Technologic

Technologic is the eleventh Track in Kiwi Blitz. It is named for “Technologic” by Daft Punk.

Summary (spoiler-free)
42 has a sister robot also in the vicinity. Heinrich repairs KiwiBot. And Reed asks Steffi to ask the Raccoon to help them arrest someone from Alter.

Plot
There are three pretitle pages. In the first two, Heinrich returns from his trip to Germany, finding the garage full of Kiwibot in pieces. Steffi catches him up on her recent adventures. He suggests that maybe she should listen to Ben sometimes, and she correctly replies, "I don't want to hear that from you. You're already figuring out how hard it'd be to get Kiwibot up and running again, right?" Later in the conversation he asks, "Where is 42?" Steffi says, "Usually when I wonder that, the answer is 'right behind you.'" They both turn to look behind them, but 42 doesn't appear.

On the third page we see 42 in the forest, meeting up with her "sister," 35. Then comes the title page. Then the robots' conversation continues. We learn that 35 has been confiscated by the authorities and reprogrammed, and she has come to destroy 42. (Actually she was expecting to meet another robot, 39. This detail suggests the possibility of a subplot about a robot alliance and rebellion, but so far at least there has been no followup.)  The fight continues over several pages, and 39 slices through 42's arm with a special sword that sends out an electrical pulse to disable circuitry that it hits temporarily. It seems that 39 will kill 42, but then we learn that 42 has reprogrammed 39's visual circuitry so that she doesn't see, and so falls into, a convenient hole in the ground. 42's arms are both functioning, and she has had the foresight to bring along a shovel, with which she covers 39 with dirt, promising to return when she can get help at undoing the authorities' reprogramming.

Meanwhile, Heinrich is working on Kiwibot, reminding Steffi that its capabilities were originally limited to conform with RBL rules, so if she's not going to use it in RBL he can make it much better. At this point 42 returns, apologizing for having borrowed the shovel without permission. Steffi, who is still suspicious of 42, sees her with the shovel and a sword, both potential weapons, and climbs down from KiwiBot to stand between 42 and her father. (It seems that, having once saved his life, she now sees that as part of her job.) But 42 asks to speak with Heinrich alone, and he approves, so with reluctance she leaves the room but announces that she'll return to check up on 42's behavior.

She presses her ear against the door, but she gets a phone call through her headphones, which turns out to be from Reed Bahia. He's calling because his nerve converter has been attached. It's a metal disc at the end of what's left of his arm. So he's ready for a referral to Steffi's limb replacement doctor. He's also heard that Steffi was with the Raccoon when she retrieved KiwiBot from the police storage unit, and wants to know if Steffi will tell him the Raccoon's identity. She refuses, looking unhappy about it because she has to choose between two loyalties. Reed explains that the police are concerned not so much about the Raccoon himself [sic] as about the people he works for. They think the Raccoon is connected with Alter, a group of "crazy geneticists and animal-themed body modders." (Steffi reinterprets this as "some kind of evil furry squad"; we learn that she has a thing about furries, for reasons we aren't told.) Reed asks Steffi to try to get the Raccoon to lead the police to one of the Alter higher-ups, and she agrees to ask.

Meanwhile, 42 has finished explaining to Heinrich about 35. She offers to show him the electrical-impulse (EMP) sword, and she draws it from its scabbard just as Steffi opens the door. Steffi, of course, misinterprets the situation and attacks 42, trying to kick 42 with her prosthetic leg. 42 takes this as an opportunity to demonstrate the EMP feature to Heinrich, by tapping Steffi's leg with the side of the blade. This immobilizes the leg and leaves Steffi collapsed on the floor. (42 assures her that the effect is temporary.) Steffi complains to her father, but he is entranced by the new technology and ignores her. "This isn't over, animebot," she says to 42 as the track ends.

Commentary
After the dark tone of the two previous tracks, this one feels like a bit of comic relief, particularly in the interaction between Steffi and 42. But it also introduces the EMP katana, which will be important later in the story, and begins the subplot about trying to arrest a senior member of Alter. (Note that recruiting a teenager for this purpose isn't sound police procedure on Reed's part, even though he's just looking for a name, not for Steffi to take action herself.) The subplot about the Japanese robots is also promising.

Sound Bite
We return to the forest for a continuation of the conversation between 42 and 35. The latter says that the authorities will figure out that 35 has been partly re-reprogrammed and will come after 42. 42 replies, "Our creator told us to self-preserve. We will not be destroyed." The sound bite ends on that somewhat ominous note. (42's confidence is particularly impressive since her programming doesn't permit her to hurt people.)

Characters Introduced

 * 35