“I don’t care. Activate all BADGE scanning stations. I want orbital and ground units focused on her chip id signal. Keep scanning.” Nova gave commands as his team of robots and a few heroes worked the system.
EB rushed out of the elevator. “I have all my candy delivery people looking for her face. Didn’t tell them why. If they see her anywhere, they’ll let me know.”
Arx, who was pacing near the screen, asked, “Why?”
EB gave a weak smile of encouragement. “You know, in case someone nabbed her. I know she’s a powerful hero, but someone can deceive even the best. If someone drugged her and kidnapped her, maybe we’ll get a visual.”
Nova said, “Thank you for the thought. But, our best bet is to locate her chip. This shouldn’t take but a couple full sensor sweeps across the planet.”
“Just try’n to help.” EB toed the ground.
Arx said, “You did great. I wish I could do something. I feel so helpless. What if she’s hurt? What if she’s scared? Damnit! I should be down there looking for her.”
Nova said, “She got lost because she went down without considering her emotional state. Do you want to be the next person we are hunting for?”
“But I should be there.” Arx said.
“We’ll find her. The sensors are coming online now. This will only take a few moments.”
Robot 10915 stated, “All systems are active. Initiating sensor sweep. Please stand by.”
Everyone cautiously watched the main monitor. The monitor showed a world map. A bright light crossed it several times, showing the sensors. There was a negative sounding buzz, and it started again, this time moving the other direction across the map, going from top to bottom. Only the clicking of the robot’s metal fingers on the computer systems made any noise. Then came another negative buzz.
10915 said, “BADGE id tag not found on planet earth or orbital facilities.”
“No.” Arx whispered.
Nova said, “I want a diagnostic of all sensor systems run, now. Have the computer analyze the sensors for anything wrong.”
EB asked, “What’s the matter? Should we tune it to a different frequency or something?”
Nova said, “No. BADGE id tags are damn near impossible to fool, hide, or stop. It is the most simple tracking system ever invented.”
10915 announced, “Diagnostics run, no issue discovered. Analysis run, no anomalous readings.”
Arx was in a state of shock, simply staring at the screen.
EB asked, “Could she be... uh... you know... dead?”
Nova said, “The id tags send a signal the moment someone dies. Any damage to the tag triggers a signal. She simply... doesn’t exist, according to this sensor reading.”
Arx burst into motion and grabbed EB, “USE MAGIC, CAST A SPELL, FIND HER!”
EB said, “I...I will... try.” he was being shaken so hard he couldn’t get his own words out.
Nova said, “Magic won’t help.”
Arx set EB down, “Please, try.”
EB held a paw up at Nova, to stop any contrary argument. He closed his eyes and put his paws together. A golden glowing light grew around him and then exploded out. With one word, his voice boomed in a thunderous echo, “ADRIANNE!”
After a moment of EB floating in the air, glowing a bright gold, he returned to normal and set back down. In a quiet voice, he said, “I can’t find her.”
Arx fell down on his knees, “What. No. I... she... I love her. I never actually said that to her. Oh, god, please, where is she?”
EB looked up at Nova and spoke with a seriousness that was uncommon for him, “There is very little in this universe that can block Vexillian magic like that. In the past seven hundred years, the only thing that could stop my detecting her presence would be one of the Vexillian talisman, like my basket or Santa’s sleigh. But I seriously doubt she is inside either of those. However, there is one other thing that has betrayed all my logic and our magic in recent years. Something that defies BADGE as well.”
Nova looked up at the screen. “Ren Spheres.”
“I don’t know how, but that is the only thing I can think of that could have stopped me from sensing her.”
Nova said, “But the only way those could hide her would be if she were inside one.” A sudden, horrified look crossed his face. “Oh no. What if those spheres are capturing people, morphonic people?”
EB said, “Then, my dear Director Nova, BADGE will have reason to do a much closer investigation on them.”
Arx said, “I don’t care what you have to do. Find her. I will rip those spheres apart with my hands if I have to.”
“You won’t have to. EB’s right, we now have probable cause to launch a larger, more thorough investigation on those damn things. And... Ren Tech gear is once again...”
“NO, don’t say it!” EB backed up.
“Banned on this station indefinitely.”
EB was about to yell comically when he heard the man weeping next to him. He took his Ren wear glasses off and broke them in half. He dropped them on the ground and then created a chocolate egg for Arx.
“Here, buddy, have something sweet. We will find her and we will make them pay, I promise.”
***
“Okay, student heroes, I want you to pair up with search team members and go out. We’re going to scour this area for any further remains of Antaeus. Dr. Lightfoot, I want you and your team to start the forensics on determining just how this chunk of him got here. I find it impossible to believe a single piece, this large, flew this far from the origin of his demise.”
Dr. Lightfoot, a lanky scientist with a white goatee, said in a dull voice, “We will have to take a lot of meticulous readings of the area around the sphere. There should be no one within a twenty-foot radius of it until we’re finished.”
“Understood.” Justin turned to Dragonborn and the two student heroes with him. “The search for Adrianne will continue from here. BADGE is scanning for her id tag, but that doesn’t mean we should stop looking. If there was any foul play, finding her sooner than later is paramount. The risk that a morphonic person got to her is possible and you might...” his comm beeped with a specific tone. “The emergency call?” He clicked it on. “Justin here.”
Everyone present heard Nova’s voice loudly. “The search for Adrianne has taken a turn for the worse. We cannot find her id tag on planet earth.”
“That’s not possible.” Justin said.
“We understand. It is our belief that, somehow, her disappearance results from the Ren Spheres?”
“But, how?”
“I will send you what we know and all our data. As of this moment, I am lifting all restrictions on investigating those spheres. If anyone from Ren Tech shows up to stop you, you may use any necessary force to hold them back. I want to be absolutely clear about the danger they pose.”
Justin asked, “Are you sure that is wise? You know how they will respond to this.”
“People’s lives are at stake. I don’t care if they bring in every damn lawyer on the planet. They will learn just how little I care about politics and PR when it comes to the sanctity of life.”
“Do you believe she is inside the sphere?” Justin asked.
“It is all theory at this moment, but we have to be certain. Get to work. As of this moment, your investigation site should go to yellow alert. All heroes and student heroes present will remain as protection in case of interference.”
“Understood. What about the investigation into the Antaeus situation?”
“You can assign the specialists to continue their work on the search for Antaeus’s remains. But the other specialists with you are to do whatever they can to crack that damn sphere open.”
Justin said, “As per your orders, sir, it will be done.”
“Get to it.”
“Justin out.” He clicked off his comm and looked up at the shocked faces of the surrounding people. “You heard him. Our orders have changed. Team, get ready for a full dissection of this sphere. Dr. Lightfoot, get your forensic work done as soon as possible. Student heroes, your mission has changed. Protect this position. Unless I clear them, let no outsider within the perimeter of this site.”
Dragonborn asked, “What if Ren Tech people show up? What are we allowed to do?”
Justin said, “Whatever is needed to keep them at bay. As of this moment, Ren Tech people are active enemies of BADGE.”
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