Chapter 7
Leaving on My Own
23
Spy nervously wandered around the control room, time and again glancing either at his wristwatch or at Nimnul torturing remote control.
"Come on, Know-it-all! What are you dawdling over there?"
"Patience!" Nimnul angrily flashed with his glasses. "It is a very delicate work! Besides, now I have only four mechanical hands instead of eight! I didn't calculate upon such casualties!"
Spy went on striding back and forth. Nimnul didn't calculate… He himself, on the other hand, calculated everything, and knew that time was running out. Sooner or later there will be a security shift and if guards find them here…
"Professor! Is there any progress?!"
"Just a minute! I've almost finished!"
Nimnul was sweating heavily. He even bit his tongue in exertion while commanding robots to carefully place tiny ululunium balls into thick leaden sphere-shaped containers. When the last container was screwed down as tightly as possible and placed in the special case, Norton placed remote control on the table and shook his stiffened hands a couple of times.
But that wasn't all yet. Having picked remote controls again, he ordered robots to load additional uranium rods into the reactor. When reactor was fully loaded, robots turned off all available safety locks and emergency shutdown systems. Then one of them grabbed weighty case with priceless cargo, and two machines left the reactor room. Spy smiled and turned reactor on at full power. And even slightly more than that…
"So, Professor!" he said. "Looks like my plan worked pretty well, didn't it? Now we have only one thing to do — leave this complex!"
"Sure!" Nimnul's lips broke into a mischievous smile. "But wait, here are my little friends!"
At these his words the control room doors parted letting the robots in. One of them carried leaden case in its right hand, but three other metallic hands now ended not with fingers but with heavy machine-guns' barrels aimed right at Spy's chest.
"What a weird joke is that, Professor?" Spy asked, his voice ice-cold.
"Ha-ha! Do you, my dear colleague, really think I'll let you have this ululunium for 15 billion?" Nimnul was shaking with overexcitement and rejoicing. "This is the key to the future of all mankind! And it is mine! Just mine!"
"Oh, really?" Spy asked with sarcasm while imperceptibly shoving hand into his pocket and pushing a button on a hidden remote control. In a brief moment something exploded inside the robots, they broke in halves and fell on the floor forming two shapeless heaps of scrap metal.
"What?! How?! Who?!" Nimnul started clicking buttons on the now useless remote control amuck. His nasty smile vanished without a trace; feeling of triumph gave place to irrational fear. Scientist turned to Spy and bleated in a shaky voice:
"What happened? What have you…?"
"You underestimated me, Professor. You think I didn't anticipate that you would want to lay your hands on all the ululunium? I knew it from the very beginning! That's why I secretly furnished your robots with, let's say, undocumented self-destruction feature, which I just activated from my own remote control. One free of charge advice for the future — don't talk with yourself about your 'ingenious plans' aloud. Walls tend to have ears, you know." And Spy pointed to Francis peeping out of his pocket.
"However, even if you hadn't planned to get rid of me, I wouldn't have shared my money with you anyway. I needed you to build and operate these robots. Robots are of no use anymore. And so are you."
Nimnul lunged at Spy with his fists, but the latter fetched a gun from under his belt with a subtle gesture, and now it was Nimnul who stared in a barrel pointed at his face.
"Don't be fool, Norton! Sit down, quickly! Francis! Bring me the rope from my suitcase. Our dear professor has got very tired, and should have a seat for an hour or two. Rest, as the saying goes, peacefully…"
24
After three laps around the floor Dale and Zipper finally found the cherished closet. But the heavily sought can with green paint turned out although loosely, but nevertheless sealed. So two remaining Rangers had to run through the corridors once again, this time searching for something to open the can with. Eventually in one of the offices they found plastic ruler which could be easily used to hock the can lid with. As soon as Dale got out from beneath a mass of stationery fallen upon him, they rushed back only to find out that while they were absent the closet moved somewhere, so chipmunk had to start searching from scratch. By the time he ultimately succeeded he had been ready to drop from tiredness right there and now, with alternation of green and white flags the floor was covered with flashing before his eyes. But Dale remembered of his friends captured by his foes and began opening the paint can with second wind of vigor. Having shoved one end of the ruler into the chink between the can and its lid, Rescue Ranger jumped on its opposite end. First time the lid didn't move, and springy ruler flung Dale on the very top of can shelf, from where he had to jump using some rag as a primitive parachute. Second time everything worked out just fine, though chipmunk got nearly crushed by the very lid he had opened. But it missed him, and Dale climbed up the can via the ruler and dove into oily slush. Having got back on tin coast he examined himself captiously and was pleased with the result. Zipper also showed thumbs-up while holding his nose with another hand — that paint smelled too pungently.
"Hold on, guys! RadioDale will save you!" Dale shouted and ran to the control room. This time it was much easier to find because of bright green footprints marking the already visited places, so there was no need to run around in circles.
Massive double doors of control room he passed on tiptoe and devoutly praying for no one exiting out of them right then. When he entered the room where his friends were kept he saw two guardian rats sitting near it and dozing. "Great!" Dale thought. "I'll be their living nightmare!" He sneaked around the table and ascended by telephone cable. When he reached the top and headed to the jar, one of the rats loudly breathed in the air, fidgeted uneasily and finally awoke.
"Hey, Moe, wake up!" warden began to pull his fellow about.
"What do you want? What happened?" Moe asked, unwillingly opening his eyes.
"It smells very strangely, don't you think?"
Moe sniffed.
"You are right. Something definitely stinks. But I don't… AAAAA!" he shouted having seen incoming Dale.
"AAAAA!" Louie joined him. "MONSTER!!!"
"AARGH! UURGH!" Dale roared as sinister as possible trying to emulate bellowing of giraffe-mutant from the movie "Some Thing". He slowly approached rats, his hands outstretched and staring wide-eyed, with rays of light from the window reflecting on the surface of the paint covering his body and causing him to shine.
"Lo-ok, Lo-ouie! It's gre-en a-and shi-ining! It's ra-adioa-active mo-onster! We'd better RU-U-UN!!!"
Rats darted away and collided with one another. Then both of them ran in the opposite directions and, having skirted around the jar, collided at the same very place. The futility of their attempts to get away from the monster demoralized them completely. Moe and Louie screwed up their eyes so as to see no monster and blindly ran in the last known direction to the exit. They proved to be right and, having carved their way right through the door, dropped out of sight with two figured breaches left behind.
"Yes! Yes! It worked!" Dale performed some kind of war dance and ran to the jar. He leant against its side and knocked.
"Hello! Chip, Gadget, Monty! Are you here?"
Imprisoned Rescue Rangers didn't hear him, though. First, this laboratory jar had very thick sides. Second, no sooner had three captives seen strange shapeless green mug pressed against the glass then they hid at the opposite side in terror.
"I'll protect ya, guys!" Monterrey Jack said in slightly trembling but nevertheless firm voice, covering Chip and Gadget with himself.
Dale, obviously, didn't know it. He saw some degraded silhouettes only, but it was enough to make sure that his friends were still there. Now he must free them somehow… "I need to throw the jar off on the floor!" Dale comprehended and started to push it. But it was way too heavy for him.
"Help me, Zipper!" fatigued chipmunk called and the little fly joined him in pushing. Without any result, though.
"Wait!" Monty exclaimed pointing at the second blurred silhouette behind the glass. "Seems da me it's Zipper! But then dis green monstah must be…"
"DALE!" three Rangers shouted all together and ran to him. At the sight of his friends' faces close to him Dale shone and started jumping and waving hands lively and slightly absurdly.
"Yeah, that's Dale for sure," Chip said spitefully. "He needs our help! Let's push the jar from inside!"
Rescue Rangers rushed to the opposite side and started pressing against the glass hammer and tongs. Dale and Zipper did the same, and slowly the jar began moving towards the edge of the table. One inch, then another, then one more… When it dropped down, Dale nearly flew after it mechanically but held out. The jar fell on the floor with a vague tap, but didn't break and just laid there sideways.
"Oh, ill luck! It's too robust!" red-nosed (or, rather, green-nosed right now) chipmunk became upset, but seconds later the lid fell off with loud crack and Monty appeared, helping fallstruck Chip and Gadget out.
"You are free, guys! Hurray!" Dale joyfully clapped his hands. Happy Zipper flew up to Monty and sat on his shoulder. Australian patted his friend on his head.
"Haven't seen ya too long, ol' man! I missed ya, truly!"
"Good work, Dale!" Chip shouted, his hands arranged trumpet-like. "Good idea to use paint!"
"Very good, indeed! Even Chip and I were frightened!" Gadget added, and Chip blushed. He was sure that Dale didn't need to know such details. He cleared his throat nervously.
"Okay, what is this standstill for? We must stop Spy and Nimnul!"
"Wait for me!" Dale asked. "I'll be right back! Just take some contrast sprays!"
And he headed to a water cooler in the corner.
25
Having tightly tethered Nimnul to armchair Spy sealed his mouth with scotch tape and rotated him so that Professor could see the reactor beginning to quiver from overload already.
"Admire it, Norton! After all, it's your masterpiece, too!"
Spy put on the wig and false beard again, turning himself back into Professor Silverspoon. Then he unzipped unnoticeable fasteners on suitcase sides doubling its capacity, and carefully placed heavy rectangular case with ululunium in it. Suitcase grew much heavier, but this weight was very pleasant. Besides, it was nothing compared to the weight of bank notes bundle he would soon exchange this suitcase for.
"So long, Professor! It was a pleasure working with you, really!" Spy saluted twitching and mumbling Nimnul and went to the door. It remained only to pick Louie and Moe up and leave the compound. According to his calculations, reactor hull will hold for approximately one hour. This was more than enough time to leave the complex and drive off the safe distance. And the nuclear explosion will literally wipe out all the tracks of ululunium disappearance and of his presence here…
It turned out he didn't have to go for Moe and Louie too far. No sooner had the doors opened that two goggle-eyed rats sprang right on Spy's leg.
"OUCH! Careful! Are you rabid or what?" He ripped the rats brokenly clutching at his leg off and put them into the pocket where Francis sat. "You really feel when its time to abandon ship, don't you?" Spy grinned. "Well, it's even better!"
And he rapidly walked to the lifts. He had scarcely turned around the corner when Rescue Rangers arrived at the control room doors.
"How do we get there?" Dale, not yet completely dried-up after shower, asked.
"Just like last time!" Chip answered angrily, but having stumbled across Gadget's irate glance added apologetically. "Oh yes, I forgot, you weren't with us… Let's go, I'll show you."
'Wow,' Dale thought, 'Chip apologized to me! I must have scared him very badly! Or maybe this is the current flush consequence?'
Because Rescue Rangers already knew the way across ventilation, they quickly found Monterey-demolished grate.
"Golly, the Spy is gone!" Gadget exclaimed.
"At least Nimnul's here" Monty nodded at the scientist writhing in the armchair.
"And why is it shaking?" Dale asked causing everybody freeze and notice previously absent vibration.
"IT'S THE REACTOR!" Gadget pointed at the frantically blinking console. Having examined all the screens through her binoculars, she added in fear.
"GOSH! They overloaded the reactor and shut all emergency systems off! The uncontrollable chain reaction will start! Neutrons will collide with uranium nuclei and break them into new atoms and neutrons, which, colliding, will for their turn…"
"Please, Gadget, with no details!" Chip begged. "You mean that…"
"Yes, Chip. Nuclear explosion. I have read that this is rather powerful reactor. It produces almost… Sorry, I seem to be carried away again…"
"It must be stopped! How does it stop?! Stop it!!!" Dale nervously shook mouse's elbow.
"The Spy and his robots turned everything off. All protection mechanisms… Wait! One of them is unshuttable!"
"Which one?!"
"Manual emergency absorber deployment system. But in order to activate it those two levers must be lowered!"
"What are we waitin' fo'?" Monty tossed up. "We'll fall on them with our weight and…"
"I'm sorry, Monty, but wouldn't work." Gadget said it in such a cheerless and despairing voice everybody grew ice-cold. "These levers must be lowered simultaneously. Both at once."
The deathly silence established, being broken only by rhythmical tap of sweat drops falling from Australian's moustache.
"You want to say…" Chip began slowly.
"…THAT THIS IS THE END?!!" Dale finished instead of him, and having fallen on his belly started desperately threshing his fists against metallic floor of ventilation tunnel.
"Certainly, we can get back to the roof and…" Gadget murmured very quietly. Other Rangers looked at her and she cast her eyes down. "I'm sorry, guys. I know I'm talking nonsense…"
"Maybe she is right…" Monterey Jack said. "Dying to no purpose isn't too good…"
"No!" Chip clearly enunciated each and every word. "We won't go anywhere! If we withdraw now, we'll be deprived of the right to call ourselves Rescue Rangers! We won't ever forgive ourselves the deaths of hundreds and thousands men! Better die then feel remorse for the rest of your life, asking yourself again and again whether everything had been done, tried, calculated…"
"I'm with you, Chip!" Dale said rising to his feet and shaking off. He walked up to Chip and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Me too" Monty embraced them both.
"I go where you go!" Zipper buzzed doughtily and landed on his head.
"You forgot me!" Gadget ran up to them. Chip coughed a couple of times trying to sort out his thoughts and pick right words, then slowly began to speak:
"Gadget, I want to tell you… to ask you to fly away. You must save yourself. I insist on it. You still have time to escape… No-no, please, let me finish." He raised his hand forestalling the word flow ready to come from her lips. "Someone ought to stay, to tell everyone about the Spy and his plans. He can't be allowed to be left unpunished. Someone must inform the authorities. As a leader of Rescue Rangers, I entrust you with this task…" he paused, swallowing a lump in the throat. "And as a friend — I beg you. Please, do it. For all of us."
Brooks of tears were running across Gadget's cheeks. Chip lowered his head. "She is so beautiful!" he thought. "I haven't told her… I have never found time… But it's too late now… I can't tell her now, for she won't take a step…"
"You must fly away," he repeated.
"What are you talking about, Chip!" inventor shouted through tears. "I won't fly away without all of you! I won't leave you!!!"
"YOU MUST! I ORDER YOU! DO YOU HEAR? THAT'S AN ORDER!"
The beautiful mouse burst out sobbing. Chip had never yelled at her like this before. Even when her inventions didn't work as they should have or broke down jeopardizing all team members' lives. He could raise his voice. He could say something sarcastic or stinging, or just remain silent. But this…
She fell to her knees.
"DALE! MONTY! Tell him… He… He doesn't know what he's talking about… He is insane! I… I can't do it… Don't do this to me…"
Dale was crying his eyes out while wiping the face with Hawaiian shirt. Monterey Jack pulled his flight goggles over his eyes to hide tears. Zipper wept hidden behind his friend's broad back. Chip looked sideways and griped jaws to the highest degree, trying his hardest not to sob aloud through the entire complex. Watching Gadget suffering was miles beyond his capacity. When she pretended to mourn over Dale and Zipper he nearly had a stroke. And now…
"Guys, wait!"
Gadget raised her head and looked at her friends with eyes full of cold determination. This transition from despair to serenity was so drastic that Chip, who had already bidden farewell to her and to life as a whole, felt his jaw dropping on the floor. Once again he made sure that even after so many years of acquaintance he didn't know her at all. Turns out that, while sobbing and begging of her friends, she simultaneously went on searching for a way out of this seemingly hopeless situation. And, looks like, she found it…
"I know who will help us!"
"WHO?!" everybody exclaimed with one accord.
"He!" and mouse pointed at constrained Nimnul.
"WHAT?!" Monty's indignation was boundless. "No way! We've already helped him to return to his normal look, and what next? He caged us!"
"Yeah, right! He can't be trusted! He'll try to finish us off at the very first opportunity!" Dale bristled up.
"Besides," Chip said prudently, "he doesn't understand our language anymore! We won't be able to even talk to him!"
"Oh sure we will! Let's go!"
And Gadget emphatically headed towards Nimnul while rubbing her face with the sleeves. Other Rangers exchanged glances and followed her example.
