Chapter Five: Unexpected Guests
With their goal out in the open, Red-160 felt like the mission had just been accomplished. Sure, they weren't guaranteed to get help, but all they wanted to do was keep themselves alive. How could anyone, even the most heartless of individuals, reject someone crusading for a purpose like that?
That idea seemed to hold water, as Mister Bogo shook his head a few times, then appeared to halt the flow of questions for the time being, remaining still and silent for at least fifteen seconds before following that up with words in a hushed whisper that Red-160 couldn't discern.
"Mister Bogo," he said, "is there anything else you need to ask me?"
He seemed to ignore that question for now, instead starting off on his own tangent. "You know, before today, when I thought of the word 'alien,' that either meant some green, slimy thing that wanted to abduct us, or else some Lynxcraftian abomination that would devour the entire planet without so much as a warning. I never thought of them looking anything like you."
Red-160 nodded, but didn't reply. That idea made sense, and nothing else mattered at the moment.
Mister Bogo didn't appear to have much else to say, but he tried anyway. "Anyway, I might have to speak with the mayor about you. If there truly are more of your kind lurking in the shadows right now, we need to figure out how to reveal your existence to the public. The last thing we need is another citywide incident so soon after the last one concluded."
"If you so desire, we can reveal ourselves now," Red-160 said. "I have a line of communication open with all the others as we speak, do you want me to give them the signal?"
"No, not yet," Mister Bogo said. "Waiting is essential here. Our goal is to determine how to tell the public of your existence without causing a panic. I'm not the best mammal for the job here, but I do know someone who is. Just sit tight for a little bit longer. We'll be getting on that, starting now."
He turned to leave the room, noticed the remains of the light he'd shattered earlier, swept those into the dustpan with great haste, and carried everything out of the holding cell, closing the door behind him and leaving Red-160 alone once more. Red-160 took note, moving to curl up in a corner. Not to sleep, but just to get comfortable for a while. But before he did, he spoke to the others again for the first time since he'd arrived.
"Just stay put for a little longer. It's not certain yet, but I think we got what we needed."
Unfortunately for Chief Bogo, both Mayor Lionheart and Assistant Mayor Felix (a black cat who preferred to go by his first name) were both booked for conferences all morning, or at least that was the response he got when he tried calling. Thus, the earliest anything would be done about this whole Incubator business would be on his lunch break.
Thus, he took his position back from Higgins, thanking him for his time, then alternated between issuing orders whenever necessary and glancing at the clock. A few mammals came and went, Bogo fording his way through the conversations required as time oozed by. At one point, Officers Grizzoli and Trunkaby called in with their interview results: nothing in the house Red-160 had broken into had even been damaged, let alone stolen. The clock slowed down, stopped, almost appeared to run backward for a few minutes, but after an eternity and a half, the clock displayed the glorious time of high noon, the first time period Lionheart hadn't given up that day. The call went through smooth and quick, and this time he got put through to Lionheart himself, not just pawned off on some secretary.
"Why hello there, Chief Bogo," Lionheart said. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm going to be blunt here," Bogo replied. "What if I were to tell you we have another potential citywide crisis on our hands?"
"I'd say that we've got our work cut out for us," Lionheart said. "Continue."
"And what if I were to tell you this crisis involved aliens?"
Lionheart snorted. "Did that fox you hired spike your coffee or something? I've never heard you say anything so ridiculous before."
"No," Bogo said, with a sternness that startled even him to a degree. "It's real. I can show you our specimen now, hold on for a second." With that, he rushed out of his work station, hurrying back to the holding cell. Before he could get there, though, Wolford and Fangmeyer entered through the front, the two of them flagging him down and causing him to come to a screeching halt.
"Based on how few mammals entered that restaurant from the front and how quickly most of them left, I'm not sure what's going on in there, but it's probably not pretty," Fangmeyer said. "We're going to get a warrant to search the place."
"Go right ahead," Bogo said, making it the rest of the way to the holding cell. Then, with a couple of button presses, Lionheart now saw whatever the camera on Bogo's phone showed. A few seconds later, Red-160 sauntered into the camera's field of vision, at least if the audible gasp on the other end of the line was anything to go by.
"Well, I'll be damned," Lionheart said. "If you've got anything else to say, rip off the bandage now."
Bogo spent the next minute or so describing the basics of what he'd learned from his brief interview with Red-160, consisting of his name, where he claimed to have come from, why he was here, and that he had brought technology that attempting to parse would be a horrifying ordeal. At one point, he'd even asked Red-160 if he could say something to Lionheart, but he claimed that he could only pull off his trick with subjects in close physical proximity; a phone line wasn't enough connection to get the job done.
"That's all I have," Bogo eventually used to end his speech. "So, how are we supposed to deal with this? The last thing we need is something like the Night Howler incident so soon."
"I think you need to relax," Lionheart said. "Sure, there'll always be the nutcases and conspiracy theorists who claim that our new arrival is out to get us, or scout our planet out for harvesting, or some other nonsensical motivation. However, if we merely show one to the public, say that some of them have arrived on this planet, and mention they'll be here for a few months at most, I doubt we'll run into problems. I mean, they're adorable and they're pretty small; they look like they came out of a children's cartoon, not a horror movie. There's no reason to be scared of these things, at least not yet."
Bogo wasn't done. "And the technology they brought?"
"We can't outright lie about that, but nothing says we can't be vague," Lionheart said. "Let the public draw their own conclusions about it."
Bogo balked at that idea. "You sure about that?"
"If we let slip that they have technology that makes them invisible, nothing's stopping every petty thief in the city from trying to gain access to it," Lionheart said. "Would you want to have to catch an invisible criminal?"
"I guess not," Bogo said.
"I'm booked all afternoon, so the earliest I can release the news is this evening," said Lionheart. "Nevertheless, I'll set up a press conference for the earliest possible hour."
And that was the end of that. No good wishes from either side, nothing, nope, nada. Both sides had nothing left to say.
Bogo claimed what remained of his lunch break to actually eat lunch, picking at the salad he'd brought in. But with his nerves wound up in such a knot, he didn't taste a bite.
The rain promised that day hadn't materialized, so while the odd umbrella stuck out of the crowd, the audience of this press conference had minimal chance of getting wet. Unfortunately, that was about the only good thing Mayor Lionheart could say about this. Sure, he'd been all calm and confident with Chief Bogo over the phone, but in reality, it was a coin flip whether the citizens of Zootopia took it in stride or not.
Just about every major news outlet, including ZNN, had at least one reporter standing near the front of the crowd, for if the mayor called for a press conference this suddenly, that meant urgent news that each of them was dying to break first. They appeared to watch with eager eyes as Lionheart stepped up to the podium, Assistant Mayor Felix filing to one beside him without saying a word. The crowd quieted down to near-total silence of their own accord, and with a few opening words, Lionheart got them the rest of the way there.
"Citizens of Zootopia, thank you for arriving on such short notice," Lionheart said, warming himself up for his speech. "Just when we thought our world had returned to normal once more, something has arrived to shake the foundation. Yesterday, two of our brilliant officers at Zootopia's Precinct One reported their discovery of a creature they had never seen before. I'm sure you're all skeptical about this, I was myself. This is a time to believe me, though, because it's true as can be." Then, he turned to his right to sneak a peek backstage. "Officer Hopps, Officer Wilde, if you will."
Officer Wilde came first, holding the Incubator in his arms like a newborn, even though one of its front and back legs were fastened together by some bizarre metal contraption, presumably so it couldn't run. Officer Hopps walked beside him, keeping one eye on him and the other on Officer Wilde. Once they reached the podium, they shook hands with him (Officer Wilde with a bit of difficulty since his hands were full), then passed him off to Lionheart, who deposited it on top of his podium to the shock of the audience, who fell into silence for several seconds before the flashing of hundred of cameras began. The Incubator turned his head toward them, standing still and drinking in the spotlight.
"This specimen is known as an Incubator, although according to them, their colloquial name is 'Kyubey,'" Lionheart said. "Based on preliminary investigation, it appears to have arrived from a planet other than this one, and it has brought quite a bit of technology along with it. The full capabilities of that technology remain unclear, as does the exact intention of their stay, although at the moment it seems to be part of an effort to save their homeworld, however they plan to accomplish that and wherever that may be."
A deep breath, then a strong finish. "Thus, if you see a look-alike of this guy running around, no problem, that will be normal, at least for the time being. Questions?"
Every voice in the crowd erupted at once, each of them trying to be heard over the one next to them, especially the reporters who had the advantage of microphones. The questions came rapid-fire, each one not even finishing before the next one started.
"Why exactly did these Incubators choose this planet?"
"If you know they brought technology with them, how can you not know what it does?"
"Wait, there's more of them? Where are they at the moment?"
"Should I be worried for my safety near them?"
"Why is this one trapped with that horrible-looking device?"
This went on for quite some time. Lionheart answered what he could, even if he resorted to half-answers for some of them. Officers Hopps and Wilde, having exposure to the Incubator before he did, tried answering questions as well whenever possible. Felix remained largely quiet compared to the other three, only responding to something every now and again in a timid voice that suggested a lack of experience with news barrages of this caliber.
When it became clear the rush would never die down, Lionheart raised his hand, the crowd silencing in a hurry after that. "Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today. Any further questions can be forwarded to me, Assistant Mayor Felix, or Precinct One via phone calls, emails, or letters in writing. I'm sure someone will have an answer to your question. Once more, I thank you for attending, and to everyone, have a good night."
Lionheart filed backstage after that, Felix following right behind him. Once he got backstage, the parting of the curtains a few seconds later indicated that Officers Hopps and Wilde had gotten back there as well, with Officer Wilde having regained possession of the Incubator.
"That went better than I expected," Officer Wilde said. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we should probably bring this guy back to the holding cell he came from. Carrots and I need to find a lawyer that will represent this guy. You know any lawyers open to telepathic communication?"
"I can safely say I do not," Lionheart said. "Why would that even be a factor?"
"Oh, right," Officer Wilde said, "Red-160 over here hasn't talked to you yet." Then, he turned to the Incubator, presumably Red-160. "Hey, would you mind saying hello to our friend over there? His name's Lionheart, just so you're aware."
"It's Leodore," Lionheart attempted to correct. "My full name's-"
"Hello, Mister Lionheart. My name is Red-160."
Lionheart froze for several seconds, then slowly shifted his head so he was looking at Red-160 in the eyes, radiating total disbelief from every pore. He didn't say anything or even accuse Red-160 of doing anything, instead opting to just stand and stare.
"Apparently, Red-160 only cares about surnames when communicating with other mammals, so your first name means nothing to him. Figured I'd just start him off that way this time," Officer Wilde said, diverting Lionheart's attention, if only for a brief moment.
"I'm not going to bother questioning what just happened, so I'll leave you officers to do your jobs," Lionheart responded. "If you need another press conference, I'm sure Bogo knows who to call by now."
"Certainly," Officer Hopps replied. Right after that, she and Officer Wilde both filed out the back, taking Red-160 with them.
Lionheart held his head in his hands for a few seconds, then let loose a prolonged sigh that seemed to intensify his tension rather than reduce it.
Yep, tonight was definitely a night to tuck in early and try to forget this ever happened.
For Red-160, the time had come.
They would come as no surprise to the average bystander anymore. With the number of cameras he noticed in the crowd while he'd been perched on that podium, he knew pictures would be shown to others very soon, and he knew from experience that in these types of communities, word traveled fast. The Incubators no longer had to hide, they could reveal themselves without the fear of causing a panic.
He'd been deposited in the back of the car that had taken him away from his earlier place of refuge and to his current residence, and in the meantime both Miss Hopps and Mister Wilde made polite conversation about the events that had just transpired while they headed back toward where everyone started. Both of them asked for his input on occasion, which he gave in fits and starts; enough to sate their appetites but not so much as to feel unnecessary.
But he knew this conversation wasn't the important one. They might believe that this reveal had been important as well, but they had no idea what it ultimately meant for him and his kind. With one speech, the shackles chaining them to the spaceship had been freed, and they could begin work on what they'd come here to do.
Thus, with as much force as he could muster, he sent a message to every other Incubator on the planet, including the ones still holed up in the spaceship. "We've been revealed to the world, we're no longer outcasts. You can land the spaceship and have the others start scouting for an adequate place of residence."
One of the other Incubators, this one clearly still on the spaceship, replied in an instant, his voice coming in first over what had to be hundreds of others. "Good. However, now that we're open to the world, something we should worry about is our relationship with the native inhabitants. I know this probably wasn't something you focused on initially, but do you have any candidates?"
"Don't worry, I have some," Red-160 said. "Several of them, in fact. And they all appear to have some power here."
The Incubators' collective response came back within seconds. "Well, what do they look like, and where can we find them?"
Without hesitation, Red-160 told them his candidates, and in seconds, what had to be at least a few dozen Incubators took to the streets, one goal in mind.
With how intense this shift was, Nick was more than happy when it finally ended and he could retire for the night.
Nick cherished every second he had off the clock, even the jog to work, because with how hard he pushed himself every day that time felt well-earned. Even though today hadn't been that physically strenuous, he could count the number of days he knew were more mentally taxing on one paw. Considering those times included his hellish period training in the ZPA, the entirety of the time he'd helped Judy investigate the Night Howler case, and his time working as a conman, a profession where lots of other mammals would pay to see him suffer, that was no small feat.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, he returned to the apartment Judy had helped him purchase after he first entered the ranks of Precinct One, a small but not decrepit one-bedroom a little less than ten blocks away from the station and exactly four stories off the ground. It had the standard amenities of a live-in apartment, including a small kitchen, a living area, and a separate bathroom with a shower, as well as being fully furnished before he moved in, which was good considering how few possessions he had to his name before coming here.
There had still been enough space that he'd called Finnick, asking him if he wanted to move in, but Finnick had turned him down, hard. The van's enough for me, he said. I don't need your charity, he said.
Sure, responses like that were what he'd come to expect from Finnick, but it still hurt.
As soon as he entered his apartment, he flicked on the lights, pulled out the other half of the frozen dinner he'd made yesterday, and stuck it in the microwave. 'Oh yes,' he thought. 'It's time for some tasty eating tonight, don't you-'
"Hello? Mister Wilde? Can you hear me?"
Nick whipped his head around multiple times looking for the source of the latest voice, nearly knocking the frozen dinner box off the counter in the process. "Red-160? How did you find me? Look, I know you're not familiar with Zootopia law, but they really don't treat mammals who try to escape from jail kindly."
"Red-160? I am not Red-160. My name is Blue-40. I know little about Red-160 except that we share the same goal."
Nick kept looking, still not finding any evidence of the presence of the elusive Blue-40. "Wait, if you can hear me, you have to be pretty close. Where are you?"
A pause, then the voice again. "I am at the window right now, but something is in the way. I don't think you can see me at the moment."
Realizing what Blue-40 meant, he strode over to the one set of windows he had, which he usually covered with blinds whenever he was away at work, especially in the summer, to try and keep the room temperature stable. Now, he pulled on a cord to open those blinds, revealing two things. One, a surprisingly solid view of the streets below, where cars and mammals rushed around to get wherever they needed to go. And two, an Incubator that looked almost identical to Red-160, the only difference being that this one had blue eyes instead of red ones. Currently, those eyes were staring right at him, although since the color blended in with the rest of his face it was hard to tell.
"Hello, Mister Wilde," Blue-40 said. "May I come in?"
Author's Notes:
-Obvious reference is obvious. That's not the only reference I plan to make, but hopefully any future ones will be far more subtle than that.