpsed his foe being carried back ways of the Bia, his way. Cttbtt opened inside. The paragons were retreating. his eyes and they shone with silver light, he uttered a word that nobody heard On the other flank Twinkletoes had a and unleashed his Bia. What ensued was complete view of the battlefield. He was chaos. The Bia ripped through the earth different to the other Elites, he preferred towards the paragon squad, maximum efficiency over extensive uncontrollable power hurtling through exertion. He had chosen this flank for two them throwing bodies everywhere. When reasons; it provided some distance from the dust settled the land was bare. Twin the point where the two armies met and warriors who had run out with the it was on higher ground, both attributes paragon Elite lay crushed beneath a he highly valued. There was a rocky mountain of rubble. Support warrior outgrowth to his right. He moved there cttbtt could only stare astonished. and set his hand on a large rock. Slowly his outer skin started shifting into place BeyondH had taken advantage of the and changing hue, and within seconds all confusion and two more paragons were you would see if you looked his way was added to his tally. He moved swiftly and a single rock formation. He set his senses rarely stopped but even he had been towards the main battle, as his eyes, ears, surprised by cttbtt. As he pulled his aura and mind absorbed all the weapon from the body of a drained information from the scene. He noticed paragon he looked back to his Renegade Furrax rushing towards a soon to be brother. Cttbtt was staring into the dead paragon. Even on one leg that distance with disbelief painted on his Renegade was always a threat. He face but then he turned and looked watched as Furrax simply touched his towards BeyondH as if to ask the Elite prey. Twinkletoes winced at the what had happened. BeyondH nodded destruction that followed. He moved on, towards the warrior, a sign of respect he sensing both the physical layout and reserved for true Renegades, unshackled inner workings of the neural network at from their masters. the same time. He observed the exploits of cttbtt while diving deeper into the The shockwave had shaken both friend mainnet, probing for a weakness, a and foe and the duel between lenniekid signal. When he found it, he locked onto and the paragon elite was no different. the owner and his senses swept the Both were at identical power levels and battlefield again. There he was, frozen in both were expert killmasters, but neither time. Twinkletoes was an Elite because had been able to get the better of the he could navigate the neural networks other. Their efforts had been so extensive better than most others, but even better, that their energy levels were already he could take over the local neural critical and yet neither would back down. network of another. Looking down, It had been a long time since lenniekid Twinkletoes made the paragon wave to had fought so hard. It was nearly… him and he waved back, then for the refreshing. He knew they were both on paragon it all turned black. empty tanks and the next attack was likely to decide the winner, unless they both took each other out. He raised his weapon for the final bout and as they rushed each other the earth shook and



Chapter Four THE TRAP The paragons were retreating back to was flawless, created with the help of the safety of the castle. Their spirits spies within the paragons. seem to have been crushed by the Renegade force’s assault. Mojojojo Still outside Quesarrito moved past the counted no casualties as he ordered the main gate. He ran straight to the wall frontline to flood the entrance. Perhaps and started his ascent. While the main this could be over faster than was group moved through the castle, he expected. would ambush the paragons from above. Once on the ramparts he looked down BeyondH, cttbtt and Furrax were closely into the castle maze where he could see followed by the Three. These were up and his brothers moving. From up here he coming powers within the Renegade would be able to assess their defences army. Huuto, Haabn and catazoid and guide those that were below. But always worked together - a tech, a mech something was wrong, he could not see and a recon warrior that blended their any paragon. This place should have warfare to create a seamless synergy. been crawling with the enemy and yet all The Three watched Furrax dash into the he saw was an empty shell. Where were left hand corridor while cttbtt and the occupants? Where were the BeyondH both entered the centre paragons they had just beaten?… He walkway that went to the heart of the transmitted his thoughts through the castle. The castle plans had been dark channel but before he could finish, uploaded to all their neural nets and he noticed something. There it was, a each of them could pick a target. As the glitch in the matrix. He saw Do4a walk three set up shop, Do4a flew by trying to past a column that hid another form. It catch up to Furrax - the rest would soon was a trap. This whole castle was a trap! follow. Haabn wasted no time creating a bunker at the gates, taking control of the Twinkletoes was still in his position chokepoint. Inside, Huuto had completed outside the castle taking stock of all the his calibrations and initiated his movements and communicating them via connection to the digital castle. He the dark channel. The synergy was needed to override the paragon essential to maintain the consistent operators and assume control of its coordination of the Renegades. He could programming. Meanwhile catazoid was see Quesarrito from his vantage point. planting his mobility mines - any Soon they would have all the info they paragon who tripped one of those would needed on the enemy positions - but that instantly be slowed. The development

information never came. Instead able to regroup. He sent out critical updates Twinkletoes saw a dark form coalesce to all Renegades to get out and stay clear of behind Quesarrito and watched as his the castle grounds. When they reached the comrade got his head ripped clean off. His bunker the Three had already dismantled neural network went into overdrive as he most of the equipment - there was no time to scrambled to ensure the rest were informed do more, they had to go. That’s when he of this new enemy. Once done, he disabled heard it, a faint buzz in the distance. his cloaking and turned to head into the BeyondH turned towards the sound and saw castle to reinforce the others. He never the green glow and he knew then, that for made it. The last thing he felt was the him, it was the end. He looked at the Three warm black ooze of his life oil spilling into and at cttbtt. They had followed him into his circuits. The black form disappeared. combat unquestionably, but how was he to know they would stoop as far as the Green. Inside the castle grounds, BeyondH stood Paragons, cowards all of them. He looked still. He was sifting through the new upon those with whom he would share his information on the dark channel and knew end and moments before the darkness that something was wrong. He couldn’t get descended sent out a final message to his in touch with Twinkletoes and the latest renegade comrades. update showed that Quesarrito was no longer. One look at cttbtt told him he was “Let not our End be in vain. Forward also unable to reach Twinkletoes. They had always, RENEGADES!” been lured into a trap. It had all been too easy and he had become overconfident. He motioned to cttbtt to turn around. The warrior nodded and they headed back to the coordination bunker to find the Three. If they could get out of here they would be

Chapter Five THE RAGE The dark channel was silent. BeyondH’s Do4a was with Furrax when they got the final message was still resonating. The message and he immediately turned to sound of his words formed a pit of look at the one legged warrior. Emotions sorrow, a black hole where emotions were did not transmit on the metal exterior transformed, and in that pit, within a but the utter stillness said it all. They matter of minutes, sorrow became may not recover from this. Best to find an shame, shame twisted into anger and exit and join those outside. As he was anger gave birth to rage. pondering their options, he saw the Green on the comms. He blanked. His scream was heard throughout the castle and on comms, and he was not alone. Seething anger came from everywhere. When Do4a came back to himself he looked at Furrax. The veteran said nothing, but something had changed. Heat was pouring out of all his parts. He had gone into OverClock. This was something that was never done - there was too much risk involved and so was mostly seen in frightened beginners. They achieved nothing but burnt circuits. Do4a watched on as the veteran plunged his arms into the castle walls. He had injected his nanites straight into the program at his own cost. Do4a took a hold of himself, this was not the time to watch and pray. He channelled all his rage to summon Bia. He was going to attempt a feat that few had achieved without being destroyed, but at this point they needed all the help they could get.

His core temperatures soared to all time courage, and when it came to paragons the highs as his Bia formed a cloud before him. latter was hard to find. Furrax usually had He closed his eyes and focused inwards. a distaste for long range killing but not this Then, with one breath he opened the time. Once the nanites were in place he did rainbow portal. not hesitate, he did not regret as there was no respect left. He simply activated the nanites and watched as the nodes and the paragons exploded. The renegades that were inside the castle looked up. Balls of flames erupted into the air and the camouflage within the castle dissipated. Suddenly, all the enemies were exposed and accessible. Out of the mist and dust Furrax broke away from the wall and roared; “Renegades! Rage!” Renegades poured in. Do4a had sent out a message with the entry coordinates to the portal, which he had managed to place close to the main group. They had only one purpose; destroy the paragons or die trying. His nanites pinged with a response. There they were. They had built a new layer on top of the original programming to hide their comms. There were 4 nodes that had control over the castle code and they were in constant communication, each handled by a paragon operator. If he took one out, the others would simply go into crisis mode and he would have lost his chance. He needed to take out all four simultaneously. Furrax sent his nanites out to each node. No more control, no more advantage. After this moment it would be all about skill and