"So explain something to me." Jenna requested of Donatello, from her cross-legged position on the floor. "We have locaters in our phones, our watches, heck you guys even have them inside of you. Why didn't you ever protect your scanners the same way?"

"The GPS signal interferes with the digital imaging software. They couldn't peacefully coexist." Donatello explained a little tongue in cheek. "Anyway - if they'd picked up on the signal coming off the scanner, the same way they did his watch...it would have been curtains for that too."

"Why does it sound like you just stepped out of a gangster movie?" She couldn't help asking, and he laughed.

"What could he tell you about inside?" Marcus directed the conversation back to the subject at hand.

"Looking at somewhere between 25-30 guys, enough guns to start a militia, at least the way Doc tells it. They've got himwired up too, some device that would incapacitate him, even if he got an opportunity to run. According to him, the men seem to rotate in shifts, guarding the outside a couple at a time, as well as keeping a warm body behind the monitors in Security.

His description of the number of computers leads me to believe they're probably using some kind of a wireless network. Luke's going to to see if they'll let him get near the room today, some excuse about hooking up his scanner to one of the computers. He's not sure why Vale's let him hold onto it this long, or that he won't read something into what he's really trying to do."

"What is he trying to do Donnie?" Marcus asked. "Not getting himself into worse trouble I hope?"

"All wireless networks require some sort of key to access them Marc. It could be a word, a phrase...even just a series of numbers. If Luke can get access to their key somehow, then I could potentially get free reign over their network."

"Is it that easy?" Jenna asked.

"Well, not particularly. Even if Doc could find out what they key is, I'm sure they have some kind of firewall protecting them too, and I'd have to get past it. I'm just crossing my fingers they've got it somewhere in plain sight."

"Genius, isn't there some way that we can screw with their cameras, even if you can't hack their network?" Raphael spoke up.

"Technically yeah, of course. But the problem is that they're being monitored, remember? Somebody's behind the computers at all times. If they start failing, they're going to know something's up, something's coming. We can't just run straight in there that way, not with that many guns in play. We have to be as unobtrusive as possible."

"But if we don't mess with the cameras, how can we keep 'em from knowing we're coming?"

"We won't shut them down Raph, I can probably just replace the images."

"Replace them with what?" Marc asked.

"They probably keep a back log, a digital record of old feeds. All I would have to do is replace the current live feed, with old information instead. It would likely take them awhile to figure out that they were looking at old material, longer than we'd really need to get in. This is all speculation of course, it hinges on getting access to their network first."

"Was this your idea for him to look for it, or his?" Jenna asked him.

"I told him about the key, but he's the one who insisted he was going to try and get it for me."


Luke had followed Donatello's instructions in shutting off the sound and message alerts on the medical scanner. If he was going to be letting that Stolle character get a closer look at it, he didn't want to risk the man stumbling onto their communication link. He had approached Vale that morning, forcing himself to remain completely steady, and maintain a careful eye contact.

"So what exactly is the purpose here?" Vale had asked coolly.

"The medical scanner that I use has the ability to link up to a desk-top computer. It would produce more detailed scans for the purpose of my continual study."

Vale peered at him for a long moment.

I'm sure this serves your purposes more than it does mine Luke - but if you really want my man to have a closer look at the creatures that I'm harboring downstairs, I'm not going to stop you.


Luke had been sitting in the Security office with Stolle for more than two hours, tip-toeing around the subject of their scans with great caution.

"I find it curious that the first creature didn't suffer worsedamage from that shock Vale gave him." Stolle said a little thoughtfully. "The setting goes quite a bit higher than he used, but the mere duration of how long he kept it on should have injured him more than it did."

"I have a theory that the shell partially absorbed the charge." Luke told him. "It would explain why he didn't suffer an interruption in heart rhythm."

"I understand how the weapon operates Dr. Barrows, it was my own design, just like the band on your ankle. I would like to understand more about these particular inventions of yours."

"They're my property Stolle, but they're by no means my inventions. I'm strictly a medical professional, it's the only field I have any expertise in."

"You se, the problem I have with that Luke, is that fact that you possess technology that I've never even heard of. You wore a watch that contained a tracking device, that would only be activated by your own willful choice. That leaves a lot of questions in my mind as to who you are, and what it is you really do."

"You caught me." Luke said sarcastically. "I'm a super top secret government spy, who just happens to be moonlighting as a part-time emergency room physician in New York City."

Actually, he was grateful that the conversation had been shifted away from the turtles for the moment.

Now wait a minute, maybe I can play this up a little bit.

"Sometimes, the truth is stranger than fiction." Stolle remarked.

Here is a man looking for a conspiracy. I can go with this.

"Truth is such a relative term." Luke said with an evasive smile. "At the end of the day, why does my real identity hold any interest to you?"

"Your real identity? It sounds like you readily admit that you're more than you appear to be."

"Aren't we all Stolle, much more than the feeble forms that we actually portray?"

"Where does your technology come from?"

Luke shrugged slightly. "When something is gifted, it is not always wise to ask questions. Where they come from holds no difference to me, only how they're capable of performing."

"And these creatures? Where do they fit in to your true work?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

"Why are they here now, if not because of you Doctor?"

"Too many questions are generally viewed as a job killer Stolle . I don't know anything about them - that's why I'm performing these studies." Luke finished evenly, letting his gaze flick across the room for the twelfth time that hour.

Am I looking for something that simply isn't here?

Stolle was shaking his head at him. "I don't know what the boss is thinking with you here Doc. If you were my responsibility, I'd have gotten rid of you a long time ago on the side of the road."

"And there are so many things that you'd never know." Luke said with a small smile, knowing full well that he'd captured the man's fascination.

Williams came to the door at that moment, motioning for Stolle to come and talk to him. The tech rolled away from the desk, turning to the oversized goon who was casually toying with his firearm.

It'd be a shame if you accidently shot yourself in the foot.

It was the first time that Stolle had moved away from the desk, and the first complete view that Luke had managed to capture of the backboard. He quickly scanned over the posted documentation, wondering if it could actually be that easy.

Passwords, passwords...got a few here. What am I supposed to do, memorize them all? I don't think I have enough time for that. Come on, come on Barrows, I bet it's here somewhere...Whoa, okay...Network. No mention of a key, but that's the only one that even refers to it.

He was running out of time, so he quickly broke the number up into two parts, repeating them through his mind several times as Stolle was returning.

"So Doctor...where we were exactly?" The man asked with a half smile.