A/N this chap isn't quite up to par, but I hope you like it anyway. I'm
trying to get back into the swing of things. *Dances* oh I've missed my
sweet keyboard...I'll never leave you again...
Reihana: umm...Took? *poke*
Huh? Oh, right, sorry about that. Anyway, as always I love you guys who are reviewing this. Seriously, why else would I sit down to type this?
**************************************************************************** **********
593 lay flat on her stomach, scraping a claw in circles across the floor. It had been awhile...maybe a week since she had been abducted and but for 471 and 625 there had been no sign of home. Surely Jumba wouldn't leave her here all alone? Was he even looking for her?
She shifted to her side, her body aching all over. Ever since she had arrived they had done nothing but take blood and run tests. She had been trying to think why they would do this, but the only conclusion she had come to was that they were trying to clone her. Clone her or create their own experiment. She shifted again, but comfort was rather elusive when you sleep on linoleum. Things looked bleak.
The door to her room hissed open and Pish, Quek's assistant, wandered in. 593 curled in on herself, but Pish's groping fingers found the scruff of her neck. Wordlessly he carried her away.
***
"Clear." 625crept stealthily down the hall, 314 following behind him. They were headed back to the restricted section, hopefully before Jumba found out 314 had gone exploring. Considering that there were some three hundred or so experiments roaming the laboratory they saw very few of them.
They were passing by the corridor with Jumba's office when 625 pulled 314 around a corner. "What?" she asked, a little startled at his sudden movement.
"I just saw Doc in the hall, I think he's locked out of his office or something."
"So? Then he'll be busy for awhile, let's go!"
"No, wait, I wanna see." 625 left her and rounded the corner, giving Jumba a cheerful grin. "Howdy, Doc. Need a locksmith or somethin'?"
"Not exactly, 471 locked me out again."
"So you made her mad then?"
"No I didn't." Jumba jiggled the door-handle mercilessly.
"Aw come on, you two argue enough I know when to recognize it. You've been outsmarted by an over-intelligent cat." Jumba sighed, looking down at his annoyingly correct little creation.
"The keys are inside. Are you going to help or not?" 625 shrugged and placed a paw on a tiny pad next to the door. It glowed faintly and the door slid open. Jumba scowled.
"Why is it never working for me?"
"Well, Doc, you need a certain touch for technology. Something that I apparently have while you don't." Jumba stomped through the door, slamming it behind him. "Try to be more careful next time!" 625 called after him, hoping for a roar. Nothing happened, so he ran back to 314. "He won't be out for awhile. He's taking care of 471..."
***
471 was sitting in the corner, her tail bunched beneath her. Jumba settled himself in a tattered recliner before addressing her. He laced his fingers together and leaned back to stare at her. She met his gaze with a guilty frown.
"625 let you in, didn't he?"
"Yes he did. And I must say I'm quite glad he happened by." 471's eyes dropped to the floor momentarily before meeting her creator's hopefully.
"Are you mad? Cause before I—"
"No." Jumba lifted a hand to silence her. "I've thought about what you said. You may have been speaking in anger, 471, but...what you say is true. I have no excuse for abandoning 593. But while I may be forgetting her, it is only because I worry about the rest of you. If I went after her...if I was somehow caught or betrayed...who would take care of you? I would not be here when the Intergalactic Federation came to confiscate evidence of my work..."
"Jumba, we can look after ourselves until you come home."
"471, if I were caught...there would be no coming home." Jumba sighed, hoping that he was making the right decision. "Look, I care about 593 as much as the rest of you. Is dangerous, but I'm going to try to get her back." 471 jumped to her feet, running to Jumba and leaping into his lap.
"Yes! I knew you weren't that bad!" she smiled joyfully at him, but the scientist didn't seem the least bit happy.
"I want you to come with me." The smile dissolved instantly. Jumba gently set her back on the ground and rose to leave. "Who is knowing what will happen? To be sure, you should say goodbye while you can." 471 watched him go. She knew what he had meant. Somehow he knew that she had spoken with 541. She heart seemed to drop through the floor as she thought of the teary scene. Maybe not so teary with 541, but 625 wouldn't take it well...
Reihana: umm...Took? *poke*
Huh? Oh, right, sorry about that. Anyway, as always I love you guys who are reviewing this. Seriously, why else would I sit down to type this?
**************************************************************************** **********
593 lay flat on her stomach, scraping a claw in circles across the floor. It had been awhile...maybe a week since she had been abducted and but for 471 and 625 there had been no sign of home. Surely Jumba wouldn't leave her here all alone? Was he even looking for her?
She shifted to her side, her body aching all over. Ever since she had arrived they had done nothing but take blood and run tests. She had been trying to think why they would do this, but the only conclusion she had come to was that they were trying to clone her. Clone her or create their own experiment. She shifted again, but comfort was rather elusive when you sleep on linoleum. Things looked bleak.
The door to her room hissed open and Pish, Quek's assistant, wandered in. 593 curled in on herself, but Pish's groping fingers found the scruff of her neck. Wordlessly he carried her away.
***
"Clear." 625crept stealthily down the hall, 314 following behind him. They were headed back to the restricted section, hopefully before Jumba found out 314 had gone exploring. Considering that there were some three hundred or so experiments roaming the laboratory they saw very few of them.
They were passing by the corridor with Jumba's office when 625 pulled 314 around a corner. "What?" she asked, a little startled at his sudden movement.
"I just saw Doc in the hall, I think he's locked out of his office or something."
"So? Then he'll be busy for awhile, let's go!"
"No, wait, I wanna see." 625 left her and rounded the corner, giving Jumba a cheerful grin. "Howdy, Doc. Need a locksmith or somethin'?"
"Not exactly, 471 locked me out again."
"So you made her mad then?"
"No I didn't." Jumba jiggled the door-handle mercilessly.
"Aw come on, you two argue enough I know when to recognize it. You've been outsmarted by an over-intelligent cat." Jumba sighed, looking down at his annoyingly correct little creation.
"The keys are inside. Are you going to help or not?" 625 shrugged and placed a paw on a tiny pad next to the door. It glowed faintly and the door slid open. Jumba scowled.
"Why is it never working for me?"
"Well, Doc, you need a certain touch for technology. Something that I apparently have while you don't." Jumba stomped through the door, slamming it behind him. "Try to be more careful next time!" 625 called after him, hoping for a roar. Nothing happened, so he ran back to 314. "He won't be out for awhile. He's taking care of 471..."
***
471 was sitting in the corner, her tail bunched beneath her. Jumba settled himself in a tattered recliner before addressing her. He laced his fingers together and leaned back to stare at her. She met his gaze with a guilty frown.
"625 let you in, didn't he?"
"Yes he did. And I must say I'm quite glad he happened by." 471's eyes dropped to the floor momentarily before meeting her creator's hopefully.
"Are you mad? Cause before I—"
"No." Jumba lifted a hand to silence her. "I've thought about what you said. You may have been speaking in anger, 471, but...what you say is true. I have no excuse for abandoning 593. But while I may be forgetting her, it is only because I worry about the rest of you. If I went after her...if I was somehow caught or betrayed...who would take care of you? I would not be here when the Intergalactic Federation came to confiscate evidence of my work..."
"Jumba, we can look after ourselves until you come home."
"471, if I were caught...there would be no coming home." Jumba sighed, hoping that he was making the right decision. "Look, I care about 593 as much as the rest of you. Is dangerous, but I'm going to try to get her back." 471 jumped to her feet, running to Jumba and leaping into his lap.
"Yes! I knew you weren't that bad!" she smiled joyfully at him, but the scientist didn't seem the least bit happy.
"I want you to come with me." The smile dissolved instantly. Jumba gently set her back on the ground and rose to leave. "Who is knowing what will happen? To be sure, you should say goodbye while you can." 471 watched him go. She knew what he had meant. Somehow he knew that she had spoken with 541. She heart seemed to drop through the floor as she thought of the teary scene. Maybe not so teary with 541, but 625 wouldn't take it well...