Again since this chapter is so short I'm going to publish another one along with it. As always the standard disclaimer applies: I do not own the Happy Tree Friends; they are the property of Mondo Media. I own only my own characters and this story. Now here's chapter 33:

33 – CAUGHT

In the end Tony Ride didn't have to whittle down his list any further to find the traitor. The traitor made a public entrance instead. It was only one day later that an attack on the flight systems was made. As Robot had indicated, it was doomed to fail from the start, but that didn't stop the Council from pursuing the matter as seriously as possible even so. Because the attempted sabotage didn't succeed almost no one in the city ever knew about it. But Robot knew the moment the trouble began and he was on the case at once.

One of the privileges of being THE Robot of the A.I. community is being able to interface with all of the city's working systems and databases at any given moment and instantly know who is online at that time and what they're doing. Unfortunately the system is not retroactive in this regard; if Robot has not interfaced with the systems on some days he will not be able to know who was working on the systems during that time or what they did (otherwise Robot would have been able to catch the person who had let Frik and Frak into the city). It is not often necessary for the Robot to keep such a close watch on all of the city's systems as this, and to do so severely limits any other actions he might take while interfacing (although he can still communicate with anyone else in the city), however in times of extremely grave crisis he can, and will, interface for an extended period of time in order to protect the city from saboteurs – or to catch saboteurs in the act. And catch them he can, because when he is interfaced with the city systems he not only has access to their data but he can also manipulate many of the more mundane ones – such as door operation, and air ventilation.

So it was that 24 hours later Tony Ride received an emergency signal from Robot.

"An unauthorized log-in to the flight systems has just occurred" came Robot's as ever emotionless voice through Tony Ride's communicator, "however there is no danger."

"Any damage?" asked Tony Ride.

"Minimal, and I have already assigned people to rectify it" came the response, "I have sealed the entryways to the room the saboteurs are in and flooded it with sleeping gas. They will be unconscious for several hours."

"They?"

"There are two of them. I recommend immediate apprehension."

"Done!" said Tony Ride, "just tell me which room they're in, clear out that gas, and I'll have them taken into custody. Then we'll get to the bottom of this."

"Consider it taken care of" said Robot quietly, and broke the connection as Anna Ride entered the room where Tony Ride was.

"Who was that?" asked Anna Ride, and he told her what had happened. "That was easy" she commented, "You don't think it was too easy?"

"I know what you mean" said Tony Ride, "but no, I don't. XL-Jack-3 is the most effectively efficient enemy the world has ever had, and the hardest to destroy. The only way we can defend ourselves against him and his Marauders is to be as effectively efficient and indestructible ourselves so that all of his attacks are stopped before they even get started (although I admit we were lucky where Frik and Frak are concerned)."

"In other words, a continuing stalemate" said Anna Ride.

"Yes" said Tony Ride, "as it has been for centuries."

"What happens when the stalemate finally breaks?"

"Whoever wins that encounter" said Tony Ride grimly, "wins the final war."

(To Be Continued)