Competition between rivals (Armaill)

[Luo Vasst]

Luo Vasst was a respected scientist. He was. But after he and his colleague began experiementing, they were both labeled madmen and shunned from the scientific community.

"They were frightened and intimidated by my knowledge. And yours too, Armaill," the doctor snapped at the air.

A wounded animal was laying on a worktable, barely breathing. It's rear limbs had been torn off, and now it was quickly losing blood. Around the worktable, various robotic appendages lay, along with the various tools Luo would need to graft the robotic limbs to the animal.

Normally, the process was very painful, unless the patient took some sort of sedative. But Luo, like his colleague, didn't believe in sedatives.

Luo had a scientific mind. Always curious, always wondering, always experimenting. It was the experimenting that earned him the name, "Madman."

Now in various cages, animals, and even some humans were pacing about, whirring and clicking. They had been experiments of the mad doctors. Now most of their flesh was machine. Luo had kidnapped these people off the streets, promising them longer life, and less pain. The human mind was so easy to fool.

"Why have temprorary, rotting flesh, and have to deal with things such as love, hate, and misery when you could be reborn with leverlasting mechanics, a robotic brain to better store information, and indestructable limbs that can help you to lift several times more than you could by training up your arms."

In fact, that was the only area in which Luo and his colleague Armaill disagreed. Luo hated living creatures because they were so expendable. "Give me something permanent, something that can stand up to heavy wear and tear!" he had said.

While Armaill dabbled in his foolish genetics, Luo had devoted his time to something more worthwhile. Robotics and cybernetics.

"Ah, those were the days," he cackled with glee. "I still remember our time together in the university..."

[Armaiil Kryatir]

"You're a fool, Vasst! Never has there been such a perfect combination idiocy, incomprehension, and incompetence in a single mind!"

The two are on their way to the laboratories, heckling each other as they go. Each specializes in different fields, and each despises the other's chosen profession. Despite the obvious hatred between them, many would declare them friends.

"Beings of flesh and blood will always be far superior to man's machinations and contraptions!"

[Luo Vasst]

"Nonsense! Notice for a moment the materials that I have here!" Luo snarled, motioning tothe various metals and plastics that were loaded on his cart.

"Durasteel, some of the toughest metal in the world. It can withstand severe impact, and resists the elements and decay much better than flimsy human flesh."

Luo tugged at one of his long mustachios as he continued his rhetoric. "Machines are much simpler to take care of than animals or humans. Machines can run off of only one type of fuel in order to run. However, human beings, and other animals must eat several types of foods everyday in order to keep themselves maintained. Not to mention exercise. Machines do not have to go jogging or lift weights. Nor do they worry about things like 'fitting in' or 'love' or 'hate.' They simply perform the tasks at hand. And one more thing," Luo mentioned. "They don't talk back."

[Armaiil Kryatir]

"A machine will never have the ability to choose its own destiny! Machines are weak because they have no emotion!"

Armaiil's eyes flash dangerously.

"Not to mention, an artificial being will never tap the limitless power of the Force!"

[Luo Vasst]

"Bah. You and destiny! Foolish man, do you not think that a machine cannot be programmed to make choices? Algorithms, man, algorithms! Create a program in which a computer can weigh risks and benefits, and there you have the basis of decision making!"

Luo's voice was low, creating a hissing tone. He was speaking as though he were some philosopher discussing a deep truth about the universe.

"As far as the Force goes, a human being can only maintain control over the Force for so long before their minds grow weary from the sheer task of focusing the thoughts for so long. Even Jedi Masters, as much attuned to the Force as they are, must relax their minds sooner or later."

Luo chuckled deep in his throat. "And besides, even a Jedi Master can be outnumbered and overwhelmed."

[Armaiil Kryatir]

"Who's talking about Jedi?" Armaiil snaps. "Humans perform their greatest feats under the stress of fear and the drive of hatred and anger. My creations will harness the dark side in ways that will make Vader himself look like a Boy Scout!"

[Luo Vasst]

Luo placed a hand to his forehead and heaved a small sigh. "While fear and anger can indeed be the small push a person needs to perform great feats, there are those humans in the world that crumble under the weight of fear, and when faced with too many angering thoughts tend to destroy themselves. Fear and anger are powerful emotions, yes. But they can also cloud judgement. If you want to win a debate, you enrage your opponent so he loses his temper and makes a mistake. Surely you must remember that?"

Luo and Armaill had gone to University together and throughout their college careers gave several talks and participated in several debates concerning their various crafts. Luo and Armaill never lost a single debate, but never had the chance to debate against one another.

[Armaiil Kryatir]

Armaiil's hands run frustratedly through his hair.

"Were you taught science by Gamorreans?" he asks incredulously. "Do you not know the principles of Darwinism?"

[Luo Vasst]

"Survival of the fittest and all that rot," Luo replied, waving a hand in the air as though swatting at a fly. "Evolution, that is the law of natural selection, is a process that proceeds at an unfortunately slow pace."

At last Luo and Armaiil reached the building where the laboratories were. "Robotics, cybernetics, these are the the tools that will make things such as Darwinism obsolete! Natural selection can be usurped! I can take the weak and the sickly, and transform them into fit and the strong!"

[Armaiil Kryatir]

"Not if I weed them out," Armaiil smirks. "The unfit cannot survive my experimentations. Only the strongest will be able to survive the transformation. It seems we are at odds, Luo."

[Luo Vasst]

"Indeed," Luo said, all the anger and disgust drained from his voice.

The two walked on in silence until Luo chuckled. "It seems to me, Armaiil, that the two of us must meet in competition to see whose science is the greater. When we graduate from the University, we must both have a competition between two of our greatest creations."

[Armaiil Kryatir]

"Agreed!"

The two clasp their hands, forming an unbreakable contract. In the future, once each has perfected his art, they will seek each other for one conclusive duel that will decide who is superior to who.

[Luo Vasst]

Luo grinned and his eyes flashed behind his dark glasses as he shook Armaiil's hand. At last the two released their grips on each other.

"So," Luo said in an even tone. "How shall our competition run?"

[Armaiil Kryatir]

"Once each feels he has completed an experimentation that displays the pinnacle of that field's potential, he should seek the other to settle up on this little competition."

[Luo Vasst]

"Very well," Luo said, and the two shook hands once more. "It will be my pleasure to humiliate you and your science," he growled.

[Armaiil Kryatir]

"Not if I should have anything to say about it," retorts Armaiil, slinking into his lab with a determined expression. Luo works further down the hall, and must travel the remaining distance alone.

[Luo Vasst]

Luo continues on down the hall without bothering to say goodbye to Armaiil. Not that Armaiil would care.

"Time to get down to business," Luo chortled to himself, opening up his lab and pulling his goggles down over his eyes. "Prepare to lose, Armaiil Kryatir."