Spider and the Heist of the Brood Crystal

“We’re running out of time. Zylon forces are closing in on your position.”

Sylas says to Spider as he primes his holo-clone generator. Spider rolls his eyes and says “You’re just being paranoid. For a female interface, you sure complain like you’re a human.”

Sylas responds “That's because this is an intercom link and I am human.”

“Oh yeah. Y’know you sound like one of the female A.I voices.”

“This is why people hate you Spider.”

“That was rude. What are you even worried about anyway?”

“The Galactic Federation is sending bounty hunters after you. Plus the robots who inhabit the planet are going to zero in on your location any second. ”

“I forgot Zylon-5 had robots who lived here instead of organics. Wait a second, don't I work with the Galactic Federation, why are they sending bounty hunters?”

Sylas pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration “Spider did you forget about your contract? As in you remain the world's most wanted man and you became our number one black operative. We also have contracts with the Universal Bounty Hunter Committee. One of them states we can provide them with transportation and the location of their targets. That means you too.”

Spider slides his generator back into his robotic arm and wipes his robotic eye and says “I honestly forgot about that. Those amateurs won’t be able to lay a finger on me anyway. About the crys-.” 

The building that Spider has taken shelter in starts to crumble from the combined forces of robotic arm cannons and Zelgarian rocket launchers. Spider uses his grappling attachment in his wrist to quickly escape the crumbling building. Spider leaps behind rubble of a nearby destroyed building. Spider tells Sylas “Robots may have won the war of Zylon, but there is nothing on this planet but robot hiveminds and rubble.”

Spider’s custom made pistol folds out of his arm and into his hand. He then makes a holo-clone. “Okay man we have one shot at this. Do you think you can go the distance and come out unscathed?”

The Holo-clone looks at Spider and says “You know me and you can switch places and only you can be harmed, not me.”

Spider kisses the clone and detaches his combat drone squad from his robotic spine attachment. He and the clone hop over cover to engage the enemy. In that instant the Zelgarian bounty hunters get bombarded by the drones with explosive rounds until nothing is left except blood, viscera, and bits of clothing. The Zylon robots charge the real Spider as the Holo-clone gets ready to self-destruct in the distance Spider stops to turn around and says “It's been a pleasure gentlebots but, it seems to me-.”

Just like that Spider switches places with the Holo-clone and the Holo-clone finishes Spider’s sentence. “Your warranty has run out.”

The Holo-Clone explodes and just as Spider dusts off his web themed armored vest the ground shakes, the buildings that were already destroyed crumble even more. A loud sound can be heard planet-wide. The ground starts to settle and the drones reattach to Spider’s back. Spider remarks “Wait nobody mentioned that there were tectonic plates on this planet. Sylas what's going on?”

Sylas responds “There are no tectonic plates on that planet Spider. That shouldn’t have happened.”

“All the way up in space and you can’t cross reference the hundreds of trillions of planets from the thousands of galaxies the Galactic Federation has in its control?”

“It’s not that simple Spider, it's too much paperwork. Especially for an operation that isn't supposed to happen.”

“Makes sense why you have the Sentinel just destroy planets then.”

“He makes our jobs easier.”

“So that’s how you excuse genocide and abuse my friend just because it makes your job better?”

“With every life he takes he saves a thousand others.”

“Whatever. Wait, hold on, I’m getting an incoming transmission.”

Spider hangs up on Sylas and answers the transmission. “ Spider here what's up.”

The leading ambassador of Zylon-5 says “Mr spider we come to realize that you are after our planet's brood crystal.”

Spider responds “Yeah and what of it, from what I’ve seen it's just a really cool looking crystal.”

“That crystal has properties that even with your cybernetic augmentations couldn’t even begin to fathom.”

“Why don’t you try to give me the rundown since I’m right in front of the cave that houses the crystal? Anyway all I see right now is destroyed metallic buildings and this cave. You’re nowhere to be seen.”

“We have no obligation to give such classified information to the likes of you Spider. All we can say to you is do not take the crystal please.”

The transmission ends and Spider readies his weapon and deploys a drone from his back to illuminate the cave. He walks around the inside of the cave for five minutes then slimy creatures erupt from the walls like cells coming to fight a virus. Spider commands his turret to go into attack mode and turns his eye into night vision mode. The pink slimy creatures try to jump on Spider in an attempt to kill him. All the attempts and efforts made by the creatures were all in vain as Spider and the drone killed all the creatures. Spider says “There is something about this planet they aren’t telling me. I'm in too deep to start questioning orders now.”

Spider makes his way to the crystal and sees that big red pulsating tubes reinforced by flexible metal are connecting the crystal to the walls. Spider has a suspicion something is off, so he throws a knife at the wall. To his surprise blood starts running out off the walls and he makes the connection. This is no crystal and this is no planet. He can’t refuse to follow orders so he uses his robotic arm and starts to detach all the tubes from the crystal. Blood pours from each tube and the planet shakes in pain as it is being killed. Spider with one last mighty pull he frees the crystal and makes a run for it. Sylas contacts Spider and says “Everything on the planet is dying, what's going on?”

Spider responds, while desperately outrunning the river of blood behind him’ “Did they tell you this planet is a living organism?”

Sylas pauses for a moment in shock of what she just heard. She then tells him “Evac is waiting for you in 500 feet.”

Spider successfully gained the Brood Crystal, but in doing so he doomed billions of robots and a planet sized organism. Thanks to him and the Galactic Federation thousands of worlds were given power and technology they didn’t have before. As for Spider he went back to Galactic Federation HQ to reflect on what he had done.