In the meantime, the Impossibles, Impossi-Pup, and Windy were cruising the skies in the Impossi-Jet, trying to locate Ken. And it wasn't easy. Impossi-Pup couldn't track much in the air (except a couple of sparrows, a robin, and one or two Canada geese), so the boys had to rely on the jet's onboard tracking system, plus Windy and a pair of binoculars.
"This is like looking for a needle in a hay stack," Fluey said. "We're not picking up anything."
"I don't see anything, either," Windy sighed. "Why'd you have to convert this stupid car into the stupid jet, Mark?! That way, your stupid dog could track Dad better!"
"Hey, don't call our dog, stupid!" Fluey shouted. "And we converted to Impossi-Jet because it's generally easier searching in the air! Keep in mind, Windy, you're the one who wanted to come with us!"
Windy shot Fluey a glare, and continued looking out through her binoculars. After some more searching, she finally found something.
"Hey guys!" she shouted. "Look down there! There's a truck down there, and it's got a logo on it!"
Coiley pushed a few buttons on the Impossi-Jet's computer, and got a good, close look at the truck. There was a globe on the side of it and the word "ATLAS" in big, red letters across it.
"Uh oh," he said. "This can only mean one thing. The Atlas Foundation!"
"Oh brother, not the Atlas Foundation!" Fluey groaned.
"What's wrong with the Atlas Foundation?" Windy asked.
"Plenty," Multi said. "They're an organization trying to take over the world. And if they want Dad's machine, they want it for evil. We've got to get in there and rescue him, fast!"
"I dig you there, Multi," Fluey said. "But I heard that this place is tough to break into."
"Yeah, they've got guards everywhere," Coiley said. "Trained to shoot anything that moves."
"So how are we going to get in?" Windy asked. "I mean, we'll have to be inconspicuous, and let's face it, the three of you are about as conspicuous as they come."
"Very funny," Fluey said, glaring at her.
"Wait a minute, I just had an idea," Multi said. "Take around to the back of the facility, Coiley, and then open the trap door. Atlas has guards everywhere, except at the back!"
Coiley shrugged, and flew the Impossi-Jet to the back of the Atlas building. Then, he opened the trap door that was hidden underneath the jet. Once it was opened, Multi duplicated himself down it, creating a bit of a human ladder. Fluey and Coiley slid down effortlessly, followed by Impossi-Pup.
"Rally ho!" they shouted.
"You're next, Windy!" Coiley called.
"You have got to be kidding!" Windy shouted. "Besides, how can you park your jet in midair like this? Don't you know that's impossible?"
"Don't you know that's what we do best?" Fluey asked. "Are you coming or not?"
"Yeah, sis, I can't hang around like this all day!" Multi shouted. "Someone might see us. And we can't land the jet, either. They'll definitely find out we're here if that's the case. You said so yourself. We're about as conspicuous as they come!"
"Is there another choice?" Windy asked.
"Yeah, you could circle around in the jet and wait for us," Fluey said.
"But I don't know how to fly a jet!" Windy shouted. Then she groaned. She climbed through the trap door, and slid down. Multi retracted his duplicates and joined them moments later.
"Okay . . . ." Windy said. "That has got to be the weirdest thing I've ever experienced. I still have to get used to the fact that my baby brother and his friends have super powers."
Multi resisted the urge to swat his sister upside the head for referring to him as her "baby" brother. He hated it when she called him that, and she knew it (that's why she did it!)
"So now that we're down, how do we get in?" Windy asked.
"Leave it to me," Fluey said. "Rally ho-ho!"
And with that, Fluey converted to liquid, and went into the facility underneath the crack in the door. Then he converted to solid, unlocked the door, and let the others in. Then, they looked at their surroundings. The Atlas Foundation was a maze of hallways, corridors, and more doors than you can shake a stick at.
"Hoo boy," Fluey commented, looking at all the hallways and doors. "It won't be easy finding your dad in this, Multi!"
"That's for sure," Multi said. "Maybe we should split up."
"I wouldn't recommend it," Coiley said. "We may cover more ground that way, but it might be better if the five of us stick together."
The others agreed, and started walking down one of the hallways, quietly. They definitely didn't want to call any attention to themselves.
As the Impossibles were searching, Ken was busy working on his machine, and trying to figure out how to make it work. The Atlas people brought in plenty of apples for him to test it on, but no matter what he did, the apples just kept right on exploding.
"Time's wasting, Mr. Mills," General Ryan said, removing the safety goggles.
"I'm doing the best I can here," Ken said. "I think I know what the problem is. It's generating too much heat, and that's why everything's been blowing up. I haven't figured out how to lower the intensity on this yet."
"Well, you'd better figure it out fast," General Ryan said. "I don't have all millennium."
Ken didn't answer. He just began adjusting something on the machine. Then, he put another apple on the testing platform, and started the machine up. Once again, the apple exploded into applesauce. General Ryan growled, and grabbed Ken by the shirt collar.
"Are you trying to be funny, Mills?!" he screamed. "Now you'd better get this overgrown flashlight working or else your kids are gonna end up like those apples you've been testing on!"
"I told you before!" Ken shouted, pushing General Ryan off him. "I can't figure this out! I've been working on this thing for twenty years, and I still haven't figured out exactly what to do to make it work! If you want it to work, then you figure it out!"
General Ryan just stood there and stared at Ken, a little surprised. Then, he pulled out a walkie-talkie, and pushed a button on it.
"Unit Five, get into the lab pronto," he said.
Within seconds, five men came into the room, stood at attention, and saluted the general.
"At ease," General Ryan said. "Men, what we have here is a failure to communicate. Or at least Mr. Mills does. I want one of you to escort Mr. Mills back to his quarters for the time being, while the rest of you work on his machine. We'll get it to work."
"And what about my kids?" Ken asked. "If you do anything to my kids, Ryan, I swear, I'm gonna . . . . ."
"Shut your trap, Mills!" General Ryan yelled, slapping Ken across the face as hard as he could. "I'm not gonna do anything to your kids. Guards, get him out of here before I change my mind about his kids."
The guards saluted, and led Ken back to his cell. General Ryan looked at the machine, as his own men began tinkering with it.
"This shrinking machine had better be worth the trouble," he said. "If we don't get it to work, my plan for world domination is going to go up in smoke!"