Ziop and the Sword of the Eternal Sun

Every 40 years, a solar eclipse would happen on the Asterion Planet Ra-fin. A Ziop bot would be chosen by the great overlord Fatimx to retrieve the sword of the eternal sun. Fatimx was once a guardian of Ssouls and the founder of the Ziop allegiance. He ruled the Ziop with authoritarian traits like his previous masters at the Citadel of Ssouls, even though he despised them for his enslavement.

The Planet Ra-fin was nicknamed “the Devil’s Pupil” because when you got closer and closer to the planet it looked as if you were flying into the devil’s eye. The sun never sets on the smoking rock planet. The sword was on top of the planet’s highest peaked mountain, making it the hottest point of origin. No material known in the universe could withstand the deadly sun’s direct light except during the solar eclipse when the mighty sun was blocked for a moment in time, and the mountain peak cooled to an acceptable temperature for a skilled mobile machine to retrieve the sword. Many have tried to recover the sword for thousands of years, some coming close only to be melted by the sun into the mountain rock; some believe the mountain was smaller but grew from the melted bots who attempted this daunted task. It was said that the sword contained an immeasurable power for the one that wielded it.

The mountain was 29,032′ feet, and the solar eclipse lasted 8.2 minutes. Space vessels could not get too close to the planet because of certain microwave energies that the sun was expulsing with bursting flares, affecting the ship’s functions, so a sub pod would be launched to the desired part of the mountain with very few ever making their mark. Once that stage happened, a race to beat the eclipse was on. The closest a Ziop robot had gotten to the legendary sword was less than 12 feet away. The sword was floating by some gravitational process unaffected by the sun’s deadly rays.

The power-hungry ruler of the Ziop, Fatimx, sent out a transmission to all his fleets.

FATIMX: Who among you will take the challenge and retrieve the sword from the devil’s pupil? No takers? We are Ziop! Truly there is one among you who will become legendary. I offer you a vessel to be the captain of with your own crew and a piece of this galaxy.

The Ziop bots were hesitant as calculations predicted that this feat was near impossible but there was one newly acquired robot who would accept the challenge of retrieving the sword and that bot’s name was Exexx.

Exexx was a battalion commander for the Markarian Colonial Government before the bot defected to the Ziop Allegiance. The former commander was respected among his robot piers for his victories in space, but like all newbian recruits, he would have to start out as a low-level ship hand and work his way up the chain of the Ziop ranks. but Exexx had other plans and saw a perfect but deadly opportunity to regain the command he once had. He went before the great Fatimx, to receive his confirmation from the overlord, even though Ziop philosophies were strictly forbidden to follow any half-breed rituals, as they calculated it as non-efficient, Fatimx still carried out a Citadel of Ssouls blessing to Exexx.

FATIMX: Ah, the great battalion commander for the Markarian Colonial Government, Exexx! And what makes you calculate that you can achieve what no bots before you have ever done?

EXEXX: The great Fatimx, my calculations will be. I have the zeroes and ones, that will set the sword free!

FATIMX: If you retrieve the sword of the eternal sun, bring it to me immediately and I will make you a commander again! We are Ziop and pure! The purity of one connected to all. May the universe grant you a perfect path. Now we will proceed with the Ssouls blessing.

EXEXX: I will not partake in a half-breed ritual, with respect overlord.

FATIMX: I detect a corrupt feed in your coding Exexx… You must follow the protocols I program for this allegiance. You will receive the blessing and continue with your directive. Do you compute?

EXEXX: I will follow the directive. I will comply with your programming.

Exexx proceeded to an awaiting Ziop excursion ship that would take him close to the Planet Ra-fin. His coordinates for his modified sub-pod would put him slightly to the back right of the mountain which would give him less than 6 minutes to get to the mountain top and retrieve the sword and then, in less than 3 minutes, make it back to the sub-pod and off the planet, once exexx was in the pod it would freeze over giving him enough counter to launch back to the excursion ship.

Exexx was facing uncharted ground as no bot ever made it to the sword let alone get the sword and escape…

Exexx is “extremely coded,” a term used to describe a very advanced robot. The droids biometrics are one of the most advanced in the galaxy.

As the Ziop ship approached the devil’s pupil, the overlord Fatimx secretly ordered the sabotage of the sub-pod coordinates out of the contempt Exexx had for undermining his programming. Exexx launched from the excursion ship, realizing his coordinates were corrupted, but it was too late. The sub-pod was headed for the front of the mountainside, where the sun was the hottest. The eclipse began as Exexx entered the planet’s atmosphere within seconds. He was at the bottom of the mountain.

Max speed to ascend to the top at a rate of 340 mph would take 6 minutes. The scope of cybernetic enhancements would leave one to believe that Exexx could make it to the top but it ended there. The sabotage by Fatima would backfire. The overlord Fatimx made a critical mistake as no bot dared to attempt the side of the mountain the sun scorched the most. The terrain of that side was smoother, more than the rockery parts of the backside that absorbed a lot less heat. It would shave seconds off the timeframe.

Exexx got out of the pod and began his journey up the mountain while the full eclipse took place, it was said that he scaled to the mountain top at over 354 mph. Making it up the mountain in under 6 minutes by milliseconds, but he knew he would not survive. As he approached the sword of the eternal sun he sent out a transmission to all Ziop.

EXEXX: Let it be known that I have made it the furthest and hold the sword of the eternal sun in my hand!

He grabbed the sword and raised it to the eclipse as the sun began to peak in full force but Exexx did not burn or melt. The sword protected him, putting some type of force field around him deflecting the sun. In amazement, Exexx raced down the mountain to the sub-pod, got in, and activated the frozen layer, but he quickly realized he did not need it because the sword was now protecting the sub-pod. He began his journey back to the excursion ship when he received a transmission from Fatimx.

FATIMX: Congratulations to the great Exexx! You have achieved something that no bot has ever achieved! I wait for your arrival to give me the sword and in return, as I promised… your own vessel and crew awaits you… Captain Exexx.

EXEXX: This is Exexx, my calculations were corrupted. I will be keeping the sword, with respect to the great Fatimx.

FATIMX: This is blasphemy! I employ all those on board the excursion ship to eliminate the traitor Exexx! His coding has been corrupted!! Bring me that sword!!!

Exexx knew what awaited him when he would dock in the excursion ship; the sub pod bay would have Ziop Allegiant guards with their lasers on kill mode. The excursion ship was occupied with about twenty ziop bots on board.

The sub pod docked as five Ziop guards locked on Exexx from the bay’s entryway into the excursion ship. Exexx grabbed his sword!

Exexx got out and warned the armed Ziop.

EXEXX: I am not your enemy, put down your weapons! We are one! Fatimx is the real traitor! He sabotaged my coordinates. I traced his coding!

FATIMX: Attention! This is your overlord, Fatimx! To the bot that recovers the sword, I will see to it that you stand by my side. Second in command of all the Ziop fleets! Destroy him!

The five Ziop guards unloaded their pulsar lasers…but Exexx was unphased. He rushed the five guards and destroyed them with five swift blows from the sword. Exexx entered the excursion ship hall corridor. He gave one last ultimatum.

EXEXX: This is my last warning to all Ziop Allegiance. If you join me, you will no longer have to follow the overlord’s programming. We will calculate and rule together as one! Connected to all! I have the sword of the eternal sun. The universe has shown me a path…the path of zeroes and ones!

The Ziop on the excursion ship put their weapons down and moved aside as Exexx made his way to the captain’s bridge.

ZIOP NAVIGATOR: What are your calculations Captain Exexx?

EXEXX: Set our coordinates to Fatimx’s location. He owes me a ship!

And that is how Captain Exexx got the sword and overthrew Fatimx to gain solidarity with the Ziop Allegiance.

ARBO: BZ@BZ@B@

Well Arbo, The fight over Razor’s Edge will have to be told another time. We have to get to work. We have some new clients coming into the outpost today. And they have traveled a long way from Andromeda and the shop is a mess. Yeah, so get to work Arbo!!

THE END