Hey there. Back again. Oh man, what a week. But now its over thank god. On the other hand. After the week is before the week. Darn!

Don´t get me wrong. I love to work. Its always a great satisfaction to know you accomplished something. But I love my free time even more. More time to write.

Whatever. Lets make the best of it. Two days are ours.

Over the Bridge

B.O.B.´s eye peeked around the corner and flipped back again. A moment later the group of soldiers and monsters hurried into the hallway he just checked.

„That is better than any equipment we could use." Perez whispered down from his hover platform, much to B.O.B.´s delight.

„We are lucky already, that they haven´t detected us yet." Nicols said.

„Hey, by the way, Chief." Perez asked. „How´s the arm?"

„Getting better." Nicols said. „But don´t ask me to arm-wrestle the next week."

„No problem, Chief." Perez said smirking and gave him a thumb up. After finishing this chat, Perez turned to Susan, who walked on his right side. He cleared his throat. „By the way." he said. „This thing is big enough for two if you want a ride."

Susan smiled. „Thanks." she said and looked over to Monger. „But I´m fine."

Perez frowned and then understood. „Oh." he groaned quietly. A sudden beeping coming from the controls in front of him, made him frown again. „What the heck?" he mumbled and tipped the panel with his finger.

„Whats that?" Nicols asked alarmed.

„I dunno, Chief." Perez answered honestly. „Zach. You are the techie here. Do something."

„Can they locate us over … that thing?" Bryce wanted to know.

„Hm." Dr. Cockroach mused rubbing his chin. „I don´t think that it is that. Let me see."

He climbed up to Perez, making the big guy stepping back and looked at the controls. In front of Perez he looked like a child that wanted to see Daddy´s motorcycle. He pushed some buttons and got a noise that sounded like shrieking metal. It wasn´t loud but it was very unpleasant to hear.

„What the hell is that, Doc?" Monger wanted to know.

„Thats a transmission." Dr. C answered already looking around for what he would need next. His gaze ended at B.O.B. and brightened. The blue blob flinched surprised. Dr. C bowed down and opened the housing of the device. A second later he came back up with some wires in his hand.

„B.O.B." he called. „I need your assistance."

„What shell I do?" B.O.B. asked eagerly and rushed to his side.

„Take this." the Doc said giving the wires to B.O.B. each in one hand. B.O.B. already started to glow, widening his eye in astonishment about his own appearance. Dr. C leaned over the controls again, pushing button after button in the attempt to find the right frequency. Finally he seemed to have what he was looking for.

„Now stretch yourself, B.O.B." he said. „As far as you can. You will be our screen."

„Cool." B.O.B. said and did as the Doc had wished. Five seconds later he was a big tetragon, standing in front of the hovering device.

„Wow." Perez groaned impressed. „A plasma screen."

„Really?" B.O.B asked. „Where?"

„Its you B.O.B." Dr. C explained without looking up. He was still working on the right frequency.

„Do you get the premium channels, too?" Perez asked but got another sharp glance from Bryce.

„Now …" Dr. C went on without even taking attention to Perez or any of the others. „ … we should be able to see what it is." He switched it a last time and then the glowing of B.O.B. changed. The blue glowing became white and a moment later they saw … oh shocking, Links face.

„Link!" Susan cried happy. „Is everything all right?"

The image of Link didn´t answer. He seemed to look at someone outside the screen, as if waiting for something.

„I don´t think this is a second way communication, Susan." Dr. C said. „This is just a transmission. Only sending, no receiving."

„Does it work?" Link asked now. „Okay. Ehm. Well … Hi." he greeted with a raised hand and grinned. „I don´t have much tape time so I make it short. For fairness´ sake I wanted you aliens up there to know that we started to kick your robots in the butts. Yeah, thats right. So if you decide that you have enough, now its the time to turn around and leave. Cause it was the invisible man who helped us defeating your robots. I met him a week ago and he told me how to do it. Well and now we do it. Got me? So if you know whats best for you … take your legs. Ehm, or your tentacles. Bye there." The image flickered a moment and then the message started all over again.

„He met the invisible man?" Monger repeated wondering. „What does that mean?"

„Isn´t he … dead?" Susan asked.

„Before he died …" Dr. Cockroach mumbled but stopped so he could think about it. Then his eyes brightened again when he remembered something. „A week before he had his heart attack, he had a cold." he told them.

Monger blinked when he remembered it himself. „Yeah, thats right." he said. „But how …"

„Link tried to send us a message with that." Dr. C explained, still thinking.

„He said, that they were able to defeat the robots." Nicols repeated the tape.

„With the help of a dead man." Perez added. „Man, if that isn´t cool." Bryce shot him a glance and his smirk faded. „Sorry." he said.

„I think, I know what that means." Alisha mumbled.

„Me too." Dr. C agreed.

„Well, would you two let us in on it?" Bryce asked.

„I believe, he just told us how to hack into the main computer." Dr. C said.

„How?" Bryce asked impatiently.

„I don´t know what happened down there. But I guess they defeated the robots by infecting them … with human germs."

„Uhrrrg." Perez groaned disgusted.

„So, all we need to do is … infecting the alien ship with a virus?" Nicols summarized.

„On what film does that remind me?" Perez grinned.

„How are we supposte to do that?" Bryce wanted to know.

„I don´t have a cold at the moment." Perez informed them in agreement. „Whats about you, Chief?"

Nicols shook his head and so did Alisha. Susan exchanged a helpless glance with Monger.

„You can let go now, B.O.B." Dr. C told his blue friend and he reformed back into his old self.

„Ehm." McNamara said now and raised his hand like a boy in school would do it. „Maybe I can help here." he said, making everybody turn to him with a puzzled look. He glanced back at them shyly. „I … I am what specialists call a chronic carrier."

Perez made an even more disgusted noise than he had done before and even skipped back a little from him. „I never eat a burger again that you touched." he said.

„I don´t - Excrete it - In that way. Bloody hell!" McNamara told him with his eyes rolling. „It is only in my stool. Remember the trip to Iran we made three months ago?"

Perez nodded with a distorted face, trying to fight the urge to vomit.

„You ate something wrong and got Typhus." Alisha remembered.

„Right. The doctor said the virus was still in my … you know. I have to bring him samples every week to check on it. They still hope that it will fade away."

„They do?" Perez asked doubtfully and caught a furious look from McNamara.

„That means, you have it still in you." Bryce summarized.

„But how do we infect the computer with it?" Perez wanted to know. „Want to piss on it?"

„Thats a very nice idea, really." Alisha groaned.

„As far as I know, its in my blood as well." McNamara explained.

„Hey! Okay." Perez cried. „Of course, we give the Wii a transfusion. Why didn´t I think of it?"

„Shut up." Nicols said. „We´ll try it."

„Ehm … How?" McNamara asked a little scared. „How will I infect the computer?"

Nicols gave him a look. „You´ll bleed on it." he said.

...

„We´ve got it!" the technician shouted and a second later, the street lamps around them went on. The people around cheered and some of them even applauded. Finally they could see something again.

„How much energy are we talking about?" Major Henderson wanted to know.

„Limited." Carter told him and climbed out of the robot. „The main system is toast. It will take some time to repair it. But we can at least run the most important systems. Light, communication and we can feed the hospitals with power."

„Very good." Henderson said. „Can you patch me through to our headquarter?"

„Only if they found a way to bring their own power back on." Carter said and dumped Henderson with that. The Major looked like he wanted to curse.

„But perhaps you can create a satellite uplink so we can see whats going on out there." he suggested with teeth that barely went away from each other.

The technician swallowed dryly. „I think I can get you this." he said. „If you want to follow me."

He climbed back into the robot. Henderson followed behind. Inside there were four round screens, just at the places where the red eyes were on the outside. Carter started to work at the system, pushing some buttons and loosening some wires that hung out onto the floor. One of the screens started to glow. Carter pushed some more buttons and soon the picture of earth came up.

„Great." Henderson whispered more to himself than to Carter. „Give me a look over the west coast first." he demanded.

Carter obeyed and started to zoom in. While the picture seemed to fly down to earth, Henderson spotted something. His hand shot to Carter´s shoulder that fast, that the man flinched, even shrieked a little.

„Hold on." Henderson demanded. „What is that?" he pointed at some moving lights on the screen. They seemed to fly through the sky and head for earths surface.

Carter zoomed closer to them. When the picture got clear they learned with shock that, it were alien robots.

„Where do they head to?" Henderson asked alarmed.

Carter checked his datas and swallowed again. „Here." he said. „Las Vegas."

„They know we hit their robots." Henderson understood. „And now they come to make us pay. But not this time. Can you bring this rust bucket back online? So we can use it as a weapon?"

„I think so." Carter mumbled unsure.

„Do it." Henderson ordered and was already on his way out. He had to prepare his men so they could build up a line together with the monsters. There wasn´t much time.

...

„I believe we were spottet." a man inside of the robots said, looking at the console in front of him.

It was the one robot that McNamara had cracked together with the men that now were inside of it.

They had been on their way down to earth for a while now. All the others had separated from them by now, after they had gained control over the robots. Each one of them was now on its own way, heading for different cities, countries and continents. For some reason the scientists and technicians in this very robot had not been able to figure out how to change the course of their strange vessel. So they were the only ones left that were still heading straight to Las Vegas. Well, at least as good as any other place to land. But it was a frustrating thing not to know why something didn´t work.

One of them – his name was Phillipe, he was from France – had assumed it might be because of the way it had been opened. He claimed he had seen the blue monster penetrating the electronic with its slime. Maybe, another man had agreed but that was not the most important thing now. The most important thing was the fact that the console truly told them, that someone was following their course.

„Is it from the space ship?" Phillipe asked now.

„No, its coming from one of our satellites." the first one said. „I believe these are our own people."

„They will think we attack them." a third man assumed. He had a Russian accent.

„Maybe." the first one agreed. „But they can´t fight back anyway. Don´t worry. As soon as we are down there, we find a way to let them know, who is in here."

The Russian didn´t object any longer, but he wasn´t completely convinced either. What if his American fellow was wrong and they could attack somehow? But he didn´t say it loud. He just hoped that this worries would prove to be unfounded.

...

B.O.B. peeked around the corner. His eye saw the big door that led to the bridge. It was surrounded by aliens, all of them looking mean and ready to shoot everything that moved in the next distance may it be an enemy or a particle of dust. He slipped back to his friends and shook his head. Even he was aware of the fact that he better didn´t say something now. Following his nature he wouldn´t be able to control the volume of his voice anyway. Especially since he was excited.

„How many?" Bryce asked him whispering.

B.O.B. silently showed him uncountable fingers, looked at them himself and added one more for insurance. The men and women sighed frustrated.

„How are we supposte to get in there?" Dr. C exclaimed. „It can´t be done. Impossible."

„All right." Monger said. „We do it this way …"

„Forget it." Bryce interrupted before he could speak. „I have a better idea."

„Would you mind to let me fffinish first?" Monger hissed.

„What for?" Bryce asked. „I already know your plan. Running in full speed, shooting all aliens you can and hope that we live long enough, to do some more afterwards."

„Well? Whats the point? It always worked for me."

„But we are not in Vietnam anymore."

„And this isn´t Desert Storm either." Monger shot back.

„We never talked about who is in charge on this mission." Bryce pointed out.

„Your boy there gave me the leadership." Monger said pointing at Nicols, who looked almost shocked to be mentioned in this argument between these two bigwigs.

„But he is under my command." Bryce stated. Monger started to talk against it but Bryce just didn´t listen and went on arguing simultaneously to Mongers words until it was a heap of broken word pieces, each of them lost in their own meaning.

„Not on …" Monger started.

„That means …" Bryce started the same time and none of them stopped.

„ … this mission. I …"

„ … I am in charge when it comes to …"

„ … initiated this mission and if it wasn´t for me …"

„ … decisions that concerns their safety …"

„ … your ass would be decorating the floor of that hangar …"

„ … Ah fuck I, how long you gonna ride that scooter? I was …"

„ … riding that scooter? You should listen to yourself …"

The argument went on without making any real progress. B.O.B. who sat right between the two counterparts, looked from one to the other and back constantly, wondering why he had even bothered to be silent in the first place. Susan and Alisha exchanged a helpless glance with shaking heads, that both said the same: I have no idea whats going on. The only thing that was clear in that moment, was that this definitely wasn´t the first time, these two guys were arguing that way.

„ I am the senior officer here and if you didn´t forget …"

„Excuse me, but if I remember right then …"

„Stop this right now!" Perez demanded with all the force, he was able to lay into his voice by still talking quietly. „You both keep your mouths shut. We´ll do this my way, you hear me?"

Everybody without exception stared at him in astonishment. The two officers were even more startled than the others. Perez blinked and looked from one to the other, chuckling slightly.

„Well." he shrugged. „Since the leadership isn´t clear yet, I thought I offer myself as well."

The two officers didn´t give a response but continued staring at him. He ducked away and sat down on the platform of his floating device in silence.

Monger and Bryce looked at each other. Eventually Monger threw up his hands. „All right." he said. „Let´s hear your idea. But I decide, if we go forward with it or not."

Bryce stared back at him one more second and then nodded. „I´m okay with that." he stated. Then he started to explained his plan. When he was done Monger had no choice but to admit (very reluctantly anyway) that he was right. His idea was the better one. He nodded grimly and agreed.

„All right." Bryce said and handed Dr. Cockroach two grenades. „Place them directly over their heads." he ordered him. „And try not to get shot before you placed them."

The Doc let out a nervous chuckle. Then he nodded and crawled up the wall until he was under the ceiling. The soldiers took their positions at the corner, weapons ready to fire. They watched the Doc crawling along the – fortune was on their side – not regarded and very high ceiling of the hallway until he was right over the heads of the aliens. He fixated the first grenade in the left corner over the door. Then he crawled to the right corner and fixated the second grenade. He had just let go of it, when it fell off again from the not appropriate fixation. The group of soldiers gasped in shock but then he caught it in the movement, clinging himself to the ceiling, eyes as wide as a windshield. They kept holding their breaths until he fixated the grenade again and started to head back for them. When he was around the corner and out of sight of the aliens they exhaled a common sigh of relief.

„You weren´t able to get it even closer, were you?" Monger hissed when he was with them again.

Dr. C didn´t give a response. He was still too shaky himself.

Eventually Monger nodded at him. „Good work." he said.

„Okay, then." Nicols said. „Zach. Your turn."

„Check." McNamara responded with a short salute and took the remote to blow up the grenades.

„Get ready." Bryce ordered and the men and woman in uniform took their weapons, ready to shoot. Bryce looked at McNamara and gave him the signal. Then he pushed the button. Above the aliens the two grenades went of, raining fire, blast and fragments down at them. Using the caused disorder, the soldiers immediately started shooting. Some of the aliens tried to shoot back, but since they were blinded from the smoke, their laser didn´t hit anything safe the walls. Barely twenty seconds later the whole thing was over.

„Hurry now!" Bryce demanded. „Before they reinforce and build up a new line."

The group ran to the big doors, Ginormica first, who grabbed the doors as soon as she was at them and started to push them open. They crackled and howled under her force. When the system finally lost the battle to hold the doors closed, sparks started to fly. Finally they gave up and went open quiet smoothly.

When they were open, everything was quiet. The big room on the other side, that was the bridge, seemed to be completely deserted. The soldiers grabbed their weapons tighter.

Perez went in first, since it was easier for him to get over the dead aliens and fragments that came down from the ceiling. His floating device hummed slightly in the silence of the huge room, causing a disturbing echo. He stopped and the humming, that had been the only sound in this space, was gone as well. The all surrounding silence was even more tensing then the short fight they had had to get in here. His comrades followed him inside, looking around in great attention. No one of them could spot anything. At least nothing that was alive.

„Where are they?" Perez whispered. His voice sounded strange in his own ears.

„Guess they weren´t expecting company." Nicols said.

As if to prove him wrong, the seemingly defeated doors, came back to life and shut themselves behind them with a loud bang.

And out. Well. At least for now ;-) But that was to be expected, wasn´t it? I mean come on. When did I ever finish with a solved situation? Don´t answer. :) See you later then.

And thanks for reading.