"Now that you're out, what are you going to do?"
"I'm gonna find the fucker that did this to me. There aren't that many Lombaxes in the world. I'll get him."
Ratchet sighed as his ship landed on the metal loading bay on the outskirts of Axiom City with a slight thunk. Today was supposed to be a lazy day for him, but it seemed the day had other plans for him. Or, should he say Talwyn had other plans for him. She'd called just after Ratchet woke up around ten or so.
"Ratchet, can you do a job for me?" She'd asked. "We're swamped at the defense force with this stupid crime ring and we keep getting a complaint about noise coming from some abandoned building on Terachnos, outside of Axiom City. It shouldn't be a big deal but, goddamn they won't leave us alone about it."
Ratchet had begrudgingly agreed, and once he got the coordinates from Talwyn he got up and got dressed to head out. Now, he was stepping out onto the metal loading bay and looking over the seedy outskirts of Axiom City. Clank hopped onto his back as he drew his wrench. "...alright. Abandoned building with some weird noises." He muttered. "Piece of cake, right? Probably just some pests."
"It could be." Clank answered. "...I could suggest thugs but...Terachnoids are not known for their lawlessness."
Ratchet snorted as he walked up to one of the dented back doors. "I don't know man...they've always got that evil gleam in their eyes."
Clank let out a little laugh. He watched their back as Ratchet tried the door, easily pushing it open with a loud creak. Blue tinged moonlight spilled into a dusty back room filled with shelves and what looked like running power generators. "...huh. Real live working generators, Clank." He muttered as his eyes followed black cords to another room to their left.
"That might have something to do with the noise complaint. Did Talwyn specify what kind of noise the complaints were about?" Clank asked.
"Nah, guess it could be these generators though…" Ratchet nodded, rubbing his chin in thought. "Well, should we follow the cords?"
"I do not see why not. Just be prepared for trouble." Clank said with a nod.
Ratchet followed the cords to a semi-open door on the left. At first he only peeked through the crack in the door just to make sure there wasn't anything or anyone in the room. All he saw were a few upturned chairs and some broken glass bathed in a light blue glow. He then put a hand on the door and pushed it open to look at the room fully.
There was a table besides the upturned chair. On it sat a bag that was faded, dusty and moth eaten as if it hadn't been touched in years. The glass appeared to be part of a very much outdated communication device of some sort that was crushed and tossed in the corner. Standing over it and leaning against the wall was a battle wrench at least 2 feet taller than Ratchet himself, reminding him of Alister.
Despite this, what really drew his attention was the tall glowing cylindrical container in front of him. The container was metal with a glass front, but the insides were entirely clouded up in white. Ratchet blinked. "...uh...bud I think we found something a little more interesting." He said.
"...may I see?" Clank asked, reaching back a robotic arm to tap Ratchet's shoulder.
"-oh. Right, yeah." Ratchet turned his back so that Clank could see what he was looking at. The little robot's green eyes looked it up and down before they fell onto a control panel by the chamber.
"It looks almost like some kind of...cryogenics chamber." Clank said. "There is a control panel there, Ratchet."
The Lombax nodded, moving over to the large metal object. He leaned down to see if he could read any of it, but there didn't seem to be much useful information. Just buttons and dials that had their labels faded by time. "...do...do you think someone is actually in it?" Ratchet asked as his own eyes went to the chamber.
"Judging by the stuff strewn around, and the generators. Yes. They must have been in there for a very….very long time." Clank answered.
"Should we unfreeze them?" Ratchet asked as his fingers hovered over the buttons.
"...I do not know if that would be wise." Clank answered. "This person looks as if they were...in a hurry to be frozen. Perhaps it is better if they are….not unfrozen."
"Yeah but…" Ratchet's eyes scanned the room, and they landed on the wrench sitting in the corner. "...look at this wrench. It's a battle wrench, isn't it? Just like Alister's...It's…"
"Lombax in origin. I know." Clank finished for him. "...but anyone could have taken a Lombax wrench."
Ratchet walked over, and reached out to pick the wrench up. "...yeah but...you never see them anymore…" He said softly before turning to look back at the container. "...all the stuff strewn everywhere tells me they either didn't want to be frozen, or were frozen without a choice…"
Clank sighed. "...it is up to you if you want to unfreeze this person." He said. "...but you must understand you may cause trouble."
"Yeah, yeah I know Clank. But...my gut says to do this so…I'm gonna do it." Ratchet said. He sat the wrench back down before going to the large metal panel. He wasn't sure what button to press, but the big red one in the corner seemed the most appealing so he went for it.
Once he pressed the button, the whirring of the machines changed. A worn down robotic voice made Ratchet jump. "Unfreezing subject. Please stand back."
"...g-good thing I pressed the right button." Ratchet muttered as he backed up to the door. A fine mist filtered out of the tube and into the air, making the room a little hazy. He couldn't fully see what happened, but he knew that he soon saw the glass slide to the side and he saw someone fall out of it. Then, he heard a gasp and the sound of someone choking on their first breath in years.
Ratchet yelped as he rushed forwards to grab the person who had just fallen out. He didn't take much time to look the person over, he just grabbed them and dragged them from the hazy room to the outside alley so that they could breathe cleaner air. He laid the down on the concrete outside, moonlight shining down on the first real glimpse got of them. Of her.
She was a Lombax. Long white ears with cream stripes almost too light to see alerted Ratchet of that. She was tiny, there was no way that she could have possibly hit 5 feet tall. She rolled onto her side, claws scraping the ground as she attempted to sit up and catch her breath.
"-woah, woah hang on!" Ratchet grabbed her, and helped her to sit up straight so she might breathe easier. She looked up at him with strikingly light blue eyes filled with confusion. He looked back at her with concern. "...just catch your breath."
She sat there, one hand on her chest as her entire body shivered. Clank hopped off Ratchet's back so he could look at her. "It is a Lombax, Ratchet." He said.
"Yeah, is she alright…?" Ratchet asked as he watched her.
"I believe she is just adjusting to not being frozen." Clank answered as he looked her over. He slowly reached out to place a hand on her arm. "...Miss…?"
She looked down at his hand, then up at him. She finally opened her mouth to speak, having to clear her throat and force life into her vocal chords again after what could have been years. When she finally spoke, it came out raspy, and as a language neither Ratchet or Clank understood.
"...uuuhhhh…." Ratchet glanced at Clank. "I'm...sorry?"
She spoke again, but this time she pointed to her ears and then made a motion as if to say no and quickly shook her head.
"I believe she is speaking Lombax." Clank said with a nod. "We do not speak each other's languages."
"I don't think she can hear either." Ratchet muttered, watching as she let her hands fall to her side. "...uhhh okay. What do we do?"
"I believe Mrs. Apogee may be able to translate what she is saying." Clank pointed out with a firm nod.
"Right, good idea. Can you call her? I'm gonna get her into the ship and settled." Ratchet asked. As soon as Clank nodded he stood up and offered a hand to the white Lombax as if to say 'Let me help you up.' She gratefully took it, and very slowly and shakily got to her feet. Ratchet had to wrap an arm around her just to keep her standing. He then pointed to his ship at the end of the alley.
The small Lombax shook her head, and then pointed back at the building. She pulled away from Ratchet slightly, just enough to point at the wrench he was keeping right by his side.
Ratchet's brows furrowed, and he couldn't help but tilt his head. "...huh? My wren-oh." He watched her point to the building again. "...your wrench. Of course. Come on." He quickly nodded to her, and helped her walk back into the dusty warehouse.
Once they walked into the back room, she pulled him in the direction of her wrench. As soon as she could, she grabbed it and leant on it instead of Ratchet. He looked it up and down and raised an eyebrow. It was much taller than the Lombax herself - two feet well over her head.
"Wow….that's a tall wrench, you sure that's yours?" He joked, giving her a lopsided smirk that just seemed to puzzle her. He then pointed to the worn down bag sitting on the table.
She quietly moved over to it and gingerly opened it. She had to swat away a cloud of dust before reaching into it. She fished around before pulling out a small leather-like wallet, opening it to find only a few bolts and a faded picture that she lay on the table. She then fished out what could have been, at some point, food. Now it just seemed to crumble into black dust in her hands.
Both Lombaxes wrinkled up their noses. "...I guess you were in here a long time, huh?" Ratchet asked. The other Lombax just wiped her hands on her pants and then pushed the bag away and picked up the picture. For a moment, she looked at it and then showed it to Ratchet.
The picture was of the Lombax herself. She stood there with a wide grin on her face, and her wrench at her right side. Then to her left with an arm around her was another grinning Lombax. A tall man with a flat head and nose, long ears striped red and a square jaw. He had red eyes that seemed to have yellowed slightly. Ratchet's stomach sank as he recognized the man.
Alister.
The Lombax pointed to Alister in the picture and tapped it, then looked at Ratchet expectedly. He only looked back at her with shock and puzzlement. "...huh?" He started quietly. Once again, she tapped the picture and then took her left hand away to point at herself, then show him a ring on her ring finger, then point at Alister in the picture. She then pointed to Ratchet, then to her eyes, then to Alister in the picture. What she was trying to communicate to Ratchet was clear. Had he seen her husband?
He bit his lip. He couldn't tell her 'Yes, last time I saw your husband was at his funeral.' But….he couldn't lie either, right? He bit his lip harder, and then slowly nodded.
The girl's eyes widened, and she tapped the picture again as if to ask 'Where?'
Ratchet shook his head, and then offered her his arm for her to lean on as well as the wrench. He pointed to the door. She took his arm, although she watched him with...curiosity. Ratchet just sighed. "...we'll talk when we get to see Talwyn." He muttered.
He lead her back to the ship, finding Clank already standing on the passenger side with a spare blanket they had in the back. "I found this. It would be good for her." Clank explained. He motioned for the girl to take a seat, and as soon as she was settled he wrapped the blanket around her shoulders before sitting besides her.
Ratchet walked around the ship and hopped in the driver's side. He sighed heavily, gripping the steering as the ship began to take off. At first, it was just stifling silence in the ship. Ratchet kept running that picture the Lombax held through his brain until he felt like it was going to strangle him. He finally looked up. "...Clank?"
"Yes, Ratchet?" The robot asked, looking to Ratchet with curious eyes. "Is something the matter?"
"...y-yeah. Actually." Ratchet said as he slumped slightly in his seat. "...all that stuff in the room was hers, she um...showed me something out of that bag. She showed me a picture. It was of um...her and Alister."
Clank perked up slightly, then narrowed his big green eyes. "...of her and Alister?"
"Y-Yeah. She showed me a ring on her finger too, and pointed to him."
Clank hummed. "...perhaps they were married. Although...Alister did not mention a wife, did he?"
"Nope. I didn't even see a ring…" He said, glancing at the Lombax with a certain….weariness.
"...we will ask when we speak with Mrs. Apogee." Clank decided. "...either way, you should not worry too much."
"...right. I'll try." Ratchet muttered. He then let his hands fall into his lap, letting the ship's autopilot take them home. He glanced at the Lombax besides them a few times, only to find her staring out the ship's window with a look of amazement. He began to worry about what he had found.
When they arrived at Apogee Space Station Talwyn was waiting by the entrance for them. Her eyes widened when she saw the Lombax, and quickly stepped closer to look her over. Her almost pure white fur gleamed in the station lights, and strikingly blue eyes looked Talwyn over as well. "...oh wow." She breathed. "She's beautiful, she must be albino. She's deaf, right? Makes sense."
"...makes sense?" Ratchet asked with a frown.
"Yeah, Lombaxes and Cazars both are known to be deaf if they're albino…" She explained. "There's just...not very many people with albinism."
"...the more you know, I guess. I know you know Lombax but uhhh, you wouldn't happen to know Lombax sign language, would you?" Ratchet asked as he leaned on the wall, keeping his eyes on the Lombax in front of them.
"No, I don't…" She sighed, "But, I can write it and I do have pen and paper. So maybe we can communicate that way." She said. She motioned for the Lombax to follow her, and she nodded in return.
Talwyn took them to the kitchen, tapping a chair so their visitor knew she could take it. She gingerly took the seat while Talwyn grabbed a notebook and a pen. Hastily, she began to scribble down wrench-like lettering that Ratchet recognized but couldn't read. As soon a she was done, she turned it towards the Lombax. "...I'm asking her what her name is…" She explained to the others.
The Lombax looked down at the paper, and her entire face lit up when she saw her own language on the paper. She looked up to Talwyn, a grin on her face. "-you speak Lombax!"
Talwyn glanced at Ratchet and Clank, and quickly repeated what she had said but in their language. She then scribbled onto the paper "Yes, I can. Can you hear anything?"
The Lombax shook her head. "Not much. It sounds like I'm underwater."
"Alright," Talwyn wrote. "We'll get you some hearing aids. Do those help you?"
The Lombax nodded eagerly. "I used to have them, but I lost them before being frozen."
Talwyn nodded. "Alright, and what's your name?"
"My name is Alis. Who are you all…?" She asked, looking around at the others.
"The other Lombax is Ratchet. The robot is Clank, and I'm Talwyn." Talwyn wrote.
Alis paused, tilting her head. "The other Lombax doesn't know our language?"
Talwyn smiled a little, and shook her head no. "No. He doesn't." She wrote. Then she paused before taking a while to write another question for her. "Ratchet said you were frozen. Why were you frozen? How long?"
Alis reached into her pocket and pulled out the picture she had shown Ratchet. She put it on the table, and slid it to Talwyn. Talwyn say the picture and she looked at with wide eyes.
"When Tachyon attacked, my husband Alister was exiled. I stayed in this dimension to be by his side, but...Tachyon was chasing us down. We split up so we would both have a better chance to survive. I found the cryo chamber and froze myself to hide." Alis explained. She then looked up to Ratchet. "You've seen Alister right….?"
Talwyn swallowed, and looked to Ratchet and clank to explain what Alis just told her. "...she wants to know if you've seen her Alister…"
Ratchet's shoulders slumped. "...tell her, Tal." He sighed.
Talwyn nodded and began to write. "Do you know of the Great Clock?"
"Oh! Yes, of course. It was being theorized before Tachyon attacked."
"Alister found the Great Clock. He attempted to use it to turn back time to save the Lombaxes. It almost destroyed the universe. He sacrificed himself to stop it. He died a few years ago. I'm sorry…"
Alis' eyes fell to the picture in front of her. "Oh…" She started. "Well...thank you for telling me. Where is he buried…?"
"He's buried on Fastoon. We can take you to see him soon." Talwyn offered.
"I would be very grateful. I'd like to say goodbye." Alis said. "One more time."
"Alright, we will." Talwyn firmly nodded. "We'll try and go tomorrow if you feel up to it. You should rest tonight."
Alis nodded, taking the picture and putting it back in her pocket.
"Wait...Talwyn. Can you ask her why Alister never mentioned a wife?" Ratchet asked.
Talwyn gave him a look as it fo say 'Ratchet, that's cruel.', but she wrote down the question anyway.
Alis read it, before she looked a little relieved. "When we split up, we agreed not to forget each other, but to never mention each other as to protect each other."
Talwyn relayed all of that to Ratchet, and he nodded. After a moment, he fished his pocket watch out. He walked over to Alis and pressed it into her hand. "You should have this, then."
Her eyes widened slightly. She of course recognized it, and quickly opened it to see the picture of Alister and his best friend Kaden. She studied the orange Lombax in the picture, and then looked at Ratchet. She pointed to Kaden, then to Ratchet with a questioning look.
Ratchet nodded, and Talwyn quickly scribbled down a message. "Kaden is his father."
Alis read it, and then closed the watch and pressed it into his hand. She spoke through Talwyn. "You take this. You need to keep it to remember your father. He was a great man. You should be proud to be his son." She then took Ratchet's hand and pressed it to his chest. "Keep it close to your heart, and never let it go."
A/N: Thank so much for reading! I'm exctied to start this whole project, I've got lots of plans for it! It does take a slight backseat to my other fic TSB, so updates may be slower though. Regardless, I hope you stick around! I can't wait to write more 3