After taking out the wizard school and Mary Sues, the Starcrushers took off once again to continue their search. "Commander Forthwith," Pinocchio asked, "after watching you and seeing just how powerful you guys are, you think you could help me find my dad? I wanna know how he's doing."
"Oh yes," Commander Forthwith said, "we could easily track him. What is his name?"
"Geppetto." Pinoc answered.
"I can do that" Forthwith said. "Twenty-Three, I need you to locate a man named 'Geppetto'."
"I'm on it, Commander." Twenty-Three replied, saluting, and then began his work.
The giant windshield turned into a search screen, and Twenty-Three was searching every corner of the earth (digitally) for people named Geppetto. "There is only one person on this planet who bears that name, Commander." Twenty-Two said, on completing his search. "There are, however, possibly more on Denirona orbiting Edin."
"The man we are looking for could not possibly be on Denirona. Where is the Geppetto on Planet Earth?" Commander Forthwith said.
"He and his company have been swallowed by a whale halfway between the city where we picked up the puppet and the anthropomorphic cricket and the ruins of Pleasure Island."
Pinocchio was horrified to hear this. "NO!"
"Are they still alive?" Forthwith asked, as calm and professional as when he vaporized Volxemort. "Yes." Twenty-Three replied. "They live off of fish that the whale ingests." Pinoc breathed a massive sign of relief at this. "Let us go there now." Commander Forthwith said, and they were off.
They arrived at the spot in the sea where the tracker said the whale was. "See anything, Commander Forthwith?" Pinocchio asked. "Not yet, young puppet" Forthwith said, searching the screen. "Bring us in closer, Fifty." And they were brought in closer, until they saw a giant whale. "There! There's the whale!" Jiminy was the first to blurt out. "How are we gonna get them out?" Pinoc asked. "This will be easier than I expected." Forthwith said, "That whale works for us. Put me on speaker!"
Meanwhile, Monstro the whale was snoozing lazily when he was startled awake by the sound of Commander Forthwith's voice on the loudspeaker. "Monstro! This is Commander Forthwith speaking. You have swallowed some friends of ours, it seems."
"What?" Monstro replied, in a heavy East London accent. "I have? Oh blimey! This is so embarrassing, I hate when that happens. A-hem! Excuse me in there, I have just been informed that I have swallowed some friends o' my employers. Due forgive my honest mistake, and shall open my mouth so you may walk out with ease." And he opened up. About a minute later, Geppetto, Figaro, and Cleo emerged from the whale's interior.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Monstro," Geppetto said, in a heavy Italian accent, "but how did you find out we were in there? Who do you work for?"
"Why, the Starcrushers, of course!" Monstro replied, pointing at the giant spaceship looming overhead. Pinoc was pressed against the windshield, waving and calling to his 'father' (although the latter was in vain considering he was yelling through two-inch thick glass as well as being about 150 feet above Geppetto.
"What the hell are the Starcrushers?" Geppetto asked, baffled at what was going on. "The Starcrushers are an elite organization of people who are searching for the greatest guitar solo in the universe." Said Monstro, "I joined them for the job benefits and because I do love a good guitar solo."
Just then the ship came down and hovered just above the surface of the water, the airlock opened, and Commander Forthwith, Pinocchio, and Jiminy Cricket were standing there to greet Geppetto, Figaro and Cleo. "Hey dad!" Pinoc said, eager at seeing his 'father' again. They all climbed in the airlock, which sealed shut. Then they climbed into the elevator and ascended to a level Pinoc and Jiminy hadn't seen before. "This," Commander Forthwith explained, "is Level 2: Sleeping Compartments. We'll be flying a long distance tonight, and you could all use some sleep no doubt. Also, the restrooms are down the corridor if you need to freshen up, but please don't leave level two until we say you can tomorrow. Goodnight." And Forthwith left after showing them their sleeper compartment, #14. Over the intercom came "All dayshift crewmen to the Level 2. All nightshift crewmen to the Command Deck." And Geppetto tucked Pinocchio, Jiminy, Figaro, and Cleo in, climbed into bed, and turned out the light.