When Bob and Dweila arrived at the Principal Office control room, they found that Phong was ready to install the updates from the Guardian computer core. He would need the proper password first, though. Dweila decided to help Phong install the updates before she started on the interviews with him and the other P.O. staff, as she had been intending to do. Which meant that Bob would have to stand there and wait for ten nanoseconds. It was the waiting that really bothered him – being in the same room with the inspector while she was doing something else. Because it was the only thing he could do, and he hated being in that kind of situation.
He jumped a little when someone touched his shoulder, startling him out of his reverie, and spun around to see Dot standing behind him. She had backspaced a step because of his reaction to the contact. "I'm sorry," she said gently, stepping closer to him again. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's all right," Bob said. "I'm glad to see you. Phong and the lieutenant are installing the updates now." He indicated them with a jerk of his thumb. "Then it's on to the interviews. Which I can't be present at. But I will have to stand outside the door while she conducts them." He sighed. "Sorry. I don't mean to just complain at you, but…"
Dot smiled at him. "I understand." Bob managed to smile back at her.
"Listen, about the picnic…" he began.
"Guardian Bob," Dweila's voice came from behind him. He turned around and stood at attention. Rescheduling the picnic would have to wait. "We have completed the installation. Now we will see the Command.com about your performance review."
"Yes ma'am," Bob responded. "His office is on the next floor." Dweila nodded and moved to follow him as he made his way to the door, giving Dot a we'll talk later look on the way. She nodded at him and mouthed the words good luck in reply.
Irrational as it seemed, Bob had the feeling that he was going to need it.
~***~
After what seemed like an entire minute, Phong removed the Guardian computer core from the slot on the control panel and gave it back to Charl_E. The binome wanted to rush out with it, but he had to make sure that he didn't arouse any suspicion. He forced himself to walk at a normal pace as he returned to the hangar, then entered the Guardian craft. Inside there was a red metal box with a handle on its curved lid. Charl_E opened it, revealing the molded foam interior that would protect the computer core against damage. He put the core in carefully, shut the box and closed the latches. Then he started on the task of tuning up the craft, as he was expected to do, so that nobody would think he was behaving strangely.
He managed to keep his mind on the task and had the ship tuned up in half a millisecond. Now, he told himself, he just had to put his tools away in the locker room – because that was what he usually did – and then he could deliver the core to Hack and Slash at the rendezvous point and it would all be over with. He gathered up his things, left the ship and headed for the locker room.
"Hey!" he heard someone call to him. Charl_E almost bolted right then and there, but instead he composed himself and turned around to see Enzo Matrix running up to him, with his dog Frisket close behind. "'Scuse me," Enzo said, "But can you tell me where the Guardian ship is?" He was grinning excitedly. Charl_E felt relieved – so he wasn't in trouble.
Or maybe he was. Frisket was regarding him in a very menacing way, and in a few cycles the menacing look was accompanied by a growl. Charl_E tried to ignore him. "That way, sir," he answered, pointing in the direction of the Guardian ship.
"Alphanumeric! Thanks! C'mon, Frisket!" The sprite grabbed his dog by the collar and headed off toward the ship. The dog shot Charl_E a final glare and a snarl as he was half-led, half-dragged away by his master. Charl_E didn't stop himself from running this time, and when he got to the locker room he slammed the door shut behind him and leaned against it to catch his breath.
After he had calmed down a bit, he went to his own locker, put the box down on a nearby bench, and opened the door. He took off his tool belt and was getting his bag when someone behind him said "Hey, Charl_E! How's it processin'?" Charl_E spun around, startled.
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" he yelled at Marcus, the mustached one binome who had spoken to him. Marcus backspaced and held up a hand in a non-threatening gesture.
"Whoa, what's with you today, man?" Marcus approached closer again and put his lunchbox down on the bench. His good nature usually made Charl_E feel better, but right now he just wanted to get out as fast as possible.
"Sorry. I had to tune up the Inspector's ship. And I'm not feeling all that well, so I'm going to go home and get some rest." Charl_E hoped that didn't sound as lame as he thought it was.
"Well," Marcus said, "I hope you feel better soon. Just take it easy, okay?" he grinned.
Charl_E nodded, closed the locker behind him and picked up his box. "I will. Have a good second." He waved as he left the locker room. Soon it would all be over with, and he would be able to rest easy on the reward he'd get for pulling this job.
~***~
Hack and Slash were waiting in the section of G-prime that was closest to the Principal Office. Megabyte's influence was somewhat weak in this part of the sector for obvious reasons, but it since it was still nominally in his territory and close to the P.O., it was the best place for the meeting.
Charl_E arrived a little later than he was supposed to, but Hack and Slash weren't the sort to care about punctuality – as long as the binome had succeeded in his part of the mission, it was just fine with them. "I've got it," he told the robots, holding up a red box. "It's in here."
The two henchbots leaned forward to examine the box in Charl_E's outstretched hands. Then they looked at each other.
"You take it," Hack said first.
"No, you should take it."
"But I always have to carry things!" Hack protested as he rounded on his comrade and threw his hands up in the air.
"That is not true. I had to do the carrying last time."
"No you did not!"
"Yes I did!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Well, I do not care. I refuse to carry the box," Hack declared, crossing his arms and turning his back on Slash. Charl_E, looking as if he were about to go into hysterics, took the opportunity to shove the box into Slash's arms before running off.
"Yay!" Slash cried triumphantly. "I got the box!"
"You always get to hold the box," Hack cried, spinning around to face Slash again.
"Well, you got the last box."
"No I did not!"
"You said you did…"