NOTE: There is some Christian content in this chapter.
Chapter 5:
Almost everybody wants something that they don't have: the capitalist system is the most successful that exists as of the time this was written, and it is based on greed and on wanting things for yourself.
The Little Teenaged Geek (not that he would know anything)
Fernson looked over the merchandise. There were two possibilities. A "DVD-ROM" and a "CD-ROM". He didn't have enough space to carry both inconspicuously, and he certainly didn't want to show the disc to the salesman to ask questions. It was bad enough that he knew that he was buying the drive. There was an alternative: he could take them to his dorm one at a time. "I think I'll buy this one, and I'll come back for the other later."
"Why take it later?"
"I'm---buying it as a present for someone, but I want the other one for myself. I don't want her to guess, so…"
The salesman shrugged. "Okay."
After a few hours, Fernson had successfully gotten both drives. He decided to try the DVD-ROM first. He attached it to his body's computer and extracted data from the "disc". It was an interesting compilation, but---oh, yes……
This was a career maker… a real career maker…
Ken and Wormmon strutted into the lab. "Izzy, what happened?"
"The safe computer says that it was accessed with my security pass code at 2:30, Tuesday morning."
"How would anyone know your pass code?"
"I don't know."
Ken pulled a fingerprint kit out of his pocket.
"Isn't using fingerprints to find the theif a little arcane?" Izzy asked.
Wormmon shook his head. "No. Every criminal makes a mistake, and this guy won't be any different."
"See? There are fingerprints here, and they're not yours." Ken got up. "Now, has anyone besides you touched this in the last twenty-four hours?"
Izzy shook his head. "No one but me and the thief."
"My first guess is that this was an inside job, and that there was probably some kind of camera or eavesdropping device involved so that the thief could figure out your code." Ken continued, "I'll take these fingerprints into police records and I'll hope that I can get some answers."
Fernson walked outside his dormitory building. It was raining outside, but he didn't mind: it wasn't his body that was getting drenched; it was his robotic exosuit that was getting wet. He looked up into the sky and sent a transmission to the cloaked Linonian communications satellite: "Colonel, I have a piece of computer data that will prove most useful to us. I am transferring it to you now."
As Fernson was transmitting, he noticed a gamma ray signature in outer space---it was them. He made some gamma radiation of his own, which struck the craft. That would disable the craft badly. It wouldn't go anywhere near Earth, and its life support system would be dead within minutes. That was the end of that problem.
Within minutes, the transmission of the disc's contents was complete. He grinned. Now, he thought to himself, all I must do is wait…
"Hey, you! Freeze!" he heard a voice yell. It was a man, and he had an APPEP stunner pistol in his hand. Police officers and a Wormmon flanked him. An umbrella-toting Professor was behind them.
"What is this about?" Fernson asked. "If it's about a certain… 'DVD-ROM' …then you may have it back. I'm done with it."
In that light, he couldn't see Ken's facial expression change to a horrified glare. "Who are you with?"
"I don't like the looks of this," the Wormmon suggested. "We should take him in before we question him."
"Go for it, Wormmon!"
"Wormmon, digivolve to…Stingmon!"
Ken looked back at Fernson. "Put your hands on your head, or you'll get it!"
Fernson didn't move at all. He still had the same, evil, satisfied look on his face. Ken shot his APPEP stunner at Fernson. The white beam burned a black spot onto his shirt, but Fernson was otherwise unfazed. "Nice try, officer. My turn!" He stretched out his hand at the congregated humans and digimon, and they all fell asleep and collapsed to the ground.
Deciding he shouldn't stay on the campus, he contacted the satellite again. "Send a pod drone to my position and have it take me out of here. It is time I make my exit."
"Daddy, what's going on!"
"We're…we've had a slight change in plans, son."
"Why? What's going to happen!"
"We…you need to get the cube to the humans and digimon."
"Why? What is going on?"
"I need to take you to the escape pod."
"Won't you come along?"
"There is only enough air for one."
"But…what about you?" the father sealed the hatch before he could answer the question. The child thought he knew the answer, though.
The father and the rest of the ship crew held a prayer vigil before the oxygen ran out. "Eternal One, we come to be with You in the next few hours. I cannot be with my son: please be with him for me."
With that, they jettisoned the escape pod.
"Did you think it would end this way?" the anthropologist asked the captain.
"We were afraid it would. But your child is a smart one. If any child can accomplish this mission, he can."
"If we had told him everything, he would have better chances."
"True. But… The Eternal One willing, he will succeed, nonetheless."