{Chapter IV}

My eyes flew open quickly, and I found myself laying on the floor of the great white hall, the monsters looming over me. I looked around quickly and sat up. My head hurt instantly, a whole Shockwave went down my spine, and my tail twitched. I cringed in pain, a harsh hiss-like squeak came from my jaws. It was a rat's voice, not my own. My ears flicked back, and I grabbed my head, by knees coming up to my chin. 'What happened?' Was my first thought, as the pain attacked me more quickly then I could have reacted. I remembered-the voice. What was it? Who was it? It was the same voice as in my dream. Where had it come from? Was I imagining things?

"Dr. Rattus?" I heard a voice ask, and it seemed as just saying my name, I couldn't place it. Was my hearing effected also? "My dear, are you alright?"

I knew who it was. "Doctor..?"

"Ah! Your back!" Dr. Cockroach seemed pleased, and slowly I let y hands fall from my head, and placed them over my knees. I looked around me at the others, glancing at the ceiling that was not covered by Susan looming over us.

"What-what happened?"
"You zonked out!" 'Link said. "You were just sitting there one moment, and the next thing we know, your on your back."
"For-for how long?" I asked, somewhat panicked.

"About..twenty five minutes, my dear." Dr. Cockroach said, estimating as best he could. I realized we needed a clock here, but my mind was to fragile to think of inventing anything more now. "What happened before you-can't remember anything?"
I knew what happened. It was that voice. Was it a seizure inducing voice? Why did only I hear it? Or-was it all in my head? Did all rats hear this voice? Was this why they die so young? My mind trembled. I never heard the voice except in my dream. I thought I recognized it-but where? I trembled. I couldn't speak, I grew incredibly worried, which isn't like me. I didn't understand this, words that you hear-they don't do that to people. Words that you understand, are simply words-they do not effect you in such a way they did.

"My dear?" Dr. Cockroach asked again, I had apparently not said anything, just starred blankly at the floor.

"Oh-" I said, and then went to tell him about the dream, and the voice. "I had the dream last night, I don't know who he was-but he seemed to be filled with rage over whatever happened to him. He—e swore revenge on Monger for whatever he did to 'her'. I don't know its what he said. I recognize his voice, but from where fails me. I heard the voice..minutes after..after..we figured out..about my deadline."

Dr. Cockroach fell silent, unable to speak. As did the other monsters, as if they were at a loss. And that I were at a loss, too. That I was lost, and nothing they could do would help me.

"That sounds very-" 'Link said, "odd. I mean, a voice you hear, but you don't know where its coming from? Did you put something in your head? Was there something in the rat's head?"

Dr. Cockroach glared at 'Link, "you don't put things in a rat's brain to experiment. Not-not like that, anyway. You at least see what is connected to the brain, on the outside. You can remember that much about the rat, can you? It was a normal albino rat, right?"

I nodded, I remembered that. It was a normal, white lab rat. Nothing had been done to it before-or I guess after. Monger probably killed it.

"It sounds more like Science..." BOB said, and then quickly added, "Fiction!"

He all looked at him, "BOB, now that is just absurd." Dr. Cockroach scoffed, "Science Fiction? There is nothing like that here. We are totally sealed in from the outside world."

"But what if there are..are others?" I asked. "I mean-Aliens? I always..I always found that odd. This place, it seems.."

"Seems like what?" Dr. Cockroach asked.

"seems like they knew everything was going to happen."
"What?"

"I mean.." I couldn't explain it, really. "Everything here is just to predictable. It being hidden away, and you-an Englishman, in an American facility? How is it they have clothes for Susan, when she is-49 ft. tall? Why do we not try to escape, when there are no cameras to stop us? They no longer watch us after lights out, and-Monger." I now stood up, and wobbled over to my chair, my arms on the table, holding me over it, my tail zig-zagging. "A jet pack?"

I turned swiftly, almost falling. "Jet packs-they are impossible in this day in age to be used so much and in such a way. They would use so much energy, that they would cost to much. And so much power that you'd shoot up for many feet before coming crashing down, there is no way to control such energy. Yet-he has one. How?"

"There are ways, my dear. Look what you made-a Microscope out of little more then wire and a few magnifying glasses."

"But that uses no fuel. Also-how do they know where monsters are? I never left my house after the experiment happened. How do they know? Or-who called them to tell them of me? What number did they call?" I wasn't sure if I was making sense or not, but I hoped I was. I was tired enough already, and I quickly turned my back to them, and sat in my chair. I didn't know if I made it through to them or not. I was to tired to do anything else. My bones ached. I-I needed water. I realized then, that this added even more the the great knowing of the government. They knew I'd need water. They knew it! How? How would they know such things? Yes-all creatures need water, but I was the only one that had any sort of other food. That I was singled out. I pushed away from my chair, and began to walk toward my cell, but I found it hard to walk, hard to stand. Dr. Cockroach was soon at my side, as he was the best on height with me, and best with scale. 'Link was to-to strong to support me without doing anything else. Susan was to big-and BOB, was simply not human enough. If I may say that nicely. It was sometimes good not to have a brain, you couldn't strain it, and it wouldn't backfire on you. I thought maybe, that BOB was on to something.

The water was in my hands, and I brought it up to my mouth, and swallowed. It helped more then I thought it would. It was water-I was sure of that. A rat's keen senses didn't always detect poison, but they had the ability to-with the right mind. I strolled over to my bed, and sat on it, wondering. Dr. Cockroach stood there, his hands behind him.

"My invention-" He started, trying to move me on to a less stressful conversation. I wondered if he thought I was crazy. "It was a chess board."
"A-chess board? Doctor, isn't that below you?"
"Well frankly, yes. But not always. It was a three leveled chess board, and it only has a King, a Queen, a Knight, a Pawn, and a Bishop on each team."
"Sounds-easy." I said, trying to remember my last game of chess. It had been two years ago, but it seemed so distant now I couldn't recall anything.

"Well, yes, but the board changes. It revolves at intervals. The King could be in check, and the board switches, moving the other players king away. It also resurrects 'dead' pieces occasionally. Its like a battle of fate more then a battle of wits. You hope that you can get to check mate before the board switches and you loose. You not only go against the other player-but the mini computer that is in the game itself."
"Why-it has a mind of its own?"
"Yes, my dear, that is exactly it."
I stood up, wanting immediately to play this revolutionary chess game, but Dr. Cockroach was soon to stop me, holding onto my shoulders.

"As your friend and one of the scientific trade, I implore you not to leave this room again until meal time. You're to weak to stand as it is."
I nodded, not willing to put up a fight, it wasn't worth it. I needed all the sharpness my mind could get, so I sat back down on the bed, and Dr. Cockroach returned to his spot.

"Doctor." I began, "can I be exempted from our competition tomorrow?"
"Yes-oh yes, my dear." Dr. Cockroach chuckled. "There are more important things then inventing crazy games out of junk."

And with that, he left. He was a friend-and a colleague. I couldn't place exactly where he belonged, because he seemed to be the personification of both exactly. If my heart-of-friends was a Venn Diagram, he would be in the center where the circles overlapped. The others, well they were friends to. But it was different when you 'shared a brain'. It was more fun to test your wits. And that was the end of it, before I force myself into a slumber, hoping not to have the dream again.