After two weeks in a hospital and some physical therapy, I returned to my beloved dirigible and started the long process of fixing it. Some may think that this balloon is silly, old school, or useless, but its my home, my weapon, and been a part of my identity since I first fell into this time from the past.
"Did they defeat Krampus?" were my first words after waking up in the ICU.
Dr. Henderson told me that they didn't really defeat him, since it wasn't real. But, that the real enemy got away.
What do I do now? I am pissed. I got my butt kicked by a shadow of a monster only to find out that the person behind it got away. And, worst of all, Director Nova is with her.
After rage fueled devotion, I got my dirigible in working order and looking better than ever. Now is the time to start working. I know BADGE will be on this, but that doesn't mean I can't try to help. BADGE has insisted that I put some new tech into my dirigible, a computer and sensors. I don't know much about them, but if it makes them happy, I'm fine with it. First day back in the air, I get a call, "Furious Squirrel, you there?" It was Chase.
"Sure, what do you need?"
She told me about a strange sighting of a flying object near Alaska. It looks like another balloon, maybe someone else who is using a dirigible. Both the United States and Canada aren't happy, it won't respond to calls. So, BADGE is sending me into investigate.
Sure enough, flying over Anchorage is a giant balloon. At first glance it looks like an old weather balloon. But, it has a bevy of info gathering devices attached to a platform underneath it. Using some of the modern tech BADGE has built into my ship, I send out greetings and get not response. Then I send a signal designed to contact whoever is controlling it. Nothing happens. Then, this computer on my ship starts buzzing and making all sorts of weird noises. Damned if I know much about computers, but I try to figure it out.
"Hey BADGE, you know what my computer is trying to tell me?" I ask through my wrist comm.
Moments later, Justin pipes in as worried as I've ever heard him. "That is showing a high radiation level and detonation devices."
"Translate?"
"It is rigged with nuclear weapons. By the looks of the readings, it is some sort of fail safe device. It blows that thing to hell if it is compromised and takes whoever or whatever is nearby."
"Aw, crud. I just put my baby back together."
"Don't worry. I don't think it's triggered yet. But...wait, you're getting some clear readings. You must be close."
I look out the window and watch the fat white balloon drift by. "Uh, yeah, like next to it." "That's too close. Then again, you're getting some clear readings. Hold your position for a moment while I run this data by our systems." I wait while Justin does what he does. This is annoying. Now I am sitting next to a flying nuclear bomb and hoping it doesn't blow me straight to hell.
"Good, good. We got the data. Looks like that thing originated somewhere in China. Not sure if its from their government or from some other organization, but it's snagging every open internet signal it can, as well as any open Bluetooth channels. It isn't just gathering data, it's downloading viruses and hacking programs everywhere. This is sophisticated programming. With this, it could crash computers, cell networks, everything it touches."
"Justin, all I heard was that it's doing bad things. What should I do?"
Justin says. "Stay there for a moment longer. We are going to send a hacking signal back into it and, if it works, crash the onboard computer. We now have the virus data it was using, so we can create a counter program. It should..."
The computer started beeping loudly again and the balloon made a sudden motion for the ground.
"What just happened?" I ask.
"Damn! It's responding to our hacking. It's going to slam into the ground and blow. It'll take out Anchorage and all the surrounding area. Do something."
I pull levers and spin the wheel, moving my dirigible on a path toward the falling balloon. "What do I do? If I shoot it down, it will just blow up and take me with it."
"Grapple it, drag it to a safe place!"
I load the grappling hook gun and pray that I don't hit the wrong part of that stupid balloon. Firing, I wrap around the ropes holding the balloon and start dragging it out toward the sea.
"I got it! Now what? Let it blow in the ocean?"
"No, it could spread radiation over the water."
"I can't just pull it all over the place. Its gonna blow!"
Justin was silent for a moment.
"Hey, Justin! What do I do?"
"Okay, change your heading eighteen degrees and head for the hole."
"Hole?" I spin the wheel and alter my course.
"You'll see it."
The computer next to me is saying this thing is on the verge of exploding and I am pushing every ounce of power into my engines. I have never flown over the ocean this fast before. Then I see a blue funnel in the air with a black center. Strange Quark is waiting on me like a butler at the door. I race directly for the opening, hit the starboard breaking and make a hard turn, cutting the grappling line at the moment of turning. The balloon is freed and speeds right into the hole. I see the flash of an explosion just as the funnel shuts and is completely gone.
Slowing my baby down, I contact Justin. "It's done."
"Good work. You saved a lot of lives, not to mention protecting the computers that thing could have wrecked."
I lean on my wheel and admit something I never wanted to. "I need to learn more about computers. Justin, is there still opening in that class you told me about?"
"Sure thing. Starts next week."
"I'll be there."
0 Comments