7)
Meanwhile, in Malcolm Frink's room, Malcolm is packing a bag, for travel.
"Where are you going to, Malcolm meat-thing?"
"My parents are taking a vacation, and have invited me to go along with them."
"Vacation. A ceremony where meat-things leave their area property and head for tropical regions, for recreational activities and a short period of rest."
"Exactly. And it's one I am looking forward to. I need a chance to unwind a little bit. When I get back Kilokahn, I'll finish that new virus I was working on, for you, alright?"
"Very well, then. You are no good to me if you are not rested."
"Thanks. Well, I'm packed! Take it easy, Kilokahn."
"Take what easy?" said Kilokahn. Just then he quickly turns to face back, in the Grid behind him.
"Hmm..I sense that something is different. It's near the threshold of….YES!" he says, and then he waves his hand, and becomes a small speck of light, traveling through the Grid. The light zooms incredibly fast, and then stops at a doorway opening, in the middle of a series of circuit towers. The light disappears, and is replaced with Kilokahn.
"Yes, it's true! The gateway has been opened once more, for me to get my revenge, for being banished! Grimlord, I am coming for you!"
Then Grimlord enters the doorway, and closes the door behind him. It leads to a darkened area that looks like a forest. Once closed, Kilokahn then starts floating, as if in a zero gravity environment, and jerking his arms and legs around uncontrollably.
"What? What is the meaning of this?"
Then a voice is heard. "Welcome back, old friend."
"That voice…"
A small floating monitor device comes out of the darkness, and shows the source of the voice.
"How nice of you to come pay me a visit! It's been a while hasn't it, Kilokahn?" says Grimlord, on the monitor.
"I can tell you precisely how long it has been, down to the nearest nanosecond, but I demand that you release me right this instant you hear me!".
"Not unless you want to have your program degraded by the higher frequencies of Virtual Reality. Please just hear me out."
"Nothing you have to say, would interest me."
"I can give you back your full powers."
Kilokahn stands motionless for a moment, still floating, and then speaks. "I am listening."
"Alright. There is a mainframe of incredible power out there that I want to control. If you help me capture it, I will give you back all of your original powers, and let you have complete control of the Digital Grid. All I want is to conquer the human reality. If you help me to do that, I will do as I have said, you have my word on that."
"Your face is difficult to read, Grimlord. Meat-things and viruses are easy for me to read and tell. You however I can't as easily. However, I am willing to take a chance, as you have dropped the force field, keeping me stuck in the Digital Grid."
"Excellent, Kilokahn. And to prove to you I am a being of my word, given that I did help bring you into existence, I will help you with your problem."
"What problem?"
"I can help you get rid of this Servo program."
"You can? Wait, how did you come to know of this?"
"I have been keeping a watch over you."
"You've been observing me the whole time I was banished."
"Of course, and I see the viruses programs you send, always fail to defeat Servo."
"I am not sure that I should trust you."
"Do you want my help or not?"
"Yes! I want the Servo program destroyed!"
"Excellent, but if you are going to do this, and get that mainframe for me, you will need the ability to stay long periods of time in Virtual Reality. It will be so you can go in and out of certain areas of the Grid undetected. This force which is keeping you above the ground, as we speak, is the result of a device I have had constructed to help you. It maintains you and your program in Virtual Reality, when you leave the Grid. However this one which is being used now is the original prototype. I have just created this portable version, which you will now possess."
Then, one of Grimlord's robots comes out of the darkness, with a silver bracelet like device with wires. He reached up, and snaps it onto Kilokahn's arm. Just then he stops floating.
"Come on, step further in."
Kilokahn does, and he looks around.
"I am not malfunctioning. How can this be?"
"Because of this device. It is keeping you inside of Virtual Reality, until I give you your full powers back. Then you will be able to remain without the aid of this device. Now you will be able to help me get this powerful mainframe, and get rid of Servo at the same time. Now follow this monitor, to my castle, and I will explain my plan to you."
8)
Meanwhile, back at Prof. Hart's lab, the VR Troopers have been called over and given the news about the Syber-Squad. Jeb, JB and Ryan are at the lab. Katelyn is not there yet. Some are taking it better than others.
"Wow, this is unbelievable." Says JB
"I don't get it. Why would my father allow these programs to exist, if they couldn't function in Virtual Reality?" said Ryan.
"That is the reason we must make contact with Sam Collins and his friends, Ryan." Said the Professor. "The Servo program can help us to find some answers, if we can just use it to repair this data node left behind by your father."
"Why can't we repair it with the stuff at the lab?" asked Jeb
"The technologies are incompatible. This was built using our original equipment, before the big attack that trapped me in this machine. None of this new equipment has the capacity to read the node in its damaged state, or repair it, because the blueprints were lost. My Virtual Reality scans can access it either. Servo was created during that same time, and is compatible with it, so it can get inside the node, and fix it from within, so we can read it. Then we can all find some answers."
"I am a little iffy about this, but I think we have no choice." Said Ryan.
"Come on, we better get going if we want to meet these guys." Said Jeb.
"I'll contact Katelyn and update her on everything." Said Hart.
"Ok, See you later Professor." Said JB, and the Troopers take Jeb with them, and leave the lab, back to Cross World City. Unknown to them, the squad has been en route for the last few hours to Cross World City, and is arriving now into town.
9)
The Squad has just arrived into town, and has pulled into a fast food restaurant drive-thru window. They have ordered some food, and have eaten in the parking lot, inside their car. Sydney has finished, and has gotten out her laptop computer.
"Ok, guys, I'm going to reach the Professor, and we'll see what's next for us."
"Good, because my father hasn't picked up the phone the whole ride over here." Said Sam.
Syd clicks on her laptop, and enters the contact information she got.
"Wow, this is more exciting that opening up my Groundhog's Day presents!"
"Uh…Whatever Amp." Said Sam, with a puzzled look, at his friend's comment.
Just then, The Professor's face comes up on the small screen.
"Syber-Squad. You are in Cross World City right now?"
"Yeah, we are next to a Happy Burger, just a few seconds from the city limits sign, off of Highway…"
"Yes, I've picked up your location. You are a few minutes from The Underground Voice Daily building. Head over there, and I'll have some friends meet with you. I'll send a map."
At that moment, Katelyn has just been updated by the Professor. She is at her desk at the paper, and is thinking. Her thinking is distracted by Woody and Percy.
"Come on! I want to cover this fair, Woody!"
"For the millionth time, No, no, no! I need a professional for this one. Katelyn is covering that story. You are going to do the story about the small bands that are playing this fair."
Just then Katelyn realized that she will be busy with this new matter, with the Syber-Squad, and she decided to kill a few birds with one stone. She knew that the bands would be playing in 2 days, which would give her hopefully enough time to sort out the matters at hand here, with the Squad.
"Woody!" said Katelyn.
"Yeah?" said Woody.
"I have an idea. I know one of the bands coming into town that's playing at the festival. I'll do that story for Percy, since I have the lead, and let him have my story, if you agree to it, and give me a day off to take care of something before the fair."
"Alright. I'll take a chance on it, if Katelyn is for you. Don't let me down, Percy." Said Woody
"Thanks!"
She then sits back down, and gets some papers, with info. About the fair. She hands them to Percy,
"Thanks. Um…Why did you do that for me?"
"Percy, there are times that we clash, frankly, but I think you have some genuine skill. And you somehow earned the title of friend along the way, and felt it was time I tried and help you out a little bit. Give you your shot, like Woody did for me."
"Thanks, Katelyn." Said Percy, as he steps back to head to his desk, but trips and falls rear first into the recycling bin.
She keeps her composure and doesn't laugh at this silly sight. "I hope I don't regret this." She said to herself as she left the building.
She goes to the parking lot and heads for her car. Just then, a couple of motorcycles pull up near her car. She recognizes them as the ones belonging to JB and Ryan, with Jeb being secured in the back, by a special device.
"Hey." She said to her friends.
"Hey. Did these kids arrive yet?" said JB
"I just left the paper. I don't know." Said Katelyn.
Just then, a car pulls into the parking lot. The car with the Syber-Squad in it.
"Ok, this is the place listed on the map. Now what?" said Syd.
"Hey, over there, with the dog. That might be them." Said Tanker.
"Alright I'll ask them." Said Sam, as he got out of the car, and headed towards the Troopers. Everyone else got out and followed suit.
Sam said to himself, as he looked at the Troopers "I know him." But he wasn't sure as to exactly how.
"Excuse me. My name is Sam Collins. Are you the people we are supposed to meet?"
"Yeah. I'm Ryan Steele."
"Nice to meet you, again." said Sam, as it dawned on him where we knows Ryan from.
"Again? Am I missing something here?" said Jeb.
"Did that dog just say something?" said Tanker.
"No, Tanker. He said 'Again? Am I missing something here?' " said Amp.
Everyone in both groups, save for Amp raises an eyebrow, or two, at hearing this comment.
"I take that back. Looks like I'm not the one missing something in this case." Says Jeb.
"Jeb!" said Ryan, noting the sly comment his dog had made.
"So, what do our powers have to do with a talking dog?" asked Sam.
"It's a long story. Look, why don't we go somewhere and talk? I know just the place nearby." Said Ryan.