As the sun rose over Ooo, personnel of the Hub Dome loaded supplies into Springer's helicopter form. The operatives of the Voyagers were saying their goodbyes to their friends and family. Jake stopped by Lady Rainicorn's barn. "Mornin', Lady. I'm gonna go on another adventure outside Ooo. I won't be back for at least a few weeks." Jake said. "[Where are you going?]" she asked him in Korean.
"Some place called England." Jake answered. "[Be sure to pack enough food to last you the trip.]" Lady Rainicorn reminded Jake. "Okay, I will. Love you!" Jake replied before walking away. "[Come back soon!]" Lady added. Finn visited Princess Bubblegum in her castle's tea room.
"England? I've read a lot about it. That place has some very rich history, knights originated from there." Princess Bubblegum said. "You think I'll meet some human knights?" Finn asked. "Doubt it; the knights in armour you know have been outdated for millennia in the humans' time. The country's queen would declare someone a knight sometimes, but they never get a set of armour." Princess Bubblegum replied. "Hey, you never know. It's been a thousand years; maybe some surviving humans reverted to medieval times after the Mushroom War." Finn suggested. "We can't know until you go there and find out." Princess Bubblegum chuckled.
In Marceline's cave house, Simon sat with her on her couch. "So, you've been there before?" Marceline asked Simon. "Yep, studied for about… six years or so in Oxford; studied under great teachers like Doctor Susan Hoffman, and Professor Viviane Wembley." Simon boasted. "What was it like in England?" Marceline asked. "It was… well, I don't really know where to start. There are a lot of old buildings that blend in with everything, the rain was plentiful, and the history was immaculate." Simon summarised.
"Sounds like a great place to live." Marceline commented. "Yeah, it sure was." Simon said with a sigh of nostalgia. In the Voyagers' base in the third floor of the Hub Dome, Seamus was talking on his phone as he sat on a beanbag. "Yeah, ma, I'm going to England. Yes, I know the difference between the United Kingdom and just England. We're not going to our ancestors' birthplace because nobody called us there! Where in England specifically? Someplace starting with 'Lon'. Uh huh… uh huh, love ya too, ma." Seamus conversed over the phone. In Elisa's apartment, she watered a small cactus and kisses it,, receiving some needles on her lips.
At the Hub Dome helipad, Chad was the first to arrive at Springer. Simon, Elisa, and Seamus were next arriving, all with their own backpacks. "Hey Chad, ready to go?" Simon asked him. "Yep, sure am. Where's Mister Mertens and the mutant dog?" he asked. From the skies, Finn was gliding in Jake, who took the form of a hang glider.
They tilt down towards the helipad and roll as they touched down. "Morning, everyone. Sorry we're late. I wanted to tell Huntress Wizard that I'm going soon. Jake got his mouths tangled up after telling his kids." Finn addressed the group. "Mouths?" Chad repeated in confusion. Jake stretches his mouth into three elongated instances. "Like this." his mouths said simultaneously.
"You'll get used to it." Simon said to a disgusted Chad. A prototype Minervabot approaches the group. "Good morning, Voyagers. We shall be departing soon. All supplies and equipment have been loaded into both Fallback and Springer. This Minervabot shall accompany you on this journey." Minerva informed them. "Why are you coming along, mom?" Finn wondered. "I wanted to see how well you all do on your first mission." Minerva informed him.
"We appreciate the help, Miss Mertens." Chad said. "Well, let's get a move on. England's not gonna come to us." Jake said as he pushed Finn into Springer's cabin. They sat down and buckled their seatbelts. "We are ready for take-off!" Springer announced over his cockpit radio. Springer takes off and fires magnetic cables from under him onto Fallback's roof, who was parked below.
"Our goal is to find the source of the radio signal we intercepted and see if there are any humans at the source. Fallback nor Springer are to assume robot mode in the presence of other humans until we gain their trust." Minerva briefed the Voyagers. "Does anyone have any questions?" she asked. "How long will this trip take?" Seamus asked. "We'll use the spacebridge to transport us somewhere within the signal's broadcasting range. So, to answer your question: no time at all." Minerva answered. "Spacebridge access confirmed, elevating now." Springer announced over his radio.
The spacebridge arch was lifted into the air on a telescoping support. It reconfigured its diameter before activating as Springer approached it. "Hold on to something!" Springer said before accelerating towards the arch. Jake clutches onto Finn's arm, hard. Springer passes through the space bridge and arrives in dark, cloudy skies, met by loud clanging of rain hitting the top of his hull.
"Are we alive?" Seamus wondered as he covered his eyes with his hands. "Mom, are you there?" Finn asked the Minervabot. It blinks twice. "I'm here, Finn. The signal is just as stable as when we left." Minerva informed Finn. Seamus looks out of the porthole and sees rain falling heavily.
"Man, it is pouring." he noted. "Everyone, I'll need to make a landing. You'll have to get to the source of the signal on Fallback." Springer announced. "Fallback, are you ready?" Springer asked Fallback via radio. "Deadset!" Fallback replied. Springer releases Fallback from his magnets and he transforms into robot mode. "Geronimo!" he exclaimed.
He releases two large parachutes bearing the Voyagers logo as Springer flies by. They land on muddy ground in the ruins of a town. The loading ramp lowers and the Voyagers emerge from Springer with raincoats. "Do any of you see Fallback?" Jake asked the rest of the Voyagers as the rain fell heavily, masking his words. "What?!" Chad exclaimed.
"I said; can any of you see Fallback?!" Jake repeated. Fallback lands next to them in vehicle mode, splattering mud on everyone except Minerva, who shielded herself with a force field dome. He opens his left front door. "Awright, hop in!" he said to the Voyagers over his radio. "Wait, you can only hold five of us inside. There's seven here. Someone's gotta sit in the bed." Jake said.
"I'll sit there." Finn offered. "Finn, you'll get a cold." Minerva said in concern. "I'll be fine." Finn assured. "If that's the case, I'll sit with you." Minerva offered. "Thanks, mom." Finn said.
They all sat in their respective places in and on Fallback before they drive off. "See ya soon, Springer!" Finn exclaimed as he waved to Springer. The Autobot tilts his left rotor back and forth, imitating a returning wave. They drive through the ruins of a city and cross a bridge over a shallow river. "We must be in Westminster, I can see Elizabeth Tower." Simon noted.
"What's that?" Jake asked. "One of the most famous landmarks in my time; it was a giant clock tower that held a giant bell known famously as Big Ben." Simon answered. "What's so special about a clock?" Jake asked. "Fallback, can you shine a light on the tower?" Simon instructed Fallback. Fallback's headlights angle themselves so that they point to a massive clock tower on his left as if they were fog lights.
"Wow, that's a big clock." Jake noted. "Hey, I think it's still going! I think it says… six o' clock." Seamus observed. "Yeah, bloody ripper. Can we get a move on?" Fallback said sarcastically. They continue down the road and pass by the building. Simon opens a window panel behind him and turns to Minerva.
"How far is the signal?" Simon asked her. "It's about zero-point-eleven miles west from here." Minerva informed him. "So it's close. Hmm…" Simon commented. They soon encounter a gate in the road between some crude metal walls. The left door of the gate reads "LON" and the other reads "DON", written in black paint.
"London? But the whole place is London." Simon said in confusion. They soon hear loud thumping sounds from behind the gate as lights beam through the rain from above. "Who goes there?!" a masculine voice boomed. Finn stood up from the bed of Fallback's truck mode. "We're the Voyagers; we heard your radio signal. We're looking for more humans!" Finn answered.
"Humans? We 'aven't seen another human soul in a long while! Follow me." the figure welcomed them. The figure walks out of sight before transformation sounds are heard and the gates open. Behind the gates was a red fire truck, the same model as Megaempress alternate mode. "He must be that Last Firefighter guy." Finn said to Minerva as Fallback followed the fire truck down the road. "Well, it is a fire truck, and firefighters drive fire trucks." Minerva commented.
They drive straight down the road until they see what appears to be a fortified palace surrounded by electrified fences in front of a ruined fountain. The windows at the front bore manual turrets and the walls were covered in metal plating. "This… this is Buckingham Palace…" Simon muttered in surprise at the fortress. "What's Buckingham Palace?" Jake asked. "This is where the royal family of Britain lived. It looks like something out of a… wait, we're already living in the post-apocalypse." Simon explained.
They park in front of the fountain and exit Fallback. "This looks like a neat fortress. Simon, what is this place?" Finn asked Simon. "Buckingham Palace: the residence of the British royal family." Simon explained. "What's a British?" Finn asked. "It's a term to describe anything from Britain. Britain is a sovereign state made up of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England, which is where we're in right now." Simon explained.
"I think P.B. told me about this place. The kings and queens lived here. Do you think anyone's home?" Finn wondered. A figure masked in a hooded cloak emerges from the front gates of the palace and approaches the Voyagers. "To answer your question; yes, there is." the figure answered in a young woman's voice. "Who are you Finn asked. "We'll introduce ourselves later inside. You all must be exhausted from your journey." the woman offered.
"Thank you for your hospitality." Minerva said to the woman. The woman gestures the Voyagers to enter the gates of the palace. As they follow her, Elisa puts a knife in her pocket. They enter the front doors and are met with a well-kept, albeit slightly tattered, lobby. "Thanks for welcoming us here. We heard your radio broadcast and came as soon as we could." Finn said to the woman.
"The pleasure's mine. I've been wanting some company other than Ignatius out there." the woman replied. "Isn't he coming inside?" Seamus asked the woman. "He'll be fine." the woman replied. "Oh dear me, where are my manners? I haven't introduced myself to you all." the woman said with a slightly embarrassed tone. She removed her cloak, revealing a woman with long, curly ginger hair, wearing army fatigues.
"My name is Queen Victoria of London, but you may call me Vicky." the woman introduced herself. "The queen!" Simon said in surprise before kneeling before her. "Oh get up, you." She said to Simon. "Hi Vicky, we're the Voyagers. I'm Finn Mertens, and this is my mom." Finn introduced himself before gesturing to Minerva. "I'm Simon Petrikov." "Name's Seamus Dyson." "Doctor White to you." "Elisa." the others addressed themselves.
"Who's this little guy?" Vicky said in a cutesy voice to Jake. "I'm Jake, Jake the Dog!" Jake introduced himself as he stood up. "Oh… it can talk…" Vicky said with a surprised tone. "Now, where're you all from?" Vicky asked the Voyagers. "We're from an island called Ooo. We're looking for humans around the world." Finn explained.
"Well, you're only gonna find Ignatius and I here, everyone else high-tailed it ever since this storm brewed." Vicky explained.
To be continued…