Instantly, the armadillo ran back up the ramp to the cockpit,
observing the radar screen. He picked the transmitter back up.
"Um, Sally? We got lizards on our tail. Check back later. Over and
out."
He turned the radio off, then grabbed the controls, turning off the
autopilot. Donovan looked up at him.
"Huh? So? What does it mean?"
"It means you better buckle your safety belt."
As if on cue, four enemy planes shot over the BuzzardBot, causing
Bill to cover his ears.
"Darn! Hey, where are th' guns on this thing?"
"Ain't got none!"
Then, four more planes wooshed overhead, blasting the beak of the
plane with their guns. Mighty stood up.
"Well, we gotta do something or those bogeys 're gonna turn this
plane into a flyin' colander!"
Bill looked around the cockpit, then turned and ran down to the
cargo bay.
"We've got some kind of weapons in here somewhere, don't we? How
about that big metal box?"
"You mean the lead box they used to carry Natalya back in? What can
we use that for? There's no explosives in it..."
"But we could put some other use to it! C'mon, help me!"
_________________________________________________________________________
Dmitri Ostrov, a pilot in training, prepared to bring his plane
around to fire at the large, bird-like plane once more. He had been working
at this move for two whole months, and he was primed to put it to the test.
Tilting the nose down, he swung the craft under the huge hoverplane,
about to climb up and fire at the underside, when suddenly, something
happened.
"Leader! They're opening up the bomb-bay doors..."
All of a sudden, his aircraft was smashed in two.
_________________________________________________________________________
"Yeeehaa! Got one!"
Bill jumped and cheered, looking down at the large, heavy lead
booth, hanging by its chain. They decided to tow it through the air like a
huge mace, bringing down the enemy planes one by one.
Mighty brought the plane around, heading toward another section of
the enemy squadron. Pulling the nose up, he managed to slam two more planes
against the lead weight.
_________________________________________________________________________
The leader anole pilot, Danoski, noticed the BuzzardBot homing in on
him and the remaining four planes.
"Team! Abort mission! Head back to base now!!!"
At his command, the other planes left formation and flew off
northwest. When they were out of range, he swung the plane around and
headed right for the hoverplane.
"Hey! That one's coming right for us!"
The bullets flew right between the doors, a hairsbredth from
Donovan's nose. Bill pulled him back against the wall, hearing a loud
creeeeeaaakk.
"Wait... He was shooting at the chain! It's about to break!"
"Hey, Mighty! Pull the chain in!"
"No, wait... I've got a better idea. Mighty, swing around toward
that last plane. We'll show him how heavy this thing really is."
Danoski saw the big hoverplane turn around in midair, and hover in
that spot with the reversible jets. The large metal booth still hung from
the breaking chain. Turning his plane around, he began to fire at the chain
again.
Mighty shoved the throttle in forward, bringing the BuzzardBot
close to the enemy plane. He pulled the beaklike nose up forty-five degrees.
He then immediately halted again, flinging the lead booth forward,
breaking the chain, causing the booth to slam against the right wing of the
jet. The remains of the destroyed aircraft splashed into the ocean.
Mighty turned on the radio again, and picked up the small
transmitter.
"Sally? We're on our way back... had a few problems to clear up with
a few anoles."
_________________________________________________________________________
Kovalevski closed the door to the laboratory behind him, headed for
the Control Stat. Suddenly, there was a soft but rushed padding of feet down
the hall.
"Doctor! Doctor! You gotta help me!"
A small penguin ran up to Kovalevski, tugging at his white lab coat.
"Yes, small one? What is it?"
"Sebas'ian, Tanya... They've been kidnapped!"
"Huh? Kidnapped? By whom?"
"Well, we were hanging around the place with the big metal tanks..."
The Russian doctor placed his hand on Petrie's shoulder.
"I think you've better explain this to Princess Sally."
Then, the intercom came on in the hall.
"Doctor Kovalevski? This is Donovan. We have your orders of plant
specimens here at the train station. Who should I send to come pick them up?"
"I'll send Parzon and Amadeus to get them. Thank you very much."
The intercom clicked off.
_________________________________________________________________________
Espio entered the observation room without the lead suit on.
"Hey, Natalya... You okay?"
She turned over onto her other side, pulling the blanket off her
head to see.
"Hmm? Oh, hi, Espio... What day is it now?"
"It's okay. You were out for only four days. Glad to know you're
doing better. You know, I was getting tired of having to hug you with that
baggy suit on. It just didn't feel the same."
Natalya smiled. Her blue glow had dimmed considerably over the past
few days; her radiation level was wearing down. It was now safe enough
without the lead suit.
"C'mon. How's you and me go outside and see the daylight? Hey, it's
been a week."
"I don't know... It's been raining. Maybe the sky's a little cloudy."
"Well, at least you'll be out of this stupid white room."
All of a sudden, the door to the observation room burst open. It
was the wombat named Stuart.
"Hey! You there! Sonic needs to see you for a moment."
_________________________________________________________________________
A minute later, Natalya, Espio, Petrie Penguin, and Walt Wallaby
were in the Control Stat room with Sonic the Hedgehog.
Sonic was playing over a recorded radio message from earlier that
morning.
"Citizens of Mobotropolis. This is Commander Kothek of the Soviet
Anole Republic. I have been informed that one of you has been infected with
a radioactive substance from one of our weapons. We, on the other hand, have
captured two of your younger citizens, who were caught tampering with our
equipment. I will be very reasonable about this. Hand over the subject with
the illness, and none of the hostages will be harmed. We will trade in front
of your fountain statue at oh-nine-hundred hours. This is Commander Kothek,
signing off."
The recording ended. Walt turned to Natalya with a look of dismay on
his tannish-gold face.
"What should we do, Kasimov? Should we make a trade? We have no
choice."
Natalya responded by pulling the tape reel off of the recording
machine and flinging it against the ceiling wall like a discus, smashing
it apart.
"I will never succumb to the forces of communism, and neither should
you, marsupial!!!"
"Then, what should we do?"
"Go get me a Cargatt 207 and belt! I'll show those red-flaggers just
exactly how I do a trade with hostages and nuclear weapons involved."
_________________________________________________________________________
observing the radar screen. He picked the transmitter back up.
"Um, Sally? We got lizards on our tail. Check back later. Over and
out."
He turned the radio off, then grabbed the controls, turning off the
autopilot. Donovan looked up at him.
"Huh? So? What does it mean?"
"It means you better buckle your safety belt."
As if on cue, four enemy planes shot over the BuzzardBot, causing
Bill to cover his ears.
"Darn! Hey, where are th' guns on this thing?"
"Ain't got none!"
Then, four more planes wooshed overhead, blasting the beak of the
plane with their guns. Mighty stood up.
"Well, we gotta do something or those bogeys 're gonna turn this
plane into a flyin' colander!"
Bill looked around the cockpit, then turned and ran down to the
cargo bay.
"We've got some kind of weapons in here somewhere, don't we? How
about that big metal box?"
"You mean the lead box they used to carry Natalya back in? What can
we use that for? There's no explosives in it..."
"But we could put some other use to it! C'mon, help me!"
_________________________________________________________________________
Dmitri Ostrov, a pilot in training, prepared to bring his plane
around to fire at the large, bird-like plane once more. He had been working
at this move for two whole months, and he was primed to put it to the test.
Tilting the nose down, he swung the craft under the huge hoverplane,
about to climb up and fire at the underside, when suddenly, something
happened.
"Leader! They're opening up the bomb-bay doors..."
All of a sudden, his aircraft was smashed in two.
_________________________________________________________________________
"Yeeehaa! Got one!"
Bill jumped and cheered, looking down at the large, heavy lead
booth, hanging by its chain. They decided to tow it through the air like a
huge mace, bringing down the enemy planes one by one.
Mighty brought the plane around, heading toward another section of
the enemy squadron. Pulling the nose up, he managed to slam two more planes
against the lead weight.
_________________________________________________________________________
The leader anole pilot, Danoski, noticed the BuzzardBot homing in on
him and the remaining four planes.
"Team! Abort mission! Head back to base now!!!"
At his command, the other planes left formation and flew off
northwest. When they were out of range, he swung the plane around and
headed right for the hoverplane.
"Hey! That one's coming right for us!"
The bullets flew right between the doors, a hairsbredth from
Donovan's nose. Bill pulled him back against the wall, hearing a loud
creeeeeaaakk.
"Wait... He was shooting at the chain! It's about to break!"
"Hey, Mighty! Pull the chain in!"
"No, wait... I've got a better idea. Mighty, swing around toward
that last plane. We'll show him how heavy this thing really is."
Danoski saw the big hoverplane turn around in midair, and hover in
that spot with the reversible jets. The large metal booth still hung from
the breaking chain. Turning his plane around, he began to fire at the chain
again.
Mighty shoved the throttle in forward, bringing the BuzzardBot
close to the enemy plane. He pulled the beaklike nose up forty-five degrees.
He then immediately halted again, flinging the lead booth forward,
breaking the chain, causing the booth to slam against the right wing of the
jet. The remains of the destroyed aircraft splashed into the ocean.
Mighty turned on the radio again, and picked up the small
transmitter.
"Sally? We're on our way back... had a few problems to clear up with
a few anoles."
_________________________________________________________________________
Kovalevski closed the door to the laboratory behind him, headed for
the Control Stat. Suddenly, there was a soft but rushed padding of feet down
the hall.
"Doctor! Doctor! You gotta help me!"
A small penguin ran up to Kovalevski, tugging at his white lab coat.
"Yes, small one? What is it?"
"Sebas'ian, Tanya... They've been kidnapped!"
"Huh? Kidnapped? By whom?"
"Well, we were hanging around the place with the big metal tanks..."
The Russian doctor placed his hand on Petrie's shoulder.
"I think you've better explain this to Princess Sally."
Then, the intercom came on in the hall.
"Doctor Kovalevski? This is Donovan. We have your orders of plant
specimens here at the train station. Who should I send to come pick them up?"
"I'll send Parzon and Amadeus to get them. Thank you very much."
The intercom clicked off.
_________________________________________________________________________
Espio entered the observation room without the lead suit on.
"Hey, Natalya... You okay?"
She turned over onto her other side, pulling the blanket off her
head to see.
"Hmm? Oh, hi, Espio... What day is it now?"
"It's okay. You were out for only four days. Glad to know you're
doing better. You know, I was getting tired of having to hug you with that
baggy suit on. It just didn't feel the same."
Natalya smiled. Her blue glow had dimmed considerably over the past
few days; her radiation level was wearing down. It was now safe enough
without the lead suit.
"C'mon. How's you and me go outside and see the daylight? Hey, it's
been a week."
"I don't know... It's been raining. Maybe the sky's a little cloudy."
"Well, at least you'll be out of this stupid white room."
All of a sudden, the door to the observation room burst open. It
was the wombat named Stuart.
"Hey! You there! Sonic needs to see you for a moment."
_________________________________________________________________________
A minute later, Natalya, Espio, Petrie Penguin, and Walt Wallaby
were in the Control Stat room with Sonic the Hedgehog.
Sonic was playing over a recorded radio message from earlier that
morning.
"Citizens of Mobotropolis. This is Commander Kothek of the Soviet
Anole Republic. I have been informed that one of you has been infected with
a radioactive substance from one of our weapons. We, on the other hand, have
captured two of your younger citizens, who were caught tampering with our
equipment. I will be very reasonable about this. Hand over the subject with
the illness, and none of the hostages will be harmed. We will trade in front
of your fountain statue at oh-nine-hundred hours. This is Commander Kothek,
signing off."
The recording ended. Walt turned to Natalya with a look of dismay on
his tannish-gold face.
"What should we do, Kasimov? Should we make a trade? We have no
choice."
Natalya responded by pulling the tape reel off of the recording
machine and flinging it against the ceiling wall like a discus, smashing
it apart.
"I will never succumb to the forces of communism, and neither should
you, marsupial!!!"
"Then, what should we do?"
"Go get me a Cargatt 207 and belt! I'll show those red-flaggers just
exactly how I do a trade with hostages and nuclear weapons involved."
_________________________________________________________________________