Chapter 29: Clones
The Black Manta was approaching Genesis stadium in stealth mode. This spinning metalstar in the middle of space was the arena of the galactic football cup matches to take place. Corso didn't like the fact that Sonny wanted to go there, but said nothing. With the discovery of his son, it had been natural that Sonny wanted to get closer to the snowkids team before the finals started. But they also needed to get close to Clamp. Sonny suspected there was still a vital piece of information that he needed to get from Clamp. However, the microphonecapsule that was in his body posed a problem. There was no way Sonny could talk to Clamp in private without Technoid finding him. But a newly developed magnetic system, would scramble the microphones, enough for Sonny to be able to talk to Clamp. Now, they had docked in a secret loaction, and made their way in the genesis streets. Sonny was disguised with hood and googles to shiled him as best possible.
«I don't like this place Sonny, it wreeks of Technoid, what's more, you're far from being safe» said Corso.
Up on the screen on the wall, Sonny's wanted poster could be seen. Sonny looked up at it.
«I never liked that picture, it looks nothing like me» he said.
Artie and Bennet were standing behind him and Corso. The rolling pavement brought them towards their destination in a hurry.
«And our luck still hasn't run out» commented Corso.
This made Sonny turn halfways to look at him.
«Relax Corso, you're not going to jinx us yet».
«You could at least tell me why we're here» Corso pouted.
«You said it yourself, it wreecks of Technoid» said Sonny.
They had moved towards the hotel where they had found out the snowkids recided. But it proved far more difficult to find a way in than they had thought. Sonny was watching the hotel entrance through his binoculars. There he could see guards wathching the entrance, the guards were no real problem, but as Sonny aimed the binoculars upwards, he saw the cameras, this would be difficult.
«There's also cameras scanning the entrance» he said as he lowered the binoculars.
«Sonny, forget about it, There is no way we can get in there without getting spotted» said Corso as he was leaning against the wall.
«We have to get in, I have to speak to Clamp» said Sonny as he appeared to be thinking of a solution to the problem.
«I thought you said Clamp was working for Technoid?» Corso was confused.
«He is, but against his wishhes. The stakes involved with the Metaflux are tremendous Corso, believe me, the whole galaxy's stability depends on it».
«None the less, getting in there is insanity» Corso was ever the sceptic today.
Sonny was used to his moodswings, Corso had his good days and his bad, this was obviously one of the bad ones. Sonny had an idea as to how to get in.
«We need someone to help us.. from inside» he simply said.
Sonny called Artie to come meet them, and gave him an order. Artie was to try to locate Micro- Ice, the snowkid that had recently visited them, and ask him to help them. Sonny passed on an order to Tin can to get the plans for the hotels ventilation ducts. They would get in, one way or the other...
Meanwhile, Micro- Ice and D'Jok were taking a walk at Genesis. Both of them had visions of being huge football stars by now. D'Jok found his friend's enthusiasm funny. Micro- Ice was not the team clown for no reason. They stoped at a stand that sold football jersey's. D'Jok asked if they had any jersey's left of the number nine on snowkids, his jersey. No, that jersey was sold out, apparantly, for a new team, the snowkids were incredibly popular. Then they asked about Micro- Ice's jersey. That, he had tons of it. It really wasn't seling. This was a devestating crush to Micro- Ice's ego. As autographhunters surrounded D'Jok, Micro- Ice left. But he didn't walk long before he was stoped.
«You want an autograph?`» he said and got his pen.
«Come on Micro- Ice, don't you recognize your old friends anymore?» said the man.
«Artie?»
Micro-Ice was stunned to see his pirate friend stand before placed a hand on Micro- Ice's shoulder.
«Micro- Ice, my friends and I have something to ask you..»
The snowkids had won the match. Aarch was clear on what was waiting them. There was a pressconferrence to be held shortly. Micro- Ice remembered the deal he had made with his pirate friends, and asked Aarch if he could go to the toilet.
Aarch agreed, but told him to be back fast. Micro- Ice hurried up to the snowkids hallway, and opened a hatch in the ceeling. Then he jumped back down. First came Corso, who signaled for Artie and Sonny that it was ok to enter. As soon as Sonny landed, he stood up and looked at them.
«Good to see you again kid» he said.
Micro- Ice led them to the hallway.
«There you go, this is our hallway» he said and gestured with his arm to show what he meant. Then he turned towards them.
«Do you know what kind of risk I'm taking for you?» he asked.
Sonny knew, and he appreciated the young snowkid's effort to aid them. He placed his hand on Micro- Ice's shoulder.
«Thanks Micro- Ice» he said.
Sonny's sleeve had slipped up a bit, and revealed his bracelet. As sonny put his hand to Micro- Ice's shoulder, he saw the bracelet.
«So, that's where I saw it» he said.
Sonny reacted on instinct. They could not afford that this link between him and D'Jok got exposed just yet, first Sonny needed to get a chance to talk to D'Jok, and have what he believed to be the truth confirmed. Afterall, there was a small possibillity D'Jok could have obtained the bracelet another way. But Sonny didn't think so. He was not someone that believed in coincidence.
«Artie».
The order in sonny's voice was clear. Still, Artie hessitated to do as he was told.
«Are you sure?» he asked Sonny.
Sonny nodded it without a word. Artie pulled a device that looked like a camera from his pocket. Micro- Ice noticed it.
«Oh no Artie, no, not again» he complained.
«Sorry buddy, I know you didn't really appreciate this the first time» said Artie and pressed the button.
As Micro- Ice got out of the trance, the pirates hid behind a corner. As soon as he left for the pressconferrence, they got to work. They easily found Clamps room. Corso immideateley started installing the magnetic system that would scramble Clamp's microphone. Sonny didn't dare have it removed. He was unsure wheter it would be safe. They sat down to wait for Clamp. Shortly after, he arrived. Sonny sat in a chair, back towards the door.
«Good night Clamp».
Clamp didn't expect any visitors and was confused.
«Who's there?»
Sonny spun the chair around. Artie and Corso went towards Clamp to examine him. Sonny saw the fear in his old friend's eyes as he looked at him.
«It's allright Clamp, Corso installed a magnetic system that scrambles your microphone. We'll be able to speak freely now».
Not before had Sonny spoken the words, Corso looked stunned over at him.
«Sonny, there's no trace of an implanted microphone».
«What? It's not possible».
Sonny got on his feets and walked over to Clamp. There had to be a reason for this. Either, Bleylock had gotten worried by his numerous attempts to talk to Clamp, or there was something else wrong. Sonny quickly found out the reason why. A quick search revealed the marking of a clone at Clamp's neck.
«It's a clone» said Sonny.
Then, when he realised what this meant, he got angry.
«Where's the real Clamp?» he asked the clone.
It didn't respond. Sonny had about enough of these games now.
«Corso!»
Corso took out a small device that rotated at the same time as it shone a green hypnotic light.
«Soon, it will be much easier for you to talk to us, now, where's the real clamp?» repeated Sonny, far calmer now.
The clone sat down heavily on the bed.
«Clamp's locked up somewhere in the stadium, but I don't know where. Securitymeasure. I have to deliver samples of the metaflux every day, each time to a different location».
Sonny nodded this. That was Bleylock's usual proceedure allright.
«We can't stay any longer, Artie, refresh our friends memory» he said.
As soon as that had been done, Sonny and his team went back out the same way they had come in..
At the black Manta, it was time for new plans to be laid down. Sonny knew the only chance he had, was to find out who the contact was. But there was a problem with that. He could not participate in this himself. The chances he'd be recognized was too high. Sonny dispatched his team, Corso, Bennet and Artie, along with Tin Can, to track Clamp, and find out where he would deliver the flux samples. Sonny was far more worried than he showed. From what he had found out, the snowkids flux, the breath of Akillian had manifested because of the metaflux. Could the metaflux have been the cause for the reappearance of the breath of Akillian? And more so, how would that flux mix with the breath. Sonny was thinking it through. He remebered the calculations he had done when the cursed Metaflux was created. All of a sudden, it dawned on Sonny what this meant.
«No, I have to stop this progress» he said to himself.
Sonny knew the chances of these two fluxes mixing was that the snowkids would sooner or later grow severely sick. Most likely, this process was already far gone. If the snowkids was to survive this, Sonny needed Clamp's help to explain the dire consequenses to the team and their coach. It was not something he looked forwards to, but both he and Clamp had to take the consequenses of the past's mistakes and make every effort to correct it. Sonny sighed, and went to his commandpost in the commandcenter of Black Manta...
Clamp was out with the sample he was to deliver. Behind him, at a safe distance, followed Artie. But the clone seemed jumpy. Before long, Artie had to report to Corso.
«I'm droppin' him, he's about to spot me» he said.
Corso sent in Tin can instead. Tin can made it seem like an accident when he bumped into Clamp, and undetected put a tracker on him.
«Ok Corso, he's tagged» he said as soon as he had moved away from the irritated clone.
«Way to go Tin can».
As soon as tin can returned, Corso set Bennet to follow clamp. Bennet was successfull at that. But the contact of Clamp's clone was a surprise.
«It's Baldwin» commented Bennet to Corso, who just finished shusshing Artie, who had gone into a wambas bar, and after the snowkids win, a fan of the snowkid were not very popular there, Artie had dressed himself in a t- shirt carrying Micro- Ice's face, and taken a beating for that.
«I don't ever want to hear that the wambas are peaceloving people again» he said.
Corso was thoughtfull. Baldwin was, according to Sonny, Bleylocks confidante. Him being the contact that took the samples was not good news. It would cause more problems for Sonny to solve.
«Baldwin huh? Technoid's pulled all the stops on this one».
It was getting more and more confusing what technoid wanted with the flux. But if anyone knew, or at least suspected anything, it was Sonny.
«We'd better warn Sonny..»
Sonny was surprised to hear it too. Baldwin. This was clearly going to be more challening than he had thought. But he was not going to let it stop him. There was too much at stake. If Bleylock managed to extract the metaflux from the snowkids, wich seemed to be his plan, he would truly be impossible to defeat. Sonny knew that Bleylock wanted to rule supreeme over the galaxy. Their last meeting, years ago now, had shown it. Bleylock had told him during the highlight of the night for him. To Bleylock, it had been the utter form of control and dominance. To Sonny, it had been a night of disgust and pain, but necessary. It had allowed for Bleylock and him to close the book on the past, at least, that was why he had done it, that, and to save his team from torture. The way he saw it , it was better that he alone took on the wrath of Bleylock, being the one that had caused it in the first place.
This war would be about the safety of a son he didn't yet know, and his team. Sonny was prepared to sacrifice his own life to keep D'Jok and the team safe from harm. Sonny called his team back to the ship. Now that they knew, it was time for plan b..
Sonny and Corso were at a bar with Tin can. The snowkids were playing an important game tonight. Surely, they were Bleylocks primetarget now. Sonny did not want to wait too long before he executed his plan. They now knew where Clamp was held. Sonny had put Tin can on the task of getting hold of the plans for the building.
«I had trouble getting the plans Sonny, these are the night offices» said tin can as they watched the plans.
«These sources of heat are the watchments».
«Allright, get me the plans» said Sonny.
Tin can pulled the plans up, and showed the inside of the building they had just looked at one point of wiew at.
«These however, correspond to nothing on the building plans» he said and pointed to an area not marked on the original plans.
Sonny and Corso looked at eachother.
«A secret room?» said Sonny.
«That's what it looks like» said Tin can.
«How are we going to do this? Have you seen how many guards there are on this place?» asked Corso and looked at Sonny.
Sonny smiled, he had a plan. It was daring, he admitted that, but still, it was their best chance.
«Our only chance Corso, is if all these people love football» he answered with a smile...
The match was about to start. In a room in a technoid building, Clamp was in bad shape. The poison that the microphonecapsule in his body released, was on the verge of killing him. He was in pain. The guards posted to watch him, were taken with the oncoming football match. They didn't see the four pirates sneaking in on the outside.
Bennet put a device to a board and typed a few cryptations.
«A few seconds, and you'll be invisible» he smiled to his fellow pirates.
Seconds later, he turned to his leader again.
«Allright Sonny, you can go now» he said.
The pirates stormed off, as Bennet remained on guard. They found a way in the elevator, that allowed them to access the ventilation ducts. As silent as they tried to be, they still made noise. One of the guards went to check, but failed to look up. As soon as he was gone, sonny released the barrs that blocked the ventilationducts. All three pirates gently crawled into the duct. Finally, after a long crawl, Sonny stopped. He checked the map.
«We're just right over» he said.
«Just as I was afraid off, there's no airvent leading to this room» said Corso.
«Well, we're just going to have to make one ourselves» said Sonny.
«We're gonna make a lot of noise» warned Corso.
«Not with this» said Sonny, and showed them a laserpen he had brought.
«This might take a little time, Artie, how far are they?»
«Still nill- nill» replied the young pirate.
«I wasn't asking for the score» said Sonny, clearly annoyed.
«Oh, right. It's almost at the end of the first half» said Artie.
Sonny turned the laser pen on. Now, the clock was working against them...
exciting? Trust me, the next chapter will be worth the wait, hope you liked this one. One sided yes, but after all, it is Sonny's story, and therefore, it is through his and his closest friends eyes, only the most vital parts of the original storyline with the snowkids get included here. Do please rewiew.
