Ch. 1: Awakened

Detroit, Michigan, 2040

"Systems diagnostic in progress... scanning neural net for anomalies... neural net scan complete. You're all set to go, Inspector. The routine scan shows nothing out of the ordinary," Taylor confirmed as she removed the diagnostic cable from the cranial interface in the back of my neck.

"And it looks like you might actually make it a week without breaking something or other important," Jay added.

"I aim to please," I smiled as my chair moved from its reclining position to its sitting position.

The doors to the lab opened and Ashley walked in.

"Hey, is David's checkup finished?"

"Impeccable timing, Ashley, the scan was just completed," I said as I got out of my chair.

"Good, the chief wants to see both of us right away."

"All right, let's not keep him waiting any longer than necessary, shall we? His blood pressure is already high enough."

Ashley let out a short laugh as we left my maintenance room and walked to the chief's office.

"You wanted to see us, chief?" I asked as I rapped on the door frame.

"Yes, come in and close the door behind you."

I did as the chief asked and situated myself in one of the chairs in front of the desk with a raised eyebrow. If Chief Steele was asking for the door to be closed then this was something really important.

"Gadget, Miller, the assignment I'm about to give you is not to be discussed with anyone outside these walls. Am I clear?"

"Clear as crystal."

"Good. About a year ago Archangel sent scientists to explore what used to be the kingdom of Arendelle on the Norwegian coast. Apparently around two hundred years ago, the kingdom was victim of a freak climate change that rapidly buried it in ice. The place has remained a glacier the scientists arrived and had to use heavy machinery to excavate because the ice apparently kept growing back, like something was creating it."

The chief let those words hang in the air for a few seconds before continuing.

"Now the lab boys have dug what they believe is the source out of the ice and have shipped it here for more thorough analysis. It's arriving by plane today at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport at 1:30 and Mr. King himself has requested that you be part of the armored vehicle's escort to Archangel Tower."

"Why did Mr. King request us to be part of the escort?" I asked, not entirely understanding.

"Because we don't know what this is and on the chance that it is dangerous and somehow breaks free, you two are our best people. Now the plane lands in an hour and I want the two of you to be there when it does."


"Greetings, inspector, Detective Miller. What is our assignment?" asked Gadgetmobile as Ashley and I got in.

"We're going to be part of an escort," answered Ashley.

"An escort? That sounds like a welcome change of pace to being driven like a maniac like I have been recently."

"Come on, Gadgetmobile, I never put you through anything you couldn't handle," I defended.

"How about the time I got hit by that railgun?"

"That... that was an accident. On my part. I accept responsibility for that but if those people had gotten away they could have held the city for ransom. Those railguns have a ridiculous range."

"But, lucky for you, they didn't know how to operate it properly and got hit with a lower velocity shell," Ashley pointed out.

"Yes, very lucky. Shelby would have been pissed off at me for eternity in the afterlife."

Ashley and I were waiting with a squad of private security officers and a state of the art armored transport vehicle next to the landing strip when the plane carrying the ambiguous artifact landed. People in lab coats oversaw the metal pod's transfer safely into the armored transport and its hookup to a battery.

"What's it need the battery for?" I asked as I eyed the labels that read 'volatile' plastered across the surface of the module.

"Don't know," the technician said. "It's above my paygrade but I think it's a stasis module of some kind. Never seen anything like it before, though."

"You mean whatever is inside could be alive?" Ashely inquired.

"Possibly... but I've never seen anything like it before, though so I could be wrong. Any way, it's your problem now. Good luck."

I turned to Ashley as the technician left. "One of us should probably go in the back of the truck. What do you think?"

"I think that's a good idea. Which one us will ride in the back of the cramped truck pressed in with a few sweaty smelly men?"

"I'll flip you for it," I offered and took out a quarter.

"Alright, I call tails."

I flipped the coin which somersaulted into the air before falling back into the palm of my hand which I instantly snapped closed around it and smacked it onto the back of my other hand.

"And it is...?" prodded Ashley.

"It is... heads! I win!"

"No! Damn it!" swore Ashley.

"Have fun in the cramped space pressed up with the other sweaty smelly men," I smiled and sauntered back off to Gadgetmobile.

"Actually the men don't bother me much. It's that it's cramped in there that has me not looking forward to this."

"Duly noted. See you at the end of the ride."

Ashley took a deep inhale of breath and approached the two security officers and technician about to board the armored truck.

"Hello boys, got room for one more in there?" she asked with the best smile she could manage with the prospect of a half hour cramped ride ahead of her.

The senior officer going in the transport gave Ashley a look over, perhaps a second longer than he should have, before flashing a charming smile. "Sure, we got room for one more. I'm Nicolas Holt, what's your name?"

"Detective Miller," she answered as she stepped up into the back of the truck.

"Well, Detective Miller, are you doing anything after work tonight?" Nicolas asked as he climbed in after her.

"Is he always this forward?" Ashley asked the other officer.


After all other cars in the escort checked in and snipers positioned on roofs of buildings on the path we'd been taking had done the same, we finally pulled out of the airport and headed into the city. The trip was silent and tense with every single officer operating on high alert as they kept an extra sharp eye out for potential traps. Fortunately, nobody saw anything dangerous and nothing happened until halfway through the trip.

"Dispatch, this is Gamma-one checking in. Everything is quiet and proceeding smoothly. Will check in again in ten minutes," I said into the radio mic.

The ride so far had been gratefully uneventful but after I had checked in Murphy's Law decided to pay us a visit and a message came in on another channel.

"All units be advised, the battery to the pod is failing. The technician is attempting to fix the malfunction but be prepared to contain this thing if it gets out."

In the truck Officer Holt had been attempting to chat up Ashley for the entire ride and she was about ready to snap. Now, given that Holt was definitely easy on the eyes, the man simply would not shut up and some of his comments reeked with egotism and arrogance. Any chance he had had of getting Ashley's number at the end of the escort had evaporated five minutes after he started talking.

Not even the battery that powered whatever it was they were transporting malfunctioning got Holt to stop talking or even the temperature in the vehicle starting to drop. He was trying to butter up Ashley to go on a date with him again when the truck suddenly started swerving, throwing the occupants of the back around a bit.

"Franks, what's going on? Are you nodding off up there?" Holt asked.

"No, sorry, the truck just started hydroplaning for a second but I've got it under control now."

"Alright. Don't let it happen again. And can you turn down the AC? It's getting cold back here."

Holt had just sat down again when the truck swerved again, this time scattering the contents of the technician's tool box.

"Franks! What did I just say?"

"Sorry, Holt, it hasn't rained or anything recently but I swear it feels like we're driving on ice."

"Ice? That's impossible, it's the middle of April. Seriously, this is not funny. The cargo is marked 'volatile!'"

"It's not a joke, I swear!"

"Then what's going on?"

"Holt, shut up a minute," Ashley said suddenly.

"What, why?"

"Just shut up and listen!" she hissed.

Holt, to his credit, obeyed and strained his ears. There was a creaking noise filling the air and Ashley finely pinpointed it. She pointed to the pod they were guarding which was visibly starting to strain around the rivets. The truck went into another skid, this one being the longest and throwing Holt to the ground.

"Everybody hit the deck!" ordered Ashley as she threw herself on the floor and covered her head and neck as the first of the rivets popped.

The truck flipped over, skidded along the ice and finally stopped as the pod inside exploded outward in a hail of ice and metal.


Outside the armored vehicle the rest of the escort could only watch helplessly as it skidded along the patch of ice that had appeared as though by magic, flip over, and slide into a lamp post.

"Dispatch, this is Gamma-one. We have a situation, the cargo being transported was marked as volatile. Request immediate backup," I said into the radio.

There were a few seconds of radio static before dispatch responded. "Gamma-one, units are en route to your location. ETA is eight minutes."

Holt, the other security officer, and the technician made their way out of the overturned truck as a few other officers and I approached the wreck.

"Where's Detective Miller?" I asked as I ran over. I didn't see her anywhere.

"Don't know, she might still be in the truck," coughed Holt. "Officer Parks here might have a few broken bones, I don't know. He needs a medivac."

"I've already called for backup, it'll be here in seven minutes. Now whatever was in that module could have been alive and now it might very well be loose in Detroit. I want a few men with me, the rest of you stay sharp and wait for that backup," I said and drew my projectile based shock gun.

We made our way cautiously around the edge of the armored transport, looking for Ashley. I prayed to God that she would be alright. When we made it around the corner, we saw a young woman with platinum blonde hair tied in a French braid and dressed in an ethereal blue dress and cape kneeling over Ashley. She was unconscious and looked like the worst of her injuries were a few minor cuts and bruises.

"Step away from Detective Miller!" I ordered as I leveled my gun.

The unknown woman was clearly startled as she turned to face us and fired something at us. Sharp ice spikes grew out of the ground towards us and the security officers with me would have fired then and there had I not stopped them.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" I ordered with a raised hand and returned my attention to the woman. "Step away from Detective Miller!"

"Snakker du norsk?" she questioned, confusion marring her face.

"I said step away from Detective Miller," I repeated.

"English?" she said next.

I pointed my gun away and raised my hands in a sign of peace. "You speak English?"

"Some," she answered. "Where am I? Is this Hell?"

"Still feels like it some days," I muttered. "If you could come with us we can try and answer your questions."

The woman swallowed nervously and raised her hands in a gesture of surrender when they started to glow. This was enough to set off the security officers before I could order them to stand down.

"She's attacking! Fire!"


Uh oh. Trouble as usual in Detroit for Inspector Gadget. What will happen to Elsa? Post a review to find out!

Knight Writer 95