FUSIONFALL OR:

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE INVASION

PART 8: THE FIRST TERRAFUSER

The samurai known as Jack stood before the heroes as he recounted the events that brought him here. "Several days ago," he began, "We were camping in the forest when a strange creature attacked us. It was small, and green, and made out of a liquid that held itself together. Whatever it touched burned like acid.

It fought us, and during the fight, I lost my sandal. The creature pounced upon my sandal and ate it, and immediately after doing so it began to change form - shapeshifting until it took on my appearance. It managed to get away, but the Scotsman and I have been tracking it since. We have encountered many monsters in these woods on our journey, but none like this one."

The samurai paused, considering the information he was about to reveal to them. "These creatures," he said. "They came from the sky. They are not of this world."

"We know," replied Dexter, surprising Jack. "They're the spawn of an alien planet. The creatures have the ability to absorb the objects around them and take on their properties." Dexter observed the dark patch where Fusion Jack had disintegrated. "It seems that this extends to living beings too."

The Scotsman guffawed, his laughter surging from his belly in incredulous relief. "Aliens, would ya believe it, Jack!" he said as he slapped Jack on the shoulder. "Aku's got nothing to do with it!"

Dexter tilted his head in curiosity. "Aku..?" he questioned. Jack shook his head while he rubbed his shoulder. "It's a long story," he said.

Seeing that the samurai wasn't interested in elaborating, Dexter changed the subject back to focus on the details of Jack's story. "You said you saw it come from the sky," he said. "We know that these creatures emerge from larger masses we call terrafusers. Have you seen any land?"

"Yes, several as we made our way south," Jack replied.

"South?" Mojo interrupted. "You were coming from the north? How far north were you?"

"We originally set up camp in the valley, but had to leave when the creatures started coming."

Mojo turned to Dexter. "The valley in the north is where my furthest scouts are stationed. They may have already discovered the source. We must meet them!" Mojo turned back to Jack. "Tell me, samurai, did you see any simians on your way?"

"No, we did not," Jack said. His face showed confusion over what Mojo was talking about.

"We think that the terrafusers lead to something bigger further north," Dexter explained. "Did you see anything else before leaving your camp?" he pressed Jack.

"Actually… yes. There was something else," Jack said, his eyes widening as he recollected. "The sound the terrafusers made when they landed - it was deafening. But among all the noises, there was one that was much louder. And with it, there came a beam of green light that appeared in the sky… But it was too far away to see what was casting it."

Dexter nodded, mulling over the new information. "Whatever is casting the light must be related to the signal. That is where we have to go," he concluded. Dexter turned to look at the carrier, before turning back to Jack. "Would you be willing to show us?"

Jack and the Scotsman glanced at each other. "We will come with you," said Jack.

In agreement, the group made their way to board the carrier. Now that the threat of Fusion Jack had been eliminated, the simians were also beginning to recoup. Yadda had taken charge of the operation, barking orders at his subordinates as they jumped to action around him. Medics swooped in to carry the injured back to the clinics for treatment, while those who were still standing formed into troops, already heading out to secure the colony, reinforced with larger numbers and stronger weapons. A team had even cordoned off the site where Fusion Jack had perished, commencing sample collection for analysis. Indeed, the simians' movements coordinated like a well-oiled machine, determined to learn from their defeat and grow even stronger for it. Mojo had undeniably trained them well. Before climbing onto the carrier elevator, the Simian Supreme paused, and turned to salute his general, who immediately returned the gesture along with all those who saw it. Knowing that they would be able to carry on, Mojo turned away from his people and followed the group aboard.

Once on the deck, Blossom and Ben lead the way to the bridge, Numbuh 1 and Mojo close behind. The Scotsman strolled after them, marvelling at the complexities of the carrier's design much like a tourist in a gallery. Meanwhile, Jack and Dexter found themselves walking side by side, joint in quiet contemplation. Just before they arrived at the bridge's doorway, Dexter pulled his hand from where he had been clasping it behind him to reach out for Jack's elbow, discreetly asking him to hold back for a second. Jack obliged, tilting his head. He sensed a great intelligence in the boy, a wisdom of a soul that ought to be much older than his youthful appearance indicated. It was familiar.

Dexter's eyes moved to Jack's hip as he spoke. "I wanted to ask you… I noticed something out there while I watched you fight the creature. There is something about your sword that makes it particularly effective against fusion matter. Almost like it is corrosive to the material. Does it have any properties that enhance it?"

Jack held Dexter's gaze for a long moment. Then, his face broke ever so slightly into a small smile. "Just the one," he said. "Magic."

He walked past Dexter into the bridge, leaving the boy genius dumbfounded.

Behold, the dark lands of the north, for they are a waking nightmare.

Black became the earth that the carrier flew over, for it had been desolated by the infection that sought to eat it alive. Here was where mother nature had lost her children, forsaking all hope of sanctuary from their fate. All that grew stunted, and all that stunted withered away. Here, the dead lived! As beasts from a time forgotten roved once more, loose remains held together by that sickly substance green. They howled and cried as they grappled with each other, writhing in the dirt, for no reason than it being all they knew how to do. The sky was coloured pallid, its bed of rest the cataclysm beneath it.

And cataclysm it was, for Fuse's influence had broken even the rules of gravity. Gliding over, they saw how the earth was rife with great cracks, and from those cracks huge pieces had not only come loose, but had been seized by a force that cast them up so that they levitated in the air. The carrier lurched as Dexter piloted to avoid them, eyes fixated on the phenomenon unravelling on the screens. Hundreds of islands floated all around, their undersoil laced with fusion matter that dripped down in steady drops. Some still had fusion monsters clinging on, that continued to ravage the ground at their feet in a feeding frenzy, not even aware of the precarious position they were in. Inevitably, the group saw how one behemoth buried its claws in to dig up some earth and instead pulled the structure apart, causing it to slip through the crumbling remains and slam into another island below. Only for it to get up and resume its activity like nothing had occurred.

The rainforest on this side had been destroyed, broken down by rivers of fusion matter that swept the trees away to be digested in the mud. All that was left now was a toxic swamp, bubbling lazily, its surface swirling with bilious colours, broken in spots by puddles of black that seemed to be oil or tar that had spilled out from the displacement. Beside Dexter, Mojo paced in front of the screens, scouring them for signs of the scouts he knew he had stationed here, looking for a shelter or a boat or something. He tapped into the carrier's radio, Dexter allowing him, his voice raising as he repeated his requests for them to respond. No success.

Finally, as they sailed into the valley towards the heart of the infection, they saw a beam of light appear in the distance. And as they flew closer to it, the source was revealed.

A colossal terrafuser, thousands of times larger than any they had seen, planted firmly into the earth. Surrounding it were thousands of smaller terrafusers, sitting embedded in a web of vines that connected each of them to a sprawling network converging at the giant terrafuser's base. The terrafuser was so immense that the gas it released from its tip emitted in a solid, visible stream straight upwards, feeding the luminous clouds that circled above it as it passed through, its concentration so thick that it appeared as a beam of green light. Around the tip, the chill of the air also caused much of the gas to condense into liquid fusion matter, that trailed down its sides in great beads of ghastly sweat. The fusion matter soaked the vines that squirmed beneath, nourishing the network, coaxing new tendrils to branch out and form more connections between the smaller terrafusers as they watched. It was impossible to even see the ground it all occupied anymore, because of the impossible number of fusion spawn that slithered in the filthy gaps like maggots in a festering wound.

Dexter brought the carrier to a hover so he could join the group gawping at the screens. On each of their faces was the same look of total and utter horror. Silence was all they could muster for a moment, before Ben spoke.

"What… is it?" he asked, his voice betraying his dread.

Dexter struggled to keep his own voice flat. "It must be the first one," he said. "The one that controls all the others. And that," he said as he stepped forward to point at the beam, "Is the signal."

"It's going all the way to the planet," Blossom whispered, voicing everyone's realisation.

Ben nodded, his head bouncing in small rapid movements as he scanned the screen. "Okay, well then, let's get to work!" he said a little too loudly. "We take the big one out, right? Then let's go, it's hero time!" He made to move, strategy already forming in his head.

"No Ben, wait," Dexter stopped him. "It's not that simple." Ben paused and waited for Dexter to continue. Dexter scanned the screen too, clearly seeing something different to the others. "You're right that targeting the prime terrafuser is key – but look at how all the others are connected to it. If you damage only one, it will feed off the others to recover. We need to take them all out at the same time. It's going to have to be something a lot bigger than just us. An electro-pulse cannon would do it."

Ben shrugged. "All right, then I guess we head quickly back to Dexlabs to pick it up."

Dexter shook his head. "No, I don't have one in my possession. But I know someone who does."

"Well, I don't see what the big deal is, we just ask. You know, alien invasion and all," Ben replied.

"The problem is," Dexter said, "The person who owns it… is Mandark."

END OF PART 8