Chapter 1

"River, your dynamic anthropomorphic design is pure genius. We’re taking first place at the robotics championship for sure this time!"Zane Ward’s excited voice dragged me out of my thoughts. I stared at the towering, human-height robot in front of me and shivered."I’m submitting the data now. Then, all we have to do is wait for tomorrow’s live showcase!" Zane grinned as he worked the keyboard."Wait!" My shout stopped him mid-click. "I’ve got a better idea."Hands trembling, I opened my laptop and pulled up the latest post from Adrian Cross. His robot specs and demo video stared back at me. It was identical to mine.I knew it."What the hell? This afternoon, I checked Adrian’s robot. It was nothing like ours!""That snake! Where the hell did he copy this from?" Zane leaned over my shoulder, eyes wide in shock.My jaw clenched hard. In my previous life, I’d also looked at Adrian’s robot earlier in the day and seen nothing suspicious, so I hadn’t paid it any attention. It wasn’

Chapter 2

The night I was taken to the hospital, my girlfriend, Lila Hart, signed the Do Not Resuscitate form without hesitation. To the world, she announced that I had died beyond saving.The internet cheered.When the news reached my parents, their hair turned white overnight. Crushed by grief, they both took their own lives.After death, my soul hovered helplessly, forced to watch them go. Rage burned so hot that I refused to move on or cross into whatever came next.And then, in a blink, I was back.It was the day before the National Robotics Championship.This time, I would find the truth. I would clear my name, and Adrian would pay the price."River, we still have time to rework the build!" Zane Ward said, his jaw clenched tightly. "This competition isn’t just about the two-million-dollar prize. We win, and the champion gets taken in as a protege by a scientific giant. We can’t give up.""I’ll handle the rebuild myself. You keep pushing the organizers," I said, taking a long, stead

Chapter 3

Could Adrian Cross have hired a top-tier hacker to monitor my every move online?The thought lodged itself in my mind like a splinter."River, what do we do now? The internet’s full of people trashing you," Zane Ward said, panic edging his voice.I stared down at my phone, reading the flood of comments from Adrian’s rabid fans."Tsk tsk, the copycat can’t steal anymore, huh?""You've been leeching off our genius for years, but he’ll always be ahead of you. You’re just a rat in the dark who can never keep up."Their arrogance burned into me. I drew in a deep breath. "It’s fine. I have another robot. I’ll use that one to compete."I was ready to shut myself away again when my phone lit up. Lila was calling. I’d told her clearly not to contact me before the championship. My eyes stayed cold on the screen. I blocked her number without hesitation and turned to Zane."He’s not going to guess this one. There’s no way Adrian will think of an animal-model bot."With a do-or-die resolve

Chapter 4

The organizer’s voice was cold and bureaucratic on the other end of the line."River Lowell, this year’s National Robotics Championship is led by the National Institute of Robotics and founded by two academicians themselves," he said."This competition involves universities from across the country. There is absolutely no way we would open the back door for one student, especially…" His tone sharpened into a smirk. "Especially since your school isn’t exactly prestigious. You wouldn’t have the pull to bribe an academician even if you wanted to."Then, the jab landed. "If your skills aren’t up to par, spend your time learning instead of throwing dirt on others."Just like that, he hung up. No matter how I tried, they wouldn’t listen."River! It’s getting worse online," Zane said, his face pale as he handed me his phone.The screen was filled with bile from Adrian’s fan base."Shameless! Openly stealing someone else’s design? Get out of the competition!""Someone on Adrian’s team m

Chapter 5

As my finger hovered over the gravity hammer’s control, a thousand thoughts flashed through my mind.I thought of my parents’ hopes for me. I thought of my lifelong love of robotics—how I’d been building since grade school, how I’d once sworn to become a leader in the field.And I thought of my last life, suffocating on that hospital bed, dying in humiliation.All of it collided into one unwavering decision. I pressed the button.The hammer groaned to life. A fifty-centimeter steel head, weighing several tons, dropped from above. The sheer force would crush anything beneath it.The spider bot shattered under the blow, sparks flying, then burst into roaring flames."River, what the hell are you doing? That’s your work, your masterpiece!" Zane’s voice shook with disbelief.I didn’t answer. My eyes stayed locked on the burning wreckage. The bot’s power system shouldn’t have been capable of producing flames that large. It was another thing that didn’t add up.The fire raged for ove

Chapter 6

Every competitor rolled their robot onto the stage, except me. My hands were empty.The host’s tone was already edged with hostility. "Mr. Lowell, are you bringing a destroyed robot to the championship as some kind of protest?"I met his stare without flinching. "I’m entering with this robot because I want to. Is there a problem? My skills can only produce this level of work."The audience erupted with criticisms."I knew it. He’s a copycat. Put him in a real competition, and his true colors show.""Come on, Adrian! Show this fraud what a real genius looks like!"I let their words roll over me, then gave Adrian a mocking smile. "I know I’m not your equal. That’s why I withdrew. I came here today just to watch your miraculous creation in action, Adrian."With the cameras on him, Adrian smiled faintly, turning to me with an expression of regret. "This competition… only you can truly challenge me. When it comes to the others, it’s dull. I don’t know what happened to you, but I sinc

Chapter 7

Adrian stared at the impossible sight before him, his body collapsing to the floor, eyes wide with hopelessness.Gasps rippled through the entire venue. Thousands of people sat frozen, watching something that defied all science.I stepped forward and kicked him like a dead dog. "If I’m right, your so-called ‘system’ gives you the ability to copy. You're able to replicate someone else’s thoughts and creations, no matter the distance."You could’ve used that ability to grow and actually master your craft. But you’re a fool. You only thought about stealing. A fake will always be a fake."Even if today didn't happen, you were bound to be exposed sooner or later."Before he could answer, several men in black strode onto the stage, snapping handcuffs onto his wrists. He seemed to realize what was coming, thrashing wildly, but it was no use.I met his gaze and mouthed the words, 'Enjoy the rest of your life in the lab.'These were the people I’d called early this morning. I had told th

All Chapters of Smash the Bot!: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7