Chapter Nine- Blast Processing
A clean-up was well away in Niceland. Nicelander and other characters alike were trying their best to make sure that the game looked spick and span for the oncoming work day.
"Geeze…." Felix said to himself, busy mending one of the many holes in the apartment "I wonder if Mario ever goes through stuff like this when someone gets a hold of one of those mushrooms of his…."
"Speak for yourself!" laughed Vanellope, glitching her way through the mess "I doubt MARIO ever had ta deal with anything THIS BIG before!" the girl then pointed off towards the distance, her finger aimed right at a rather large figure who was seated on the lawn, worry plastered all over his face.
Who was this figure?
None other than the mayor of Niceland itself, Nicelander Gene.
Or to put a better, a nearly three story Nicelander Gene.
The chubby mayor just sat in silence near the trees, his eyes focused downwards and his mind still on what he had caused in the past hour. He couldn't even bring himself to look at Niceland nor the rest of his neighbors after what he had done!
"Wow, Genie…you REALLY got yourself into trouble this time…." the man thought to himself, sighing heavily afterwards.
"Don't look so glum, solider!" called up the teasing voice of a familiar space marine "Take advantage of the view you have now!"
Gene grumble to himself before peering down at Calhoun; he knew the woman was trying to make him feel better but after everything he went through, it was going to take more than a few SMALL jokes to bring him out of his mood
"Trust me young lady, I would enjoy this 'view' if it didn't come at the cost of putting everyone in danger…" the man mumbled, turning to the side and giving a pout.
"Danger? Naaaah!" the sergeant replied, a smile on her face "I know you too well Genie! You have enough grace ta keep from stepping on someone!"
"Don't even SAY that!" the mayor shivered, turning back towards the woman, worry written on his face "It MIGHT happen if you keep joking like that!"
Calhoun shook her head as she looked up at the worried Nicelander; maybe she had laid it on a bit too thick but it wasn't like seeing a giant Nicelander scared the woman. She had fought Cybugs who were MUCH bigger than the mayor was so seeing him so LARGE didn't scare her the slightest.
SURPRISE her maybe, but scare her? Not at all!
Another glance at the mayor brought the message home to her though. She could tell Gene was concerned about what was going on, VERY concerned!
She then looked down, seeing that throughout the entire ordeal, Mary had remind by his side, the small Nicelander in pink still standing next to Gene, looking more than worried. With that act of dedication, one would have to be blind NOT to see how much Mary cared for Gene. The sight brought a small smile to Calhoun's face but at the same time, she knew if she wanted to make things better for the two, she would have to figure out a way to return Gene to normal!
"Hey, don't fret big guy!" the woman said, her voice strong "Mousey here will find SOME way ta bring ya back down to your lil munchkin size!"
"P-Please see that you do!" the mayor stuttered, stooping down to the two Hero's Duty characters "N-Not to rush you, but what's going to happen later this morning?! This is STILL a work day!"
Mouse looked up at the giant Nicelander, a little unnerved at how close he was to her. She clutched her laptop and scooted back a bit, her nervous smile the only thing visible on her face.
"H-H-Hey, ease up there Mr. Mayor!" the cadet said, clearly VERY uncomfortable "I'm still doin' a check on your coding and so far the ACK-!"
Before Mouse could even finish her sentence, she felt the pull of the man's fingers LIFTING her off the ground by her collar, meeting the Nicelander face to face.
"Yes, YES?! DON'T LEAVE ME HANGING!" Gene shouted.
"Dear! Put the young lady down!" Mary shouted, running over and smacking Gene on his fingers.
"I-Its okay ma'am!" Mouse laughed "I-I'm used to hangin' several feet off the ground!"
Calhoun approached the two, her eyes on her cadet "Okay Mousey, what did ya find?"
"Well, according ta what the kid told me, Mayor Gene here came into contact with some power-ups from Sugar Rush, right? And due to the influx of them working at once, there's some sort of slow-down in his ability to process them!"
Gene shook his head "I know, I KNOW! But can you tell us when this is going to end?! Or better yet, can you reverse it?!"
"I'm gettin' ta that!" shouted Mouse, a little peeved "Listen Mayor. Don't take this as an insult or anything, but since your game is….is…..well…."
Mouse looked at Gene before gazing down at Mary. The two Nicelanders KNEW what the woman was going to say.
"OLD?" both Nicelander said simultaneously, creeping the Hero's Duty character out a bit.
"Well…I was going to say RETRO but you said it first!"
"So my hubby's game is old. What does THAT have to do with anything?" asked Calhoun.
Mouse prepared to say something but then looked back at Gene, pointing towards the ground.
"Oh. Sorry…." The mayor chuckled, embarrassment in his voice.
Gene lowered Mouse back on the lawn as gently as he could, the woman quickly darting back to Calhoun.
"AS I WAS SAYING….the processing power of this place is YEARS behind Sugar Rush so that means that five minuet time frame Vanellope told you about? It ain't gonna happen here!"
"So what's going to happen instead?" Calhoun asked, looking back at Mouse's laptop.
The cadet began to type away, showing her commanding officer the stats "HOPEFULLY, the only thing that SHOULD happen is that those things are going to take a LOT longer to work their way through the Nicelander's code!"
"Y-you mean-?!" Gene gasped, paling a bit "THIS ISN'T OVER?! THOSE THINGS ARE STILL WORKING?!"
Mouse once again backed away from Gene, nearly going right into Calhoun's arms. Detecting this, the Sergeant pushed Mouse forward, a reassuring look on her face.
"Honey, he couldn't hurt a fly. He's not going to starting hurting anyone now…."
Mouse scowled a bit, "Just not takin' any chances. Ya know how I feel about getting' STOMPED."
"Dear, what was this about the power-ups still working on Gene?" Mary spoke up, looking up at the two women.
"Yeah, hate to tell ya guys but…but Mr. Mayor here? He's still, ahem, he's still gettin' bigger…"
Hearing the words made Gene's heart skip a beat; he just couldn't believe it. He had thought that the worse was over when he finally got himself free from the door but to hear that he was still under the effects of the power up…and that things could only get BIGGER from here?
Yup, Gene needed a drink. Too bad he was too big to get one!
"Gracious!" Mary gasped, looking up at her fiancé, noticing that he was spacing out a bit "If he's not going to remain this size, how much larger could he get?!"
"Who knows…" Mouse said "With the way Gene's code is acting, he might go well beyond the intended height that he should have become from falling on FOUR of those things…but if we're lucky, his code might be able to catch up and process the data from the power-ups again, thus making their time limit run out and-!"
"And I can be back to normal again?!" Gene finished, a hopeful smile on his face.
"Yeah…" Mouse replied, though she turned away, putting a hand on Calhoun's shoulder "Hopefully…"
Her back still turned to the Nicelanders, Mouse did something that made a chill run up Calhoun's spine.
She raised her goggles.
That sign.
Whenever Mouse took off her goggles or her glasses, something big was going to happen.
"Mouse, what do you have?" the sergeant asked, making sure that Mouse's face remained hidden.
"Sarge, I'm still worried about how Gene's code took in all that power. Somethin' isn't right here."
Calhoun lowered her head, "Well, things seem to be running smoothly enough!"
"I'm glad that it is, and I HOPE it stays that way but this isn't a situation we can leave unchecked. I mean, who knows how long that Nicelander could be like this! A few more hours, a few DAYS! A WEEK!" The woman said, her voice very serious "My computer is showing different stats for everything and I don't know what could happen NEXT!"
Much too serious for the Nicelanders' liking.
"W-what do you think they're saying?" Mary whispered, backing up towards Gene.
Gene tried to listen in; Mouse might have done a well enough job to keep MARY from hearing her but the now massive Nicelander was able to pick up SOME of the things the woman was telling Calhoun.
And from what little he heard, Gene was not happy. He scowled a bit, raising to his feet and walking over to the two soldiers.
"Excuse me!" the mayor said in a rather annoyed tone, his hands on his sides "Considering this is something that effects ALL of us here, I would very much like to know what is going on, thank you very much!"
Mouse let out a squeak as she noticed the mayor was once again trying to stoop down to her level, quickly lowering her goggles as she turned around to face him. She growled a bit as she held up her hands.
"For cryin' out LOUD! I'm just tryin' to make sure nothin' else happens here, OKAY!?"
"I can understand that, young lady…." The mayor sneered, his eyes narrowing "But if I might remind you, I AM the mayor of this game and if there is something important going on, it is necessary that you tell me! ESPECIALLY SINCE IT HAS TO DO WITH ME!"
Mouse stood on her tip-toes, giving Gene a threatening glare; she was doing the best that she could! She didn't need some GIANT making her work any harder!
Calhoun couldn't help but chuckle at the sight and she pulled Mouse away "Listen Gene, Mouse is just concerned that your code or the hard-drive of this game might not be able to process all the data! We're not trying to keep you in the dark, but we just don't want you to get TOO panicked!"
Mouse moved forward "Just to be certain because of that, did anything else happen in this game when all of this calamity began?"
Gene looked down at himself, putting his hands on his chest "Well….aside some when I was glitching, everything appeared normal."
"Aside from when you were glitching?" the cadet asked, taking another step forward "Do tell…."
Gene sat back on the ground "Well, whenever I glitched, it was like this shocking pain shot through my entire body!"
"Mmm-hmmm…" the cadet nodded "Go on…."
"And…other than feeling pain whenever I grew, nothing else happened here!"
"No one else did anything? No glitching from the other characters?"
Gene shook his head, "No…I've been the only one that's been affected since this ordeal began!"
Mouse rubbed her chin, her brain going into HARD THOUGHT-MODE!
"That a bad sign?" asked Calhoun.
"Actually…that's a GOOD sign!" Mouse said in a bright tone "I mean, Gene going through PAIN. That's BAD on his part but to hear that no one else was affected….maybe….maybe this will run a lot smoother than I thought!"
"Nice to know YOU think so…" Gene groaned "I'm still HUGE and could possibly get BIGGER? That doesn't sound so good to me!"
"Hey, relax Mr. Mayor!" Mouse called up with a smile "If it make you feel any better, this entire glitching thing seems to happen most often when you get upset so…."
"So, what I think the young lady is saying is you better keep calm…" Mary said, trying her best to put a bit of light in Gene's mind thought try as she might, the mayor was still concerned "Look dear. I know…I know what's going on ISN'T something I would expect ANYONE to remain calm about but for you safety, its best that you do! I just…I just don't want you to be in anymore pain!"
Hearing everything about processing, about data, about slow-down, it was all starting to swirl in Gene's mind. He didn't want to hear any of that; he just wanted to return to normal and he wanted to return to normal NOW, as not to put anyone else in danger!
But if anything, it was how Mary was reacting to this that really put him on edge. While she had done an outstanding job in keeping much calmer than Gene was in the situation, there was no guess that she was beside herself with worry. After all, this was HER fiancé that had been transformed into such an extraordinary state! It was her love who's very code was on the line.
She LOVED Gene and to see him like this was more than she could stand but she knew she had to stay strong.
Gene looked down at Mary, the very sight of her breaking his pixel heart. Being as careful as he could, he placed a finger atop her head.
"Oh Mary…I'm sorry…"
Mary simply took Gene's finger and held it warmly "You have nothing to be sorry about, Gene. Just hope that this will be over a lot sooner than we have been told…."
Gene nodded but he then moaned, slouching as he sat on the grass "I'm trying to figure out which was worse. The time I was turned into a virus…OR THIS!"
The mayor then heard a glitching sound and for a second, he thought it was his own code again but he looked down, seeing the grinning face of Vanellope Von Schweetz looking up at him.
"Well, as a virus, ya COULD kill an' infect people! I think that's WAY worse than just bein' a tad overgrown!" the girl smiled from ear to ear, still more impressed than scared to see something bigger than RALPH before her.
"You're runnin' a bit too much at the mouth, kid…" Ralph said, running up behind her and hoping she wouldn't say something to aggravate the situation.
"A TAD?!" the mayor exclaimed "You call this-?!" He looked down at himself, still a little unnerved over what was happening "You call this a TAD overgrown!"
"Meh, to each his own…." The racer shrugged "I still think it would be kinda cool ta be that big!"
Gene put a hand to his forehead "Urgh, come back to me after you get stuck in a DOOR and we'll discuss how FUN it is, MISSY!"
"Okay, I can sense things aren't getting any better around here…" Calhoun said, shaking her head. She then pointed down at Vanellope "YOU better get to bed young lady. You've already been through enough an' ya KNOW it's a work night!"
"Aw, but Sarge!" Vanellope whined.
"Ah-bah-bah! You heard me! Giant Nicelander or NO giant Nicelander, you're still on the roster!"
"I'll let Sticky or someone else take my place!" the racer pouted, stamping her feet on the grass "This is somethin' I can't miss! I mean, it's not every day someone GIGANTORS a Nicelander!"
"YOUNG LADY!" Gene boomed, his brows furrowing and his face turning a bit red. The racer let out a squeak as she glitched behind Ralph. Apparently the wrecker's warning was correct.
"Told ya…."
Once more, Gene felt the looks of everyone prying into him. It was a feeling he ABSOLUTELY hated but he knew he wasn't making anything better by getting angry at people. He crossed his arms across his chest and let out a huff, the side of his mustache twitching.
"SORRY."
"So how long with the program last again?" asked Ralph.
"Unless Gene's code manages to get back in sync, the longest this could last is…maybe a week?" Mouse said, hoping she hadn't offended the large Nicelander.
"A week?" Gene mumbled, burying his face in his hands "A FREAKIN' WEEK!?"
"Honey, calm down!" Mary said "You heard that Calhoun and Mouse said! You're going to make things worse at this rate!"
"I'm sorry dear but…." the Nicelander stopped, a pained look on his face "How can we work around this?! How can I be part of the game?!"
"Don't fret, Gene! We'll figure somethin' out!" Felix in a reassuring tone.
"Something?! I know my job isn't the BEST here but…but kids are going to know something is off if Ralph doesn't have something to throw or if I don't get blown out the window!" the Nicelander said, panicking a bit "A-and if they notice that, what else would they notice?! Ma-maybe they'll think the game is SKIPPING or something and then they'll go to Litwak and tell him something is wrong and then we'll get put OUT OF ORDER AGAIN AND IT'LL BE THANK TO-!"
"GENE!" Mary yelled at the top of her voice "GOODNESS GRACIOUS! Lie down or something!"
The mayor remembered what the others had told him and he quickly took in a deep breath, holding it for a moment before exhaling. He HAD to remain calm, otherwise-!
GLITCH!
Otherwise he would trigger another spurt.
Gene felt a twinge of pain running up his spine "GAH!"
"WHOA!" cried Ralph as he grabbed Vanellope and moved out of the way, just as a few more inches were added onto the Nicelander's height.
"I told you that would happen!" Mary said sadly.
Mouse just stood STUNNED at what she witnessed "If we weren't in an E-rated game, I would have some words to say about THAT!"
"DON'T."
Gene stood nervously before everyone, looking down at his hands once more; wonderful. JUST wonderful. He had proved to everyone in the game that not only was he incompetent enough to allow himself to get his own code corrupted but he couldn't even follow directions in order to keep the very thing that was inflicting him from happening!
This was just not the mayor's day.
"M-maybe we can put in a new bonus stage. Wreck Nicelander-ZILLA." The man mumbled.
Ralph and Vanellope exchanged glances for a second, a little shocked at what Gene had just said. The wrecker could just tell that the mayor was feeling awful inside but he had no clue as to what to do to make him feel better.
"D-Don't feel that way, pal!" the wrecker chuckled, although he did so nervously "We all can't be perfect an' we all make mistakes!"
"BIG MISTAKES!" Vanellope grinned, not helping in the matter.
Calhoun put her face in her palm "NELLY."
"Look, don't worry about tha games later on today! We can still function an' that's all that matters!" Felix said, walking up to his friend.
Gene didn't say a word and instead gave Felix the most pathetic look he had ever seen come on the mayor's face, only making Felix even more nervous.
"O-o-or maybe we CAN put ya in the game!" Ralph blurted without thinking "Y-Yeah! It can be a bonus stage within a bonus stage!"
Ralph turned his back away from Gene, the ideas already flowing in his brain.
"Yeah! How about we have the players try to see how many bench presses I can do with ya! They might like that!"
Vanellope looked back, ducking a bit as something caught her eyes "Uh…Ralph?"
"Or maybe, we can have a FINAL BOSS level in the game!" the wrecker said brightly. He was on a roll now! Ideas were coming to him left and right! "YES! I could fight you off in a final level! It could be 'The revenge of the Nicelanders!' and the story could be…'After getting tired of being thrown from the window, Mayor Nicelander Gene went to one of his Nicelander pals to concoct a formula to make him strong enough to be Ralph! But something went wrong and-!"
"RALPH!" Vanellope yelled, pulling hard on the man's hair.
"OW! What is i-?!"
Thankfully, the HUGE shadow draping over the man snapped the wrecker out of his creative mood. Ralph only had to look UP to realize that perhaps he had gone a bit too far with some of his ideas for now Gene was GLARING down at him, the huge Nicelander's blue eyes cutting through him coldly.
Yeah, Ralph had said too much.
"So…" Gene said, his voice pit deep and a creepy smile appearing on his face "Is THAT how you want things to work out now?"
Ralph held up his hands, backing away a bit "N-Now, GENE. I was just tryin' to lighten things up, ya know?"
The Nicelander took ONE threatening step towards Ralph, his footsteps BOOMING.
"WELL, NICE SEEIN' YA RALPH! ITS TIME FOR ME TA GO TO BED!" Vanellope said, jumping right off the man's shoulders.
"I have to say, YOUNG MAN. Those ideas of yours WERE rather interesting!" Gene chuckled deeply "In fact, why don't we try one of them out NOW?"
"W-what do you mean?" stammered Ralph.
Without so much as a word, Gene lowered a hand, curled back his fingers….
And FLICKED Ralph in the woods.
"GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
*CRASH!*
"Oh my goodness, RALPH!" cried Felix, the man running back towards the woods.
Vanellope didn't know whether to be UPSET or just IMPRESSED to see Ralph catching so much air "Wow! It was a good idea to jump when I did!"
"OOOH! GENE!" Mary growled as she looked up at the still grumping Nicelander "WHAT DID YOU GO AND DO THAT FOR?!"
The Nicelander just looked down at his fiancé, still a little miffed but noticeably less so "Trust me darling when I say that ONE act calmed me down just enough!"
Mary didn't say a word and instead decided to show her response by KICKING Gene in his foot, though he man didn't feel a thing.
"See, this is why I DIDN'T want to make him angry…" Mouse said to Calhoun, shaking her head.
As the Hero's Duty soldiers prepared to leave, Felix and Vanellope continued to run in the forest, calling out for their lost friend.
"RALPH! RALPH! C'mon, stink brains, where are ya?!" the little racer called, her hands cupped over her mouth.
There was a faint moan a few yards ahead of the two "R-right here!"
"Oh, thank programmers!" Felix cried in jubilation, bouncing ahead, only to find that in his 'flight' Ralph had sailed through several trees before coming to a stop right in the middle of one!
"OH! GOSH!" Vanellope said, whistling "I haven't seen anyone take a crash like this since…well, since the time I busted through Rocky Road Canyon! It took the guys FIVE HOURS to get me unstuck from a wall!"
Pixelated birds of pain swirled over Ralph's head, the man managing to pry himself from the tree before landing on his butt, the tree falling in front of him with a mighty crash.
"Hey Ralph? Ya okay, brother?" asked Felix, looking over the man in worry.
Ralph swatted at the birds, missing each time he swung his huge hands "Urgh, I think Gene broke my throwin' record!"
