(Solana Galaxy 6:34 PM)
A ship soared through space toward the backwater planet of Veldin, descending to the surface, and landing near a two level house next to a large garage. The hatch opened and two robots came out. One had green eyes and a rather small physique. The other had blue eyes with black parts on top of her head that looked like two pigtails while her attractive feminine figure looked like she was warring a light green uniform.
"That was a lovely date Clank," She smiled at him happily climbing out of the ship. "It really helped me get over being replaced at gadgetron."
"Oh think nothing of it Helpa." the smaller robot replied. He jumped over the edge and used his propeller. "Always happy to be of assistance."
"Even after two weeks I still can't believe that after all my hard work and dedication, they replace me with those newer, cuter, twin models." she frowned folding her arms over her chest.
Clank reached out to hold one of her hands. "Everything will be fine, I have faith that you'll find a new Job soon enough."
"You're sweet," Helpa smiled down at him. "and I can't thank you and Ratchet enough for letting me stay with you here until I can get back on my feet."
"GRAA! Lousy piece of scrap!" Ratchet's voice could be heard from the garage. Followed by a crash.
"Sounds like he needs some assistance." Clank spoke. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Thanks again." she leaned down and pecked Clank on the top of his head.
Clank gigged before they went their separate ways he ran to the garage and looked inside. "Ratchet, are you alright?"
Aphelion was in the garage ready for takeoff if and when necessary. At the left was Ratchets work table where said Lombax leaned with one leg crossed over the other. "Yeah, I-I'm fine." replied Ratchet taking a deep breath.
"I distinctly heard a crash, What happened?" As Clank walked in he noticed Ratchet's eyes to the side and followed his gaze to spy a familiar device. "The Dimensionator? Oh Ratchet."
"So I've been tinkering with it, what's the big deal?" the lombax gave a shrug before returning his attention to the machine.
"Ratchet, you have been trying to fix that device for months and it remains inactive." he watched the Lombax desperately try to make the Dimensionator work. "It's time you let it go"
"I tried to tell him that." Aphelion remarked in a snarky sort of tone.
Ratchet's ears drooped as sorrow washed over him like a wave. "I know, but there has to be a way to reach them somehow, somewhere out there in the universe." he stepped outside and looked up to the evening sky. "I want to know more about my people, our history, our culture." he walked to a ledge and sat down. "I don't want to be alone anymore."
Clank so badly wished he could help his friend, but without a working dimensionator there was very little he could do.
"Ratchet I am receiving an incoming message from a Mr. Fizzwidget." Aphelion informed.
Ratchet sighed as he walked back inside and approached the sentient ship and climbed in. "Patch it through."
The video screen was filled with static until an image of the Megacorp CEO came into view ."Hello Ratchet."
"Hey, Mr. F." Ratchet greeted with a wave of his hand. "Something wrong in Bogon?"
Fizzwidget shook his head. "No, no, nothing's wrong at all. However we have made a superb discovery of astronomic proportion and I need you to be here ASAP."
"Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can." Ratchet ended the transmission before hopping out of the ship and walking to the garage. "Clank, do you remember where I put the Gravimetric warp drive?"
"Oh no." The little robot facepalmed.
(Bogon Galaxy )
The Lombax ship came barreling through space and slowed to a halt.
"Told you it would still work Clank." Ratchet smirked proudly.
"Yes, work." Clank replied dizzily with his eyes wobbling a little from the speed before shaking his head.
"We should be near the location Fizzwidget wanted to meet us." Ratchet looked over the monitor.
"I believe I see it." Clank said pointing out into space.
Ratchet looked out to see a space station. "Taking her in for a landing." he steered Aphelion.
After landing in the docking bay the two jumped out and looked around before their former employer walked up to them.
"Gentlemen, welcome to the Odysseas research station." Mr. Fizzwidget greeted.
"Great to see you again sir." Ratchet shook the CEO's hand.
"Yes it has been quite some time since we last met." Clank added.
"After finding this, I knew I had to contact you, Ratchet." Mr. Fizzwidget smiled at the lombax. "I'm sure Angela will be overjoyed to see you boys again."
"Angela!?" both exclaimed in total shock.
"Oh yes. Did I forget to mention she'd be here?" Asked the CEO scratching his head.
"Uh yeah, that would be good to know!" Ratchet shouted.
"Follow me and I'll show you." Mr. Fizzwidget turned and started walking.
They were led to a large area with none other than Angela Cross looking over a rail.
"Angela?" Ratchet spoke out loud.
The female Lombax turned and looked right at them before smiling ear to ear. "Ratchet! Clank!" she ran to embrace the two heros. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you."
"Yeah." Ratchet smiled and returned the embrace patting her back before separating. "What happened to you? Where did you go? We haven't seen you in years."
Angela glared and clenched her fists. "That parasite Percival Tachyon attacked my flying lab four years ago. I had no choice but to run, but his forces followed me mercilessly. Not too long after that I ran into a man named Max Apogee who told me all about Tachyon and what he wanted." Angela explained.
"No way." Ratchet replied in disbelief. "We know his daughter, Talwyn Apogee."
"Really?" Angela raised an eyebrow. "Well then maybe you can introduce us one day."
"Let's move to the more important matter for the time being." Clank walked up to Angela. "What is it that Ratchet and I needed to see?"
"That." Angela pointed down from the railing. The two walked up to the rail and looked down to see a large ship with shockingly familiar writing on the side.
Ratchet's heart nearly stopped. "Is that a-"
"A Lombax transport cruiser." Angela finished.
"Where'd it come from?" Ratchet rushed down the steps to get a closer look.
"It was found floating in space by Thugs-4-less." Angela replied as she followed him. "We had to pay them an arm and a leg to get it before they scrapped it."
"The writing says, ARK?" Ratchet read.
"You can read Lombax?" Angela questioned.
"Yeah, Talwyn taught me." Ratchet put a hand against the hull. "Did you find anything inside?"
"Oh we found a lot of things inside." Angela replied. "Unless you don't think records of our race's entire history and achievements are worth anything."
Ratchet turned to her with a shocked expression. "You're serious?"
"Yep." Angela nodded with a grin. "Anything we could have ever wanted to I know about our people, our culture. it was all on this ship. Along with Blueprints, schematics, and detailed instructions of Lombax engineering. Apparently not all the Lombaxes trusted Tachyon, so a large group of them devised a way for our kind to survive in the event he stabbed them in the back, and they ended up losing the fight. This plan was orchestrated by a Lombax named Kaden Hackwrench."
"Kaden?" Ratchet repeated with widened eyes. "That… That's my father's name."
"Your last name is Hackwrench?" Clank asked.
Ratchet gave a shrug to the robot. "Now tell me, where's all that stuff at now?" Ratchet seemed a bit too eager.
"Slow down Ratchet, that's not all we found." Angela's tone sounded almost sad.
"Well don't keep me in suspense. What else is there?" Ratchet was losing his patients.
Angela twiddled her fingers before taking a deep breath. "The ship had the remains of a pilot who we believe died from an oxygen leakage, but on a positive note well as frozen lombax embryos in storage."
"Lombax embryos?" Ratchet felt a new sense of hope warming his heart.
"At least 99." Angela smiled at him.
"That is more than enough to repopulate." Clank thought out loud.
"W-Where are they?" he asked desperately with a twinkle of hope coming to his eyes.
"They're being taken care of by the best and brightest minds of Megacorp." she said.
"Oh thank god!" he cried out in relief. His eyes watered as he fell to his knees. "We won't be the only ones left."
Clank patted him on the back.
"There's still one problem." Angela cut in.
"What?" Ratchet questioned.
"They can be incubated in Nanotech to help progress their growth, but we need more funding for the project, people we can trust to raise them, to teach them, and most importantly love them."
"But who?" Clank inquired.
"I will." Ratchet said wiping his eyes before giving a look of determination.
"Are... you sure? This is a very large task." spoke the diminutive automaton.
"Clank, I lost one chance after another trying to bring my people back. This might be the only chance I ever get again, I can't just let it slip through my fingers!" he slammed his fist into the ship by him, making everyone jump.
Angela blinked at him confused by his words but could see in his eyes something that she was all too familiar with, loneliness. She never thought she'd see another of her kind again. Then she met Ratchet and things changed. "You might need an extra hand with something like that." she spoke up.
They looked at her in surprise then at each other.
"You think I'm gonna let you take all the glory and be remembered as the Lombax who didn't care enough to help?" She poked him in the chest. "Nuh uh, not a chance Mister."
"A-Alright." Ratchet backed into the ship.
"Good," she perked up and yanked him by the arm. "let's go talk to Fizzwidget."
Ratchet let her drag him with Clank following.
"So you see Mr. Fizzwidget, we think it's best that the Brood be raised by their own kind." Angela spoke.
"And you're absolutely sure? This is nothing to joke about." spoke Fizzwidget in a serious tone.
"We'll need some support and…. More funding for the project." Angela replied, hesitating on the last words. Money was tight in Bogon lately so asking for more money was nothing to joke about.
"Hmmm." Fizzwidget stroked his chin. "That might be a bit difficult Ms. Cross. I can't make any promises."
"I know Mr. Fizzwidget, but think about all the positive aspects if we were to get the extra funds from…..uh?" Angela thought of everything she could to help in anyway.
"Gadgetron!" Ratchet blurted without really thinking.
Both Angela and Fizzwidget turned to him. "Gadgetron!" spoke Mr. Fizzwidget with a frown.
'Oh man, why did I say that?' Rachet thought. What was he thinking of even suggesting Gadgetron?
"Ratchet maybe onto something." Clank informed backing up his friend. "To attract the eyes of the masses will need to attract a lot of attention. Surely the union of two Companies will do just that and much more. We have a history with gadgetron and can take our ideas to them."
Instead of putting up an argument Mr. Fizzwidget went into thought. Gadgetron was his company's competitor, but both companies uniting for the sole purpose of re-populating a species would be hands down a historic event, not to mention would increase profits. "Alright, We'll take this idea to Gadgetron and work out some arrangement."
"Thank you Mr. Fizzwidget, sir." Angela spoke.
"Just name what you need and I will do everything in my power to help."
"We'll discuss it more after we get back." said Angela feeling more excited then she's ever been.
Ratchet felt like the happiest being the universe. If all went well his species would thrive again, and he was going to do everything in his power to protect it.
"It will take us two weeks to get to the Solana galaxy so we'll have to leave immediately."
"Or me and Clank can head head there. Our ship has a Gravimetric warp drive we can be there in no time at all."
"Oh no, not this time." Clank spoke up. "I am staying here on The Odysseas where it's sturdy."
"I'll go with you Ratchet." said Angela. "It'll be nice to see another galaxy."
"Word of advise Angela, buckle up." Clank warned.
"We can go right now if you're ready and by the way Aphelion is also a Lombax ship, with an AI." Ratchet said with pride.
"This I have to see to believe." Angela started running but tripped and fell to the floor. "Dang it!"
"Need a hand?" chuckled Ratchet holding his hand out to her.
She growled at him and shot him an angry look.
"Just kidding." he spoke as he helped her on her feet.
At the docking bay, Angela got a good look at the ship. "Not bad." she said admiring the interior as she climbed in.
"Another Lombax?" Aphelion inquired making Angela jump in surprise.
"Aphelion meet Angela Cross, Angela this is Aphelion." the male Lombax introduced.
"Uh... hi?" Angela waved at the Monitor.
"So another Lombax escaped the tragedy on Fastoon, thank goodness." the ship uttered in slight relief.
Angela gawked at Ratchet. "You've been to Fastoon?"
"We have a lot to talk about later on." the male Lombax spoke while piloting the sentient ship.
"Gee ya think?"