Chapter 25
A/N: SO SO sorry for the late update (that seems to be what I'm saying every update now :'( ) Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter. Let me know if you think it's a bit too weird... :) Bug me (i.e. bombard me with reviews) if you want a faster update! xD
To Guest: Thanks! :) I will try to read Artemis Fowl (when I have time...)
H.I.V.E.
"To make this work, we can't let HIVEmind know about any of it. AND we have to convince him that we're not executing the plan anymore. Or else he'll just be monitoring every move like a hawk. You understand?" Otto said.
"Yeah, but- he knows what you're saying now!" Alex replied.
"No, no he doesn't. I'm scrambling it in my brain so only you see what I'm really saying. It's complicated... I implanted a bug in the school system which slowly spread into HIVEmind so that he doesn't realize that the audio and visual signals he's getting can be... manipulated... in my brain. Umm... He thinks we're talking about Laura."
"Okay... now why would I want to talk about Laura with you, of all people?"
"Just... it was the first thing I thought of." Otto's face went red. "Anyway. The bug wasn't fully ready until today so I couldn't scramble what we were saying the other day."
"So? What does this have to do with me?"
"You have to be a convincing actor. I can't scramble everything without him getting suspicious. So... you have to do everything I say. Now shout."
"WHAT!?"
"Good." Otto said, keeping a straight face.
"No, Otto, I meant, WHAT!? I'm not doing that!"
"We talked about this, Alex. Laura and the contract, remember? Your perfect little idea?"
"But it had nothing to do with me being your little puppy-servant!"
"It's so that we can communicate properly! Don't you see?"
Alex shook his head. "Explain."
Otto sighed and muttered something unintelligible."Fine. One, HIVEmind thinks we're up to something. He knows about all the conversations we've been having until today. Two, we need to make him believe that nothing is happening. To do this, we can't be mortal enemies one day and best friends the next, which is what we'll seem like if we keep talking to each other about the plan - even if I scramble our conversations. So, three, we need to act as if everything is back to before. This means that when I tell you to shout, you shout. When I tell you to put your hands on your hips, you do that. Four, to talk about the plan, I'll be sending you some codes. You decipher them without him seeing. But you have to know when I'm giving you a code. That's when I scramble the signals. But otherwise, we use codes. Get it?"
Alex nodded hesitantly.
"Good. Now shout."
"WHAT!?"
"Great!" Otto said, but didn't smile. "I'll just pretend to be angry over here, and leave. You'll sulk, and I'll shout once more to get my point across. Okay?"
Alex put on his "mad" face. "I don't think this is going to work-"
"Arghhhhh!" Otto cried, and turned to leave.
Alex shook his head. What have I gotten myself into?
Otto, meanwhile, smiled to himself. That was more fun than I imagined, even though most of it is true... Now all I have to do to get him out... are to write secret messages for him. Let's see... I wonder if he can read Braille with his tongue?