The gang reacts from this new development. Plans are made, both good and bad. Matt tells of his recent meeting. Filler chapter of sorts, but a fast-paced one. It didn't take me long to write this chpt. On another note, I start college tomorrow morning (Monday). Things posting-wise might get shaken up a bit in the weeks to follow, but I'll try and limit that. Oh, and wish me luck! :)
10.
Spreading The Word
The Cybersquad watched in horror as events on Cyantis suddenly took a turn for the worse, right up until the news transmission ended when Cyantis's shield went up. After a moment of static, Motherboard's face reappeared on the screen, looking grim.
"Oh no!" Jackie squealed in panic. "This can't be happening!"
"Who were those guys?" Peter asked. "If those guys really were Founders of Cyberspace..."
"Then dark times will have returned to Cyberspace, Peter." Motherboard said flatly.
"Oh, so soon?" Lara asked sarcastically. "Guess we didn't earn a little reprieve after beating Hacker after all."
"Now look, things aren't that bad yet." Digit said. "So those guys have a hundred or so people held captive, it's not like we haven't handled this kind of situation before."
"They shot people, Digit!" Jackie said bitterly. "I saw at least two cyborgs go down. People could be getting killed right this second!"
"Alex is on Cyantis!" Lara realized. "So is his father!"
"So is Dr. Marbles." Matt added. "So are a lot of good people. Jackie's right, this is an extremely dangerous situation and shouldn't be treated any less."
"Any ideas, Mother B?" Digit asked Motherboard.
"I believe the only choice we have the moment, Digit, is to accept Tehran's demands and permit an emergency meeting with the Grand Cyber Council to take place at the site, as he requests, and hear him through." Motherboard said.
"You do that, and then you're going to have that many more people stranded on the site!" Peter said.
"I am well aware of the risk, Peter." Motherboard said. "I am attempting to strike a deal with Tehran. I have sent a message to Cyantis offering a proposal. But, I would not, as the saying goes, 'hold my breath' over the matter. I highly expect the deal to be rejected. Tehran and his men have enough control over the situation to do that."
"So it's either his way or the highway." Peter said.
"More like his way or death." Jackie said, still bitter.
"There's got to be another way to do this." Digit said. "Some way to make everyone happy."
"That's going to be hard, as we don't know what it is that Tehran wants." Matt pointed out, shaking his head. "If only Inez was here, she'd have some..." he trailed off suddenly, his eyes going wide with remembrance, a smile spreading across his face.
"I hardly think this is a time to be smiling, Matt." Jackie scolded, hurt at Matt's apparent lack of sensitivity.
"Sorry, Jackie, but I just remembered!" Matt said, beaming with joy. "Inez is alive!"
Everyone gave him blank looks.
"You know, Matt, I had been wondering about your mental health for a while now, but I didn't think it was this bad." Peter said.
"If this is a joke, Matt, it's not funny." Jackie said.
"No, no, I'm telling you the truth, I just saw her in the elevator!" Matt said, pointing behind him.
More blank looks.
"Are you feeling okay, Mattie?" Digit said, reaching up with one wing to feel Matt's forehead, despite the fact he was too short to do so.
"My scans indicate that he is physically fit, but I cannot evaluate his mental health with mere scans." Motherboard announced.
"I'm not crazy, guys!" Matt persisted, getting angry now. "Inez is alive! I know it! I saw her! She told me!"
"Matt, she's dead." Jackie said flatly. "She died the same time Hacker did.."
"No, she didn't die when the Wreaker exploded, she..." Matt began.
"Technically, it was not an explosion, Matt." Motherboard corrected. "It was a neutramatter breach that..."
"I know, I know!" Matt said angrily. "But the point is still the same! Inez got off the Wreaker, and she's alive right at this moment!"
"How could she have gotten off the Wreaker?" Peter asked. "We all searched for any sign she escaped using what was at her disposal. The scans turned up nothing."
"That's because we forgot one thing!" Matt said. "Inez could and did escape to the neutramatter dimension!"
More blank looks, but this time of the good sort.
"Of course!" Digit exclaimed, slapping himself. "Why didn't I think of that! That's a perfectly logical solution!"
"You mean she's really alive?" Jackie asked.
"Yes!" Matt said, pleased they were catching on.
"I must admit the theory fits." Motherboard acknowledged.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Peter interrupted. "Supposing this is all true, and Inez really is just stranded in the neutramatter dimension, then how could she have possibly spoken with anybody?"
"She's been doing a lot in the neutramatter dimension, trying to find a way to get home." Matt explained. "She managed to build this device that creates holographic projections of herself anywhere in Cyberspace. She used it just before I arrived here to explain things to me."
"In the elevator." Peter said.
"Yeah."
"So why isn't she still here?" Lara asked.
"Because her device...thing...is a power hog." Matt explained. "She simply ran out of power and couldn't sustain the connection any longer."
"Oh, that's really convenient, Matt." Peter said. "But we've only got your word on the matter. I won't believe this until I've got some proof."
"I have checked service records for the elevator Matt rode." Motherboard announced. "During the time Matt was riding it, the system encountered and error, and the elevator was stuck in-between decks for a period of fifteen or more minutes, during which an unknown energy signature could be detected within the car."
Peter whirled around to give Motherboard a surprised look.
"Ha!" Matt said. "That proof enough for you?"
"Whoa, wait." Digit said. "As good news as this is, we have bigger fish to fry at the moment. We need to deal with this situation on Cyantis first before we try and help Inez get home."
"Unless she has figured out her own way of getting back." Lara stated.
"No, she doesn't, despite trying very hard to do so." Matt admitted. "But Inez did know about what was going to happen on Cyantis! She tried to warn me before she had to cut the connection but didn't succeed. She probably knows more about these guys than we do. If we can just get her back..."
"We do not have time to wait, Matt." Motherboard said. "Tehran will not wait forever for us to come up with a plan to stop him. And Digit is right, we cannot focus on bringing Inez home at this time. Furthermore, doing so will prove to be problematic, as the plans for the portal generator to the neutramatter dimension have been..."
"...destroyed, I know." Matt said. "But we need to think of something."
"Right now we need to be thinking of how we should free those people stuck on Cyantis." Peter said. "I mean, look at who is over there at the moment. Dr. Marbles, Alex, Alex's dad, the news lady, the rest of the Cyantis Expedition..."
"...and two of my men." Hardson said harshly as she suddenly stepped into the room. "Davidson and McKinsey are trapped on that site as well. The CSEDS is urging me to use whatever means to bring them back safely."
"We are working on a solution." Motherboard said. "I have sent a message containing our requests to Cyantis, and I have just been sent a reply. The terms have been rejected, but Tehran and his men are willing to move the location of the meeting from Cyantis to their ship..."
"Good." Hardson interrupted. "Motherboard, gather the Grand Cyber Council, and prepare them for immediate departure to Cyantis."
Motherboard blinked in surprise at being order so harshly.
"Who put you in charge?" Peter asked, annoyed.
"The CSEDS, Peter." Hardson replied, looking a touch annoyed herself. "In the event of a military situation, such as now, we have the authority to do so. I will be taking command of the situation until further notice."
"Excuse me, major, but I don't think that's such a good idea." Matt said, narrowing his eyes in annoyance. "These people taking control of Cyantis might be Founders of Cyberspace, and even if they aren't, you and the rest of the CSEDS aren't familiar enough with Cyberspace affairs to handle this situation."
"Are you saying that you don't want our help?" Hardson asked bitterly.
"He's saying this is a diplomatic situation, major." Jackie said. "If you have been watching that news feed, you would've know there's still a chance to resolve this situation peacefully."
"Which is exactly what I intend to do." Hardson said. "We're going to have this meeting and hear out Tehran's terms, and work up from there."
"What if it's a trap?" Lara asked.
"Teams CS-1 to CS-4 are going to be escorting the Grand Cyber Council to the meeting and back, armed." Hardson explained. "If anything goes wrong, we have orders to take control of the situation and get the council safely back to where they need to go. A fleet of J-21s is also en route for Cyantis as of this moment, and will surround both Cyantis and the transport ship until this meeting is over, threatening to fire if anything goes wrong."
"You really think showing force is going to make this go smoother?" Matt asked.
"Major, it doesn't matter whether or not these guys are really Founders of Cyberspace." Digit said. "What does matter is that they clearly know how to use Cyantian technology. You don't know what kind of power they have because of that. They could shoot you and your fleet out of the sky long before you got within weapons range."
"These are my orders, Digit, and I'm going to carry them out." Hardson said. "And currently none of you have the authority to override me. I know there are some huge risks to this plan, but we can't afford to take the time to come up with a better one. We need to act now." she paused for a moment. "So, you're all welcome to come with, or you can stay here."
"I will go." Motherboard said. "I am preparing a network connection for my system as we speak."
"As for the rest of us, I think we'll stay here." Matt said. "Just in case things go terribly wrong."
"For once, that's something I can agree with." Peter agreed, folding his arms. "No offense, Hardson, but there needs to be somebody left over in case this plan goes horribly wrong, which I think it will."
"Think whatever you want, it's not changing things." Hardson said, turning to leave. "Motherboard, I want that council here, ready to leave, within the hour, and not a second later. Keep me updated of any new developments."