“Step back!” security snapped at me as I tried to catch my
builder team already walking towards the arena. Two homemade robots attempted
to complete an obstacle course of ramps and doors obstructed by scattered
rubble from an abandoned construction site. Each carried a red metal box filled
with prize money. The team that found the key to open their box first would be
the winner. Competition was serious with ten thousand dollars up for grabs
during each round. Of course there was a glitch — two boxes, one key.
I’d missed the team session by two minutes. The door to the
briefing room was locked. The uptight judges didn’t allow anyone inside, not
even the bloggers. Rules were reviewed then teams were allowed to see the
obstacle course first hand. I knew the only way we could win a round today was
to disable the competitor’s robot, though the rest of my team claimed they
wouldn’t stoop to such means.
We’d spent a whole year of college building our robot with
tracks on triangle base, a crude torso, a head with camera lenses for eyes, and
grabbers for hands to hold objects. Our robot was remote controlled by the team
captain from a tablet with software we wrote together. The judges announced it
was my team’s turn to go on standby. I knew I would not be able to get close
enough to warn them about modifications I made while they slept.
One of the robots on the course pulled a key off a metal
pole then rolled its way back to the human controllers. The crowd cheered
wildly as the team captain slid the key into the red metal box, opening the lid
to reveal the cash. My body trembled with exhilaration making my way to my team
preparing to launch. I moved slowly towards the edge of the arena then ran in a
flash past security.
Two new robots with their own red metal treasures were at
the starting line now. A judge pressed the green light. I felt a heavy weight
slam into my ribs, pain shooting up my side while security tackled me to the
ground. Our team captain maneuvered the robot over the first ramp successfully,
but as he initiated the next climb a camera lens on the robot’s crude metal
square head slid to the side revealing the tip of a loaded pocket pistol.
BY: LIZ SWAFFORD
Credit: https://medium.com/liz-swafford/competitors-b953571ec23d#.pi9wzaxwj
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