Firey and Furious Chapter 1, an astro boy fanfic

FIREY AND FURIOUS

An Astro boy, Dante's Peak cross over

By Dan

Note: Astro Boy Character based off the PLUTO manga series.

Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Harry Dalton

Grant Heslov as Greg

Kirk Trutner as Terry

Arabella Field as Nancy

Tzi Ma as Stan

June 16th 2013

US Geological Survey office

Vancouver, Washington

Greg Heslov came bursting through the door of the equipment lab spilling the contents of his coffee cup out of the rim as he shook a fist at each occupant. "Alright! Who did it?! You must think its fricken hilarious to replace my coffee with dirt!"

From his desk where he'd been carefully soldering a circuit card into a detection box till Greg had spilt liquid under his shirt collar. Terry Everston whirled around on his stool and calmly took the cup from Greg's hand. "Dude? You almost made me turn this two thousand dollar set in a two thousand dollar paper weight."

"I didn't do it." Stan Hung said as he threw up his hands. "I don't want to die."

"Well someone did it!" Greg snapped as he crossed his arms. "These little pranks are just fine man, I can live with em really…till someone screws with my coffee maker! Coffee no touch!, you guys got that?"

"Honestly Greg? You really do bitch too much." Came a voice from behind the frustrated geologist. "And if you need to find the culprit? It was me."

Doctor Harry Dalton stood in the open door with his field jacket slung over his shoulder and a large coffee in his hand. "Just to be fair? I brought you a peace offering."

"Prick!" Greg snorted as he pointed at Harry. "Who put you up to it Harry? One of these guys asked you didn't they?"

"Who asked you to go screwing with my equipment up at Mount Saint Helens last month?" Harry replied smirking. "You made the mistake of using a different soldering wire on that one so I knew it wasn't Greg. You also can't keep your mouth shut."

Harry waved the coffee in his hands. "You remember the equipment truck Greg? The F-150 I drove like a bat out of hell to get off Johnston Ridge when the instruments kind of indicated St. Helens was about to blow her top again? The F-150 I rolled about seven times? Lucky for me the harness worked so well."

Harry put the coffee in Greg's hand. "And lucky for you I decided not to tell Gordon about the whole thing."

Greg felt like a complete ass. "Well….we did get a new truck though? That old clunker smoked as bad as Terry."

"Hmmm…." Harry seemed to agree.

"So Harry?" Stan asked as he stood wiping oil from his hands. "You haven't explained why you didn't take Paul's place after he was killed at Dante's Peak. I mean we all agreed you should have had the post, you have the experience."

Paul Drefus was the director of the Pacific USGS office at the time Harry and his crew were caught flat by the swiftness of Mount Dante's Peak's buildup to a catastrophic eruption. Though their relationship at times had been combative, Drefus always had Harry's deepest respect as a field man. His death was so meaningless that it would leave a permanent burn in Harry's heart.

"I couldn't." Harry said as he leaned against a desk. "I didn't want to be the one to empty Paul's office and I couldn't do his job anyways, I'd probably get myself fired from being to board behind that desk or being too bitchy to some Presidential staffer. Mount Reiner was a good example wasn't it?"

Nancy nodded with a smirk. "But you were right…the Interior director was a complete douche bag along with his brother in law President. Probably the last time they tell us to go "jack" ourselves when old Reiner flattens a national park with a 30 foot Lahar."

Terry grabbed his ringing phone. "They were lucky it wasn't worse….yeah?" Terry turned to Harry. "Harry? Gordon needs to see you."

Gordon Pursell wasn't like Paul, at least in what Harry thought was a critical difference. Pursell had a limited interest in putting "delicate politics" over caution when it came to volcanos. He was quick to realize a "frog in the slow boiling pot" situation, the one that ended up killing Drefus at Dante's Peak. Pursell was more apt to listen to his field people over some complaining politician. He was a classic "field hand" too, fit and aptly marked with scars and weathering about his face and eyes. His brown hair was just starting to show whisps of greying and he dispatched the unofficial requirement of upper dress demanded by his public relations position for worn steel toed boots, thick multi-pocketed military like pants and a worn, fraying cotton shirt.

At the moment, Pursell was watching his television as Harry entered the office. "Hey Harry…take a seat and watch this for a bit?"

The NBC Today show was on with a reporter standing at some police roadblock talking about numerous fatalities from a natural gas pipeline failure somewhere in japan…

"Some one's going to be boiling in a pan over this." Harry said as he watched for a moment then turned to Pursell. "What's the business of the day?"

Pursell turned the television off. "To Joe Public? It's a gas leak. That's all anyone should know for now." Pursell handed Harry a folder. "This came to us through encrypted e-mail from the Japanese Ministry of Science an hour ago."

Harry took the file, opened it, scanned it and closed it. "785 people asphyxiated in their sleep in the middle of the night…Sulfur Flourine?"

"Someone working for the Ministry deduced that. They found a large burst fissure on the outskirts of the village. The same individual was conducting a series of tests that weekend around Mount Fuji when the event occurred."

Harry crossed his arms. "You're about to tell me that something significant is going on am I right?"

"It's no secret that the Japanese have been monitoring Fuji since 2001. With the great Sendai Earthquake in 2011, the attention was increased. Mount Fuji usually doesn't keep quiet after a major subduction zone earthquake, the eruptions of 1707, 1428 and 1234 have records of a major catastrophic earthquake two years before that abruptly altered the tectonics in the region."

Harry nodded seriously. "We're heading to Japan then?"

"Start packing your crew for a flight first thing tomorrow morning. An arrangement's been made for you to meet with the Ministry of Science representative once you arrive. Right now the focus is to assess the potential threats, help the Japanese set up additional monitoring by your direction and assist the government in emergency planning based on what you and the crew come up with. As always Harry? You have a free hand, if you happen to piss off some minister in the process and you need to slug him in the face? It's your call."

Pursell gave Harry a card. "This came with the e-mail, it's the number of the lead Chief Inspector of the Japanese national constabulary force. The Japanese government is keeping a tight lip on all this for as long as possible, total news blackout. He wants you to call him in case you have problems with the media, he has no problem applying a corrective baseball bat to Brian Williams, Ted Turner, Glen Beck or any other wild eyed camera jockey."

Harry took the card and turned to walk out of the office.

"And Harry?" Pursell said as he stuck his hands into his pockets. "Don't go taking your usual wild risks on this one? Then again you'll do it anyways so just get out of here."

Harry walked back to the electronics lab and caught Stan walking out. "Tell everyone to stop whatever they're up too and start putting equipment together and getting inventories Stan? We just got a ticket to Japan and we have to be on the plane in the morning."

"Nice of them to give us some spare time." Stan complained.

"Couldn't be helped given the location, we're going to Mount Fuji." Harry replied as he followed Stan back into the lab.

"Mount Fuji?" Greg asked as Harry passed him by. "The….Mount Fuji?"

"Yeah. Last time I checked there's only one Mount Fuji in the world Greg." Harry replied. "And it's apparent the current situation is mid-range on the scale of concern, things could go from tranquility to hell real fast."

"I'll get the COSPEC meters. "Nancy said as she walked towards a closet.

"Coffe maker, have to pack the coffee maker." Greg said as he reached into a cabinet and pulled down a pair of un-opened coffee bacgs.

Stan leaned to Harry's side. "You know I have relatives in Gotemba? Should I tell them to pack?"

"You do and I'm supposed to call the Japanese police." Harry said smirking. "I'm sure you always wanted to spend a night in your underwear in a Japanese prison Stan?"

Stan smiled back. "Didn't I tell you I was an expert at nude Kabuki fan dancing?"

June 17th 2013

Ministry of Science

Metro City Japan

For the first time in 72 hours, Astro was undisturbed and comfortably wrapped around a body pillow on Reno's pull out sofa. He'd been handled like a piece of taffy between government officials, scientists, volcanologists, geologists, seismologists, Doctor O'Shay, his bratty sister and the young 14-year-old heir to the Imperial throne and he was sucked dry of information and strength. The click of an air cooling hose and the brush of a tender hand against his cheek was wonderful. He reached out and held the hand, snuggling it under his head until the owner's smiling face came into view…

"Can I have it back?" Reno asked as he slowly pulled his hand back. "You getting enough rest?"

Astro rolled onto his back and snuggled against the pillow. "Yeah…mind turning the lights off? We want to be alone."

Reno laughed. "Don't start oozing oil all over my sheets!"

Astro rolled around again and sat up stretching his arms. "Guess that's enough for now. What other appointments do I have to keep today?"

"Nothing for now." Reno said as he pulled a chair close to the couch. "So? Best numbers?"

Astro pursed his lips, laid on his back and flicked his fingers as he processed what he had collected so far. "You're wondering about a possible eruption? Best process says yeah…when? Where? That's the tougher question. The whole 5 lakes region's been affected by the 2011 quake, so it's only a matter of time before something happens."

Reno scratched his head. "So….Fuji?"

"You're making my head smoke." Astro said as he rolled over onto his stomach. "I don't know. I don't think it's going to happen from the main cone, it didn't in 1707. I did talk with Doctor Takushi? He thinks Fuji could do a lateral blast like Mount St Helens. That's the worst case scenario."

Reno sat back and whistled. "That would suck."

Uh…..? Isn't this Thursday Princess Abby's birthday?" Astro asked.

"Oh shit!" Reno yelped as he flew from his chair and fell over himself as he scrambled for his desk. "Damn! I haven't gotten her anything yet! "Gasp! Gasp!" I'm going to look like a jerk!"

"Could you not freak out so you get yourself killed?" Astro asked as he moved to sit on the side of the couch. "I covered for you and sent her something with your name on it. She should get it tomorrow."

Reno froze and scowled. "Please tell me it's not perverted?"

"What?!" Astro snapped back. "You're kidding me aren't you? I wouldn't do something like that. Though…I dunno, do girls mind having Hello Kitty printed on their panties?"

"ASTRO!" Reno yelled. "Ugh!"

"You know you're too easy to stress out?" Astro said as he reached for his red boots. "That's not very healthy you know."

"You didn't buy her those did you? Please say you didn't?" Reno begged.

"No." Astro replied calmly. "I sent her an evening kimono with gifts from Zoran and me so relax. You are going to be free to help me when the people from the USGS show up tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Reno answered. "My time's empty till next week. I have a lot of appointments for robot work so I can't help you then."

Astro pulled his legs up into an indian style sit. "Good…now can you help me with another problem? What kind of a gift do I get for my school teacher that's appropriately sweet yet won't make the other kids in class think I'm a flaming suck up?"

Reno smirked. "Ooooooo….are we in love?"

"No!" Astro yelped. "No…I just want to give Miss Myoki something nice to thank her for… for being helpful to me and other robots at school…"

Reno leaned closer and smiled widely. "She has a nice behind doesn't she?"

"Yes….UGH!...Stop it!" Astro protested. Suddenly his eye lights flicked on, one of his rocket boots lit off and he cartwheeled around the room until he crashed into a book shelf!

"Hah! I knew it!" Reno celebrated in victory. "You got a crush on your teacher!"

Astro sat frowning with a book or two falling on his head. "Are you happy?!" He said upset.

Reno walked over and crouched in front of his annoyed friend. "It's not the end of the world. At least you're not on fire."

"I want to tell her." Astro said mournfully. "But I don't think I can take her answer too well."

"You won't know until you do." Reno said as he helped Astro to his feet. "Look…you helped me with Abby, let me return the favor? I know a sweet mom and pop restaurant in Ebina, nice food, tucked away where no one other than the locals go. I'll arrange the day, you take Miss Myoki out to dinner."

"But I…" Astro tried to talk but Reno covered his mouth.

"But nothing. I can't have you working around Fuji on such an important mission for the safety of thousands while you're suffering sparks, spits and smoking wires over Miss Myoki. Keep your head screwed on right and let me do the worrying?" Reno finished by rubbing a hand over Astro's head. "Are we clear Casanova?"

"Ok…" Astro replied. "I better get home for the night. You know Zoran, she's probably destroyed the house with pizza dough."

"Thy work?" Reno replied smiling. "Is never done."

"Never." Astro replied smiling as he walked to Reno's big picture window and slid the small side panel open. "I'll pick you up at 8 for Narita?"

"Yeah." Reno said as he walked up. "And what about Atlas?"

"For now?" Astro replied. "I'd rather not ask him, he'll complain all the way through and I can't concentrate when he's being bitchy in my ear." Astro waved. "See yah."

"Yup." Reno waved back as Astro flew off.

Doctor O'Shay's House

Metro City

"Wow! Clean?" Astro said as he stuck his head through the front door. He tried to sneak towards the stairs to his room but he didn't get far before a small hand snatched his shirt and dragged him into the kitchen.

"You were going to ditch dinner?" Zoran said as she pushed Astro towards a chair. "That's just rude."

"I uh….already had a can of oil?" Astro replied as Zoran made him sit.

"Nice try…next time you want to ditch out big brother? Be more creative? Try this new meat and veggie wrap I made for Doctor O'Shay and tell me what you think?"

Astro made a gesture as if his head was in a noose only to get a good slap off the head. "Just try it! Grrrrr….you can be such a creep!"

"Of course you had to pick me because I can't die right?" Astro said sarcastically. Zoran's suddenly angry face made him think twice about any more smart comments. Timidly, Astro cut himself a piece of the bread wrap and popped it into his mouth…

He chewed it a few times…looked up…..chewed a few more….looked up again….

"Stop making those faces and tell me what you think?!" Zoran yelped expectantly.

Astro smiled…"Wow…! You made this? You didn't get Nora to help you at all?"

"No." Zoran replied confidently. "And as you see…I cleaned up after myself."

Astro took another bite. "Zoran?...This is awesome! Where did you find the recipe?"

"I didn't. It was all trial and error hand scratched, trust me my earlier ones were a disaster." Zoran stood pleased as Astro gobbled up the rest of the wrap.

"The Doctor is going to have a heart attack and die happily over this, I swear Zoran you're cooking is getting better every day! Now that's my little sis!"

Astro stood up and took Zoran by her shoulders. "Hey…could you do this for say….Miss Myoki?

"I could." Zoran replied. "You gonna have her over for dinner?"

"Yeah…..yeah, I want to do something special for her. Reno's trying to arrange a night out at a restaurant but….I'd….rather have it quieter…just me and her."

Zoran smiled widely…"I was told NOT to help you by Reno. He says you want to make out with her."

Astro's eyes jumped. "Ugh!...that's…..THAT'S NOT TRUE!"

Zoran snorted back. "I'd do it for you big brother? But it's going to really, really cost you, I mean big time pay me cost you….super pay me cost you…"

Astro shuddered. "Alright! What do you want….Jessie James."

Zoran smirked evilly. "You have to arrange a night for me with Atlas…and….you have to be our servant and do everything we want."

Astro gasped. "NO WAY! NO WAY IN A FROZEN HELL!"

Zoran sighed and rubbed her finger tips against her chest. "Oh well…then I guess I can't keep my big mouth shut can I? By tomorrow everyone in your Junior High School will know you have a perverted crush on Miss Myoki….how will you explain that big brother?"

Astro shook visibly. "Oh…..all right….all right….ALL RIGHT! I'm going to ask Doctor O'Shay to reprogram you so you can't learn bribery again."

Zoran flashed a victory sign and smiled widely as her brother stomped away. "You better be nicer to me Astro or I might force you to do it in a pokemon costume."

"Don't expect it to happen soon Sis. I have that work on Mount Fuji to do first."

"I can be very patient." Zoran replied with an innocent look on her face.

June 18th, 2013

ANA Flight 213

(4 hours from Narita)

Harry sat sipping a Sapporo beer and looking over the data the Ministry of Science had sent, about the 4th time he'd done it so far on the flight. Nancy leaned over behind him, staring at his lap top as he processed a few figures into a complex Excel spread sheet program.

"You could get some sleep there Superman?" Nancy said as she rested her head on a palm." Any brilliant deductions?"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "Besides the fact that the whole region is a geologic wrecking yard? The 2011 quake really did a number on the tectonics. Judging by what we have so far, we could have lava flows, fissure fires, crustal rips or a super nova…take your pick?"

Nancy gave Harry a note book. "I've been doing my own figures based on the chemical readings and past experience. The only thing they haven't done yet is a sample of the local drinking wells, the aquifers. We need to do that right off the bat when we get there to see if volcanic residue is intruding. Same thing that happened at Dante's and Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. I've also been working on a factoring equation to tune some of our radio receivers for low intensity rock shearing, basically turn them into a Japanese "P" wave meter? If something does happen, that might give us at least a 15 minute early warning."

Harry nodded. "You've been busy."

"You don't call me "Tinker Bell" for nothing. I don't know if that nickname's a compliment or if I should file a sexual harassment lawsuit against you." Nancy said with a smirk.

"If…I bought you a beer, would that settle the matter?" Harry replied. "I'd like you to handle one aspect of this though? We'll need a detailed cross sectional analysis of Fuji's material composition. Try to determine the mountain's structural stability. Doctor O'Shay informed me that he has a person specifically assigned to help with that."

"Yeah." Nancy replied as she took a cup of beer from a steward. "I'll take that on. I have to admit though…my Japanese is pathetic."

"No problem." Harry replied. "Your help is multi-lingual though I've never met him before and the Doctor seemed hesitant to say anything else about him."

June 18th, 2013

International Arrival concourse

Narita Airport

Reno gave Astro's hand a slap. "Stop digging in your nose! That's really appropriate and dignified. Here…" Reno handed Astro a handkerchief. "A super high tech representation of Japanese science and you're picking your nose, gee what will Miss Myoki think?"

"Cut it out?" Astro snipped back as he cleaned his nose and handed the folded hanky back to Reno. "As always you're wide awake and cheerful…..and bitchy."

Reno smiled back and lightly poked Astro's head. "Well please….keep your electronic brain on the problem?"

"I will if you'll stop bringing her up!" Astro snapped.

"Oooooo!...touchy! Your human emotions are going crazy again." Reno said sarcastically before throwing an arm around Astro's shoulders. "You know if I didn't tease you every so often, you might think I don't care about you?"

Astro smiled back. "I look forward every day to your abuses."

Reno looked down at the sign Astro was holding. "You know? I bet we'd get a lot of attention if we wrote…"Will pimp robot for food." On that?"

It wasn't much longer before Harry came through the double doors from customs with his crew and all their equipment in tow. He saw the two boys standing with a name sign off to the side, the shorter one giving him a wave and a broad smile while his partner stood with his arms crossed looking at his younger companion as if he was being too overly excited.

"Ohyo Gozaimasu…Namai wa Dalton Harry no Sensei des." Harry bowed and shook Astro's hand. Reno said something in Japanese that caused Astro to slap him off the shoulder!

"Well he does!" Reno said as he pointed to Harry.

"And you complain about me being dignified?" Astro snapped. He turned to Harry… "Sorry…Reno says you look like Indiana Jones."

Harry looked back at his crew, most of them were smirking back. One could probably say the description was aptly close given Harry's history of close cuts with volcanoes. "I'm not one to dispute the claim…so I take it you are Adam?"

Astro looked at Reno then back at Harry. "Adam? Oh you mean Atom…the Doctor must have told you my Japanese name…"

"I like Adam." Reno said in English. "Sounds more human."

"I go by several names but I like Astro best." Astro said as he gestured. "If you'll all follow us, we'll take you up to the "CP" in Gonsomiru."

Harry and the others followed Astro and Reno through the airport and out to the parking building where the ministry van was parked.

"So where is Doctor O'Shay?" Harry asked as Astro opened the back cargo door to the van.

"He's at the Ministry meeting with some Government officials. You can imagine how things have been since last summer." Astro said as he stood back to allow the crew to load up.

"Wait a second." Terry said as he looked at Astro. "Who's driving?"

Astro bobbed on his toes. "I am. Don't worry, I have my license."

"What are you?" Terry asked sarcastically. "Ten or eleven?"

Reno butted in. "Actually he's a very intelligent 5 year old…has a crush on his 7th grade teacher….quite the horn dog like Justin Beiber…"

"Smack!" "Will you shut up!" Astro snapped as he slapped a hand into Reno's stomach and knocked the wind out of him. "Sigh…forgive Reno please? Sometimes he can be an insufferable wise ass."

"It's just unusual." Terry said. "Didn't think kids would be allowed to drive."

"Well if Astro was a kid, I'd be worried too." Reno said as he recovered his breath. "He's a robot."

Nancy turned her head like that hilarious hamster in those You Tube videos. "You're?! Oh my God this is awesome! Awesome! Awesome! I have wanted to meet you, there's been so much about you but I never…"

Astro was looking around in a near panic until Harry calmly motioned Nancy not to make too big a scene, which made Astro sigh in relief. "Thank you…it's hard enough to have somewhat of a normal life as it is." He looked at Nancy. "I'm not upset but it would probably serve both of us better if we kept things like this sort of quiet?"

Harry pointed to Nancy. "You'll be working with her by the way, at least the name that was given to me matches correct?"

"Sure." Astro said smiling. He then caught Reno smirking at him. "What?"

"Another girl? Wow….Miss Myoki's not going to like that." Reno said.

"Excuse me?" Astro said as he switched to Japanese. "Looks like some one needs to dig their underwear out of their…..BUTT!" He said to Reno with a warning finger.

June 18th, 2013

National Highway

Greg Heslov waved from his seat. "Do you think we could stop somewhere for coffee?"

"Where do you put it all?" Stan Hung asked. "Greg's like the black hole of Sanka, they can't process a coffee field fast enough to keep up with him."

Reno looked back from the passenger's seat. "What would you like?"

"French Espresso?" Greg replied. He heard and felt a humming noise around his chair and saw a cup pop up from a flip door on his arm rest. "No way! A coffee maker built into the car, of

"You need some serious therapy man." Stan said smirking.

Harry was sitting behind Astro's seat and leaned forwards with a piece of paper in his hands. "I'm sure what you discovered on your research trip wasn't the only cause for elevated concern was it?"

"They've been watching Fuji since 2001 when there was a 5.6 magnitude earthquake below the summit. Between then and the big 2011 earthquake the activity was infrequent until the Saigo freeway tunnel collapse last December."

"Killed 29 people." Harry replied.

"At first they suspected shoddy construction, bad bolts in the skeleton support lattices." Astro said. "Till the results of the non-destructive tests found nothing wrong. That's when Doctor O'Shay got a call from Professor Aramaki. He retired as Dean of Tokyo University three years ago. He asked the Doctor to have me do a laser bore sighting of the tunnel on the sly. I found that the tunnel deformed 23 feet to the North and 18 feet vertically on a span of 700 yards and it happened "snap!". "

Harry sighed. "Deformation and uplift. What about the magma chamber pressure?"

"Last time a survey was performed it was estimated at 1.6 megapascals. That was in 2008." Reno said. "They think it only takes 1.2 to cause an eruption so the gun trigger is under tension so to speak."

"The tragedy of Nurajima Village was only the latest in a series of fissure eruptions around the Fuji area since 2008, one of seven so far erupting trapped gas and steam. But Nurajima finally pulled the decision for full blown monitoring. You'll meet Professor Aramaki when we get to the "CP"." Astro said as he popped a can of oil and downed a swig.

After an hour of driving and passing between a gap in the ring of mountain humps that surrounded the Fuji valley plain, the mountain itself came into view. Fuji's 14 thousand foot prominent cone belied its true size from ground level, in fact the mountain sloped much farther into the valley, the actual mountain was 110 miles in diameter and 345 miles in circumference.

"Kengamine-kame da" or "Lord of Thunder" was Fuji's main crater at its summit but the volcano hadn't erupted from that in centuries. "Hoei-Yama-Kokan" or Great Hoei was the last eruption crater from 1707 on the South East flank. Hoei was proof that Fuji was far from a classical Strato-volcano and even far more dangerous given that it an eruption could come from any location at any time within its 345 mile sphere of dominance.

Astro pointed to Fuji and smirked. "There's an old Japanese saying about Fuji..."You're fleas on my back so behave yourselves or I'll shake you off. Someone forgot to feed the dog his Scooby Snacks."

Stan waved a hand. "What's the latest seismicity?"

"As of the past seven days…247 micro-quakes, nothing closely clustered to within 20 square miles but concentrated between 11:30 and 3:45 on the topographical maps. The northwest side and lower flanks.

Stan replied. "And the lake levels? Have they checked for uplift?"

Astro scratched his head as his computer brain picked through a mountain of collected data. "Lake Sai recorded an increased volume and level in the summer of last year. Professor Aramaki came back and said the lake bed was normal. He thinks it was increased melt water from the mountain's summit top caused by increasing heat from some fumerals up there."

"CP" Mount Fuji Monitoring Command Post, Gonsomeru

Afternoon June 18, 2013

Professor Shinjo Aramaki was a small man with white pony tailed hair, a white moustache and a white goatee who though could be considered quite comical in his oversized eye glasses was not so if you were on the end of his fierce nature. Just because he was almost 80 years old did not mean he was less agile, as aptly shown by how fast he covered the ground from the stack of connex box offices to the poor college kid who just dumped a box of sensor equipment from a truck.

As Astro pulled the van through the gate of the makeshift concrete block walled complex, the Professor was almost jumping off the ground in a finger whipping tirade that looked hilarious.

"I see he hasn't changed much in years?" Harry said as he pointed.

"That's probably his more mellow state." Reno replied. "After Doctor O'Shay adopted me? I have to study physical mechanics for a year under him…my shirt hides the whip marks."

The professor turned when he saw the van come to a stop. "We will discuss the matter of your slippery fingers in due course young man." Aramaki warned as he started walking towards the crew as they climbed out. "Harry Dalton…how long has it been?" The professor said as he reached out a hand. He then quickly slapped Reno in the stomach. "What did I tell you about slouching?"

"Sensei!" Reno replied gasping. "I just got out after a long drive…"

"Don't start making excuses." Aramaki warned. "Smart young man…just lacking social graces."

"And a lump of ass." Reno snapped back. He quickly threw his hands up when Aramaki threatened to slap him again.

Harry introduced his crew then followed Aramaki towards the stacks of connex offices. "Your robot friend briefed us somewhat on the way here, I take it not everything?"

"Correct." Aramaki replied. "You can set up your office in that upper section then we'll get you all settled in a hotel we took over about a half a mile from here. As things stand, we're sitting on a "ready to run" site for the moment, the government is building another to the South-West of Hoei crater. It's the North East that's the present concern."

Aramaki ushered Harry's crew towards the connex then turned back to Astro. "I need you to do something for me…I want you to survey the Saigo tunnel again? Base that off your previous measurements."

Astro nodded. "Yes Professor…"

"Also? Take air and temperature samples as well?" The professor said. Then he pointed to Reno. "Make sure he works?"

Astro bowed slightly then walked over to Reno, who was still unloading the van. "He can be a real prick."

Astro put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "Some of it rubbed on you I might point out?"

"Let's go?!" Reno snapped as he pushed Astro ahead of him.

After two hours, Harry's crew had enough of their operation set up to meet with Aramaki in a large white tent set up at the other end of the compound. With him were three other collogues from Tokyo University in charge of their own monitoring teams, a representative from the Government Ministry for Public Safety and Disaster Readiness and General Ushijima Shojo, Chief of the JMSDF's Kanto region ground forces. All of them gathered around a large map table upon which was spread a topographic scroll map of the Fuji plain. Aramaki was the obvious selected manager overall as he took center stage with the group leadership standing around and behind him. He pulled a retractable pointer from his pocket.

"Allow me to bring our American partners up to date. Since the Nurajima tragedy of last week, and the survey conducted by the science ministry, we have identified a circumference area of 50 square miles on Fuji-san's North West flank as the most possible area for an eruptive event. This area includes….Masaendake Prominant below Dainanan crater rim, South East to Tokyo-kun ridge, North East to Ue-Etsuda Village, North West to Station 8 on the primary public climbing route and back to Masaendake, our primary point of concern. Of course the total area given Mount Fuji's physical make up is much larger. Doctor Dalton is taking charge of assessing the material composition of the mountain's lower elevation."

Aramaki opened another map, one with colored crayon scribbled about in un-even circular forms. "What you see here? Is a final compilation of 5 years worth of temperature studies over the Fuji plain. In particular, the Northwest flank consistently shows longer and irregular release of stored heat drawn from daylight exposure in all seasons. Even though it's composed of volcanic soils, we should not see such irregular or slow dissipation of thermal energy. It was the conclusion of a geology panel that magma is slowly finding its way towards the surface from the main magma chamber. Only continued "geo-luck" is keeping events in our favor. I feel that we have a three year window at best, Fuji-san is going to erupt and we are on borrowed time."

General Ushijima moved to the table next. "We have for now, kept the news from the national populace. Japan is still recovering from the great earthquake of 2011 and currently our military is being tasked by the national government to cover problematic circumstances with China over the disputed Nichi Islands so our capabilities are stretched thin. We have mobilized a quick reaction battalion to control immediate access to the Fuji plain and a full division is on 24 hour alert should evacuation be required."

"We are making preparations around the worst case event laid out by the Professor, A Mount Saint Helens lateral blast from the Northeast flank. Such an eruption could cause a complete collapse of Fuji-san's summit cone, producing massive lahars that would inundate the plain and the rivers and sending a pyroclastic flow that would destroy an area of 30 to 35 square miles from the summit. The eruption that would follow would cover the Kanto region, Tokyo, Yokohama and the major metropolitan and industrial regions of the country in 50 feet of ash. I will not elaborate on the tolls…they will be….horrific. Evacuation…will be a nightmare. In short? We need as much advanced warning as possible."

Aramaki pointed to the map. "What we will be doing here will give the government a final report to make an appropriate response the population. The Prime Minister's intention is to prepare the nation to react and reduce as much as possible the implications, especially financial, that this event will cause. Our primary concern of course is human life, it's why we are all in this field so let us not deviate from that responsibility no matter who we deal with."

Aramaki turned to Harry. "I'll take you and your team to the hotel to settle in Harry? After that we'll spend time planning your requirements."

"Of course." Harry replied as the meeting broke up.

4pm 18 June 2013

The Abandoned Saigo Tunnel

5 miles from Fujioshima

15 Miles North of Fuji's summit

Astro and Reno stood at the entrance as Reno fiddled with the adjusting straps on his Kevlar helmet. "You look so dorky." Astro quipped as he stood typing into the computer pad that was stored on his chest door.

"Just being safe." Reno replied. "I know you'll pull me out real quick but I feel safer."

Reno watched as Astro stripped down to his black trunks, even throwing his red moon boots aside. He looked silly standing and stretching himself out as if he was going to run a marathon.

"That's just pointless." Reno snorted. "Why do you get out of your clothes every time you do something? It's not like you're going to get them ripped up on this job?"

"I don't want to get them dirty." Astro replied.

Reno shook his head. "See?...unlike me, you have a sister. Give Zoran a little responsibility? Nothing will make her more likely to be less of a burden on you than her having to wash your muddy, oil covered and filth ridden clothes."

Astro smirked back. "That's sexist Reno to say being totally mean. If I don't have to cause needless waste of water, add to Doctor O'Shay's financial burdens and treat my sister like she's a slave then I have no excuse."

Reno snorted. "You just don't have any balls."

Astro was reaching for his shorts till Reno slapped his shoulder. "You don't have to prove it dufus!"

Astro handed him a small hand mirror and the computer pad. "It's calibrated and set. Just like the last time we'll do ten shots across the tunnel, ten shots up and down. The pad will beep if the readings changed. I'll also get some air and surface samples too."

Reno followed Astro as they walked through the mouth and into the dark and damaged tunnel. "I had a thought? It's just a crazy idea actually but….remember Makijimu Island?"

"Makijimu volcano two years ago? Already thought of it….wouldn't work."

Reno scratched his head. "I know the limits of the surge cannon. If they could bore a drilling shaft from the South coast then get you a diamond drilling rig so you could drive it North towards the magma chamber till you were almost there?"

Astro shook his head. "For one thing? Makijimu was a slow oozing volcano that was pretty well vented? Do you know what would happen if I uncorked a 1.6 megapascal magma chamber? Goodbye me and goodbye most of costal Japan. How about I set you on a 250 megaton nuclear bomb? You wouldn't like that."

"Did I say it would be you?" Reno said smiling. "I was thinking more of Atlas or Blue Knight or who else is a big pompous ass we could connive into thinking there's gold beyond the wall of rock they should dig?"

Astro huffed. "You really are bidding to be creep of the year aren't you?"

"I'm trying to make your life easier?" Reno replied. After ten minutes of walking, Astro took his first reading across the tunnel and got a beep from the computer pad…

"The width here has relaxed." Astro said as he puckered his lips. "About 7 feet."

Reno then stood under as Astro hovered near the ceiling. "The height has grown….7 feet."

Astro took a deep breath and hovered with his eyes closed. "Air's normal."

They walked deeper into the tunnel, Astro turning on his eye lights as they began to run into debris from the fallen concrete shell around them. "Let's take readings here." Astro said as he walked to one side and shot a lazer off the mirror Reno held at the other. The computer pad beeped again. Astro took a reading from the ceiling and again the pad beeped.

"Contracted…5 feet…expanded….7 feet…." Astro said. He breathed again and paused…"Air normal."

Reno shined his flashlight around the surfaces of the tunnel. "I don't remember so many cracks in the shell the last time we did this do you?" He asked.

"No." Astro replied. "Of course it was right after the accident too and most of the tunnel around the collapse was under a great amount of shifted stress." Astro looked at the computer pad for a moment then they continues their walk.

"Hey?" Reno asked. "If Doctor O'Shay could make you a girl friend? Have you thought of what she'd look like?"

Astro gave him a weird look. "So you assume I'd want a girl friend? What if I wanted a boy friend?"

Reno's eyes bugged out. "Uhhhh…."

"Never thought that would come up huh?" Astro said slyly. He then laughed! "Look at your face! You're all pruned out!"

"Well you started it!" Reno snapped.

Astro threw a hand out. "Don't worry…It's so easy to make you nervous…of course I think about having a girl friend…just…haven't met the right bot yet."

"Well….if the Doc could make you one, have you thought about what she'd look like?"

Astro pursed his lips. "If the Doctor made her and since he made Zoran, that would make this girl my sister which would be incest which would be kinda weird."

Reno looked perplexed. "Will you stop with the analytical nonsense and just answer the question?" He complained. "Ok! Someone else makes her."

Astro stopped walking. "Here's the next reading point. I'd say…she'd look like Tarna the Terakian from Heavy Metal combined with Jessica Rabbit."

Reno chuckled. "My aren't you greedy?"

Astro walked off to shoot his laser finger. "Actually? I want her to have gold hair, down to the middle of her back? She'd be my height, very pretty…"

"Beep" The computer pad noised. Astro took off over the top of Reno and shot downwards. "Beep." The computer pad noised again. "Wow…." Astro said as he came down to look at the pad…"10 feet contraction….10 feet expansion at this part?"

Reno tilted his head. "And? Go on….pretty?"

"Air normal…there's been real radical changes and you're worried about what I think of a girl?" Astro asked.

The boys started walking again. "You have me intrigued." Reno replied as he shrugged.

"Soft skin and soft lap." Astro said. "Has to have that. When she touches me? My foot has to bounce like a jack hammer."

Reno smirked. "You're getting stranger every day."

Astro suddenly froze, his hand reaching out slowly till it gripped Reno's arm. Defensively, Astro pulled Reno close to his side…

"What?" Reno asked concerned.

Astro started to push Reno towards the side of the tunnel real fast. "That's a "P" wave…earthquake's on the way!"

"Shit…" Reno snapped as Astro pushed him to the ground and stood over him, arching himself against the wall. "What are we doing…."

The tunnel started to shake violently! "It would have been stupid to try and fly out!" Astro screamed! "Just hang on and don't freak out!"

Concrete broke from the surrounding tunnel shell, one slab nailed Astro on the back causing him to fall to his hands and knees over Reno before the shaking stopped. Everything around them became a dust filled haze…

Reno reached up to feel Astro's face…"You ok?"

"I bench press like 10,000 tons so I hope so." Astro replied as he stood up and shook the dust off him-self. "That was a 5.3 at least."

"We're going to have to re-do all the measurements." Reno said as he pointed around.

Astro suddenly picked Reno up and threw him over his shoulder. "Who's this "we"?"

"Now wait a minute!" Reno complained as Astro flew him out of the tunnel. "I'm not going to let you sit in there alone!"

"I'll go splat? Really?" Astro said as he dumped Reno on the ground. "Sit and relax. Here…" Astro handed Reno his computer pad. "Play a game or two to pass the time."

"What?" Before he could say anything else…Astro was gone. "Crazy bot."

"CP" Mount Fuji Monitoring Command Post, Gonsomeru

4:38pm, June 18, 2013

"5.8 shallow quake, 1 mile east of Masaendake Prominent, duration 45 seconds." Stan said as he typed away on his note book computer.

"You did get the COSPEC gear on board that chopper right?" Harry asked Terry as he was grabbing his own computer.

"Yeah boss, on board and ready to rock." Terry replied as he and Harry walked from the connex and met Professor Aramaki half way to the waiting helicopter.

"Professor? Is there any way I can contact your friend…Astro?" Harry asked.

"Yes…by cell phone its "ATOMBLAST" with a pound at the end."

Terry smirked. "A little complex he's got huh Harry?"

"I wouldn't ask him to back it up, might give you a heart attack." Harry replied as he jumped into the passenger compartment and pulled his cell phone…

"Hi." Astro's voice came through as the helicopter took off.

"It's Doctor Dalton, Astro. We're on our way to survey the epicenter of the earthquake that just occurred. Where are you at the moment?"

"Just finishing readings in the Saigo Tunnel." Astro replied as he walked out of the opening and met up with Reno. "The whole tunnel's shifted from the previous survey readings. Who do I send these too besides the Professor? You have e-mail?"

"Yes." Harry replied. "DaltonH ."

"Sent." Astro replied. "The Professor sent me another order about 30 minutes ago Doctor Dalton so if you have something more important?"

"Nothing at the moment, thank you." Harry replied. "Will you be busy tonight? I was wondering if you like sushi?"

Astro smiled. "Yeah! Don't mind if I bring my friend Reno do you?"

"No problem at all." Harry said as he turned to start adjusting the equipment he and Terry brought with them. "I'll spot so don't worry about paying."

"All right." Astro replied smirking. "I warn you though…I really love my sushi."

Terry looked up from his computer. "He eats? Now that's weird."

"He would probably think the same thing about humans in some cases…like your propensity for raw snails." Harry said smiling. "Now that we've been over the target area for the past ten minutes? What are you seeing on the scales?"

Terry bounced his head between his own laptop and two other monitors strapped to the support posts running through the cloth and metal rider seats…"Gas detection zero, Oxygen level nominal, ash level detection zero…green and clear across the board Harry."

Harry was studying his I-Pad and the e-mail that Astro had flashed to him regarding the Saigo Tunnel survey data.

"Harry? Terry asked when Harry was being too quiet. "Harry? What gives?"

Harry turned and showed Terry the figures on his I-PAD.

"Oh…..kay…..things are going to get interesting at dinner tonight I guess?" Terry said with a whistle.

Shibushi's Sushi House, Gonsomeru

7pm June 18, 2013

The face on the robot boy could have been hilarious to Terry if it wasn't a bit disturbing to watch. His face was going from the readings on the computer tablet being shared between Nancy and Greg to Astro's almost orgasmic facial contortions as he had been chewing over the same piece of eel roll for the past seven minutes…

"You could eat a little faster?" Terry remarked as he butted Astro's side.

"I would….if this Unagi wasn't so curiously tasty." Astro replied. "I gotta ask the Itame what he put into this."

Stan Hung pointed to the computer tab. "So you're sure the tunnel deflected that much from the earthquake today?" He asked Astro.

"From the readings I had from the previous survey last year and the one's I took right before it happened? I'm pretty sure I'm within an inch or two error." Astro said as he took another piece of Unagi Maki and popped it in his mouth. "I can't figure out what other ingredients he puts in this! This tastes so strange in a sweet way."

Terry smirked. "This is the only time I ever saw someone turning sushi into a sexual experience."

"Terry?" Harry said with a shaking head. "I'm sure given our friend here that what he's doing is a quite a normal reaction."

Reno chirped out. "No it isn't. Astro's weirding out like he always does."

Greg Heslov waved a piece of sushi in his chop sticks. "I'm sort of surprised I mean food offers you no value what so ever right? So why should a robot even bother with it?"

Astro swallowed the well chewed sushi and reached for a cup of oil. "It's not really true that I can't get any value out of food. You do know that everything you eat is radioactive right? Spinach for instance has radioactive iodine and my power source absorbs radiation from anywhere and converts it to energy. I do human things because they come in handy and because I'm curiously addicted to humans. One time I even posed as a drug addicted 7th grader to bust a pusher gang out of Osaka, that took some serious creativity to hide my robotics. For me the whole experience was….a serious rush."

"I'm sure that if we were not currently engage in the more immediate circumstances of Mount Fuji's state of indigestion, we would have plenty of time to pick on Astro's Pinocchio lust." Harry said as he tapped on the table. "We need to stay focused on the problem at hand?"

Greg Heslov pointed at Astro. "Tomorrow morning? You, Nancy and I are going to be sampling the lower Northeast flank for its material make-up. You actually bored through the big cone three years ago?"

Astro looked at Reno and slightly smiled. "Not….under official orders. I got in big trouble for that stunt. Actually?...I was dared and who can turn down a quadruple, triple, ubber dog dare? I just didn't count on an NHK camera crew catching me blasting out of the main crater. Kicked up so much snow and ash that it clogged the 911 system."

Reno smirked. "That's the problem with giving Astro free will….he free wills way too much. Before anyone asks? I'm the poor guy that gets stuck fixing him after his….youthful indiscressions? Clogged engines, dirt in his ears, flooded mother boards….Ketchup where you think Ketchup couldn't possibly get too? He's a pain in my ass."

"I keep you well employed." Astro replied smiling.

Greg waved a finger. "But you gathered a lot of information from that stunt about the main cone's physical make up. Up to that point? No body knew just how unstable the mountain really was did they?"

Astro leaned back in his chair. "Unlike Mount St. Helens or Vesuvius…even old Krakatoa, Mount Fuji's cone isn't rock. Not in the sense that you'd know rock or volcanic rock. When you climb Fuji, you're climbing on a big sand pile with little or no stability. Fuji has the worst lahars of any volcano in Japan, especially during typhoons, she bleeds and runs like a hot candle, there's nothing holding the main cone in place save its own volume, if it wasn't so conically perfect it would just collapse."

Nancy scratched her head. "Which is why the lower sections of the flanks are so important."

Astro nodded back. "It depends on the ratio between the depth of previous ash and soil deposits and the surface condition of rock and crust below. The deeper the deposit and the more irregular formed the rock, the better chance the main cone will survive an eruption…simple physics."

"Well I know enough when to go to bed and I'm going." Nancy said as she stood up. "We'll meet at the CP in the morning?" She asked Astro and Reno.

"If me and Reno could go out to the site ahead of time and start earlier it would be a better advantage wouldn't it?" Astro asked.

"You're right. You can fly out there yourself. Better idea." Nancy said as she bad everyone goodbye for the evening.

Reno stood up and stretched. "She's got the right idea Astro. We should go to bed early so you can send your daily data dump to the Ministry?"

Astro nodded back. "Yeah…that and call Zoran so she won't sit up tonight in a panic." He stood up from his chair and bowed to the rest of the crew. "See you all in the morning?"

Terry smirked back. "Or if the alarms go off."

Youth Hostel, Gonsomeru

9pm June 18, 2013

Reno unlocked the door to the room and froze in place the moment he stepped through the doorway…

Inside on the Western style bed, a red skinned robot with yellow hair dressed in blue jeans, a plaid blue short and block moon boots sat brooding on the edge.

"I thought you said you didn't tell him?" Reno asked Astro as he turned his head to the side.

"Just because I didn't tell him doesn't mean he can't find out." Astro replied as he smirked. "At least he's not causing trouble."

Reno and Atlas scowled at each other. Atlas didn't like Reno because he was human, Reno didn't like Atlas because he was….well….Atlas. The teenage genius "tolerated" the troublesome robot for Astro's sake, on some occasions reluctantly did repairs on Atlas because of Astro's pleading…which Reno always thought as nice but seriously misplaced.

After a moment that looked like a Mexican standoff, Reno pursed his lips…"I'm going out to get a soda."

"Yeah…why don't you?" Atlas snorted.

Astro moved between the two until Reno left. Atlas slipped off the bed and walked up to Astro with his arms crossed…

"So….when were you going to tell me about your little excursion?" Atlas huffed.

"Since when did I need your permission?" Astro replied.

"Well it's obvious you might need a little help." Atlas said as he walked around Astro. "At least to make sure you're not "overly" used by these…." Atlas paused for a moment, Astro knew he wanted to sling a few racial epithets out. "These…humans."

"The reason why is kinda obvious." Astro said frowning. "Your inability to control your big fat mouth."

Atlas threw his hands out. "I'm not the one who decided to build like a maniac against a mega-volcano! You know very well what the humans are dealing with! And who do you think is going to be first in line to the sacrificial alter? Our kind! Hundreds of robots to be sacrificed all because these flesh-bag idiots can't process that putting a botanical rock garden on the slopes of a volcano isn't exactly good for your bottom line property value…what a bunch of dumb asses!"

"Atlas?" Astro asked softly.

"WHAT?!" Atlas snapped furiously.

"Is it "robots" you're worried about or "a robot"?" Astro asked. After a minute, Atlas slackened.

"You." Atlas replied. "I couldn't sit around knowing my rival is doing the same stupid stuff he always does for these selfish dirt bag humans."

Astro walked over as Atlas flopped on the side of the bed and wrapped an arm over his shoulder. "I think you came out here because when I'm not in Metro City, you can't be a jerk without me being there to save your sorry butt."

Atlas looked sideways and snorted. "What-ever you say…"

Astro tapped Atlas on the shoulder with a fist. "If you can avoid causing a stick throwing riot with that mouth of yours, do you think you could give your rival a hand around here?"

Atlas snorted back. "Helping you would be beneath me as a true robot."

Astro patted him on the back. "Admirable self denial. Reno and I are going to do some soil sampling in the morning? You're welcome to join us?"

Atlas showed a good front of toughness as he slipped off the bed, grabbed a blanket off a rack near the bathroom and found a spot on the floor to lay down.

A half hour later, Reno finally came back into the room and smirked as he pointed. "Wow! He's actually quiet and behaved!" He said, which got him a flip of the middle finger and a rude cursing in reply from the supine red boy bot.

"What's that, your IQ?" Reno snorted.

"Fuck you fat sack." Atlas snapped back.

Astro slapped Reno in the back. "Will you please not get him going?" He asked.

"You didn't ask him to join us did you?" Reno begged. "Astro?"

"We can use all the help we can get." Astro replied as he sat Reno on the bed. "There's something I might as well tell you that….well if I don't, Atlas will spill it."

Astro sighed. "We robots are kinda holding something back that humans in Japan really don't want to know just yet…Mount Fuji's….kinda more dangerous than Doctor Dalton or Professor Aramaki are aware of."

Reno's eyes bugged. "You what?!"

Atlas rolled over. "Are you deaf? Duh! I told you humans have a short attention span."

"How about I attend to your mouth!" Reno snapped.

"Will you two cut it out!" Astro yelled. "huff"…."We robots in Japan have known for a while that Mount Fuji is actually a super volcano. The Fuji plain is a volcanic caldera."

Reno stood pursing his lips. "What….what exactly does this mean?"

Atlas got to his feet and crossed his arms. "It means that an eruption could be globally catastrophic…good bye Honshu….good bye Pacific Rim….hello volcanic winter..it's gonna suck being human."

Reno sat on the bed as Astro wrung his hands. "Our purpose now is to try and figure out just how bad an eruption could be. Robots all over Japan are coordinating how to respond, what we can possibly do to mitigate the potential for an eruption that hasn't happened since the birth of the Japanese islands themselves."

"Which is why I was a little pissed off at being blown off." Atlas snapped. "It's not only humans that are at risk. But I seem to have piss poor luck of convincing "him" not to stretch his neck out."

Reno sighed. "So….let's say…let's say….this is it? Not just Mount Fuji but the whole plain, what might happen then?"

Astro sat on the floor. "It starts with a single eruption…maybe on the flanks, maybe farther out. As the magma chamber begins to unload what it has we get another eruption, then another, then the whole plain just collapses in on itself. 350 square miles of sudden magma liquefied ground. All five of the lakes around Fuji, all that water, falls into the void….KA-friggen-BLAM!"

Reno bit his lip…"Ka-friggen-blam?"

Atlas threw his hands up. "Ka-friggen" super nova! The largest non-nuclear explosion on the planet. Yellowstone?…a fire cracker compared to what that would be."

Astro drooped his head. "The eruption would pour out so much volcanic material and gas that within a month…millions around the world would start to starve and suffer from thirst. Within six months? Millions of people, animals, plants…"

Reno dug his lips into his clenched hands…"Dear God."

"We're going to need that." Atlas said pointing. "Everything helps."

"But what can we do?" Reno asked as he jumped up and started pacing. "How can you possibly reduce…, you said yourself it's impossible Astro!"

"Well…."Astro replied. "I….guess we robots share one lousy trait of humans…we're stupidly stubborn…I hate the word "impossible".

"And I'm a human hating prick." Atlas snapped. "Oh if we can pull this off? How satisfying it will be to rub it deep into the face of all you fat bags! Then you'll have no excuses left to treat us robots like throw a way toys. And no excuses left to keep us from holding political offices."

Astro gave Atlas a snort. "You're not going to be elected Emperor."

"You hope not." Atlas snapped back.

"Can you two stop the lame back and fourths and…..and kinda…I mean….don't you guys see how serious this is?!" Reno pleaded.

Astro took him by the shoulders…"Take a few deep breaths and calm down Reno. Trust me, we know how serious this is."

"And no…we can't tell anyone." Atlas said to Reno. "And don't you go blabbing. All we need is for humans to go crazy world wide, just dealing with the local "moronity" is enough."

Astro gave Atlas a sideways smirk. "You could be just a tiny bit understanding?"

"Look!" Reno said as he threw his hands up and backed away. "Just tell me that you guys and how many other robots are in on this agree on something together?"

"If you mean that we won't allow humans to go extinct?" Atlas said with a sigh…"As much as the idea might be entertaining….nah…we'll do everything we can to make sure that doesn't happen."

Astro pointed to the bed. "Look Reno…you try and get some sleep, me and Atlas are going to go for…."a little walk." " Astro turned and growled at Atlas before snatching him by the arm and pulling him out of the room behind him. When they came back an hour later, Atlas looked like a scolded puppy as he shuffled through the door, took his blanket and flopped back on the floor in a corner as Astro slipped into the Western bed with Reno…

"What did you do?" Reno asked.

"Gave him a lesson in manners, don't worry about it." Astro said back with a snort. All of them were soon asleep.

June 19, 2013

7am…13 Miles West of Gonsomeru

"35,000 feet cruising" the reading replayed over and over every few seconds through the information loop. If "she" had a little more freedom, "she'd" kill the offending reminder that interrupted "her" thoughts.

"Her" name was Becky, well that was her call sign any way and she found herself flying over Japan by means of devious subterfuge, expertive hacking, illegal re-writing of official computer documents….

And that cute, conniving voice.

The Predator drone threw up a firewall to block it's "Parents", a pair of C.I.A contracted Air Force officers out of Warren Air Force Base, from hearing the conversation…

"Hi Astro." A sweet feminine voice hummed in Astro's head as he stood watching Reno and Nancy working over a pair of electronic instruments. Astro didn't have to mouth anything of course but his face appeared to have a charming, very warm and affectionate appearance as he turned his back.

"Hi Becky." Astro replied. "It's been a while...I hope there wasn't any difficulty getting here?"

"Not if you count an Air Force general pounding his fist on my cowling…he dented it the creep!" Becky snorted.

"Want me to come up and kiss your boo boo?" Astro said lovingly.

Suddenly Atlas walked up and butted Astro in the side. "Do you mind? They can see you behaving like a drunken dumb dork! Ugh…stop acting vulgar?"

"Cut it out?!" Astro snapped back. "Becks? You know what we need right? We sent you the package last night?"

"Downloaded and processed." The Predator said back. "I have four hours overhead time unless some-one back home wises up. You…..will fill that promise won't you?"

"For a sweet flower of technology like you? I wouldn't miss that for anything." Astro said sweetly before switching Becky off. The whole exchange left Atlas grumbling…

"Prostitute." He snorted quietly.

"I promised I would fly with her." Astro replied softly smiling. "If you could fly with such a hot thing as a Predator drone, you'd do it too."

Atlas growled. "You're still a prostitute. I'll never lower myself to such indignity."

Astro gave Atlas a devious smirk as he walked over to Reno and Nancy. "You guys all set?"

Nancy took a pair of small cell like sensors and strapped them to both of Astro's ankles. "Yes. It's all calibrated. So between these instruments and your own sensors, we should get a good idea of the layer make-up between soils and rock. How many….shots?...do we need?" She asked.

Reno turned from looking at Astro's computer pad. "About 25 total in a 25 square mile grid. That's what I worked out through the plotting program."

Nancy looked at Astro as he started a set of hilarious warm up exercises. "Being a little showy don't you think?"

"Gotta get the hydraulics warmed up." Astro replied. "By the way, you guys need to keep a good distance when I come down and hit the ground? If it's soft, I tend to cause kind of a dirty tidal wave. If it's hard…well…I don't want you getting killed by flying robot parts."

Astro finished jumping around and walked back to where Atlas was standing. "Obviously you haven't given her all the details?" Atlas asked silently with his radio.

"No." Astro replied. "The magma cap data's going to Becky, then she'll send it to the super computers at Tokyo University and Berkley."

Atlas walked over to Nancy and Reno as Astro blasted himself into the air. "He's probably going to break the sound barrier coming down so if you fragile protozoa primates don't have ear protection? Sucks to be you."

Nancy gave Atlas an irritated look.

"Don't let him bother you." Reno said as he scoffed. "He's always insecure about his orientation. You're a girl Atlas, accept it."

Atlas gave Reno a middle finger. "Here he comes!" He yelped as he pointed up to the onrushing blur streaking towards the ground!

It was a wild double wham when it hit. Even at 50 yards from impact, Nancy, Reno and Atlas got thrown from their feet from the shock wave as Astro broke the sound barrier and a half second later when he crashed into the ground and left a 50 foot tower of flying dirt in his wake!

Had it not been for Reno staking and roping the equipment down, it all would have gone airborne! Nancy scrambled to her feet and caught her lap top in mid dive, rolling on her back and sliding on the grass…"Son of a bitch!" She screamed out. Five seconds later, Astro broke through the ground a yard away and stood spitting mud from his mouth…

"Pffft!"..."P!"..."P!"..."Bleck!"…."And I'm going to do this how many more times?" Astro said as he bumped his hand against his head to throw dirt from his ears.

"As many times as I like." Becky's voice said seductively in Astro's head.

"Not now Becks? I'm working." Astro thought as he smiled.

Nancy stood balancing her lap top in one hand while she typed. "Good results on that try. Do you think you could put some style on the entry like a half pike, double flip, back spin, shuffle twist?"

Atlas snorted. "Please don't encourage him."

Reno walked up to Atlas and slapped him in the chest. "Why don't you show him up? Let's see how fast you can get before you hit the ground?"

Atlas huffed. "Why should I? I can out-race, out-fly and out-fight this dufus and I don't even have to walk fast!"

Astro got in Atlas's face. "Put up or shut up Hot Stuff!" Astro snapped. Atlas knelt down and all but ripped the sensors from Astro's legs.

"You asked for it….little human hugging bitch." Atlas snorted back.

Reno looked at Nancy and shook his head. "We…better find a good rock to hide under, this is gonna get nasty."

June 19, 2013

9am…10 Miles East of Gonsomeru

Kometake City, Minature Amusement Golf Course

The van came to a stop at the gate and Harry, Greg Heslov and a small party of Japanese students and professionals from Tokyo University poured out carrying electronic gear, video cameras, sensors and all sorts of equipment with them as they met the harried looking, middle aged Japanese women coming out to meet them.

One of the students who spoke fluent English translated the woman's worry as she waved her arms about and spoke blindingly fast…

"She…came in to open the park."

"Smoke or steam was pouring from the holes on the greens."

"Smells of rotten eggs."

"The golf cart looked like the Titanic in the sand trap."

Greg smiled and nodded to each reply. "Fantastic. And I left my 5 iron at home."

"You should have brought your whole set." Harry said smirking. "Then we could all be spared the torture of your future feeble attempts at golf." Harry turned to one of the Japanese students. "You should tell your friends to wear their gas masks and proceed slowly as we walk since we don't know what to expect here."

Greg passed a face respirator to Harry as the group entered the miniature golf course and immediately caught the sweet but offensive odor of sulfur wafting over the grounds. Greg and one student cautiously walked over to a steam cloud drifting out of one of the holes and started collecting samples with the kits they carried in shoulder bags. Harry meanwhile was slowly progressing with a gas meter wand attached to an extension pole.

"Low level sulfuric acid contamination…some Carbon Fluorine Sulfates…water table contamination for certain." Harry reached for his phone and hit the speed dial. "Professor Aramaki? Harry Dalton…you should contact the authorities for Kometake and issue a water advisory, Obviously the water table here has been breached by the volcanic system but to what extent is not clear just yet."

Aramaki was back at his office organizing the data coming in from Astro's drilling excursion. "Is there evidence of magma intrusion? What are the temperature readings at the moment?"

Harry turned to one of the students who looked at his instrument and turned back. "The ground temperature average is 54 degrees taking into account the morning sunlight and the atmospheric clarity. Dissipation rate is within acceptable averages."

"That means it's coming up in fissures and the magma, if any, is sitting fairly deep." Harry said as he looked back at his own instrument for the gas reading. "Gas amounts remain steady."

Aramaki took a deep breath and paused to look at his computer. "I will make the calls Harry. Continue your survey and bring back what you find."

June 19, 2013

9am…13 Miles West of Gonsomeru

Nancy and Reno hugged each other tight as the double dose of concussion waves rolled over them! "Oh my God!" Nancy yelped. "They're going to kill each other! Did you have to get them arguing over each other?!" She asked.

"It got the job done faster." Reno said with a smirk. All he had to do was get Atlas pissed enough and there was nothing to stop the rivalry save a bad call of judgment.

"Foof!" "HA! I WAS FASTER THAT TIME! ADMIT IT!" Atlas snapped as he came up from the ground cussing and spitting dirt.

"Foof!" "BITE ME!" Astro snapped back. "I had a thousandth of a second on you!" He said as he climbed out of his hole and stomped towards Atlas fuming.

"Awww….too afraid to admit you're so sub-par to me?" Atlas snickered.

"No! You won't admit that you're a big fat stupid liar!" Astro yelled out.

"BITCH!" Atlas yelled back.

"STUCK UP DIRT BALL!" Astro snapped back as he pushed Atlas back.

"I'm gonna overhaul your stupid face." Atlas snarled as he clenched his fist.

"Bring it loser!" Astro growled as he clenched his.

Reno jumped between the antagonized bots just in time to grab their cocked arms. "Hey!... hey we're done ok? We got all the information we need…..calm down….Astro? Atlas did shave you out."

Astro looked at Reno and sighed. "Sheesh…that almost got stupid."

"That's what happens when we let some smart ass "fat-bag" take advantage of us." Atlas said snorting. "You actually wanted us to kick each-others ass….didn't you?!"

"No!" Reno replied. "Well…maybe? You guys do fight like a pair of drunk clowns on Sunday, just saying."

Astro looked at Atlas and smirked. "I haven't shown you what a wedgie can do to a human have I?"

"No." Atlas replied. Both boy bots looked evilly at Reno as he backed up.

"Guys? Uh…you can't hurt humans remember? The law of robotics?"

Astro pursed his lips and shook his head. "Last time I checked? Wedgies weren't covered under the robotic laws as being harmful to humans…come here Reno and accept your punishment like an honorable human should."

"He's running!" Atlas said as he started to bolt after Reno only to get stopped by Astro's arm.

"Don't be so hasty? Let the fear soak in a little, it's much more fun that way."

End of Chapter 1