Read Online Akiko on the Planet Smoo by Mark Crilley - Free Book Online Page B

big, heavy machine in a factory. As the noise got louder we could actually feel the ground shake. Finally we saw the thing come out into the daylight. As Gax’s opponent entered the ring, the crowd erupted into cheers.
    And what were they cheering for? It was the biggest, ugliest robot you can imagine. It was about thirty feet tall and moved around on two legs, each supported by huge clodhopper feet that made that horrible noise every time they hit the ground:
GA-GUNCH . . . GA-GUNCH
 . . . The robot had two big arms shooting up out of its body like giant crab’s claws, and a tiny little head that was covered with at least a dozen electronic eyes. It was nearly ten times bigger than Gax, and a lot faster, too.

    â€œH-Heavens!” Mr. Beeba gasped, his mouth dropping open in amazement.
    â€œLordy! It’s a ’57 Shnum-Crusher!” Spuckler said, obviously impressed. “In pretty good condition, too.”
    â€œOh my goodness!” I gasped. “Gax is going to get torn
apart
by that thing!”
    â€œHey, have a little faith, ’Kiko,” Spuckler said. “Gax is a lot tougher than he looks.”
    The huge robot made a quick run around the ring and the crowds cheered him on. You could tell that this robot had won just about every fight he had ever been in. No matter what Spuckler said, I didn’t see how Gax had a chance of defeating such a monstrous opponent.
    â€œKeep movin’, Gax,” Spuckler called out. “Look for his weak spot!”
    â€œ ALL HIS SPOTS LOOK QUITE STRONG TO ME, SIR, ” Gax replied warily. By then the ’57 Shnum-Crusher was right on top of him.
    FWAK!
    The huge robot smacked Gax with one of his claws and sent him flying. Every head in the stadium slowly turned to follow Gax’s path through the air.
    SPOOT!
    Gax hit the ground and bounced up into one of the walls, leaving a little indentation where he struck the stone.
    SPU-KANG!

    He finally landed upside down a few yards from the wall, surrounded by little bolts and scraps of metal that had been knocked loose from within him.
    â€œThat's the way to do it! He's rolling with the punches,” Spuckler said, squinting and nodding to himself. “That’s good strategy.”
    The crowd was going wild. They’d have been perfectly happy to see this robot smash Gax into pieces. Fortunately Gax was still able to move, and he quickly righted himself with the help of two mechanical arms that folded out from inside his body. Then he wheeled himself over to the gigantic robot and began to speak.
    â€œ LOOK, SURELY WE CAN WORK THIS THING OUT. . . . ”
    Unfortunately the Shnum-Crusher didn’t seem to hear a word. He backed up a little and then came after Gax again:
GA-GUNCH . . . GA-GUNCH . . .
    SMAP!
    Gax went flying again, this time even further across the arena and higher up into the air. The giant robot followed Gax wherever he landed, attacking him again and again. Every time Gax hit the ground or bounced off the wall he seemed to lose another little piece of himself. He must have gotten knocked across the arena about twenty times. (I sort of lost track after a while.)
    SKASH!
    When Spuckler began to look worried, I knew Gax was in trouble.
    â€œAw, man,” he said to himself, grimacing. “I don’t know how much more of this the little guy can
take
.”

As the noise of the crowd grew to a steady roar, the big robot moved in for the kill. Gax lay motionless on the floor of the arena, his body bent out of shape and flipped upside down. Only his head was right side up, quivering at the end of his neck as he turned to face his opponent.
    â€œ I’M BEGGING YOU, ” Gax said in a last-ditch effort to save himself, “ AS ONE MACHINE TO ANOTHER . . . ”
    But the robot would hear nothing of it. He reached down and picked up Gax with both of his gigantic arms, one claw gripping his body and the