The story of the Satan-possessed steambot

[McWolf 3,115]

Steambot Simulacrum Hornet (better known as SS Hornet or simply Hornet) is a steambot built by Geronimo Mechaniko, a retired Royal Canadian Navy engineer, in a Halifax shipyard. The shipyard is on the location of the historical Pier 21, which lent its name to the Victory Hockey League Minors’ Halifax 21st. Mr Mechaniko made Hornet so that he could have a loyal companion that could help me with some maintenance around the shipyard. He used spare parts from old see-worthy steam ships now useless because of new technologies. To avoid it being seen and judged as a robot by shipyard visitors or guests because of his metallic exoskeleton, Mr Mechaniko wrapped it up in a silicon suit resembling human skin and molded its face into a very generic-looking one, to not draw attention to it too much.

 

For 20 years, Hornet worked with Mechaniko on the yard. It would help repair ships, would ensure the yard was always clean and safe for its owner and the other workers. Being a steambot, it’s hard to say it actually had feelings about it, but it was a simple life and it seem to be content with it. The only other thing that seemed to spark some life into the anthropomorphic robot was looking at hockey games with its owner. It was strange to look at because, from a distance, it really didn’t show any emotion, as it actually looked pretty indifferent about it. But whenever Mechaniko would tune the TV to a game, Hornet was drawn to it. Like it understood what was happening and maybe even wanted to play itself.

 

Fast forward 20 years; Geronimo Mechaniko was diagnosed with terminal-stage cancer at some point last year. Upon receiving this terrible news, he contacted members of the Halifax 21st management team, knowing fully well that they had ties with local satanic cults. Fact is, Mechaniko was thankful for everything Hornet had done for him over the 20 years he helped him in the old Pier 21, and he couldn't bear the thought of his proud and loyal creation spending eternity working there, probably ending up as a rusty piece of scrap itself. He knew the next shipyard owner wouldn’t treat it as well as he did and wanted it to avoid this otherwise unavoidable fate. Even if it was only made of steam ships spare parts, it was undeniable that over the years, they grew to become best friends.

 

As a two-phase parting gift to Hornet, Mechaniko upgraded it by adding built-in skate blades to his feet, in case it ever wanted to try and play the sport that mysteriously spoke to it so much. He then sold his own soul to Satan, in exchange for Hornet becoming sentient upon his passing. That way, it wouldn’t need an owner to take care of his maintenance, it would be able to do it by itself, allowing it to find a new purpose in its life, maybe in the hockey world that seemed to have drawn even its lifeless version.

 

At precisely 12:01 EST, on February 17th, 2020, Geronimo Mechaniko finally passed away. Satan came and collected his soul. Don’t feel too bad for him, he was a jerk when he was younger, so he was going to hell anyway, but at least he got a sweet deal out of it.  And thus began the hockey journey of SS Hornet, the Satan-possessed steambot. It didn’t know where to start its new career yet, especially since it had never even tried its skates. It headed to the Halifax 21st arena, where the Season 71 VHLM Dispersal Draft Combine was held, hoping it could draw some VHLM team scouts attention.

 

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obligatory @GustavMattias tag.

[Gustav 6,407]

I don't even have to write the articles, they're writing themselves already...