Chapter Twenty-One: Gibson's Mind
Summary: The long-awaited chapter about our simian scientist. So, what is Gibson's deal? Is he just more susceptible to the monster's attack? Or is there something deeper there?
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
The forest was familiar. Gibson could easily remember its paths and smells. The broad leaves of the trees formed a canopy that only allowed enough light to see.
While Nova trained with Master Offay, and Antauri was mastering the Power Primate from Master Zan, Gibson was also in study under Dr. Zordona, the most well-known scientist in the universe.
Gibson knelt by a small bed of moss growing beside a tree. He inhaled the earthy scent and couldn't help but smile. Dr. Zordona often smelled of the moss, as she used its chemical properties in many aspects of her experiments.
Dr. Zordona liked finding cures and creating better medical practices, though her knowledge was vast and covered many areas. She taught Gibson just about everything he knew and gave him all his medical know-how, as well as encouraged his natural thirst for knowledge. She was the first person who understood Gibson and helped him make sense of the world. He briefly wondered if she was here and if she would have the answers.
For once, Gibson just wanted someone else to have all the answers.
"Why, hello, Gibson," Dr. Zordona's soft voice reached his ears.
"Dr. Zordona," he stood and turned to smile at her. They shook hands, and then Gibson turned her hand over and touched the back of it to his forehead lightly. "Every time I think of you, you become more and more beautiful. I am glad that my imagination hasn't disappointed me."
Dr. Zordona laughed softly. "You have become a bit of the flatterer. Have you bee receiving lessons from your brother, Sprx?"
"Ha, hardly."
The lady smiled. Gibson never learned what species she was. Dr. Zordona was about four feet tall. Her skin had a pale orange tone; her ears were pointed like an elf's, and she had short, light orange hair.
"Come," Dr. Zordona crooked a finger and started walking towards her lab and home.
Gibson could have walked there with his eyes closed.
The lab didn't look any different than it did the day he left to return to Shuggazoom. The wooden panels that shaped the lab were covered with pale green and violet ivy so it blended in with the forest habitat that surrounded it. Her house stood out with its pale yellow wood, many decorative plants littered the path to the front door, and a small garden full of different herbs and vegetables sat to one side.
Inside the house, the rooms were small and simple. The two scientists went to the kitchen where besides the usual kitchen appliances, there was a shabby wooden table and two stools. On the table sat a black teapot and two matching teacups.
Gibson climbed up on one stool as Dr. Zordona poured the tea.
"So, Gibson, what brings you here?" Dr. Zordona asked.
"I am not sure, actually," Gibson said.
"Strange, that you should not have an answer. Please explain."
"I believe that is my dilemma, for I cannot explain. For a while now, I feel that the answers are not coming to me as quickly as they used to. I often find myself wondering if any of my calculations and planning is for a purpose, or if they will even work properly. I was in a confrontation with the others and I could not figure a way out or a method of defeating our foe."
"You always were disturbed upon not being able to find the answers you seek," Dr. Zordona pushed a full teacup to Gibson. "However, you don't seem to fall into this state of despair over your issue. You always held some hope than an answer could be found."
"Alas, I believe that hope is no more." Gibson sighed and pulled the cup closer so he could gaze into the brown depths. Part of his mind wandered for a moment, mesmerized by the steam that hung just above the tea like fog on a pond.
"As scientists, we are not creatures of faith. The only faith we have is that which we have put into ourselves and sometimes we have faith in others. Perhaps your dilemma lies within the faith you have in yourself,"
Gibson looked up at her. "Have I lost faith in myself? Is that what this is all about?"
Dr. Zordona locked eyes with Gibson. "You still have some emotional issues, do you not?"
"What do you mean?"
"To keep your logical mind free from distraction, perhaps you've allowed your emotions to either be stagnated or repressed. Over time, it becomes like a star in space. It has to nova at some time to fulfill the cycle of life and death."
Gibson was immediately reminded of the yellow monkey and her issue with her temper. He briefly wondered how many times she wanted to just explode and get it over with.
"I know it's a bad idea, but honestly, there haven't been many emotions I have been feeling. Sure, I have the proper amount of love for my teammates, granted a hint of contempt for Sprx, but I can't say I've held it all in. I am a creature of logic, after all,"
"However, as logical as you are and as careful your calculations may be made, you still don't always have the answers,"
"I've often found myself wondering if Mandarin was right, that my answers are flawed and incorrect,"
"And how many times have you proved him wrong?"
Gibson blinked. "Can't argue with that logic now, can I?"
Dr. Zordona smiled as she sipped her tea. "No, I believe that in and of itself would be illogical. Now, what are you going to do now?"
Gibson took a sip of the tea, and its bitter flavor seemed to bring confirmation to his situation.
"I have no idea, granted I don't even know how I got here,"
"Would you allow me to make a suggestion?"
"Yes, please, by all means," Gibson tried not to sound too eager, but he was desperate for someone other than himself to have all the answers.
"I believe it's time you allowed yourself to break free from the chains of your past. You are extremely intelligent, you belong in a place where you can be appreciated and allow you to reach your potential."
"I do believe that I achieve that on the Super Robot with the Hyper Force. I know my work is appreciated,"
"Is it?"
Gibson blinked at her. They were silent as she sipped the rest of her tea.
"What do you mean?" Gibson asked when she put her cup down.
"Are you really appreciated? You put up with a lot of flack from your brothers, like Sprx,"
Gibson shrugged. "I can put up with a bit of chiding from him."
"And Otto?"
"Yes, I have to admit that Otto constantly frustrates me, however it is mainly due to the fact that I know he is being moronic on purpose, he has to be,"
"But the others don't understand you. Not one of them does, I believe,"
"Well, yes, however I can always adjust my vocabulary,"
"Why should you compromise? Why adjust to them when they ought to adjust to you?"
"Well, I suppose I've always chalked it up to that being part of a family. I'm sure some of the others have done the same for me,"
"I must be frank with you, Gibson. I still believe you deserve more. Perhaps if you allowed yourself the chance to be what you're meant to be, your family could follow you."
Gibson thought about this for a moment. The offer was tempting, and he did wonder what sort of promising place Dr. Zordona was speaking of. If they all could benefit from it, then why not?
"Very well, what is it that you suggest?" Gibson said with a sigh.
Dr. Zordona smiled at him. "It is quite simple, my dear Gibson. You join the Skeleton King."
"What?" Gibson nearly fell off his stool. "Are you out of your mind?"
"I do believe I am quite lucid," Dr. Zordona said calmly. "Gibson, you especially should be able to look at this logically. Skeleton King has the power and ability to give you what you want. He can give you a laboratory where you can study and experiment to your hearts content. Any need or want will be fulfilled, all you would have to do is command it. If you need assistants, he could provide you with beings of intelligence. With his help, Gibson, you could become even past my abilities."
"Then why don't you join him?"
"Alas, but the offer is only open to you, my friend,"
Gibson was struck dumb. The most intelligent being he ever knew had just suggested the most ludicrous thing he ever heard. The logical part of his mind did go through the proposition, oddly enough, and he did start to consider what was being offered.
But Gibson's heart and mind came to the same conclusion. A partnership with Skeleton King wasn't a partnership. The self-proclaimed king would manipulate and seduce him into slavery eventually, and even worse, turn him against the rest of the Hyper Force.
Gibson did not want to be pitted against his family, or dragged into slavery.
"No, Skeleton King would never be able to give me what I want," Gibson said sternly. "Perhaps he can offer me all that and more which may tempt me in my never-ending quest for knowledge; however the price would be my eventual slavery and imminent death. Therefore, it is illogical."
Dr. Zordona looked disappointed. "Are you quite sure about this, Gibson, my friend?"
Suddenly a light went off in Gibson's head.
"Dr. Zordona, the knowledge of Skeleton King was past the time I spent with you. If you were really my friend, you would know that I would rather die than turn against my team."
"So be it."
A nearby window broke and a think ivy vine headed straight for Gibson.
The blue simian leapt off the stool with his drills spinning. The vine acted like a snake, swaying side to side, carefully choosing a target before it struck. Gibson dodged, but when he tried to strike the vine would move away, it was like trying to hit water.
After a few minutes, the vine had finally forced Gibson into a position where it could wrap around Gibson like a boa constrictor.
Dr. Zordona stood and chuckled at the monkey's misfortune.
"Gibson, my dear, logical Gibson. You have failed one more to give the correct answer," she said. "Here you are, doomed to die along with the rest of your precious Hyper Force Team, all because you couldn't provide the answers that would be the keys to your survival. They depended on you and you failed,"
The words drilled into his mind worse than he supposed he drilled into enemies. The vine was forcing what little air he had left out of him.
"You were wrong, Gibson."
Somehow, that one simple sentence made something snap inside of Gibson. A flicker of defiance was all he needed to enflame a new will to fight on.
"Perhaps," he gasped, trying to control how much air escaped his crushed lungs. "But I am willing to remedy the situation."
He tried to summon the energy to activate his drills, but nothing happened.
Dr. Zordona chuckled again. "However, you can't."
An involuntary wave of panic flew through Gibson as the last of his breath was squeezed out of him like juice from an orange. He tries to calculate how long he would survive without oxygen, but the lack of it was already taking effect on his brain's ability to function.
Though his sight was blurred and darkness began crawling into the edges of his vision, he could still see a pair of light blue claws slice through the vines. He felt himself fall and familiar arms caught him, one set robotic, one set human. Gibson took a gasping breath and he could feel his lungs were burning. This was going to hurt for a while.
"Gibson? You okay?" Otto looked at him worriedly.
"Otto? Chiro?" Gibson said between coughs. "Antauri, how did you find me?"
"Are you all right?" Nova asked, her fingers twitching nervously.
"I'll survive,"
"Don't be so sure about that," Dr. Zordona said.
The team looked over to where the well-known scientist stood. She was transforming, growing tall, her soft visage turned gray and hard like stone. Her white lab coat and skirt turned to a black cloak that covered her body. Her fingers grew into long, sharp blades.
Gibson shuddered as an unexplainable fear set in.
"You cannot defeat me, Gibson, and deep down in that slimy simian heart of your, you know it." She growled.
"Don't listen to that witch," Sprx said.
"You're not fighting this battle alone," Nova said assuredly.
"We're with you, Gibson, no matter what," Antauri said.
Gibson stood slowly. He swallowed hard and put a shaky hand on Antauri's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Antauri, but I'm afraid that I do have to defeat this demon on my own."
Antauri lowered his claws and looked into Gibson's eyes.
"Antauri, no," Otto whispered.
"No way, Brainstrain, you ain't doin' this alone," Sprx said.
Everyone was silent as Antauri and Gibson communicated without speaking.
"Are you sure about this?" Antauri asked.
"Yes, I am. This creature must be the embodiment of my own fears and doubts. If I do not conquer it, I may as well be dead. Living in fear is no way for anyone to live,"
Antauri smiled. "Are you saying your faith has been restored?"
Gibson drew in a deep breath only to let out a shuddering sigh.
His lungs still hurt.
"Antauri, may we hold a philosophical discussion later?"
"There is no later for you!" The creature growled and reached for them.
"Look out!" Gibson cried, shoving Antauri aside before dodging away. The rest of the team scattered for cover.
"Antauri, are you nuts letting him fight all alone?" Sprx asked, crawling to where Antauri had landed.
Antauri gave him a hard look. "Have you forgotten your own lesson so soon, Sprx?"
Sprx opened his mouth to argue, but then he shut it tight as he glanced over to Gibson.
"We must have faith in him." Antauri said.
"So, you are going to defeat me all alone, are you Gibson? Ha! I highly doubt that,"
Gibson felt his fur ruffle. He lunged forward, shooting lasers at the creature. When he was close, she swept him aside. He slid into a wall hard enough to crack it.
"Gibson!" Chiro stood and went to help, but Nova caught the edge of his shirt.
"No, Chiro, let him do this on his own," Nova said.
"How can you guys just sit here?" Chiro asked as Gibson launched another attack.
"It's no easier on us, trust me," Nova said, gritting her teeth slightly at the thought.
"I trust Gibson, he'll be fine, he always knows best," Otto said with a smile. "He is the genius after all,"
"Okay," Chiro said uneasily, sinking back into their hiding spot. "I just hope he's making the right decision, as well as us."
Gibson was thrown aside again. The monster chuckled evilly.
"I am part of you, Gibson. I know all your moves and tactics. I repeat that you cannot defeat me."
Gibson tried again. He changed weapons, tried to modify his patterns, and make changes on the fly in the heat of battle. Antauri, as well as the rest of the team, watched nervously as he was, again and again, thrown aside like a rag doll.
Another attempt was thwarted and this time Gibson was thrown to where Antauri and Sprx were huddled. They both moved to help the blue monkey back onto his feet.
"Gibson, this is all in your mind," Antauri told him. "I believe you need to change your mode of attack."
"But, how? That is what I have been doing," Gibson said.
"I believe you can find that answer on your own easily enough," Antauri said. He put both of his hands on Gibson's shoulders so he could look him square in the eye. "Don't forget, we have faith in you."
Gibson blinked as the words set in his mind. That was one thing he could never get from Skeleton King no matter what he did or how right he would be; the faith and friendship of his team and his family.
Sprx looked between them, wondering what was going on.
Gibson suddenly smiled. "I know what to do."
Antauri smiled back. "I had faith that you would find your way once more."
Gibson turned to face the monster with a smirk firmly planted across his mouth. He deactivated his drills and folded his arms across his chest.
"And what are you looking so smug about?" The creature demanded.
"I know how to defeat you," Gibson said calmly.
"You cannot defeat me," the creature chuckled. "I know every move you have or could make. Look at the logistics and calculate the outcomes, it is impossible to beat me, it is illogical."
"No, you are the one who is illogical," Gibson said, still smirking.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. You are an illogical creation of my own imagination, not too unlike an imaginary number, therefore you cannot control me. Your attempt to sway my faith is irrational, since I will never lose it as long as the others have faith in me,"
"Whoo! Tell that witch, Gibson!" Nova whooped.
The creature's eyes twitched. "You can always be swayed,"
Gibson's smirk disappeared. It was replaced with a hard, stern look. The creature reared back with a roar and went to strike to defiant monkey. However, her blades stopped inches from his head.
"No, I cannot." Gibson said calmly.
With another angry roar she struck again. She tried striking him the same way, but in the same way again her blades stopped inches from her target. But this time, as if there was a strong, invisible shield protecting him, the blades shattered.
The creature howled in pain. She looked down at herself as bits and pieces began chipping away from her. She tried reaching for Gibson again, but she was too weak for one last attack.
"I am right this time," Gibson said, walking towards where the creature was sinking into the ground.
"You vile primate, I will destroy you all eventually!" the voice of the Skeleton King was the last they heard from the creature as the rest of the pieces finally shattered and melted into the ground.
Gibson sighed deeply, his head hung down, his eyes closed. The rest of the team came out of their hiding spots and gathered around him.
"Hey, Big Brain, you okay?" Sprx asked softly.
"Yes, I believe I'll be fine," he looked up at them then looked around. "Where are we, and where did you all come from? I thought I was back on Sundadron,"
"The Formless Monster trapped us in our own minds," Nova said. "It's been using our insecurities against us."
"But Antauri's saved us all!" Otto exclaimed with a grin.
"You give me too much credit, my friend. I have but shown you the paths, you were the ones who had to walk it," Antauri said.
"You've always been the healer, Antauri," Nova said.
"We must return to the mental plain so we may be awakened," Antauri said, ignoring Nova's comment for the moment.
"Are you okay?" You don't look so good," Chiro said. He was obviously concerned.
"I will be all right. Let's get going."
Gibson followed everyone's lead and closed his eyes, joining hands with Otto and Sprx. He ignored the sinking feeling in his stomach, but it was becoming more difficult to ignore the dull pain that grew in his head. He felt himself falling, but Otto's hand gripped his arm so he only fell on his knees.
"Oh," Gibson groaned.
"Watch that first step," Sprx mumbled. "Don't worry too much about it. The feeling goes away after a minute or two,"
"Indeed," Gibson said as he rose to his feet, nodding his thanks to Otto.
"Now what?" Chiro asked. He folded his hands behind his head and looked at the doors. "What are these doors anyway?"
"Those were the doorways to your own minds," Antauri explained. "I assume there has been a part of your minds that wanted help, so therefore doorways were made. That is the most simplistic answer I can think of."
Gibson frowned. He didn't like the way Antauri was acting. He seemed exhausted, and even talking seemed to drain the energy out of his. Gibson may not be a practitioner of the Power Primate, like the black monkey and Chiro, but he could still sense its energy and presence. Antauri was always such a strong presence, but now that energy seemed almost depleted.
On top of that, Antauri only gave simplistic answers when he was exhausted.
"So, how do we wake up and get out of this nightmare?" Nova asked.
"That answer should be apparent to you," Antauri said. Everyone was now watching him as he swayed slightly on his feet. "You're a meditation practitioner, now all you must do now is wake up,"
"How do we do that?" Otto asked.
"The same way you wake up from any nightmare," Nova said.
The yellow monkey shut her eyes tight and told herself to wake up. Slowly, she started to disappear.
"Nova!" Sprx cried. "Where did she go?"
"Relax, Sprx, she has awoken herself. If she meditates, she'll find her way back, but that is a moot point now," Antauri said.
"Oooh, I think I get it," Otto said. He, too, closed his eyes tight, screaming at himself in his mind to wake up, much like when he did when he had nightmares about the old days.
Otto, too, slowly disappeared.
Gibson looked nervous. "Are you sure they have woken up?"
"I hope so," Sprx said.
The red and blue monkey followed the lead of their teammates, closing their eyes and telling themselves to wake up.
"Hurry, Chiro, you too," Antauri said as the other two disappeared.
"And you?" Chiro asked.
"I'll be right behind you,"
Chiro closed his eyes and began waking himself up. As he felt something stir, he opened one eyes slightly only to see Antauri collapse.
"Antauri!"
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
An alarm sounded in the Skeleton King's chambers.
"Sakko, what is going on?" Skeleton King bellowed.
The tiny monkey scampered to his throne. "It seems there has been a problem transporting the monkeys, my king," he explained.
"Why is there a problem?" Skeleton King's claws squeezed the arms of his throne impatiently.
"With all due respect, my king, I did not create the Formless Monster, I do not have any idea what is wrong with it,"
"Are you saying this is my fault?" Skeleton King rose to his feet. "I hope this android of yours is up to the challenge, then. When will it be ready?"
Sakko had experienced a moment of panic, positive that Skeleton King was going to murder him on the spot.
"Y-y-yes, my liege, uhm, the android will be prepared soon; it is going much quicker than I had anticipated,"
"Time, I want a time frame, Sakko,"
"A week, perhaps? Maybe two? I originally calculated a month,"
"Work faster, I want it done now. Your plan had better be good."
"Yes, my king,"
Sakko turned to scamper back to his lab.
"Oh, and Sakko?"
Sakko's heart stopped along with the rest of his body. He screamed out in pain, Skeleton King had used the power of his staff to punish the mini-simian.
"Now get out of my sight, and if you ever make that kind of mistake again I will do worse," Skeleton King promised.
Even before his body stopped twitching in pain, Sakko was crawling away.
The only reason Sakko put up with any of this was because he knew no other way of life.
Little did Gibson ever truly know that if he had surrendered and succumbed to the offer to join the other side, that it was the life he was setting himself up for.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Author's Notes
Ah, so no one waned to venture a guess at the special occasion, neh? No biggie.
Man, I have such a headache u-u; Think I'm coming down with something, which would suck. I have two tests this week (one tomorrow morning, so why in goddess' name am I awake? Cause I just love you guys and girls that much), and as a fair forewarning, I'm hoping it won't come to this, but next week I might be a little late in posting the next chapter, but we'll see what happens.
Reviewer's Reply
Crystal Persian: Yeah, I was surprised it turned out to make sense after Otto's chapter.
phoebechan: Yep, they're all coming back together!
4Evermonkeyfan: Saa, yeah, Chiro's got more to him than people think, in my opinion…but he's still a teenage boy (tugs on the leash)
Maxxaronie: Heehee, thanks, glad I made ya happy!
Fairy Whisperings: Muahaha…yeah, my evil side turned its head when I was deciding the layout for this part. Heehee, much love to all! lol
Kozue-chan: I take it you're a Chiro fan, lol. Yes, I figured it was appropriate. I sometimes wonder if Mr. Nieli wakes up sometimes going, "Am I dreaming or was that fight with Flytor real?" I've had nightmares about some of my stories…I fear my Nano novel this year because of that u-u; Bah, s'ok boys, you don't have to apologize, if I don't forgive you right away I always find a way to torture you, like give your creator bad ideas (give Kozue-chan a wink and grin) Heehee, I really can't wait to read more of your story.
Ducket: Awesome, post your story soon!
SouthernAngel: Heh, saa, I guess I can't…and I didn't…though the devil on my shoulder urged me to put in a chapter reflecting SK and Shuggazoom, I flicked it off and told her that certain members if this glorious fanbase would kill me, lol
Giggle Gal: lol I love you, you're silly, I like it.
Hayley Cometra: Nah, didn't forget our brave little band of villagers…Yeah, had to put my fave scientist last, it's because of the whole suspense thing I seem to be infamous for. Hopefully you're satisfied!
Mioji Cooper: Huh, okies, I was always told the first few weeks, at least, it was black, white, gray, and red. Oh well, heehee.