Robot Warriors by Zac Harrison Read Free Book Online Page A

two!” Emmie smiled.
    “Give that girl a gold star,” Mordant scoffed. “Of course we are, you moron. Why else would we be here?”
    Before John could say what he was thinking, Master Tronic began his next announcement. “This is the Black Tunnel Test! In this round, we will test your robots’ agility. Speed and weapons count for nothing. Only careful manoeuvring will see you through.”
    Master Tronic pressed a button on his arm. Suddenly, a swirling black opening like an upright whirlpool appeared in front of the contestants. It formed one end of a long, flat-bottomed tube that extended away from Master Tronic’s podium and wound around the hangar in a zigzagging, spiralling maze, returning in a circle to open back out at the podium.
    “This’ll be easy,” Mordant snorted. “Even with all those twists, the tunnel’s three times as wide as any robot here.”
    “I should probably mention,” Master Tronic added with a hint of menace, “that the tunnel is self-adjusting. It will shrink to fit whichever robot enters it. You will have very little clearance to work with.”
    “That’s you told, Mordant,” bubbled Dol.
    Master Tronic continued. “Rules of this round are simple. The aim is to guide your robot through the black tunnel without touching the sides or the top. You may, of course, touch the floor.”
    It’s like those buzz games, John thought. With the wiggly metal wire and the loop you have to weave around it. I was always pretty good at those!
    To his surprise, some of the older students were whispering among themselves. John saw nervous faces.
    “What’s up with them?” he asked Kaal.
    “None of them were prepared for anything like this,” Kaal said. “This challenge has never been in the contest before.”
    “Good!” Emmie said. “That means we’re all equal.”
    Mordant Talliver rolled his eyes. “As if.”
    Dol raised her flipper-like arm. “Sir? Is there a time limit?”
    “Good question,” the robot-bodied teacher said. “You have fifteen minutes each to complete the test, but most students do not take that long.”
    Surprised murmurs broke out among the students.
    “Like I said, speed is not the point of this round,” Master Tronic repeated firmly. “However, if your robot so much as brushes the sides or top of the tunnel, you are out of the competition. Any other questions?”
    “How are we supposed to see our robots inside that tunnel?” asked Kaal hesitantly.
    Master Tronic held up a pair of goggles. “We’ve thought of that. These will let you see through the tunnel walls. Everyone else can watch the robots go through the tunnel on the tracker-cam, since a plain black tunnel isn’t very interesting to look at.” He pointed to a huge screen on the wall. “Now, would anyone care to volunteer to go first?”
    John heard Emmie take a deep breath. “I’ll go,” she said. Then she turned to John and whispered, “May as well get this over and done with.”
    “Good luck, Emmie,” John said, patting her on the shoulder. He crossed his fingers.
    Behind him, Mordant was talking to G-Vez. “Get IFI ready for me, would you? That hopeless piece of trash is going to screw up at the first bend.”
    G-Vez asked, “Are you referring to Miss Tarz, master, or to her unfortunate robot?”
    “Take your pick,” Mordant said with a shrug. “Though since you mentioned it, the robot’s probably brighter than she is. And I heard she borrowed its brain from a broken-down toilet-cleaner droid.”
    Emmie’s face showed no sign that she’d heard a thing. She pulled on the goggles, then used her remote control to steer Cammy to the opening.
    “Whenever you’re ready,” Master Tronic said. “Take your time.”
    Cammy slowly moved through the opening and into the tunnel. To John’s horror, the robot’s skin immediately shifted to a deep black.
    “Oh no, Cammy, not now!” Emmie said despairingly. Mordant burst out laughing. Emmie fiddled with the controls, but Cammy remained