Nova rushed down the hallway, heading for the laboratories. There was a lot of damage here, seemingly more than most of the station. Spirit had done a great deal of playing with these computers and lights.
He arrived at the door to the lab where Dr. Hostetter had been working. Debris filled the room, and only a small part had been shoved aside so anyone could get through. Computers remained broken and spewing sparks. Large tubes hung down from the ceiling, with bright cords dangling out of them. The few working lights fought to stay active.
“I should have assigned more repair droids to this section.” Nova noted. He called out, “Doctor!”
“In here, sir.” Dr. Hostetters’ hand waved above piles of wreckage.
Nova managed his way over, under, and around the damage to find the doctor. Dr. Hostetter stood in front of the holding area with the shards. Nova asked, “what is the problem?”
“We may have a problem, sir. Unless this station has a fail-safe security system to keep objects secure.”
“Not that I know of. Only for radioactive elements.”
Dr. Hostetter gestured to the holding area. “That’s what I was worried about. I thought, maybe, something had removed the shards to a safe location during the disaster in here. If that wasn’t the case, then they’re all gone.”
Nova looked down, only now realizing what was missing. “What! Are all of them missing?”
“As far as I can tell. I have searched under all the rubble I can move and scanned with what little still works. Nothing so far. Now, it’s possible they flew out of there and are in a corner, behind some hunk of metal too heavy for me to move.”
Nova held up his comm, “Repair droids seven through fourteen, report to Lab forty four at once. Bring lifter units and dematerializers.” An acknowledging beep sounded. Nova turned back to Dr. Hostetter, “When those units get here, direct them as best as you can to help find this stuff. They can move this debris out of the way.”
“I’ll do all I can.”
Nova left the lab just as several of the robots arrived. He walked toward the elevator when his comm device beeped him. “Nova here.”
Gar came through. “Sir, we have communications from members of the league, The Avengers. They are really not happy.”
“I didn’t think they’d be. Midgardsormr did go a bit too far. Tell them I will speak with them once I’m done down here.” He stepped into the elevator and pressed a special code.
Gar asked, “what’s going on down there?”
“Not sure yet. Hopefully, just cleaning up and finding some missing items. Nothing to worry the heroes about just yet. Let me go check on Skelanimal first, then we can start worrying.”
“Oh, uh, understood.” Gar’s signal ended.
Nova smiled, “I’ll let him deal with Avengers right now. I think I’ll have a personal chat with that WMD league. They need to know where to draw the line.” He talked to himself until the door opened.
Nova stepped out into a dark hallway with flickering lights and spewing sparks. This was not unlike the lab, only less debris scattered around. He turned on the small flashlight on the comm device and walked down the corridor with caution. He had to step over several fallen robots and avoid a damaged, flickering security field.
“This place is a mess.” He muttered, “Computer. Status of security systems.”
The computer answered, “security systems are at fifty-three percent activity.”
“What about the high level detention?” Nova asked.
“Detention levels are at maximum.”
Nova smiled again, knowing that their dedicated work to keeping these cells impervious to escape was paying off. This place was in utter ruins, and yet the cells were still holding their prisoners. Or really, the one prisoner.
He turned the last corner and passed what would have been a full check point. In front of him was the cell where Skelanimal still slept on the metal bed attached to a wall.
“Hey, Skelanimal! You missed the show. Apparently, the league you’ve worked with before, they just won the League Wars. I guess they didn’t need you.” He mused. “Hey, wake up!”
Skelanimal didn’t move. This drew some deep concern from Nova, that concern for life that keeps him from wishing even this poor creature dead. He quickly deactivated the forcefield and ran over to Skelanimal.
The bony villain appeared to be asleep. He was breathing, but didn’t react when Nova pushed on him.
“Skelanimal?” Nova felt his face and instantly realized something was desperately wrong. He felt a small, metal object, but couldn’t see one. Then his one eye widened. “A holo-fielder!” He felt the forehead again and pulled the invisible device free from this person.
A holographic field left the body and what had been Skelanimal was Dr. Henderson, laying on her side.
“Oh, no!” Nova turned to leave when the holo-fielder in his hand emitted a loud whistling noise.
The force fields around the cell all activated again. The lights came on and the robot guards stood up. They pointed weapons at Nova, surrounding the holding cell.
Skelanimal’s voice came out of the holo-fielder, “Good work, patchy, you discovered my little ploy. Now, time for the real fun.”
Nova opened his comm device. “operations!” nothing came through. “OPERATIONS!” still nothing.
EB stood on the console next to Chaz, doing what he does best, talking. “So, when I was working during the Civil War, you bet it was hard to keep my work up. Of course, that was only in America. Across the planet, it wasn’t so bad. But transporting myself all over the place was a lot more work back then. You see, I had to oversee the production of all the candy from my company and get it moved. It was hell dealing with the trading companies owned by the British and French and Portuguese and...”
Chaz typed into a small recorder so fast that he broke a sweat. “Wait, wait. I just got that last part in. Now, about my original question.”
“Oh, right...that was...um...what was that first question?”
Chaz scrolled until he came back to the top. “Oh, why did you start your first chocolate company?”
“Oh, yeah. Well, you see. I had time to learn all about human candies and sweets. I traveled all over the place looking for great ways to make better candy. I found honey of all kinds. Did you know that there is a stark difference in honey depending on the tree it comes from? I found this sourwood honey that was sooooo great. But then I came across this tropical variety that I couldn’t get enough of. So good. But getting it and using it to make luscious chocolate was a lot harder three hundred years ago. But so worth it. I tried getting the bees, but I really needed the hives to be near the trees...”
“Wait, I...can’t keep up.” Chaz struggled.
“Oh, well, I can type fast too. So...” Just then the lights in the room changed to a flat white, and the screens went off. It was like being in a movie theater after the show is over.
EB looked around, “What just happened?”
Gar, who had been keeping an eye on the monitors, said, “All the videos just powered down.”
“Obviously.” Chaz replied.
Gar spoke into his comm device. “Director, we have a problem up here.” He waited and said, “Director? Are you there?” Nothing came through.
Chaz looked at his monitors. “I don’t know what this means. But this says we’re transmitting an “all clear” signal.”
“The all clear?” Gar checked the communication terminal near the front. “That is strange. I can’t send or receive anything. This system is just sending out the basic all clear.”
“What’s that mean?” EB asked.
Gar said, “I think Director Nova told me that’s the basic signal sent, so that everyone knows things are good up here. I can’t turn it off. I should be able to.” He jammed a stony finger into the controls, with no results.
“I’ll check on Nova.” EB raced off toward the elevator, but stopped when the door wouldn’t open. “Hey, open up!”
Chaz stood up, “I can’t get my console to respond. Nothing’s working.”
“I have an idea.” EB hopped over to Gar. “I’ll call some of my magical friends over at the arena.”
“How?” Gar asked.
“Magic, silly.” EB laughed and then waved his paws in the air, forming a strange energy. “Krystal...Wizard, buddies….I need you…” He kept this up for a moment and then frowned. “This...this can’t be right. I don’t sense them over there. I don’t sense anyone over there. The arena is empty.”
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