“Okay, I want these fields picked as fast as possible. You were briefed on what a ripe tomato looks like; pick them and leave the green ones for later. Go!” Arx gestured toward the field.
This was the speed team, all fast morphonic people. They zoomed in a great blur as they quickly plucked the ripe berries from the manicured vines.
His wrist comm beeped, and he spoke into it, “What is it?”
A man’s voice said, “Sir, we’ve cleared all the peaches from the trees in Georgia, boxed and ready to move them to the food lines.”
“Good. Take your team to the HQ in Atlanta and find out where you can help harvest next. We need food on the tables.”
“At once, Agent Rodin out.” The comm beeped off.
A BADGE student assigned to Arx for this mission ran up to him. “Mr. Arx! They found us!”
Arx looked back and groaned. “Crap. I don’t need this.” He clicked an emergency signal on his comm.
“Why are you trying to run from them?” The girl asked.
Arx said, “I have an unpleasant history, one that might make people uncomfortable. I’m working in the relief efforts in the field for a reason. I don’t want to be on the news.” Two WVLT news vans stopped near them.
The student said, “People remember who you were, the famous and beloved movie star. You were the biggest star in the virtual world. I went to all your movies.”
“That wasn’t real. It was fake. Happy hormones hyped people up, so Drocha’s system could then abuse them. Now, unfortunately, they know my face.” He watched the Knoxville news team exiting a van on the distant dirt road that ran along the side of the fields. “When I lost my silver skin and most of my memory, I thought the world would forget me, or bury the evil villain Arx I had become. The new Arx, head of ATLAS, was unknown. But, that damn virtual world turned me back into a celebrity, and now the world knows me again. Only the reality of my past is also here, and I don’t want our work to be ruined by that. So, I don’t want to deal with the media.”
A purple flash of light became Strange Quark, who was drinking a wild-colored mixed drink. “You rang?” He stated with a comical hint in his voice.
Arx said, “Media blitz.” He pointed to the approaching news team.
“Gotcha.”
“Wait,” Arx held up his hand. “You,” he pointed to the student. “Tell the news nothing about me, or anything about BADGE’s work with the spheres. You know nothing. If they ask about ATLAS stuff, tell them we are hard at work with relief. That is it. Good luck.”
“Wait, you want me to talk to the media? I’m a student.”
“Consider it training.” Quark said and snapped his fingers. He and Arx vanished in a flash of light.
***
“We’ve searched seven Renn Tech facility locations, including a factory that manufactured the Renn
Wear. We haven’t found the source of the signal. EB has been jumping around, helping Arx and the relief teams. However, he has also been getting me past some blockades around the Renn Tech facilities so we don’t raise any alarms. Right now, he is.... I don’t know. But he’ll be...”EB zipped up to the side of Justin and jumped up and down so he would appear every other second in the wrist comm. “Hi..Buddy...just...looking...around...for...security...cameras.”
Chase said, “What’s going on? What signal? We have every BADGE person available scanning for any evidence of Drocha.”
Nova said, “I know, and I hope we turn up some help there. But I also know my enemy. Drocha is not someone to be underestimated. He is Moriarty, a master tactician and schemer. His Renn Wear plan confounded us until he put it into motion. He blatantly set his spheres right in front of us, knowing we could never crack them until it was too late, which was correct. His Renn Wear was insidious. We only figured out they were dangerous moments before they nearly destroyed the world. Eight billion people are recovering from what could have been a mass extinction event, and we only skimmed success out of this because of a computer anomaly caused by Alex and Krystal, and we lost them in the process of saving this world.”
“What are you saying?” Gar asked.
Nova said, “I need BADGE working like it would in any emergency case. I need you, the robots, every hero, every student, every agent all working to find Drocha, solve the spheres, and help the suffering people. I want you looking for answers with your last breath. At the same time, I’ll be here, looking into a clue that might lead us to the right answer.”
Chase said, “You want us wasting our time?”
“No. Your work will produce results. Helping people is necessary, and searching for answers might provide aid in my job. But I know Drocha has eyes and ears in our operation. Not in infiltration... at least I hope every member of this team is trustworthy. But he could hack into our system and learn a terrifying amount about us to recreate it. From that simulation, he garnered more information. You unwittingly let him in on how we operate, what we use, and our methods. There isn’t an inch of BADGE he didn’t see firsthand... except this room.” Nova held out his arms.
Chase said, “I’ve never been here before.”
“I have,” Gar said.
Nova nodded. “Of the people in my life, only Gar, EB, Santa, and Strange Quark have ever been in here. And Quark got in without my approval. That means the simulation that harvested your thoughts had nothing to work with. This room was a void in his world. It simply didn’t exist. As far as Drocha is concerned, I have walked outside of reality.”
Gar asked, “What is the purpose of this?”
“This room is my private place to rest and remember the long life I have lived. It is my most private home. These items have traveled with me for centuries, reminding me that what I have done has meant something to this world. And, this room also contains the most sophisticated, secure communication system known to exist, thanks to EB and Santa’s help.”
EB grabbed Justin’s wrist and yanked it down so he could talk without jumping. “Yeah, the Oracle of Tech helped create this and the scanner we’re using. It’s so cool, the Oracle even used some Vexillian tech with my help. He said I was smart for a bunny.... which might have been an insult, now that I think about it. Whatever. The computer is so complicated and different that a human computer system could never hack it, and Legion NEEEEEEVER got through our codes. So, nasty old Drocha won’t even know what he’s missing.”
Nova said, “From here, I’m leading a search.”
Gar asked, “For what?”
Nova touched the screen, and strange symbols appeared that he seemed to be typing into. After a moment, a little window opened, with a buzzing sound coming out. “This is a distress signal from ancient legion tech. Someone is using Legion tech to call for help, and they are doing it from Earth.”
“Drocha?” Chase asked.
Nova nodded. “I don’t know what he has planned. But, he is using an old Legion signal to call for aid in it. We have to find him and shut that signal off, ending his threat before he makes his next move.”
Chase said, “So, what do you need us to do? I can help look for the signal. More people out there...”
“Will alert Drocha to our secret plan.” Nova said, “No, Gar will take charge and lead the relief efforts and the official BADGE search for Drocha and answers about the Spheres. Outside of this room, you have never heard of this signal or that Justin and EB are working directly for me.”
“I’m in charge?” Gar pointed at himself.
“Yes, you.”
“What about me?” Chase asked.
Nova slowly picked up an antique jingle bell. “There is only one other general on this world who has led armies in combat against Legion. We must prepare for the possible invasion of a new Legion, if that is what Drocha has planned. I need you to go to your father, Santa Claus. We need his help.”
