Chapter 36: Going Up


Current Timeline: July 29, 2019

69 Days Since Arrival...

22 Days Since Last Paranormal Activity...


To say the team was a bit 'jumpy' would be like saying space isn't just a dark void.

Since the attack on the city nearly a month ago, Warfang was now back to a state almost similar to where it was before things really picked up. Most of the damage was cleared and places rebuilt, even the sewers were fixed up to where there weren't giant sunken trenches going around the city, and the walls were now gleaning a slight greenish tint thanks to a decent layer of slime that took the team days to spray on so that just upon touching the walls any land-based entity would feel its effects.

That was their current problem; they were used to having pockets of little to no activity. It's why they compared ghosts to the weather.

But since their first and so far only encounter (face to face in the mountain, though the 2 attempts at possession could be considered if you looked hard enough) with Malefor gave them a taste of what he was and the two invasions of 2 dragon cities gave them a solid idea what forces he had on hand, since the last battle there had been literally not a single drop of black slime in or around the city.

The countryside was slowly coming back thanks to Earth Dragon magic and some nifty spells and potions from several sources that managed to get the income of food to sustain the much larger population that now was nearly double what it was a month ago. Refugees still came to the city; even though it was originally ground zero for activity, either thought of it as a safer place than where they came from away from the threat of attacks or the fact that the Ghostbusters were still stuck there.

With the firehouse that had managed to successfully repair just about everything they had since arrival. All the vehicles (minus Ecto-2 which was still having its tail rotor fixed) were fully repaired and ready to roll. In addition to Ecto-3, a heavily modified Jeep Brute 6x6 that served as the most offroadable vehicle in their fleet minus going either airborne or having to use Ecto-X2, a bike similar to Derek's but more like a dirt bike, made hauling equipment and cargo around the area outside the city much easier. Ecto-7 was finally given its upgrades that Leo didn't get to finish along with the PCU finally being serviced and all-important pieces being brought back to being fully operational.

With the station, they finally had their own food stores, personal living quarters, electricity, medical supplies, and so much more equipment. It was later on the first day when Leo got the building's main PKE scanners going that covered the entire region for a nearly 5-mile radius like a Doppler radar scanning for any nearby storm. Even in a strange turn of events Danny and Ben managed to get Cynder, during one of her visits, addicted to Game of Thrones on DVD. Spyro had tried making some excuses that while most were genuine it was mostly for the black dragoness to race up the stairs to the living room, grab one of their snack bags, oddly enough bbq pringles, and binge-watch it on their coach.

So far she had already started the third season and showed no signs of stopping.

But since then everything regarding ghosts, monsters, and Malefor, while it still lingered on the mind for nearly all in the city, was quickly becoming an afterthought. Most either thinking that he knew he couldn't win this fight against the legendaries heroes or that he was actually afraid of the human team and went into hiding. Some thinking that they had already defeated the dark lord and life was well on its way to becoming normal again.

Neither the Guardians, Spyro or the PCB believed this for a second.

The former of the three were stumped as to why this was the case. Either alive or dead the dragon had the capabilities to attack them with an extreme force that could literally bring down the city. They pondered over what he could possibly be doing and where was he doing it. Spyro was in the same boat with growing suspicions over what his nemesis was planning. Since day one of his life they had been butting heads in a way that staying ahead of the other was the name of the game until it gets thrown into the blender.

And if the two sides were in the same boat trying to stop the flooding from an unknown hole, then the Ghostbusters were desperately trying to get a nearly sunken ship sailing again.

With all their advantages now they had thought that they could pinpoint exactly where he was, determine how close he or his army was (to a degree due to signal limits) to them and where he could strike next. Even without their GRASS network detecting an entity with an energy output higher than a Class 7 should be easy enough.

But despite nearly a month of work, they found nothing.

No signal, no sudden spike, no trace of any slime they didn't remove or even its residue. They sent out scouts in areas they had encountered it, even the crystal cave from long ago, and found no trace.

It was starting to erk them all. Shandor, in either case, wasn't this quiet. It had a gradual build-up and the occasional major battle but as it got worse it would ultimately lead to the final confrontation. But this as if it was reaching its climax in a movie and production just decide to stop everything.

The desire to figure out what was going on was driving them all, well most of the more scientific side, insane and the longer the waited the worse it got.

It as about midday when the on one of the main city streets leading to the outer gates did the citizens ever so casually moved out of the way of a white and red vehicle going roughly 30 down the center of the road with slow amber lights to pass through. A few waves, the occasional honk that either started newcomers or got the attention of regulars was given out as once they got through the gate picked up speed and raced across the fields.

In the same area where they had their first bust within the area of the city, Ecto-7 and 4 were set up in a large makeshift camp with a large flat area now occupied by a large metal structure the size of a 2 car garage was being welded together by Danny. With an apron, welding mask and large thick gloves, sparks flew around him as he added the finishing touches in areas that he deemed some touch-up.

The structure itself, while impressive, looked more like a pretzel of metal that by breaking the right connection could bring it all down. For their project, it was meant to serve two purposes: be deconstructed afterward so that the parts can be used for something else and launch a slap together satellite.

Cutting the power to his tool, Danny flipped his helmet up to eye his work in the sunlight. Running a finger over the messy weld that would make everyone say that he needed a grinder.

"Well... that'll at least won't be a pain in the ass to take apart." Ripping the helmet from his sweaty head he flung it onto the handle of the generator and wheeled the device over to the truck.

In the trailer, Leo and Jack were closely tending to their device with the gentleness of surgeons as they checked over each circuit, bolt, wire and seem. With a pair of magnifying glasses and a tiny flashlight, Leo carefully examined an open conduit that went from the power pack, which without the proper parts, was a stripped-down arm pack, leading into the main sensor array that would give them the strength needed to have a strong enough scan range from orbit.

The rocket was... crude to put it bluntly. While Ion Rockets were still in the early stages of its life in service and depending on which of the three grades you used had one hell of a kick they weren't made to act as the direct propulsion for a half-ton payload. The machine before them was more like a drone than a rocket with 5 wings designed to help guide it to the correct angle upon take off from the makeshift gantry they had assembled. The color was mostly black with the red 'core' housing the system itself wrapped with a heavy amount of caution stripping with some pipes coming gradually out and down the body around the breakaway point.

While Derek and Danny had done a pretty good job at fabricating the protective physical shell for the past 8 days now, and while a good chunk of the sensor equipment was built by them, Leo saw the dozens, if not hundreds of issues that this machine was compared to how it would be from NASA. They made their stuff look good compared to this train wreck.

"A slapped together rocket made out of 3 aerial grade Ion Rockets, the barebones of a grass satellite, some questionable changes in what part goes to what, a gantry we literally made out in the middle of a field, and we are hoping that it doesn't explode upon the press of a button." Leo listed off dryly trying to think somewhat positive.

"Or we just sneeze on it," Jack remarked as he carefully closed up a panel to the control board. Bolting it together for what would be the last time of its life.

"Or that." Flicking off the light Leo closed the cover and did the same. In truth, if their math was accurate enough and the design held, it should be able to survive this world's orbit for at least 2 months. Hopefully, plenty of time to finish the job here.

Just then Ecto-3 came racing up the field in a cloud of dust from a new dirt road they had quickly begun forming from this little endeavor. Coming up alongside Ecto-4 Derek hopes out without even given the Jeep to come to a complete stop. Swiftly jogging towards the trailer with clear frustration as he passed Danny who was heading the same way.

"We ready?"

"Just about..." Leo answered as he went to a computer real quick to check and make sure the system before putting it into sleep mode till it reached its target.

"Remind me again why we can't just send this through the gate?" Danny asked tapping 1 of 2 engine cranes holding the platform.

"The same reason we have to let NASA launch them. The risk of the sensors going out of alignment when going from ground level to orbit instantaneously could completely corrupt any data we get, if any, from it." Turning he carefully placed a hand on the head of the device, "Least with this we can-

CHINK

The chain dropped nearly an inch. But it was such an action that made all four men immediately jump to prevent the satellite from falling any further. With batted breath, they one by one carefully removed their hands when they were sure it wouldn't move anymore.

Given the crank another turn to return it to the correct level, Jack gave a breathless remark, "Let's get this thing in space. I'll feel more comfortable tonight knowing that at least in this world there isn't much if anything related to space debris that could take this thing out."


Meanwhile back in the city, on top of the firehouse upon the roof of Ecto-2's hanger, the rest of the team were able to get a somewhat unobstructed view over the wall towards where the others were but unable to see the site due to the wall and land's geography.

Sitting in a pair of collapsable chairs they all watch, with Roger taking it a step further with binoculars, and waited. With them were the heroes even along with some of the students from the temple, the guardians who were both curious to see an event of something artificial reaching the stars (and to the team's surprise the roof the building not collapsing under their combined weight.)

Though this project had been a couple of days in the making, the anticipation and wait were starting to get to them all.

"How much longer?" Flame asked while tapping his claws across the hanger roof.

Feeling impatient himself Roger pulled his radio from the cup holder, "Hey, guys, what's the holdup? Got the whole city here waiting for the fireworks."

"We're... moments out," Jack replied with an unsettled feeling towards the 'fireworks', "Setting up the triggers now."

"Hopefully it doesn't end up like the X-Pack..." the pilot prayed as he set the radio back down.

There as maybe a good two-minute gap between the last transmission to when Derek's voice came over the speaker, "Preparing to Launch. Launching in 10... 9..."

The team leaned back in their chairs with Roger bringing his binoculars up. The dragons all stretching their necks out like it would give them that extra sense of seeing the launch where it was.

"Hold onto your butts..." Rachel muttered making sure that the med-bay was ready and here kits packed.

"3... 2... 1... Ignition, LAUNCH!"

There was a brief pause, the kind you would expect from seeing an explosion but the shockwave had yet to hit. Then faster than anything with wings had ever seen shot into the sky. A bright orange flame as if a dragon was breathing fire behind him with a small trail of exhaust and steam was what marked its path into the sky. Instantly passing the height of the wall, temple, and soon the tallest mountain of the world as the light like a miniature sun went to join its brother.

Around the city, many stopped to witness this strange event. Some pointing up asking what it was, some just shrugging at it being part of the strange norm this city held, some even hiding in panic. But to the team, once it started disappearing beyond what clouds were in its path they all behind to feel a bit more at ease.

"Going... going..." Roger leaned back trying to keep track of the rocket, "going... and it's gone."

"And now," Rachel leaned back even further. Though this wasn't to help relax, "We wait..." Her voice fell like the realization that had come upon them. Earning sighs and groans from all.


So... Ghostbusters 3: Afterlife has been delayed till MARCH FUCKING 5TH.

In all reality that was the only thing, I was truly looking forward to for this year. Maybe a comic con here and there but now that that's gone my hopes for it have greatly dropped. It doesn't help how we haven't gotten any much of a new spit of info about it has left me (and many others) a bit in the dark about its future.

Looking at it now I guess the only thing left for it is to get these stories made and done before the annual 100-year plague kills the internet.

Not what I was originally intending this to be but my motivation has been diving all over the place with the desire to get projects done but once again coming into the 'it feels like a chore' state.


GRASS: standing for Global Research And Surveillance Satellite. Developed and launched in 2017 after the Shandor Incident as a 16 part network with 4 units watching over each quarter hemisphere of the planet. The system was used by all GB teams and could be accessed by normal online means for civilians to track paranormal activity as if tracking the weather. The US Department of Defense uses it as an aid in helping local authorities in at-risk areas and coordinate with the Ghostbusters. The system was first put to the test with only 5 satellites in orbit that provided the locations of highly concentrated energy in several places of the US.

In a nutshell, a worldwide PKE meter.

Ion Rockets: Similar in design to proton grenades, Ion Rockets are projectiles that can be placed on standard military equipment to be fired. The rockets range in 3 sizes, though each one is just as strong as the others, Standard Grade; which is what a rocket platform, RPG, and some tanks can fire. Aerial Grade that can be loaded onto airborne vehicles and act as heat seekers to Pke energy or selected targets. And Micro-Grade can be ground vehicle-mounted such as to Ecto 1 and 2.