Halloween Contest Fiction: Megabyte

Thank you Jayk Fabulous for entering the Halloween Fiction Contest. Here is their entry...


(Story prompt by Dan Peyton)

The elevator doors slid open and Director Nova stepped out into BADGE HQ. He hated that two mile ride down, but this was the most secure location on Earth. The headquarters of the most advanced base on the planet were surprisingly vacant, but this was normal. Most of the work conducted here was done by robots along with the most sophisticated AI system in the world.

After a short walk down the corridor, Nova came into a large room filled with computer consoles and a massive set of screens. Two robots worked at the consoles as the only crew today.

“Let’s check in on the teams.” He stated. “Call up the world maps, I want to see where these leagues are?”

“Understood Director.” The computer answered and the screens filled with maps of the world. Each map had the location of the various teams of superheroes that worked for BADGE. They organized themselves into leagues so they could fight crime locally as well as more easily respond to a call for international emergencies.

“Unit 10915, contact the leagues around the Detroit area. I want to know why the crime rate there has doubled this week.” The robot at the computer stopped moving and nothing happened, “10915 respond.” Nova approached the rigid robot.

Before he could find out what was wrong both robots stood up and started dancing around, their bodies acting like puppets on strings.

“What the hell is going on?” Nova struck a fighting stance.

Just then the computer monitors buzzed and the lights flickered. The screens began to run through map after map, and then it all became fuzz. The two dancing robots flung themselves at Nova. He was pummeled to the ground, pinned down. He shoved on them, unhurt but furious. “GET OFF OF ME!”

One turned it’s head all the way around and then cackled at him. In a high, cracking voice it screeched, “Having fun yet?” and then laughed.

Nova finally shoved them off of him and backed away, “Okay, that’s creepy.”

A green energy streamed out of the robots and formed a sinister looking Jack-o-lantern in the air. It laughed in that same horrible voice and then flew around the room, passing in and out of the computers like they weren’t there. When it went through something, the already crazy machine went even more haywire. Computers exploded, the lights shut down, and the fuzz on the main screens became the only light in the room.

Nova pulled out a communicator and pressed a switch, “Nova to...” suddenly that Jack-o-lantern flew right into his body and he felt it filling him. He lost control of his left arm, his head twitched erratically, and his mind was slowly fading as if he were falling asleep. It didn’t take much to realize this creature was taking over his body. He managed to hold that communicator up, “To...any...heroes who can hear...me. BADGE has been compromised….help...”

(Story continuation by Jayk Fabulous)

Jake Fabulous soared back to BADGE HQ. He had received the distress call and knew he had to do something. It was the right thing to do. If not that, he was bored with high school English assignments. He landed atop the building that hid the entrance to the HD and he was suddenly glad he was small enough to fit through the vents because he could tell something was wrong with the security outside. Two miles of vents would be difficult for anyone not Jake; it was a pleasant mental exercise to him.

He looked down into the broom closet nearest the control room. No one had been in it in ages since the place was cleaned by robots. Jake slipped in, folding his wings in closer. He listened with his superior hearing, noting that nothing was moving outside the door. He stuck his hand out, dropping a small spider-probe on the ground. It went skittering off through the door to the control room and up the wall to provide Jake with recon.

Director Nova sat spinning in his chair amid the destruction of the control room. The computers were smashed, the robot workers even worse, and the Director looked bored. It was not a look Jake had ever seen on his face. Nova was still spinning when he chanced a look upon the wall, spotting the spider-probe.

"Look, we have company." Nova almost floated out of the chair, green swirling energy propelling him to the wall. "What have we here? Tech, good design, short-range signal...but how close?"

Jake shut down the probe before the signal could be traced. He dashed forward, sliding to a stop inside the room. "What have you done with the director?" he asked authoritatively. It sounded good in the movies.

"Another plaything! High tech implants, some sort of energy...I like you better than this old body." That green energy flew out from the Director, dropping the body to the ground, and surged toward Jake Fabulous. It stopped before it could reach him, hitting some sort of barrier. "Why can't I get to you?!" the energy asked, sulking.

"Protective eyewear. $29.99 at Target," Jake responded. "Who and what are you?" he asked, curious what type of being this was.

"I am the Spirit of All Hallow's Eve!" it said in a ghostly voice. It seemed falsely spooky.

I'll play along, Jake mused. "Oh Great Spirit, why have you done this?" He knew he was acting badly, but the 'spirit' seemed impressed...with itself.

"You humans have forgotten what this time of year truly means!"

"The time to remember those who have departed?"

"No, silly! Candy!"

That told Jake more than the 'spirit' wanted. It was no spirit. Not a really menacing one, anyway.

Jake thumped his head. "You're right! I have seen the error of my ways. Show me more, Great Spirit...after we clean up the little mess. The faster we clean, the more candy we can have."

That seemed to work. The green energy formed into the body of a child, no more than six years old. He zoomed around the room putting everything to rights, and the control room was as good as new. Even the Director was slowly getting up.

Director Nova watched as Jake Fabulous, hero of Clay Court, escorted the child out of the complex by the hand. "Why did you come down here, anyway?"

"I thought there would be candy," the child said simply as the elevator doors closed.

"What just happened?" asked Director Nova.