Unwilling to leave Mike alone with the trigger-happy private soldiers of Mr. White, Dr. Jones proceeded to walk through the vacant, wet, loud and bright hallway of the building with Mike leaning heavily against her. A soldier who had been sent to clear each room of the building spotted Dr. Jones with the prisoner and glared with a false sense of authority.

Running toward the good doctor the soldier eyed Mike bitterly. "Doctor, why didn't you evacuate with everyone else?"

Stopping in the hall Dr. Jones wiped short, dark strands of her damp hair from her face. "I'm a doctor first and a 'Gizmonic Scientist' second. I wasn't going to leave my patient behind."

Mike relaxed a little knowing that Dr. Jones was clearly on his side. It was nice to have an ally instead of another enemy.

The soldier subtly aimed his gun at Mike. "What's this prisoner's crime?"

"His only crime was working for Gizmonic Institute. He's a victim, not a criminal."

"Yeah!" Mike defended boldly. "I'm innocent!"

The soldier was visibly unimpressed. "I don't care. You two, follow me." He turned and walked at a brisk pace as he escorted the final two occupants of the building outside with the rest of the usual patrons.

"Thanks." Mike whispered to Dr. Jones. "I owe you one."

"Just one?" She teased warmly.

"Okay... two!"


Back in the dim but safe vents Crow, Tom and Gypsy followed Cambot as the spherical robot led the way to the isolated room set up by Joel.

"Are we there yet?" Tom whined.

Cambot shook his body left and right to signal 'no'.

"Are we there yet?" Crow repeated.

Cambot again answered 'no'.

"Are we there yet?" Tom asked again.

Gypsy decided to answer on Cambot's behalf. "NO. Stop asking!"

"Sorry..." Tom whimpered. Gypsy could be scary when she was angry!

Taking a turn down the vents Cambot squeaked and called out to his brethren to join him. Tom and Crow turned down the vent and spotted Cambot hovering over an opening in the vent, leading down into the empty room below.

Gypsy poked her head around the corner and between Tom and Crow. "Cambot, is this where we need to go?"

Cambot nodded to signal 'yes'.

Cautiously Crow poked his head down through the vent, like an upside down periscope, and looked around in all directions. "It's clear!" Crow then pulled himself back up and slid his legs down through the hole, dropping down onto the floor with a small splash. "Yuck! It's wet in here, too! Watch it!" Crow yelled over the still blaring alarm

Tom hovered down. "Well, at least the sprinklers have been shut off."

Gypsy dropped down with a heavy, graceless splash on top of both Crow and Tom. "Ouch! Mommy..."

"Sorry..." Gypsy pulled herself up from the ground and off her 'little brothers'.

Cambot hovered down at last and moved over to the large opened window. He squeaked and motioned for the others to follow.

"Good idea Cambot!" Gypsy praised. "Let's boogie!"

Crow and Gypsy clambered up to the window crawling over storage crates, boxes and large trunks while Tom and Cambot easily hovered up and out through the window. The two were waiting for the others on the other side of the window.

"Hurry up!" Tom pestered.

"Cram it Servo!" Crow eloquently responded.


Outside the building Joel easily disappeared into the crowd of gathered evacuated employees, scientists, doctors and soldiers. No one gave Joel a second look, hell, they didn't even give him a first look!

From the safety of the huddled, wet masses Joel watched the front door of the building patiently. At long last he saw Mike exiting the building with Dr. Jones at his side and a soldier leading the way.

"Good. He's out." Joel said out loud to himself.

Moving casually toward the last two evacuating patrons, Joel positioned himself close enough to Mike and Dr. Jones to hear what was going on without being noticed by any suspicious soldiers, or Mr. White, himself.

"Sit here." Dr. Jones helped Mike to sit on the bumper of a parked truck. She put her hand to the side of his face. "You're cold. The last thing you need is hypothermia, I'll find you a blanket."

"Hold it." Mr. White approached Dr. Jones and Mike with a embittered glare. "You two aren't going anywhere."

Joel overheard the command and was ready to intervene if necessary.


Finally outside the building the four robots huddled together under a large truck and scanned the deserted parking lot fearfully.

"Crow! I'm scared..." Tom admitted as he pressed up against Crow's body.

"Me too!" Crow wrapped his arm around Tom. "Don't ever let go buddy!"

"Shh!" Gypsy shushed them. "We have to be quiet. Cambot, can you find Mike?"

The small robot hovered out from under the truck and high into the air. He spied Mike and Dr. Jones on the other side of the building. He nodded at the others before hovering off toward his human friend.


"Dr. Jones," Mr. White was impatient and very angry. "it appears as though you are aiding the possible escape of a prisoner. A prisoner who is accused of a most heinous crime. Now give me one good reason why I shouldn't-"

Dr. Jones put herself between Mike and Mr. White, she crossed her arms defensively. "No, you give me one good reason to not expose you and your secrets to the world!"

"Pardon?" Mr. White remained angry as a soldier stood behind him, his gun at the ready.

"I know about your little scheme. About the Satellite of Love and how you knowingly employed a mentally unstable scientist to conduct mind control experiments."

Mr. White swallowed nervously but remained steadfast. "You know nothing."

"I have footage."

"Footage?" Mr. White didn't believe her. "You're bluffing."

"If I'm bluffing then that means it's possible that such footage does exist, doesn't it?"

Mike grinned mischievously at the doctor. "You're so busted, buddy!"

Joel also listened in as Dr. Jones defended Mike's reputation as a good man and NOT a domestic, satellite-jacking terrorist.

"Look, Mr. White," Dr. Jones continued. "I won't say anything and I won't expose anything as long as you leave Mike alone. He's a good man and doesn't deserve to be your pariah. He's been through enough. Also, consider this my resignation. I can't be a descent doctor when I'm employed by an indecent man."

"Go girl!" Mike praised.

Mr. White whispered to the soldier at his side. Nodding, the soldier returned to the building. "Very well Dr. Jones, your resignation has been accepted. You and Mr. Nelson here will leave these premises and never return. If I catch either of you on Gizmonic property I will have you arrested. Clear?"

"Crystal!" Mike blurted. "So, uh... can we go?"

"Yes." Mr. White snarled. "Move."

Awkwardly Dr. Jones and Mike walked from the truck to her own car parked on the other side of the building. Cambot, still hovering above and watching, returned to the others and hid under the truck along with them.

"Doctor?" Mike asked sheepishly. "I owe you three!"

She laughed at the sweet remark. "Well, I hate keeping score. Why don't you take me to a movie and we'll call it even?"

"M-movie?" Mike stammered. "Sure... I guess."

Joel, who had secretly been listening in as Mike and Dr. Jones walked away from the diabolical Mr. White, the enigmatic building and all the lingering scandal; just smiled. "Glad Mike's safe. I hope the bots got out, too."

...to be continued...