Chapter 33: Under Pressure
**A deep, directionless static permeates the watery world, speaking to the untold fathoms of a planet covered in unbroken ocean. The divers find themselves looking at their surroundings through an emerald tinted lens; dappled sunlight dances on the surface above, funneling broken rays into the submarine realm. Aurora points toward the distant seafloor, where the indistinct outlines of the Dictator’s base lie in silence**
AURORA: There’s our destination…
**Jimmy looks over at Goddard, who has encased himself in a translucent, watertight force-shield**
JIMMY: Goddard, activate Security Protocol Nine Seven Dash Alpha…increase output by 300 percent, and compensate for all audio, thermal, visual, and kinetic signatures.
**He responds with a muffled bark, then boots up the security protocol. A moment later an energy pulse leaves the protective bubble and ripples outward, forming an invisible circumference around the divers. Aurora slowly rotates to face Jimmy, yellow hair tangling and blowing in the undersea breeze**
AURORA: Neutron, what was that?
JIMMY: A slight modification to a feature I built into Goddard a while back…the energy field he’s generating will hide all life signatures within a thirty foot radius. True, it won’t do you guys much good once we split up inside the base, but at least for now the Dictator won’t be able to pinpoint our position in the water.
**Aurora nods grimly, and motions for the others to follow her. She swims down, ponytail trailing behind her like a ribbon. Future Libby struggles to keep up, stopping every few strokes to tug on her dress. Nav follows closely, no doubt to enjoy the view, and the kids paddle awkwardly behind him. April, alert and armed, brings up the rear**
JIMMY: (glancing back) April, your guns must be waterproof, right?
APRIL: Of course. They’re Gorlock weapons. On a planet with daily rainstorms and an average humidity of 99%, waterproof firearms are a necessity.
FUTURE LIBBY: (still pulling on her dress) I wish this outfit were waterproof! Oh, why did I wear this? The saltwater is ruining the fabric!
SHEEN: Weeeell, you could always take it off…
**Libby reaches out to smack Sheen, but the friction of the water renders the action ineffectual. He laughs and twirls around, tiny bubbles lodging in the folds of his orange suit before rising in a merry procession toward the surface**
SHEEN: Haha! You cannot hurt me! I am invincible! I am untouchable! I…eww! I just swam through a warm spot! Carl, that better not’ve been you!
**Carl’s cheeks color as he wobbles ungracefully through the water**
CARL: Sorry…I thought no one would notice…
SHEEN: Ah, man, this isn’t your own private toilet! I just breathed that in, dude!
**Nav sniggers, his eyelids crinkled with mischievous delight**
NAV: And thus we see that, no matter what the situation, bathroom humor continues to be amusing…
CINDY: (muttering) For you, maybe…
**As the seabed draws nearer, Aurora maneuvers herself upright and glides down the rest of the way, alighting neatly on the sandy bottom. Future Libby flounders behind her, kicking up a cloud of silt as she touches down. Nav and April sink to the ground a moment later, vision temporarily impeded by the suspended particles. As the sediment settles, the combatants find themselves surrounded by an endless plain of lifeless sand. The seafloor extends out as far as the eye can see, sculpted into gentle rolling dunes by the waves far above**
AURORA: There it is.
**The kids, floating in the water at eye level, turn to face the marine fortress. Like a city frozen in space and time, the complex sprawls out over a vast tract of ocean, its mottled green, blue, and brown walls blending in with the undulating colors of the water**
LIBBY: (after a pause) Wow. It’s so…
JIMMY: Labyrinthine?
LIBBY: I was gonna say “big”, but that works too…
**Aurora, all business, motions for them to speed things up**
AURORA: This way…
**She leads them across the silty bottom, stirring up plumes of sand with each footfall. Sheen, noticing the character of their procession, interjects**
SHEEN: Oh man, this reminds me of that scene from Pirates of the Mediterranean – you know, the one where Captain GarrrGrossa had all the skeletons walk underwater…
**Jimmy rolls his eyes**
JIMMY: Much as I appreciate your wasted childhood, Sheen, now is hardly the time for movie references.
**Carl peers around nervously, hands clasped together, his voice thin with fear**
CARL: Oh…why did you have to mention skeletons? This is scary enough as it is!
**The group falls into silence as they slip closer to the Dictator’s base. Aurora kicks off the bottom and glides over to the main wall, parting the curtain of languid seaweed that sways along the rim of the building. The others file up beside her, and she points to a small, round opening half-clogged with sediment and barnacles**
AURORA: Here’s an opening to the water pressure valve. This one goes to Sector 3 and the central armory – which means Nav and April, you guys are up.
**Movement made awkward by the water, the pair paddles forward to examine the opening more closely as Aurora completes her instructions**
AURORA: The fit is going to be a bit tight at first, but once you’re inside the duct, travel about 50 feet, and then break through the floor. Make a good showing of it, too. As soon as you’re on dry ground, blast the hell out of anything and everything that comes your way. It has to be loud and flashy – Neutron needs to know that you guys are a diversion. If he believes that you two are meant to distract him, he’ll ignore you and come looking for me instead – which is exactly what we want.
APRIL: (scratching her head) So…we are a diversion whose purpose is to do the exact opposite of what a diversion normally does?
AURORA: More or less.
**Nav shakes his head, impressed**
NAV: Man, Aurora, I tell ya. You missed your calling as a criminal mastermind. You really do have a devious head on those shoulders. You deserve that spot as 7th Samarkandi even more than I do.
**April pinches him on the arm**
APRIL: Give yourself more credit, Nav! You are a wonderfully talented felon.
NAV: (rubbing his newly acquired bruise) Ow, April, you really are too kind…
**After adjusting her helmet, April pauses to take stock of her myriad array of weapons. Satisfied, she turns and wriggles headfirst into the open duct, kicking her legs to propel her into the dark interior. Nav grabs hold of the edge of the duct a few seconds afterward, then turns to the crowd behind him and winks**
NAV: Catch you on the flipside, ladies and gents.
**He disappears with a smile, and the remainder of the group looks to Aurora**
AURORA: OK kids, here’s the deal. The entrance to Sector 2 is on the arm of the base just to the left of this one. It should be fairly easy for you guys to get inside the duct. I’m not sure what awaits your arrival in that part of the fortress, so be on your guard. As soon as you are able, see if you can use Goddard to hack into the central computer or even just access the auxiliary security system. Shut down weapons, surveillance, communication – anything you can. Any leeway you can give the rest of us would be extremely helpful.
JIMMY: Understood.
AURORA: Libby and I are going to Sector 5, which is located on the other side of the base, two arms to the right of our current position. By the time we get inside, Nav and April should already be working their magic. I’ll trust that you guys will be doing the same. Well, I guess this is it. Be careful, and please don’t die.
**With these terse parting words, the two factions separate and swim in opposite directions. Jimmy waits until Aurora and Future Libby disappear around the bend, then turns to face the others, easily slipping back into his usual role as unofficial leader of the group**
JIMMY: All right guys. Follow me.
**He leads them along the edge of the fortress, all the while keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. Goddard floats close behind, safe inside his bubble of air, as Jimmy guides the others down the path between the wall and the curtain of seaweed. They plod along, and the silence grows, filling the space around them until it becomes an entity in its own right - an eerie, directionless hum circulating through the deep water. As they near the entrance to the duct, even Sheen cannot conceal his apprehension**
SHEEN: (nervously) Hey J-Jim, are we there yet? I’m so freaked I can’t even think of a good Ultralord reference!
JIMMY: Keep it together, Sheen. Look, here’s the entry point …
**Cindy steps forward to enter the duct, but Jimmy stops her with a wave of his hand**
JIMMY: No…wait a minute. I just thought of something. Goddard, can you scan for sensors around the mouth of the duct?
**His pet nods, then opens his mouth and commences the scan. He finishes, then displays the results on the screen. Jimmy squints down at it, and everyone else crowds around him to get a look, only to find themselves looking at a seemingly incomprehensible sequence of numbers**
JIMMY: Hmm…interesting…
**Libby leans back and shakes her head**
LIBBY: How you can understand anythin’ from that pile of numbers is beyond me…
JIMMY: It’s not that complicated, really. Basically, Goddard’s scan indicates that there is a network of advanced sensors on the interior of the ducts.
CARL: Oh no! We’ll never get through without him seeing us!
JIMMY: (waving away his concern) No, no, this is a good thing! His sensors won’t be able to pick us up as long as we stay within 30 feet of Goddard. Plus, if I’m interpreting these results correctly (and I’m 99.97% sure I am), then the sensors are linked into the central computer.
CINDY: (motioning impatiently) Which means…
JIMMY: Which means I can kill two birds with one stone and hack into the security system at the same time we’re traveling through the duct.
SHEEN: Oooh! …I don’t get it.
JIMMY: Don’t concern yourself with the particulars, Sheen. Let’s just make it through, and I’ll handle the complicated stuff.
SHEEN: (shrugging) You’re the genius.
**Jimmy motions for Goddard to go ahead, and the robotic dog swims through the round portal and into the inner passage. Jimmy enters a second later, and Carl, Sheen, and Libby follow close behind him, with Cindy bringing up the rear. Inside the duct, the passageway is dimly lit and cramped, and an internal current tugs on their hair and clothing. Deep, metallic echoes run up and down the length of the tube, and Libby bites her nails uneasily, her shoulders clenched tight with fear**
LIBBY: (eyes darting) Oooh, I feel like the walls are closin’ in around me!
CINDY: Libs, I didn’t know you were claustrophobic…
LIBBY: I’m not. I’m just a bit wigged out by the fact that I’m under a hundred feet of crushin’ water, on my way into the lair of a psychopath.
CINDY: Ah. Understandable.
**Jimmy fiddles with his watch as he calibrates the settings, then shouts head to Goddard**
JIMMY: All right, boy. I need you to interface wirelessly with the central computer, OK? Once you do, I’m going to relay my instructions to you verbally, and I need you to convert them into binary and relay them over the link.
GODDARD: Mmmbark bark! Grr, rrr, mbbark! Bark!
JIMMY: Ah, I see. Keep trying…
GODDARD: Aow, bark bark!
JIMMY: Really? OK, try again, and make sure the packet sniffer doesn’t detect the network intrusion…
**Sheen and Libby shrug to each other as Jimmy and his pet carry on with their indecipherable conversion**
JIMMY: Did you get it?
GODDARD: Baaaark!
JIMMY: Excellent! OK, I’ll input the first password. Ready? OK.
**Jimmy clears his throat**
JIMMY: 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230...
SHEEN: Whoa, there! What the heck?
JIMMY: …78164062862089986280348253421170679821480865132823066. OK, part two of the password: 2.7182818284 5904523536….
CINDY: Whoa, seriously Neutron, what are you doing?
JIMMY: When I was ten years old, I came up with the ideal password. It includes the first 121 digits of pi, followed by the first 20 of Euler’s number, followed by the number of characters in the ancient Mayan script, followed by the square root of the number of times I tried to build Goddard before I succeeded, followed by a long number equation using base 8, followed by numerical representations of my parents’ names spelled backward, followed by the French word for the color of my rocket, followed by…
CINDY: OK, OK, we get it! Jeez! But why are you reciting all that number nonsense now?
JIMMY: Because, like I said, it is the ideal password. Nobody other than myself could ever remember, yet alone come up with, the exact sequence of numbers and letters that are contained within it. My older self would be a fool to not use it as the base password for the central computer. Now, if you wouldn’t mind being quiet so I could finish…
**They group proceeds onward in awed silence as Jimmy continues to rattle off a list long enough to make their heads spin**
SHEEN: Ooh! Ooh! He said the number 43! That’s my favorite number, ‘cause that’s how many Ultralord action figures can fit on the shelf above my bed!
CARL: Oh, and he said mine too! Wanna know what it is?
LIBBY: Not really…
CARL: (continuing anyway) My favorite number is number 2! Wanna know why? ‘Cause it’s not first, but it’s still a good number!
LIBBY: Why are you tellin’ me this?
**Cindy rolls her eyes flamboyantly, then gestures ahead at Jimmy**
CINDY: Because we’re trying to kill time while Spewtron over there lists every known number in existence.
JIMMY: Hey, you wanna be quiet back there? Jeez! Ahem...674927367582
nietsnietrebla0003838…
**After one final sequence, Jimmy completes his recitation**
JIMMY: OK Goddard, that’s it. It’ll probably require a DNA match as well, so upload my genetic code along with the password I’ve just given you.
GODDARD: Mmm, bark bark!
**Goddard’s eyes glow a brighter shade of white as he sends the information over the wireless link. A moment later, he makes a pinging sound, and then projects a holographic image of the base directory into the water above him**
JIMMY: All right! Way to go boy! We’re in!
**The others cheer in response. Sheen attempts to chest-bump Libby, but she deftly side-steps, and he ends up banging into the wall instead. Smiling at their antics, Jimmy turns his attention to his watch, which he uses to scroll through the directory. He scrutinizes the files and permissions intently, then frowns**
JIMMY: Hmm, that’s odd…
CINDY: What is it? What are you looking for?
JIMMY: I can access a lot of sensitive information, like schematics, experimental data, and surveillance, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot in the way of executable commands. No, wait, here’s something…
**The travelers continue on in observant silence. Completely engrossed in his search, Jimmy almost blunders into the wall ahead**
JIMMY: (reeling back) Whoa! I guess we’ve reached the end of the passage. But hold on just a second, let me finish…
**He sifts through a few more databases, then finally snaps his fingers**
JIMMY: Aha! There’s something I can use! It’s the command root for the weapons array in all 5 Sectors. Disable that, and any weapons tied directly to the main computer will be offline. It won’t help with robotic personnel, but then again I didn’t expect to be able to do that anyway. OK, Goddard, I want you to use a brute force packet method to freeze the security protocols.
GODDARD: Mmmbark!
JIMMY: Is it working?
GODDARD: Grrr bark bark!
JIMMY: Good. Now, let me look for one more thing…
**The others stand around helplessly as Jimmy engages in computing far beyond their understanding. He enters another long string of numbers and letters, then scratches his head**
JIMMY: That is so weird. I mean, as I had anticipated, I’m not having any trouble navigating the system – after all, it’s set up in the exact same logical pattern I would use – but I still can’t break through to the main controls. Everything seems to be protected by layers and layers of encryptions and pass-codes. I’ve tried all the techniques I would normally use to protect this kind of information, but it’s not working. Clearly my older self knows some tricks that I don’t…
CINDY: Well I should hope so. I mean, his inventions actually work…
JIMMY: And he’s a murderous sociopath who destroyed earth and killed everyone we know and love. So take your pick. Malfunctioning inventions, or global annihilation…
**His retort immediately puts an end to her snide remarks, and Jimmy goes back to his search. Libby looks around nervously**
JIMMY: Aha! Here’s something, though I’m not entirely sure what it is…
LIBBY: (anxiously) Jimmy, shouldn’t be gettin’ outta this duct soon? I mean, the 15 minutes must be almost up.
JIMMY: Good point. I guess I can continue this once we get into the open air. Hmm, I’m a bit hesitant to cut through the duct, though. If we destroy one of the sensors, it’ll probably alert him to our presence in this Sector. I should disable them first…
**He scrolls through the directory until he locates the target of his search**
JIMMY: This looks like the right one. At least, I hope it is. OK, here goes nothing…
**He disables the protocol, and almost instantly the duct is filled with a deafening rushing sound**
JIMMY: Uh-oh…that can’t be good…
**A wall of fast moving water slams into the kids, throwing them against the wall and pinning them in place**
JIMMY: (desperately) Shut it down Goddard! Shut it down!
**Goddard quickly reverses the changes, and the pressure relents. The kids float back to the floor like wayward leaves, shaken and slightly battered**
CINDY: (coughing) Ugh! What the heck was that about? What did you do?
JIMMY: My fault! Turning off the sensors also turned off the water pressure regulator. The underwater current that had been previously held at bay was just unleashed. Luckily, we’re not in the part of the base where the current is strongest, or we might have been seriously injured. Don’t worry about it, though – Goddard re-stabilized the flow.
CINDY: Whatever you say, Neutron. Just get us out of this blasted tube, will ya?!
**Jimmy complies, aiming his watch laser at a small rectangular section on the roof of the duct. After cutting a square hole, he swims up and presses his hand against the cutaway piece, and the water pressure sends it shooting out into the room above. He then helps the others swim to the surface and extricate themselves from the exit. One by one, they roll out onto the quickly-flooding floor above, gasping as their lungs draw in fresh oxygen. Jimmy pulls himself out last, sending droplets of water flying when he breaches the surface. He retrieves the chunk of metal that he'd removed and fits it back into place**
JIMMY: All right Goddard, seal the cut!
**Two red beams emanate from the mechanical canine’s eyes, fusing the seams and damming the flow of water. When the last plume of smoke curls into invisibility, the kids slump forward in relief**
LIBBY: (exhaling) We’re in…
**A long moment of silence follows, broken only by the gentle sloshing of the ankle-deep water. Vein-like aquamarine reflections dance over the gray walls, filling the chamber with a quiet blue light. Somewhere in the distance, water drips. Jimmy wrings out his outlandish hairdo as Cindy splish-splashes over to him**
CINDY: Neutron, you don’t think that little accident we had in the duct affected the rest of the base, do you? I mean, what if Aurora and Future Libby got caught up in that current?
JIMMY: (shaking his hair) I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m sure they were out of the duct by the time it happened.
CINDY: (skeptically) If you say so…
JIMMY: At any rate, we don’t have time to be worrying about the others. We have our own safety to consider. They’ll take care of themselves. Now, if you’ll just give me a few more minutes, I’ll finish hacking and…
GODDARD: Grrr, bark! Mmbark!
**Jimmy snaps around**
JIMMY: What? What do you mean there’s no wireless access here? It worked fine inside the tube!
GODDARD: Eow, eow… Grr rrrk ar ark! Bark!
JIMMY: Why on Earth would he do that? Are you sure?
GODDARD: Mmmbark! Bark bark!
**Cindy forces her way in between the two**
CINDY: (derogatorily) This may come as a shock to you, Neutron, but I don’t speak DOG. Would you mind cluing us in? We’re your teammates too, remember!
JIMMY: Sorry, sorry. I was just caught a bit off guard.
**He turns to address his friends, spreading his palms in an explanatory gesture**
JIMMY: According to Goddard’s internal computer, this entire branch of the Sector is a dead zone. There’s no sensors, no surveillance, no wireless network. In other words, no chance of being detected – but also no chance of completing the hacking I started in the duct.
CINDY: A dead zone? Doesn’t that seem a bit suspicious to you?
JIMMY: Of COURSE it’s suspicious! Why would the Dictator keep an entire Sector running, complete with life support and complex architecture, if it were empty? It’s wholly illogical! Maybe this really was a project that was abandoned…or maybe…no, I don’t think that’s it… Goddard, pull up the schematics that you downloaded for Sector 2!
**His pet projects a 2-D floor plan into the air, and Jimmy steps forward to study it. The schematic shows a meandering, labyrinth-like collection of rooms – which, unfortunately, block the way to the center of the base**
JIMMY: (stroking his chin) Hmm, that IS odd. Sector 2 is like one big maze…the rooms don’t seem to be laid out in any kind of logical order. To tell you the truth, it makes me nervous. Unfortunately, I need to get to an area with wireless access or a computer interface…which means, one way or another, we’re going to have to get through this.
**Libby gestures at the convoluted, labyrinthine floor plan**
LIBBY: But how are we gonna find our way through that?
**Jimmy smiles smugly**
JIMMY: The answer to that, as always, is science. Goddard, plot the most efficient course through the maze!
**His pet obeys, and a yellow line coils out from their current position on the map and traces its way through the rooms, emerging at last on the other side**
JIMMY: See? All we have to do is follow Goddard’s digital map, and we won’t get lost.
**Cindy traces the route with her finger**
CINDY: OK, so according to this, we should start by leaving this room, and then go down a long hallway until we find the entrance to the maze. Does that sound about right?
JIMMY: You got it. Now let’s get a move on…the clock is ticking!
**Rewind 10 minutes, rotate 160 degrees, and shift over to Aurora and Future Libby, who are traversing the duct leading into Sector 5. Aurora leads the way, periodically glancing over her shoulder to check on her timidly advancing companion**
AURORA: You OK?
FUTURE LIBBY: (glancing around anxiously) Ya, I’m fine…I’m just a bit…creeped out by dark, cramped places.
**Aurora unfurls her fingers, and a faint green light illuminates her palm**
AURORA: Better?
**Future Libby nods, swimming in closer to her friend**
AURORA: Keep close.
**They continue to advance, Future Libby hugging tight to the wall, pulling herself along incrementally. Up ahead, the duct splits into two passages – one is open, tapering into darkness; the other is partitioned off by a finely meshed grate. Future Libby stops to examine it**
FUTURE LIBBY: What’s with the filter grate?
**Aurora paddles around to face the other woman**
AURORA: Um…I’m pretty sure that passage leads to the desalinization plant.
FUTURE LIBBY: Desalinization?
AURORA: (impatiently) Ya. Seawater is taken in through the filter, drained into pools, and then converted into fresh water using reverse osmosis. It’s really not that important to our mission. Now let’s get a move on…
**Future Libby hangs back, frowning in thought**
AURORA: What is it?
FUTURE LIBBY: This looks like an easier place to get out. Are we gonna try goin’ through the filter?
AURORA: It probably would be, but no, we’re not. I’ve never been inside the desalinization plant, and I haven’t seen the layout schematics. There are enough variables to consider without having to find our way through an uncharted section. After all, our mission is to find the Dictator, not get lost in his base.
**Future Libby giggles in spite of the situation**
FUTURE LIBBY: Right. Lead the way…
**As her words die away, a distant rumbling sound floods the duct. Aurora twirls toward it, eyes narrowed in suspicion, instantly alert**
AURORA: (squinting) What the…
**The walls of the tube begin to tremble, and a split second later, a torrent of white, bubbling water rockets toward them. Aurora’s eyes shoot wide open in surprise, but her cry of warning is silenced as the jet of high-pressure water slams into her. With her last vestiges of coordination, she reaches blindly for Future Libby’s hand. She catches hold of one of Libby’s golden bracelets, but amid the violent confusion, it slips from her wrist. In the blink of an eye, the two women are hurled apart. Future Libby collides with the grate, which instantaneously collapses from the impact, folding around her like a piece of origami as both disappear down the filter tube in a rush of darkness and churning bubbles.**
AURORA: Lib-mm!
**The swirling waters push Aurora into the opposite passage, cutting short her outcry. Spinning head over feet, Aurora flounders in the crushing current. Senses hopelessly scrambled, Aurora barely has time to panic before she slams back-first into the rear wall of the duct. Her head cracks against the metal, and the world flashes into slow motion, her internal sensations amplified into sickening detail. She hears each and every bone in her body straining as the roaring water sweeps over her, and she finds herself wondering faintly if she is going to die. Three heartbeats later, her vision fades to a slow, misty white, and she feels herself slipping into peaceful nothingness. Fighting unconsciousness with every fiber of her being, she summons up one last-ditch burst of energy. Green light trickles down her body, and as her eyelids droop slowly closed, she begins to melt through the metal wall behind her. The water pressure completes the task for her – the duct bursts, and Aurora spills into the room beyond it, borne along by countless gallons of water. The tidal wave calms at last, depositing her gently on the floor of an empty corridor. Numb and dazed, Aurora lays motionless on the ground, staring up unblinkingly at the ceiling lights until they finally go dark…**
**…Coughing and sputtering, Future Libby pulls herself out of a small concrete pool. She takes a few steps, then falls to her knees, choking as the saltwater is purged from her lungs. As soon as she can breathe again, she hauls herself upright, blinking droplets of water from her dark eyelashes**
FUTURE LIBBY: (calling out) Aurora? Aurora, where are you? I…ahu! Ahu!
**She doubles over in another coughing fit. Teeth-chattering loudly, she straightens again, shivering violently from the cold and the shock of the previous sixty seconds. Her mind races wildly as she tries to make sense of what happened. What had hit them? Where was Aurora? She shakes her head to clear her thoughts, then turns to survey her surroundings. The desalinization plant consists of several interconnecting pools, separated from one another by semi-permeable membranes. Water gushes into the largest from the source tube, and the broken filter grate tumbles in erratic circles within the small eddy formed at their juncture. The smell of chemicals lingers in the damp air, and distant walls creak from the all-pervading moisture. Although the room is dimly lit, it is clear that Aurora is nowhere to be found; Future Libby coughs again, this time on the verge of tears**
FUTURE LIBBY: (to herself, miserably) Aurora must’ve gotten swept into the other duct! Which means she could be just about anywhere right now! Oh, what should I do? How could things’ve gone this wrong already?
**After a few more wheezy breaths, she drums her hands against her cheeks, forcing herself to regain her composure**
FUTURE LIBBY: (exhaling) Keep it together, girl. Jimmy should have shut down the weapons and surveillance by now. You can get through the base if you be careful. Just follow your instincts, and you’re bound to run into Aurora before long. If you’re lucky, you might even find Sheen…
**She breaks off, unwilling to think any further ahead than the task at hand**
FUTURE LIBBY: OK, First thing’s first…gotta get out of this room.
**She glances around until she spots a gray door on the wall behind her. She hurries toward it, her white sandals squeaking on the wet concrete. She turns the knob cautiously, and, opening the door a fraction of an inch, peers out into the hallway beyond. She waits in perfect silence, listening with all her senses for any signs of approaching danger. As soon as she’s convinced that it’s safe, she sidles out of the crack and flattens herself against the side of the doorway. Peering around the corner, she notices a gun turret mounted on the wall at the far end of the hall. Biting her lower lip, she slips a bracelet off her wrist and tosses it into range of the weapon. She plugs her ears, but nothing happens. It hits the ground with a tinkle, then rolls a few feet before tipping over. Satisfied, Future Libby steps out of her hiding spot and dashes across the hall, scooping up her bracelet as she goes**
FUTURE LIBBY: ‘Atta girl... Just gotta take this one at a time…
**She rounds the corner and repeats the process. Motivated by fear and emboldened by her success, she quickens her pace. As she rounds the fourth corner, a faint echo reaches her ears, and her heart skips a beat. She whips around, wet braids slapping against her neck. After a breathless moment, she creeps on again, more cautiously this time. After rounding the fifth bend, she finds herself at the head of a long, T-shaped corridor. Overcome by the sudden and overwhelming sensation that she is being watched, Future whirls around, quickly extending her hands in a Tegatana style block**
FUTURE LIBBY: (voice quaking) I-Is anyone there?
**Silence replies, and she swallows audibly, slowly pivoting back in the direction she had been heading – only to find her path blocked by a solitary figure. She covers her mouth to stifle a scream, eyes widening in terror as her mind desperately attempts to discern its next move. At first glance, she doesn’t recognize him – his lean frame, pallid skin, and tired, wan face are a far cry from the chubby boy of her youth. Even his red hair, which hangs in damp-looking curls over his forehead, seems a shade duller than before. Only by process of elimination does she realize who he is**
FUTURE LIBBY: C…Carl?
**Future Carl gazes at her wordlessly, the overhead light glinting off his glasses, though it can’t hide the dark circles under his eyes. Remembering with a lurch of relief how he helped Aurora escape when she was Jimmy’s prisoner, Future Libby drops her guard and rushes forward with a smile**
FUTURE LIBBY: Carl! It’s so good to…OOOh!
**She gasps in horror as two robotic aberrations jump out from behind Future Carl. Like twisted relics of some bygone era, the robots possess mismatched features from a variety of different animals: covered in interlocking metal scales, they creep forward on all fours, their dexterous fingers and opposable thumbs tipped in razor sharp claws. Prehensile tails flick through the air behind them, and white eyes glow from within their powerful, fang-lined muzzles. The animatronic carnivores slink forward, hissing and growling in menacing synthetic tones. Future Libby trips backward a few steps, nearly losing her balance**
FUTURE LIBBY: What….what are those?
**Future Carl stops their predatory advance with a motion of his hand, and the two life-less creatures prowl back to his side. After a moment he speaks, his voice weak and one-dimensional**
FUTURE CARL: Libby…is that really you?
**She laughs in relief, touching a hand to her chest**
FUTURE LIBBY: Of course it’s really me! Is it really you? My gosh, you look so different…
**He turns and immediately begins walking away**
FUTURE CARL: (over his shoulder) You shouldn’t have come here. It’s dangerous. You should leave before you get hurt.
**She darts forward**
FUTURE LIBBY: Wait, don’t go! I can’t leave! I got separated from Aurora, an’ now I have to find her!
**He slows to a reluctant halt, and she forces a note of urgent optimism into her words**
FUTURE LIBBY: We came here to save you guys!
**He looks at the ground indecisively, fiddling with something strapped to his wrist. As he shuffles his feet awkwardly, Future Libby cannot help turning a wary eye to Carl’s robotic guards, who stare back at her, alarmingly expressionless. She suppresses a shiver at their bizarre appearance**
FUTURE LIBBY: Really, Carl, those things…
**Carl looks up sharply**
FUTURE CARL: What do you mean, “those things”? What did you expect?
FUTURE LIBBY: What did I expect? I don’t know, I guess…regular robots. You know, like the ones you see in the movies. People robots, not those horrid creepy crawlers…
**She shudders, and he shrugs, reaching down to pet the one nearest to him**
FUTURE CARL: They’re not so bad. Sure, they mostly walk around on all fours, but that’s because Jimmy says there’s nothing inevitable about bipedalism. The only reason it works for humans is because our intelligence allows us to overcome the disadvantages. Animals, on the other hand, are efficient. They can run faster, hear better, smell better, see better, and sense better than any human being. It’s easy to trip a two-legged robot, but you can’t outrun or outmaneuver one built to move like a cheetah or a wolf. So why model robots after humans? It makes much more sense to use animals as a template. The robots can be programmed to be super intelligent, yet like the animals on which they are based, they lack human free thought or will. Animals never question their masters.
FUTURE LIBBY: That’s just plain creepy, Carl. You sound like a robot yourself when you say that. Come one, ditch those freaky things and come with me! We have to find Sheen and…
**Future Carl lifts a palm to silence her, and she trails off**
FUTURE CARL: I can’t help you, I’m sorry. It’s already bad enough that we ran into each other. You should go.
FUTURE LIBBY: But…can’t you at least give me some kind of hint? Point me in the right direction? You must know this base like the back of your hand…
**He looks incredibly guilty for a moment, then at last sighs. He points down the corridor**
FUTURE CARL: You should go that way.
**Without hesitation, she turns and jogs off down the hallway, waving over her shoulder as she goes**
FUTURE LIBBY: Thank you Carl! Don’t worry, we’ll fix everythin’, you’ll see!
**As she disappears round the corner, the communicator on Future Carl’s wrist pings softly. He opens the interface, and an evenly-paced, well-spoken voice issues from the other end**
VOICE: Who was it?
**Future Carl hesitates a moment before answering**
FUTURE CARL: Um, it was…Libby…
**There is a pause, and when the voice on the other line speaks again, the barest hint of surprise colors the words**
VOICE: Libby? What is she doing here?
**White noise fills the vacuum left by his silence. At last he continues**
VOICE: Did you send her my way?
FUTURE CARL: …Yes.
VOICE: Good. Carry on to the other two life signals. Leave Libby and Aurora to me. I’ll radio you with further orders in a few minutes.
FUTURE CARL: Right...
**Future Carl stares off into space for a moment, then closes the panel on his wrist communicator. Without another word, he turns and walks the opposite way down the hall, flanked by the two robotic nightmares. He keeps his gaze glued to the ground, eyes empty**
FUTURE CARL: (quietly) It was nice
seeing you Libby. Goodbye…