59 THE HYDROS

CHAPTER 59 THE HYDROS Wireless communication had been cut, but wired communication was still working fine. The station manager tapped her computer, and her commands instantly traveled down through the Juggernaut's wiring. Far below the control room, the underwater door glided open. The HYDRO robots had been activated. The HYDROs were designed to make repairs and to haul heavy loads, but if necessary they could also defend the station. HYDRO 1, HYDRO 2, and HYDRO 3 cruised out the door and were immediately mobbed by ocean animals. Fish threw themselves against the robots. Squid sprayed ink to blind them. Dolphins rammed into their sides. None of this bothered the robots, however. Their engines roared, and they easily plowed through the crowd.

The HYDROs surfaced and spread out and started circling the station. Around and around they went, faster and faster, churning up a tremendous ring of rough water in their wake. Then the robots started firing their sound cannons. BWAA! BWAA! BWAAAAAA! Powerful bursts of noise blasted from their mouths. BWAA! BWAA! BWAAAAAA! The animals had never heard anything so loud. The noise rattled their bones and echoed up through the station, high above. From her jail room window, Roz watched as the ocean trembled with each blast. BWAA! BWAA! BWAAAAAA! Below the surface, frightened animal voices cried out.

"What should we do?" "Attack!" "Retreat!" The Ancient Shark commanded her armies to press on. "Hold the line!" she shouted. But the animals were too panicked to follow orders. And with each blast of noise, they were driven farther and farther away.