Chapter 8

Kylie awoke to the stench of ammonia. She was surrounded by near to total darkness.

Kylie sat right up and groped at her back.

Her trap and gun were gone. Stuck to her shirt were several glowing feathers.

/ Great. /

After a few minutes, her eyes slowly adjusted to the minimal light, and the room started to take shape.

Fat cylindrical pillars lined the walls, and a rectangle outlined by dim light marked the door. Kylie picked the feathers off her shirt and held them in one cluster to make do for a torch. She placed one hand on the nearest pillar. It was very smooth. As a matter of fact, it was slightly warm and vibrating.

Curious, Kylie held up the glowing feathers to the pillar.

The pillar turned out to be a transparent glass tube with green liquid bubbling in it.

Immersed in the liquid was the old caretaker.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"What? She's awake already?"

Lichmonde called one of the turkeys over to him. "Keep an eye on her. I can't take any chances."

The turkey left to do his master's bidding.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Owowowowow........"

Roland rubbed the back of his head. He was dimly aware of the fact that he was in a very dark room.

Next to him, something moved. Roland panicked and scooted backwards as fast as he could on his butt. What a lousy time it was to lose his proton gun.

"Jeez...Did anyone get that guy's number plate?"

Roland stopped short. "Garrett? That you?"

"Who were you expecting? Bugs Bunny?" came the sarcastic reply.

Roland let out a sigh of relief.

Garrett dragged himself slowly across the floor. "Any idea where we are?"

"Nope. None at all." Roland got up and started feeling up and down the walls. "Hang on while I try to find a light."

"How about the feather you got?" Garrett offered.

Roland dug inside his pocket until he found the glowing object. The small pool of light shone onto the wall, revealing two empty tubes. They reeked of ammonia.

Garrett covered his nose. "Phew! Wonder what those things are for?"

The previously invisible door flew open, and in walked a very familiar turkey carrying a burning torch.

The room was immediately illuminated, and more tubes came into sight. Each one held a body immersed in bubbly green liquid.

"No way."

The bird sneered at them.

Roland backed up against a bare wall. "They're meant for us!"

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Lichmonde looked up. "What is it, Scout?"

The sparrow descended upon the desk and presented the patch of dog fur to its master.

Lichmonde eyed the black hair skeptically. Then he picked up the clump and examined it. His eyes went wide.

"It can't be..." He turned back to Scout. "Where did you get this?"

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Eduardo opened another door, and flinched. "Oh man, it stinks in here!"

Sidus shuddered at the unfamiliar smell. He didn't like it either.

Eduardo held the pke meter up to a large tube with a body in it. "Hmm. One of the factory personnel. Looks like the bird's been here and done that. I wonder if he's still alive..."

Eduardo experimentally tapped at the glass. The body did not move.

Suddenly, Sidus barked a warning, but it came too late.

There was a loud thud, and Eduardo fell to the floor unconscious.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

#Sidus POV#

Aw man aw man aw man! They're back! THEY'RE BACK!

Come on Rivera, get up! Come on, get up!

The bird's looking at me. I don't like this. In fact I can tell what it means.

Whatever spook is here, it knows who I am.

It knows what I am.

Get up Rivera! GET UP!

The bird's getting closer. It's not Latino Boy here it's after.

It wants me.

Looks like there's only one way out of this.

Man, I hope this works.

It HAS to work!

But.......will it?

#End of Sidus POV#

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The turkey brought its talon hard down upon the dog's head, knocking it to the floor. The dog lay there with eyes closed.

A smaller bird of the blackbird variety came up to it.

"I'll take the dog to Master. You get that one to an empty 'Purifier'."

The turkey scooped up Sidus in its talons and flew off, leaving its lower rank with the human.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The turkey presented its prize before its master.

Lichmonde nodded. "Hmmm. Very nice..."

He reached forward and touched the dog's head.

Nothing happened.

"FOOL!" Lichmonde slapped his minion in the face. "This is just an empty body!"

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The blackbird bent down and reached for Eduardo's proton gun.

Eduardo's hand suddenly shot out and struck the blackbird so hard it fell over. Eduardo immediately sprang to his feet, grabbed the bird by its scruff and threw it forcefully against a wall. The blackbird slid off the wall and landed splayed out on the floor with the seven planets revolving around its head.

Eduardo grinned and flexed his knuckles. A star-shaped medallion dangled from his neck. "I don't think so."

= * = * = * =