Twenty hours later, the huge C-17 landed at the LAX airport.
It parked at the end of the runway. The back ramp slowly opened and two chipmunks and a fennec fox showed up in the cargo. Pjotr and Simon helped Alvin walking down. Two ambulance men brought a litter; Alvin looked at it and turned to Simon.
- Are you kidding me with this? Get rid of them. – He ordered.
When they stood on the runway, Simon led Pjotr to his car. - Pjotr needed visa to stay in the United States. It wasn't too big problem; he was the friend of the Seville family. -
Alvin walked toward Brittany, and then he stopped in front of her.
- Your eyes are red. A few tears for your long-lost boss?
- Tears of Joy. Jeanette was sad and I don't like to see her sad. Anyway, I hate job hunting.
- Yeah, vacation's over.
They walked to Alvin's Rolls Royce and got in. The driver was Alvin's chief bodyguard; Kevin.
- Where to, sir? – He asked.
- Take us top the hospital, please, Kevin.
- No. – Said Alvin.
- No? – Asked Brittany in surprise. – Alvin, you have to go to the hospital. The doctor has to look at you.
- No is a complete answer. – Said Alvin with very, very calm voice. – I don't have to do anything. I've been in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do. I want a chipmunk sized, American cheeseburger, and the other…
- That's enough of that. – Stopped Brittany.
- … is not what you think. – Said Alvin. – I want you to call for a press conference.
- What the earth for?
- Kev, drive! – Ordered Alvin. – Cheeseburger, first.
Only a few minutes later, they arrived to the place of the press conference. There was huge crowd; everything was filled with the journalists.
When the Rolls Royce stopped, the guards had to keep the crowd far from the car.
Alvin got out and Quinn lifted him up, holding him on his palm.
- Hey, Alvin is back. You look great. – Quinn Said.
A guard arrived and gave a sac to Alvin.
Alvin reached in and took out his cheeseburger.
- You had to have a burger, yeah? You get me one of those? – Quinn asked.
- There's only one left. I need it. On the side, it is chipmunk sized. It's too small for you.
Quinn took Alvin into the hall and put him down on the podium.
Brittany was standing next to the crowd of the journalists.
She was thinking about the last three months, when she was interrupted.
The auburn furred chipette looked up and saw a man standing behind of her.
- Ms. Miller?
- Yes.
- Can I speak to you for a moment? – Asked the agent.
- I'm not the part of the press conference, but it's about to begin right now.
- I'm not a reporter. I'm agent Phil Coulson, with the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistic Division.
- That's a quiet mouthful. – Said Brittany.
– I know. – Said agent Coulson. – We're working on it.
- You know, we have been approached already by the DOD, the FBI and the CIA.
- We're a separate division with more specific focus. We need to debrief Mr. Seville about the circumstances of his escape.
- I'll put something in the book, shall I? – Offered Brittany.
- Thank you.
Meanwhile, Alvin was sting in the foot of the podium and eating his burger. When Quinn found him, he didn't know what to say.
Alvin spoke up.
- Hey, would it be all right if everyone sat down? – He asked. – Why don't you just sit down? That way you can see me and I can… A little less formal and… yeah. That's right.
Everyone sat down; Brittany watched Alvin's strange behaving and she was surprised.
Simon stepped next to her.
- Hey, what's that new style? – He asked.
- Don't look at me. I don't know what he is up to.
Quinn got on his knees, next to Alvin, who looked up at Quinn.
- Good to see you, Quee.
- Good to see you, Alvin.
- You know, Quee, when Simon went to his first military mission, I didn't say good bye to him.
Alvin looked at the journalists.
- You know, the army is very important for a country. The army protects the country from the enemies. And it's good. But here's a little problem. We have thought wrong way so far. Sending young, American men and women to the hell won't solve the problems.
I saw young, Americans killed by the very weapons created to defend them and protect them. And I saw, that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability.
A journalist put his hand up.
- Mr. Seville.
- Hey, Ben.
- What happened over there? – He asked.
Alvin stood up and jumped up on the podium. He pulled the microphone down and spoke into it.
- I had my eyes opened. – He said very rhetorically. – I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up.
And that's why, effective immediately… I am shutting down the weapon manufacturing division of Seville Industries.
All of the journalists stood up and started to shout questions together. Alvin ignored them and began to walk toward the back door, where his car was parking. He got in and said to the driver he wanted to go his own hospital. – Yes. Alvin had an own hospital which was much more modern than the others. – He had to develop the running system of his heart.
In the operation room, at the hospital, the doctors operated Alvin according to his instructions (told before the operation).
First, they had to take out the old needles and change them to sterilized, titanium needles. (The last places of the needles were perfect.)
Then, they cleaned Alvin's chest, because the late metal things weren't good for the tissues; the dirty, non sterilized metal irritates them.
The doctors operated a titanium socket into Alvin's breastbone instead of the last steel socket. The titanium was more bio-compatible.
They replaced the magnet with a stronger and more modern one (And put inside a secondary magnet.). They connected a microprocessor to the main magnet which controlled the pace of the heart according to the stress. Without that processor, Alvin would've been able to run. (He would've been, just in ten minutes, he would've died to arrhythmia.)
In the end of the operation they put the ARC reactor back into the socket.
Only three hours later Alvin woke up from sedation and he asked a newspaper. He got it and started to read it.
The news said many things about him, but he wasn't interested in the speculations about him. He rather looked for something else. For example: Who won the Football Europe Cup? He didn't found is, so he hadn't any other choice, he had to read the articles about him.
As he was reading one of these articles, somebody came in. He was Quinn.
- Hey, Quee! – Greeted Alvin happily. – 'Sup, bro? Have you seen that story about me? I'm called TermiMunktor.
- Um… yeah. It's funny.
Alvin put the newspaper away.
- You don't have to say anything. I see the consequences of my statement on your face.
- Do you?
- Okay, Quee. You scare me. What happened?
- Alvin, the stocks dipped 52,4 points today and they will dip more.
- It isn't so bad.
- Oh yes. For you it isn't so bad. If the company fails, you won't be homeless. Without the company your property is 45 billion dollars.
- Wow, I haven't known that.
- Then, you should take a look at your bank account sometimes.
Quinn sat on Alvin's bed and looked at the chipmunk.
- Alvin, we're a weapon manufacturer.
- Quee, I just don't want a body count to be on our legacy.
- That's what we do. We iron mongers. We make weapons.
- In case you didn't notice, my name is on the side of the containers and the wall of the factories.
Quinn continued without stopping.
- And what we do keeps the world from falling into chaos.
- Not based on what I saw. We're not doing good enough job. We can do better. We're gonna do something else.
- Like what? – Asked Quinn with sarcastic voice. – You want us to make baby bottles?
- I think we should take another look into ARC reactor technology.
- Alvin. The ARC reactor, that's a publicity stunt. We built that thing to shut the hippies up.
- It works.
- Yeah. As a science project. The technology was never cost effective. We knew that before we built it. *Sight* ARC reactor technology, that's a dead end, right?
- Maybe. – Answered Alvin shortly, looking out the window of his private hospital room.
- Am I right? Nobody has had a breakthrough in that in what? Ten years?
- That's what they say.
Quinn just watched Alvin like he was waiting for an answer or something else. But Alvin knew what he wanted.
- Quee, you forget I am a chipmunk and I can feel what you're thinking about. By the way, could you have a lousier poker face?
Quinn still watched Alvin.
- Just tell me, who told you?
- Never mind who told me. Show me, Alvin.
- It's Simon or Brittany.
- I want to see it. – Said Quinn.
- Okay, Simon. I'm gonna kill him.
Alvin pulled up his pajama and showed the blue illuminating device inside his chest; although the bandage covered the most of it.
- It works, Quee. And now, it's keeping me alive.
- Listen to me, Alvin. We're a team. Do you understand? I will think about that… pacemaker. Okay? But you have to promise me, you're gonna lay low.
- Okay. Promise.
Quinn gently panted Alvin's back, but he was too strong and Alvin coughed.
- Hey, what the hell are you doing with my brother? – Exclaimed a chipmunk voice.
Alvin and Quinn looked there and saw a bit chubby chipmunk standing near to Alvin's bed. He had green eyes and he was still wearing his signature green no sweater but jacket. He was Theodore Seville.
- Theo, how do you get there? – Asked Alvin in surprise.
- I'll tell you, if this… human goes away.
Quinn left the room without a word. Theodore jumped up on the bed, next to his brother.
He hugged Alvin gently.
- Hey Theo, I haven't seen you for ages. I missed you.
Theodore jumped back in his surprise. He thought Alvin would push him away.
- Alvin, are you okay? – Asked the green clad chipmunk.
- I am. Why?
- Because you didn't say: "Theo, leave me alone and don't hug me. We aren't children. "
- Why should I have told it? I love you.
- Who are you and what did you do with my brother? – Asked Theodore jokingly.
- Okay I know I behave a bit different, but it's because I realized many things.
- I know. What you said at the press conference…
- Was crazy. I know. – Said Alvin. – But I was serious.
- I know and I'm proud of you. I've always wanted to ask you to stop that work.
- Theo, I won't stop making weapons. Just I will do it different way. I want to protect the Americans and not kill them.
- It was wise, Alvin.
They hugged again. Alvin missed his little brother's hug. He loved the way that Theodore showed his emotions since they were kids, just Alvin was too cool and he didn't admitted it.
- Hey, Theo, where are the kids and Eleanor?
Theodore looked at Alvin like he didn't speak English.
- Ophelia is at home; she is a bit ill. Keesha and TJ are on the corridor with Eleanor. Why?
- Don't they want to see me? Do they hate me?
- Of course they don't. Just I knew you would…
- I wouldn't, Theo. Let them in. – Said Alvin and exclaimed. – Eleanor, come on in with the kids, please.
Theodore's wife and their children came in, walked to Alvin's bed jumped up on the edge of it.
Alvin saw Eleanor was more beautiful than she had been before. She had lost some weight as Theodore had lost.
- Wow. Eleanor, you're beautiful. I didn't thought you were… I can't find the right words.
Eleanor giggled in her personal way. Alvin remembered that giggle and he missed it.
He looked at the two kid chipmunks in front of him.
- Keesha and Theo Jr. – He said. – In case you don't know that, you are both as cute as your parents.
- Thank you Uncle Alvin. – Thanked Keesha. – But don't you hate children?
- I don't anymore. I changed.
- Then… can we hug you? – Asked TJ playing with his fingers.
- Sure.
Keesha and TJ smiled and hugged Alvin. Tell the truth, Alvin has always wanted children, but he wasn't brave enough to admit it even to him.
He felt, Keesha touched the reactor in his chest; he hissed quietly.
- Oh, I'm sorry!
- Nothing happened, Keesha. It didn't hurt literally, just I need to get used to this thing inside me.
- By the way, what's that? – Asked Eleanor pointing to the device in Alvin's chest.
- Do you remember the reactor in my factory?
- Yes. – Answered Theo and Ellie.
- It's the miniaturized version of that. That runs my heart.
- It's horrible. – Said Eleanor.
- In positive way, my heart won't stop for 200 thousand years.
The kids and their parents laughed.
Alvin went home a few hours later Eleanor and Theodore left.
Technically, there wasn't any wound on his chest. The tissues surrounded the socket perfectly. The bandage covered his chest just in case.
After they arrived home, he went down to his laboratory and left Brittany alone in the living room.
She watched the TV, but her thoughts were away from the real world. She tried to find out how she will tell the truth to Alvin.
She wanted to run down to his laboratory, kiss him and feel his lips on hers. But she knew it wouldn't be mature.
She was a mature, female chipmunk and she had to behave according to that.
She opened one of the newspapers on the table and read it.
On the front page was scribed: "Alvin Seville, the termiMunktor."
Brittany laughed softly. If she weren't with Alvin, he wouldn't be able to find his cleaned clothes.
As she realized how important she was for Alvin (not in emotional way) she couldn't help and let out a loud laugh.
Suddenly the intercom on the table signed a call from Alvin.
- Hey Brittany, how big are your paws?
- What?
- How big are your paws?
- I don't understand why…
- Get down here. I need you.
Brittany almost jumped up in her happiness, but she calmed her mind down saying: "Probably it's nothing. He just, forgot where his car keys are. "
She walked down to the laboratory, she typed in her personally code and stepped in.
She saw Alvin was lying in a seat and he was naked. (Technically the chipmunks wear only sweater or something else, so when they put it off they are naked.)
Brittany could see they device inside his chest.
- Hey. – Greeted Alvin. – Let's see them. Show me your paws.
Brittany lifted them up walking toward Alvin.
- Oh, wow. They're small. Very petite indeed. Well, I just need your help for a sec.
- Oh my God, is that the thing that's keeping you alive? – Asked Brittany looking at the blue device.
- It was. It is now an antique.
Alvin reached for another device like the one inside him.
- This is what will be keeping me alive for the foreseeable future. I'm swapping it up for an upgraded unit, and I just ran into a little speed bump.
- Speed bump, what does that mean? – Asked Brittany.
- It's nothing. Just a little snag.
Alvin wrested the device and lifted it out. Then he pulled the cable out of his chest. Brittany nearly jumped back in scare. She thought that device was very sensible.
Alvin continued what he was telling.
- There's an exposed wire under this device. And it's contacting the socket wall and causing a little bit of a short.
Alvin gave the device to Brittany.
- What do you want me to do? – She asked.
- Put that on the table over there. That is irrelevant.
- Oh my God. –Brittany sighed and put the device on the table.
- I want you to reach in and you're just gonna gently lift the wire out.
- Is it safe? – Asked Brittany and took a look at the inside of the socket.
- Yeah, it should be fine. It's like 'Operation.' You just don't let it touch the socket wall or it goes 'beep.
- What do you mean, 'Operation'?
- It's just a game, never mind. Just gently lift the wire out. Okay? Great.
Brittany slowly reached inside Alvin's chest, but in the last moment, she pulled out of her paw.
- You know, I don't think I'm qualified to do this. – She said.
- No. You're fine. – Said Alvin. – You're the most capable, qualified, trustworthy chipette I've ever met. You're gonna do great.
Brittany looked at Alvin and the big hole in his chest.
- Is that too much of problem to ask? 'Cause I'm…
- Okay, okay. - Said Brittany.
- I really need your help here.
- Okay.
Brittany reached in Alvin's chest and as her paw was deep in the socket she touched something. It was literally disgusting.
- Oh, there's pus. – Complained Brittany with distaste on her face.
- It's not pus. – Corrected and calmed Alvin. – It's an inorganic, plasmic discharge from the device. Not from my body.
- It smells.
- Yeah it does.
Brittany kept searching for what she had to.
- The copper wire. The copper wire, you got it?
- Okay I got it, I got it.
- Now don't let it touch the side when you're coming out…
The wire accidentally touched the wall of the socket and an electric shock waved through Alvin. It wasn't so horrible; he just hissed.
- I'm sorry! I'm sorry! – Apologized Brittany.
- I was trying to tell you before. *Sight* Okay, now make sure that when you pull it out….
Brittany grabbed the wire and with a determinate movement, she pulled the secondary magnet out of Alvin's chest.
- That's it. There was a magnet at the end of it.
- Oh God! – Brittany was shocked.
- Okay, I wasn't expecting… Do not put it back. Do not put it back. – Instructed Alvin.
- What's wrong? – Asked Brittany worryingly.
- Nothing. Just my heart is going to stop. – Said Alvin without worry, but of course he was worrying.
- What?! You said it was safe.
- We gotta hurry. Take this. – Said Alvin and gave the new reactor to Brittany. – You gotta attach that really quickly.
- Okay. Okay. Alvin, it's gonna be okay.
- What? Is it?
- It's gonna be okay. I'm gonna make this okay.
- Let's hope.
Brittany put the cable of the new reactor into the socket and pushed it deep into the discharge.
- Okay, you're gonna attach that to the base plate. Make sure you…
Another electric shock waved through Alvin's body. He nearly screamed.
- Huh. – Sighed Alvin in relief. – Was that so hard? That was fun, right?
He took the device and rolled it into the socket. After a high and quiet click the device was connected.
- Nice. – Said Alvin with a smile.
- Are you okay? – Asked Brittany.
- Yeah. I feel great. – Alvin laughed softly.
- Don't ever, ever, ever, ever ask me to do anything like that ever again.
- I don't have anyone but you. – Said Alvin more seriously. – Anyway… we're done.
Alvin stood up and took his T-shirt on.
Brittany held the last device in her paws and watched it.
- What do you want me to do with this?
- This? Destroy it. Incinerate it.
- Don't you want to keep it?
- Brittany, I've been called many things. 'Nostalgic' isn't one of them.
- Will that be all Mr. Seville? – Asked Brittany formally.
- That will be all, Ms. Miller.
Brittany went out, holding the device in her paws.
Alvin sat down to his desk and searched for a blueprint.
He couldn't find it, because his desk wasn't so organized. Alvin was still as messy as he had been in his teenager years. Fifty years didn't take affect on his main things.
He was searching for his blueprint, when Sirius spoke up.
- Sir, incoming transmission from your brother Simon.
- Speaking of the devil. – Said Alvin. – Put it on this screen.
A moment later, Simon's face was visible on the screen of Alvin's computer.
- Simon I was thinking about you. – Said Alvin.
- Why?
- I wanted to ask, where was my friend?
- Pjotr? He is here with me. The cause of his visa isn't so easy. He is just a fennec form somewhere and the government doesn't trust him. He is Russian and it makes the things worse. He has to stay in a military building. My house is kinda military, so he can stay here 'till we make his visa out.
- Why? As I know we don't hate the Russian, do we?
- I don't. You don't. Neither of the family hates the Russians. But the government isn't sure Pjotr is trustworthy.
- He is. Simon, he saved my life.
- I know. And I'm trying to solve that problem right now as I am speaking to you.
- Okay, okay. I got it. – Said Alvin. – How is he?
- He is well, just he is missing you.
- Is he?
- Yeah. As I can tell, you're his best friend? What did you do in that cavern?
- I'll tell you Simon. But not now. – Alvin looked behind, then he turned back toward the screen. – Um, Simon, do you like ginger ale? I don't remember.
- Personally I don't. But Jeanette likes it.
- Then, I have a fridge full of ginger ale. Also I have three cartons in the basement. Do you want me to send it to you?
Simon's mouth opened and the blue eyed ex-glass-wearer chipmunk couldn't answer.
- A-Alvin is that really you?
- Yes.
- What's wrong with you? As I know you can't even live without ginger ale.
- I couldn't. But now I can. Do you want the ale or not?
- I'm going to ask Jeanette. We'll see each other. Bye!
- Bye, bro. I love ya all.
Simon Seville, the admiral of the Seventh fleet of the US Navy and the commander of the USS Renegade was leading the greenhorn soldiers around in the San Diego Airbase.
He was talking about the new technologies and the next generations of the aircrafts.
He was a chipmunk, but nobody made advantage form that. He was the most honored chipmunk in the world.
- The future of air combat. Is it manned or unmanned? I'll tell you, in my experience, no unmanned aerial vehicle will ever trump a pilot's instinct, his insight that ability to look into a situation beyond the obvious and discern its outcome, or a pilot's judgment.
- Sir can I ask something? – Asked one of the soldiers.
- Sure.
- Have you ever flown aircraft?
- Yes I have. I flow an F25, two months ago. But I could fly any type of aircraft.
- In your size? – Commented another soldier.
Of course Simon knew who said it and looked at him with murderous face.
- Excuse me?
Then a voice came from the top of an Lockheed SR-74.
- Si, don't scare them. They're just young. – It was Avin's voice; he jumped down on the floor and stepped next to his brother. – Anyway, why not a pilot without the plain?
The soldiers laughed softly.
- Look, who fell out of the sky. Mr. Alvin Seville.
- Hello, sir! – The soldiers greeted.
- Speaking of recognizing, you gotta get him to tell you the time when he was a bit wrong. – Said Alvin looking at the young men. – At Summer break.
- Alvin, please. – Simon tried to stop Alvin but he ignored him.
- Just remember that, Si. Summer Break, 2024. When you didn't see that chipmunk wasn't Jeanette. What was his name?
- Alvin, don't do it.
- Yeah, was he Jason?
- Alvin, they'll believe it. Don't do that.
- Okay. I stopped. But Theo said he had given his number to you.
Simon sighed and looked at the men.
- Give us a couple of minutes, guys. – Said Simon.
The soldiers walked away and left the brothers in the hangar with each other.
- I'm surprised. – Said Simon.
- Why?
- I swear I didn't expect to see you walking around so soon.
- I'm doing a little better than walking.
- Really?
- Yeah. Si, I'm working on something big. I came to talk to you. I want you to be a part of it.
- It's good, Alvin. 'Cause the people thought you went crazy.
- This is not for military. – Said Alvin calmly. – I'm not… it's different.
Simon looked at his brother with very surprised face. He stepped closer to him and bent close to Alvin's face.
- Really?
- Yes. But why are we whispering?
- 'Cause if the President finds out I agree with you I'll be fired from the Navy and they will take away everything from me and my family.
- So you're on my side aren't you?
- Of course I am. I've always wanted to tell you I didn't like the way that your weapons worked.
- They were too merciless.
- Yes. But I'm glad you stopped that way. Also, I can't be the part of your next project. It would be too dangerous for me, Jeanette and the kids. I hope you don't mind.
- I don't. You have to protect your family and they're the most important thing right now.
- It was…
- Strange? Yeah. Nowadays I'm not me.
- No Alvin. You're you; just the… less bastard side of your mind starts to show up.
- Interesting. But if you don't mind, I wouldn't be like Theodore.
Simon laughed.
- I don't want you to be like Theo. Just try to be more responsible and less asshole.
- I get your point, Si. Thanks.
- You're welcome. Anyway, I gotta go. See ya later, bro. It was nice to seeing you.
Simon ran away, toward the control tower of the base.
Alvin watched his brother for a while and whispered: "I love you, Simon."
He turned toward the car park and slowly began to walk.
Wow! I didn't expect I wound update so fast. Maybe I'm better than I thought I was.
Anyway I don't have to go to school in this week and in the next week I have only three days in so... The time of the writing has just started.
Stay Munkin'!