Chapter XIII - Begin Operation Anti-Virus
"Very good, Bass. You're handling flight quite well, considering how little practice you've had."
"As much as I appreciate the comment, now isn't the time for it. There are more important things to worry about than how well I can fly."
"Now your beginning to sound like me."
"No I'm not. You would have said 'There are more urgent matters we need to attend to'." Bass and Doppler were in the simulator. The transfer of Doppler's files to the body was progressing at quite a slow pace, so the doctor took the opportunity to upload himself into the simulator and help Bass train. It had only been about two days, but Bass had already learned the basics of flying as well as how to swiftly change direction in mid-air, emergency maneuvers in case he was attacked, and how to sneak behind Doppler and scare the living daylights out of him.
"Yes, well, it doesn't matter. Your doing well and that's very important right now."
"Why is that?"
"Because we miscalculated the size of Sigma's forces. He already has the power to launch a full scale attack on our base."
"What!" Bass yelled. This was the first that he'd heard about any miscalculations. "I've been watching everything that's happened with Sigma since this project started! I've seen all of the reports on his base! When did he get so many mavericks that he could launch another attack!"
"It was an error on my part," said Doppler. "I forgot to include the fact that his base is in an old factory when I estimated the Reploid production rate."
"Why is it always a factory," said Bass as he landed. "In every Maverick Revolt since the beginning, the've always occupied a factory. I've read the reports from the first wars, I know that Sigma positioned Maverick leaders in every possible area of production. Flame Mammoth, Magna Centipede, Blast Hornet, each in a factory!"
"Actually, Centipede was in a computer core," said Doppler.
"There was a research and development lab in there! That means Reploid building equipment. How could all of you have forgotten that Sigma alwatys has access to a factory!"
"You've only been around for a few months, you shouldn't be yelling at me."
"You're supposed to be a genius! If I had known that we could be killed at moment from the beginning, I would have practiced with these wings a lot more! Simulator, off!"
Bass opened his eyes outside the simulator. Doppler couldn't follow him because he didn't have a body yet. He stormed down the halls the Cain's lab.
"Cain! I'm going after Sigma. Doppler told me about the size of Sigma's forces. There's no time to lose."
"Bass, your not ready! You can't go yet," said Cain. He grabbed onto Bass' arm. Bass pulled away from the scientist.
"Get off, old man. I have to do this now and you know it. Just give me a copy of the anti-virus."
"Fine, I understand. Put this disc in Treble, he'll be able to carry the anti-virus without it being detected. Get it in Sigma's system as soon as possible. You'll be able to communicate with us using you transmitter, just be sure you're in a place where it can't be detected. Tell us when to mount our attack. Bass, one more thing."
Bass had began to walk out of the room. He stopped at the door and turned to Cain.
"Good luck, you'll be needing it."
Bass ran up to the roof and activated his transmitter. X and Zero were on the other side, in the control room. "Can you guys here me?"
"Yeah, Bass. Loud and clear," said X.
"Cain has given us the AOK on the mission," said Zero, "Are you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," Bass responded.
"Okay, activate Boost unit," Zero said.
"Got it, Zero. Treble Boost!" The sounds coming through the transmitter in the control room told them that Bass had transformed.
"Hey, can we have cool code names on this mission?," asked X.
"Stop fooling around, this is serious," Zero answered.
"Fine, But I want you guys to call me Raptor for the remainder of this mission," said X
"How about Dodo?" remarked Bass with a laugh.
"Shut up, X. Bass, you have green light for launch."
"Okay Zero, I'm gone." The engines in Bass' wings roared to life and he took to the skies. He flew about a mile off shore then contacted X and Zero again. "Zero, I need the coordinates for Sigma's base."
"34 degrees, 18 minutes West; 40 degrees, 58 minutes North," Zero replied.
"Maintain radio silence until you can report on how large Sigma's strike force is," said X.
"Okay, X. Bass out."
"I've always wanted to do that!" Bass heard over the transmitter before the signal cut off. He changed his heading and flew towards the horizon, into the clutches of evil itself.
"Very good, Bass. You're handling flight quite well, considering how little practice you've had."
"As much as I appreciate the comment, now isn't the time for it. There are more important things to worry about than how well I can fly."
"Now your beginning to sound like me."
"No I'm not. You would have said 'There are more urgent matters we need to attend to'." Bass and Doppler were in the simulator. The transfer of Doppler's files to the body was progressing at quite a slow pace, so the doctor took the opportunity to upload himself into the simulator and help Bass train. It had only been about two days, but Bass had already learned the basics of flying as well as how to swiftly change direction in mid-air, emergency maneuvers in case he was attacked, and how to sneak behind Doppler and scare the living daylights out of him.
"Yes, well, it doesn't matter. Your doing well and that's very important right now."
"Why is that?"
"Because we miscalculated the size of Sigma's forces. He already has the power to launch a full scale attack on our base."
"What!" Bass yelled. This was the first that he'd heard about any miscalculations. "I've been watching everything that's happened with Sigma since this project started! I've seen all of the reports on his base! When did he get so many mavericks that he could launch another attack!"
"It was an error on my part," said Doppler. "I forgot to include the fact that his base is in an old factory when I estimated the Reploid production rate."
"Why is it always a factory," said Bass as he landed. "In every Maverick Revolt since the beginning, the've always occupied a factory. I've read the reports from the first wars, I know that Sigma positioned Maverick leaders in every possible area of production. Flame Mammoth, Magna Centipede, Blast Hornet, each in a factory!"
"Actually, Centipede was in a computer core," said Doppler.
"There was a research and development lab in there! That means Reploid building equipment. How could all of you have forgotten that Sigma alwatys has access to a factory!"
"You've only been around for a few months, you shouldn't be yelling at me."
"You're supposed to be a genius! If I had known that we could be killed at moment from the beginning, I would have practiced with these wings a lot more! Simulator, off!"
Bass opened his eyes outside the simulator. Doppler couldn't follow him because he didn't have a body yet. He stormed down the halls the Cain's lab.
"Cain! I'm going after Sigma. Doppler told me about the size of Sigma's forces. There's no time to lose."
"Bass, your not ready! You can't go yet," said Cain. He grabbed onto Bass' arm. Bass pulled away from the scientist.
"Get off, old man. I have to do this now and you know it. Just give me a copy of the anti-virus."
"Fine, I understand. Put this disc in Treble, he'll be able to carry the anti-virus without it being detected. Get it in Sigma's system as soon as possible. You'll be able to communicate with us using you transmitter, just be sure you're in a place where it can't be detected. Tell us when to mount our attack. Bass, one more thing."
Bass had began to walk out of the room. He stopped at the door and turned to Cain.
"Good luck, you'll be needing it."
Bass ran up to the roof and activated his transmitter. X and Zero were on the other side, in the control room. "Can you guys here me?"
"Yeah, Bass. Loud and clear," said X.
"Cain has given us the AOK on the mission," said Zero, "Are you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," Bass responded.
"Okay, activate Boost unit," Zero said.
"Got it, Zero. Treble Boost!" The sounds coming through the transmitter in the control room told them that Bass had transformed.
"Hey, can we have cool code names on this mission?," asked X.
"Stop fooling around, this is serious," Zero answered.
"Fine, But I want you guys to call me Raptor for the remainder of this mission," said X
"How about Dodo?" remarked Bass with a laugh.
"Shut up, X. Bass, you have green light for launch."
"Okay Zero, I'm gone." The engines in Bass' wings roared to life and he took to the skies. He flew about a mile off shore then contacted X and Zero again. "Zero, I need the coordinates for Sigma's base."
"34 degrees, 18 minutes West; 40 degrees, 58 minutes North," Zero replied.
"Maintain radio silence until you can report on how large Sigma's strike force is," said X.
"Okay, X. Bass out."
"I've always wanted to do that!" Bass heard over the transmitter before the signal cut off. He changed his heading and flew towards the horizon, into the clutches of evil itself.