Thread:FleetCaptainT/@comment-27324808-20170523182751

Forty-eight

  With Spakybob gone, his attack force was quickly decimated by the combination of defenders from the Sentinel Base Camp and Nimbus Station. Calm soon settled over Avant Garden’s hills, and coincidentally the skies cleared.

  Intrepid looked up at a navy blue sky after shoveling back the last of the dug up earth. Evelyne lay in a deactivated Nexus Force stasis tube. It was the best they had as it would protect her from Maelstrom.

  No words were said then, as there was nothing productive to do with such things, except to plan on how to stop the Maelstrom Dimension. Defeating them was fitting. It was the Maelstrom that killed Evelyne both times.

  “Still no sign of Red?” Jonna asked Intrepid as they headed back to the shipping container.

  He shook his head. “Guess who’s also gone.” Future Intrepid hadn’t shown up either after the battle, but Intrepid was used to a lack of communication with Red, and by extension the entire Future Dimension. With his Unverse Manipulator out coordinating with them was impossible, unless they could get to The Ring in Nexus Tower, but every world including Crux Prime had been hit, according to reports. Only Avant Gardens and Nimbus Station had overcome the first wave of attacks.

  Intrepid held up his dysfunctional Manipulator. “We need to fix this.”

  Jonna wrote it down in a battered notepad. “That’s on the list, as well as rescuing Cyclone, Edgar, and Allison. And finding more Nexus Figures, but with Red gone we have no way of following the lead she might have had.”

  “We might not need to.” Skilled Honored Ninja, also walking beside them, cut in. “I just remembered something about that term, Nexus Figures.” He scratched his hair. “Okay, this might make me seem like a stalker.”

  “Well, inferior janitor, tell us what’s on your mind!” Strange Odd Shadow urged him.

  “I need a moment to recall… now I’ve got it!” SHN pointed at Jonna. “Write this down: Verbina Ingram.”

  Jonna inscribed the name carefully.

  “Some type of flower?” asked Shira, perplexed.

  “It’s the name of a scientist who used to work for Leek Works.” Skilled clarified. “I was cleaning her office once, as any good janitor would, and this is the stalker-ish part. I saw a document on her desk with the title ‘Nexus Figures’ on it.”

  Intrepid stared at him. “You’re sure?”

  “I’m ninety-nine percent positive.” Skilled affirmed. “Make that ninety-eight. I could be wrong. Don’t sue me.”

  “I was about to call my attorney.” Shadow joked, but no one smiled.

  “So this Verbina worked, past-tense, for Future Leek Works?” Intrepid repeated. “What did she do there?”

  “She built the original Unverse Manipulators, that’s all I know.” Skilled shrugged. “The whole organization is very secretive. I didn’t even know Tiberius lived in the basement until he came up one night for a midnight snack, the same night I was going for a midnight snack. Scared the bricks out of me.”

  “That’s great, Skilled.” Jonna interrupted. “This is a great lead for us.” She shut the notebook and let a smile cross her weary face, which had been expressionless the past few hours, due in no small part to the conflict. “We kill three birds with one stone by finding Verbina. We learn what we can about the Nexus Figures, fix Intrepid’s Unverse Manipulator and maybe build more, so we can then go to the Maelstrom Dimension to save Cyclone and the others.”

  The five of them and Rover reached the shipping container and found two Sentinels inside. Kate was sprawled on the cot again and barely waved a greeting. The other was a white colored Sentinel wearing gear from all kits. A zip gun hung off his left side, a sword off his right, and a Samurai’s helmet and arrows were behind his back.

  “Suave Able Cat!” Rover shouted the Super Sentinel’s name. They both drew wide grins. “Haven’t seen you in a few years, buddy.”

  “You’d think I’d be second in command now with Brocktree still missing,” Suave said, letting his face turn grim at the mention of Lord Brocktree, who had gone missing on a mission three years before, “instead I’m still working behind the scenes. I thought I’d come back here, to see if I left any notes behind that would give a clue to this sudden Maelstrom resurgence. Instead I run into old friends. Come here.” The two shared a brotherly hug.

  “This isn’t a typical resurgence.” Jonna said, getting to business. “Intrepid?”

  “Do you know about the Epsilon Experiment?” Intrepid queried.

  “We sent explorers into another universe using the Ring device.” Suave answered and shook his head. “Don’t ask me how the thing works, Overbuild built it, not me.”

  “There are other dimensions, not like that universe, but based on ours and separated from us by unverse.” Intrepid said. “Similar and different. There’s a Maelstrom Dimension where the Darkitect has completely taken over the Crux System, maybe more, and they’ve developed Unverse breaching tech that uses Maelstrom. Now they’re attacking us.”

  Strange Odd Shadow opened his backpack and held up a notepad of his own, opened to a drawing. “Here’s a cleverly illustrated illustration of the Polyverse as we know it, drawn by myself.”

  “Janitor Dimension?” Suave stared at the drawing, a perplexed expression on his face. “Who came up with these names?”

  “I’m a janitor where I come from, one of the best.” Shadow explained. “For that reason my source dimension is named after me. And for the sake of familiarity, your dimension is called the ‘Original Dimension’, as about everyone here sees it, exceptions being me and the inferior janitor.”

  “Hi.” Skilled Honored Ninja waved. “I respectfully disagree with his claims that I am an inferior janitor.”

  Suave looked up. “Alright, I believe you about the dimensions. So do you have any plans to stop this?”

  “We’re working on making one.” Jonna said. “Right now we’re looking for someone else who we think can help us.”

  “Can you take us to a Verbina Ingram?” Skilled asked. “Given time, we could just hack the Nexus Force databases to find her, but we don’t have that, so...”

  “I know who you’re talking about,” Suave said, “but you really shouldn’t be hacking our stuff. That said, she works in Nexus Tower.”

  “Good, we were headed there anyway.” Intrepid said. “Having your authorization also means we don’t need to steal the Ring.”

  Suave folded his arms. “You talk about breaking into Nexus Tower like you’ve done it before.” He cast a sidelong glance towards Kate. “Oh right, some of you have. Well, I have no more business here. Thanks to you, I got what I came for. I’ll come with you.”

  “The more the merrier. We should all stick together this time.” Shira advised. “There are some people from Nimbus Station who’d like to join us.”

  Kate swung off the cot and followed them as they headed out, and Intrepid noticed her downcast expression. He walked slowly so she could catch up, then he asked, “How’re you doing?”

  “I should be asking about you.” she said huskily. “I’m sorry about Evelyne. She was a brave girl.”

  Intrepid nodded. He could tell she was bothered about killing Janitor Cyclone. “You’re thinking you should have been able to save them.”

  “I know it’s not my fault,” Kate said, “but I should have been able to do more. Being like a living Nexus has to mean something.”

  “We’ll figure it out.” Intrepid said. “Our primary objective is getting Cyclone, Edgar, and Allison back.”

  "That means going to the Maelstrom Dimension.” Kate translated. “Charles was adamant against me going there.”

  "He can’t play god.” Intrepid declared, and Kate sighed.

  "Neither can we.”

  Intrepid knew what her words meant, and he knew they were true. We can’t save everyone

Forty-nine

  The sky was beginning to lighten when they approached their rockets. The Avant Gardens and Nimbus Stations defenders, lead by Beck Strongheart and Epsilon Starcracker, had set up camp over another hill, and Intrepid watched as teammates and friends, old and new, came down the hillcrest to join them, lead by Shira who had went to rally them and Luke and Mara.

  "Hello, Sergeant.” Intrepid greeted a sterling Assembly officer dressed in Inventor gear who walked behind Luke.

  "How come you never visited me, Intrepid?” Sergeant Ghost Mustache asked with a scowl. “It’s a rocket’s flight between Avant Gardens and Nimbus Station. I could have been there for you, these last two years. Your friends have filled me in.”

  "I plead guilty to laziness.” Intrepid admitted. “So we’re still friends?”

  Sergeant clapped him on the back. “Do you even have to ask? I’m glad to see you again.”

  The two surveyed the rest of the new arrivals, five familiar persons in total. A black haired Sentinel Knight was showing off his latest rare acquisitions to Kate. Two Rank 3 Space Marauders, one blue-haired and the other brown-haired, stood alongside Shira. Another Sentinel, a Space Ranger, was cleaning his zipgun. The last of the entourage was a lean, bearded man with sand colored wavy hair dressed in a matte gray, carbon-mesh armor suit with no faction identification, signifying his independence from the Nexus Force. He held a modified Paradox Heavy Bolter and a Sniper Rifle was slung on his back. Other small weapons, pistols, blades, hooks, and tazers, and plenty of supplies were secured to his tool belt.

  "Remember these guys?” Shira pointed at the Space Marauders.

  "I’m Stunt.” said the blue-haired one.

  "And I’m Rare Spiffy Agent.” said the other.

  "Of course I remember them,” Intrepid said, “and Master Blade Nine and Argon Dragon Udon.”

  "Don’t forget me.” the faction-less man said, and he looked over Intrepid’s shoulder as Rover walked to Intrepid’s side.

  "I’ll never forget you, Krill Mathias.” the Buccaneer greeted his old nemesis, then he turned to the Sentinel Knight. “Good to see you, Blade.”

  “Shrill told us everything. Cyclone is captured again.” Blade confirmed. “Of course we’re here to help.”

  "So we’re going to this so-called Maelstrom Dimension?” Krill asked.

  "We need to see Verbina Ingram first,” Skilled said, “so we can get an army of Nexus Figures and build more Unverse Manipulators.”

  "I'll pretend to know what you're talking about. Are you sure we have time for this lady?” Krill questioned. “If we have a way into the Maelstrom Dimension, which we do with the Ring in Nexus Tower, we should go now.”

  "He has a point,” Rover agreed, “and how do we know it’s not too late for Cyclone and the others?”

  "We’re still going to try.” Kate reminded. “We’re going to see Verbina since she can help train my powers so we can save Cyclone.”

  "You have powers?!” Blade exclaimed.

  "I owe Kate my life.” Luke said, which made Mara cling to his arm.

  Guess Shira didn’t tell you everything, Blade. Intrepid thought. “You’re a Nexus Figure too, Blade. You, Kate, and Cyclone are the greatest threat to a Darkitect, which is why the Maelstrom Dimension one wanted you all dead… now he wants to infect you again.”

  "So what are we waiting for?” Rover asked, summoning his Venture rocket.

  "More like who.” Intrepid added, looking over the people assembled. Ray and Tornado were present. Ben was there. Cailan and Crimson were drinking soda. He whirled to Luke and Mara. “Where’s the Figdroids?”

  "They’re not here,” Luke said worriedly, “which can only mean one thing.”

  Intrepid took a deep breath and let it out raggedly, while he tallied in his head, Cyclone. Edgar. Allison. Jay and Katie. “Spakybob must have gotten them. They’ve been captured too.”

  The group of twenty-one delayed no further in boarding their rockets and launching to Nexus Tower. <ac_metadata title="Song of the Swans Part 8: Resolutions"> </ac_metadata>