Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Artemis Fowl. Those go to Eoin Colfer.
Chapter 13: A Single Moment
Police Plaza, Haven
Commander Ark Sool had worked with I.A. He knew the importance of following the rules not by the Book, but to the letter. And the events unfolding around him were definitely against all the rules. Foaly was walking through a side entrance, meant for employees only. Since his suspension was still good for two more hours, he wasn't by technicality an employee. Sool smiled. To kick Foaly out on his bum would bring him no greater pleasure. He was, after, breaking suspension, and going through a door off limits to him. The gnome's smile grew wider as he saw that someone was following the centaur. Foaly was about to be unemployed.
Taking great strides, he came face to face with Foaly, and was about to fulfill his four month long dream, when he saw the giant following. A giant that he had met. Butler, the manservant to Artemis Fowl. As if on cue, the Mud Boy followed his counterpart, and yet another human followed. It was a ruffed up girl, and for a moment he wondered if it was the other Butler, Juliet. He cast a glance between her and Butler, and ruled out the possibility. She was smaller than Artemis.
"Foaly, what are you doing? You're--" But the mighty commander was interrupted by a deep voice.
"We happen to have stumbled upon a plot to destroy the Haven you know. Foaly can fill you in on the details. I suggest you listen," Butler threatened, glaring down at the small gnome. Sool just nodded, and led the way to a briefing room. Along the way, severely frightened fairies gave the Mud Men translators, and while most officers scurried out of the commander's way, a few fainted. A certain captain that recognized Butler stayed down for a long time, his knees shaking the whole time he was out.
Over the course of the next hour, Foaly, with the occasional interruption from Artemis, explained the ordeal to the gnome. Sool listened in disbelief.
"Are you sure?" he asked for the umpteenth time. Everyone nodded. He glanced at his moonmeter, and looked back at the strange group assembled before him. "The trial starts in thirty minutes. LEP are already on their way. Unarmed."
"Then I suggest we get down there," Artemis said. But Sool delayed them.
"What Amber told you is good in theory, but how could Opal know about the time-stop?"
"She organized it!" Foaly whinnied.
"But if the whole place is blue rinsed, she goes with them," Sool insisted. "No one can escape a time field."
"Commander, has my presence been so quickly forgotten?" Artemis said, a grin on his face. Sool wanted nothing more than to swipe it off. "When Foaly erased my memories, I'm sure they were kept on file. If she had access to time-stop materials, who is to say she didn't find my memories and learn the secret to escaping?"
"How could she do that?" Commander Sool asked. He did not like where this was going. To his relief, there was an uneasy silence. "So we don't know if she knows the secret? Then there might not be anything to worry about. Could all have been devised by that Amber character."
"Why would she do that?" Sool was surprised by the soft voiced Mud Girl speaking up. She'd been silent the whole time.
"To make you feel like you failed before death. You all think there's a revolution going on, and there is nothing you can do about it. Simple really."
"Then why were goblins with her at the shuttle port?" Foaly protested.
"Didn't you even read the file I gave you?"
Streets of Haven
Holly was racing to Police Plaza, Mulch far behind her. Beside her, trouble Kelp was running as fast as he could. Time was of the essence, but she and Trouble made it personal. They were only a block away from the Plaza, but neither would be the first to slow down. Sure, they were great friends, but there was no way she was going to let him beat her in a footrace.
She had to admit, he was giving her a run for her gold. Holly would never admit it out loud, but it was true. AS they crashed through the front doors, they paused and panted. She was glad that they were breathing equally hard.
"Where is Sool?" Trouble panted. A few fingers pointed down the hall, and he and Holly were off again. Behind them, Holly heard a gasping, heavy breathing.
"I'm with them, I'm with…them," Mulch had finally caught up.
They came to a hallway, and heard loud voices arguing. It looked as if Foaly had beaten them. Holly and Trouble slowly approached the open doorway.
"To make you feel like you failed before death. You all think there's a revolution going on, and there is nothing you can do about it. Simple really." Sool.
"Then why were goblins with her at the shuttle port?" Foaly protested.
"Didn't you even read the file I gave you?" Holly asked, mock hurt in her voice. Everyone looked up in surprise. Holly herself was surprised that all the humans were there. She sent Foaly a withering glare.
"Short! What are you doing here? Not considering rejoining the LEP?" Holly ignored the commander. She sighed.
"The file on two goblins versus a store owner. The two claimed that they were working with the new B'wa Kell. Mulch managed to dig up some dirt on them, and it looks like it's true."
"Well, that doesn't answer how Koboi could escape the time field without access to LEP files." The gnome nodded his head at Artemis. "His memory files would provide the answer, but Opal would need access."
"She has access," Trouble spoke up. "During the initial goblin rebellion, she integrated her tech with the LEP system."
"I flushed it all out," Foaly said quietly.
"I agree with Foaly for once, Golden Boy. So unless--"
"She's been monitoring LEP systems since the revolution! Amber told us the only way to get rid of it is to reboot the whole system," Trouble quickly explained.
"We have her in, uh, custody at the Sisterhood HQ, and you can ask her yourself," Holly added. "She thought Foaly was dead, and didn't think that anyone could fix the system, so she told us. That means that Opal does know how to escape and leave the LEP for the biobomb."
"We have to get to that courthouse," Sool said, getting up from his chair. He paused, as if thinking. "We'll have to go quickly. The whole Council is supposed to be assembled there."
Everyone got up, heading back towards the entrance just as Mulch came in.
"More running? D'arvit."
Frond's Courthouse, Haven
Alexis was amazed by Haven. It was beautiful, and yet all trapped underground. And she had even heard mention of the lost city, Atlantis. But from the way the fairies talked, it seemed that it was still inhabited.
Ahead, a giant structure, similar to a Greek temple, stood. It was enormous. Obviously the courthouse, due to the large fountain statue of the blindfolded woman with a balance. Correction, a blindfolded elf woman. She suddenly wondered if it was still called a woman. Maybe just female?
Of the whole structure, it was the figures in front of the building that caught her attention the most. Tons of fairies and a lot of television crews. From what Artemis had told her, they would have a field day seeing three Mud People. Fortunately, all the cameras were aimed at a small entourage on the front steps. A group of what, from Artemis' descriptions, were pixies. And in the center, was a much taller figure. Barely three feet, but taller. Opal Koboi.
All around the crowd, were people in uniform, carting equipment. It seemed normal, until Alexis realized they were goblins. She didn't like them that much. And in the crowd of reporters, more were disguised. The B'wa Kell thing. They were here already.
She slowed down, and turned to the rest of the group. The commander, Sool, was barking orders into a small radio, and Foaly was typing on a wafer thin laptop. She had no idea of what to do. Artemis and butler stood nearby, so she went over to them.
"There's a lot of goblins down there," Alexis said. Sure, she was stating the obvious, but it was what she was good at. Butler simply nodded, scanning the scene with expert eyes.
"Looks like they're setting up the equipment. That means we still have some time." the bodyguard tried to sound hopeful, but it failed. There was an eagerness in his voice, the kind that years of experience brought when he knew there was a fight waiting.
"Well, Opal seems pleased for one about to face prosecution," Artemis said, pointing to a large plasma screen. It showed opal, smiling and waving. Suddenly, the screen changed, showing the inside of the courthouse. LEP were packed everywhere, and there were seven bigwigs sitting in the front. The Council, most likely. From the closing distance, Alexis could easily see the ex-pixie turn her head at the screen and smile.
"She's about to start the stop," Foaly said. "With that picture, she thinks it's all ready."
"Not without making herself seem innocent," Holly said. "I'm guessing the goblins are going to start fighting, then activate the time-stop. Goblins take over, and opal escapes to become their empress."
The group, minus Foaly and Sool, started towards the steps. The crowd cleared a path for them, each one shocked by the appearance of Mud Men. A few cameras flashed, but most were too dumbfounded to do anything. Opal looked down on them with disgust.
"What are you doing here?" she sneered.
"Oh, surprised that we're all still alive?" Holly launched. The two stared at each other for a few minutes, a gaping silence.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Opal finally said. "I'm innocent of all charges." In the crowd, the goblins tore of their disguises, and attacked. Opal rushed into the courthouse.
"Ready?" Trouble asked, ready for a fight.
"When wasn't I?" Butler returned. Holly sighed. These two are way too gung-ho about this.
Holly and Trouble drew their weapons, and started off towards the goblins. Butler followed like a kid in a candy store, slamming down his fist on the first unfortunate goblin to cross his path. Artemis paused, and turned to Alexis.
"Would you mind staying here? I have to help Foaly send the signal, and I don't think your parents would like it if goblins burned you. You're already injured, and I'm guessing with your shoulder you can't throw a punch," he half joked.
"Sure, maybe I'll go in and stop Opal. Just promise you don't come back looking like you were playing with an oven," she chided. Might as well lighten the mood. As Artemis headed into the battle, avoiding fireballs at every turn. She watched amazed, as Holly and Trouble did hand-to-hand combat with the goblins, pretending that their weapons didn't work. A goblin was behind Holly, a large fireball held aloft in his palm. And Holly was preoccupied by two goblins already. Alexis narrowed her eyes, raising her leg in the goblin's general direction. Then, she kicked.
Her slipper flew off, and to her luck, slammed into the head of the goblin. Holly turned just in time to see, and looked up at Alexis, giving a thumbs up. She immediately went back to fighting. Alexis looked up towards where she had last seen Foaly. He was standing there with Artemis and Sool. Both he and Artemis were typing furiously on laptops, while Sool, still holding his radio, made some arm motions with his other hand. A big group of LEP came running over the hill, firing their guns into the goblin flock. Two more laser bursts erupted from the middle of the pile. She saw a goblin run away from the main collection, and headed to the fountain. He got there, and he looked up the steps at Alexis. She recognized him as the one she had 'kicked'. Whatever he had been doing, he stopped, and conjured a very large flame. With a grunt, he threw it at her with all of his strength.
Throwing open the large oak doors of the courthouse, she ducked in and slammed the door. Her good hand was on the knob when the fireball hit. In a scream of pain, she pulled her hand off, and looked at the scorched skin.
She greatly wanted to go back outside and see how the LEP were progressing, but she knew the doorknobs would be too hot. Instead, she walked through the building, and heard a loud scream of rage. She ran ahead, and saw Opal standing outside the doors to the courtroom, her mouth open in shock. Alexis smiled.
The commander had called every LEP already at the courthouse, ordering them to leave. Then Foaly had sent the TV network a loop from a previous trial. Opal had seen Sim LEP on the screen. She thought that they were all about to be trapped. And she had been outsmarted again. The pixie turned her deep, brown eyes to Alexis, and she screamed again. This pixie is half-crazed already, Alexis thought. Maybe mind games weren't the best thing to do with her.
Artemis looked down at the chaos beneath him. He saw a goblin attack Alexis, and was glad that she managed to get inside. Most of the goblins were unconscious, and now he was helping Foaly restart the LEP system. Every trace of Opal would be gone, and the rest of the LEP, who were waiting in the ranks, could go help the rest of the haven, which was most likely under attack from the B'wa Kell. Everything was going according to plan. Until he saw a small faction of goblins appear on the other side of the square. They held a box, and Artemis knew that it contained a biobomb. Obviously, Foaly's Sims had worked.
With a satisfactory beep, Artemis heard the system finish rebooting. He closed his laptop, leaving Foaly to activate the sleepers and the DNA cannons. Behind him, he heard the fairies cheer as they found their lasers working again, and they set off to find goblins. Down below the fight was already over.
He let out a sigh, only to have his stomach turn over. The goblins with the biobomb had disappeared. The goblin that had been at the fountain was also gone.
"Foaly," he said hesitantly. The centaur looked up, closing his own PC, obviously finished. "I think the time-stop was activated. And the blue rinse is under way."
"But no one is in there except Opal. They won't do anything," Foaly said. "Unless they think the LEP are hiding."
"Alexis is in there," Artemis said, choking on his words. He didn't love her, but she was one of his precious few friends. He had endangered her, and now he might become responsible for her death.
"She'll be fine," Foaly tried to reassure him, but it didn't work. Artemis' mind was racing.
"Is there a way for you to stop the time-stop? Like shutting off the batteries?"
"It's never been tried before," the centaur said slowly. "It could result in them being trapped in whatever, I mean, whenever time was stopped. It's too risky."
Alexis looked up from her hiding place. Opal's ranting was softer now, so they weren't in the same room anymore. She cautiously got up. Looking around the room, it seemed like she had stumbled into an office. A clock or whatever they called it underground was sitting on the desk. Funny, it read the same time as the grand clock had when she'd come in. probably just dead. She looked at the rest of the room, a nagging at the back of her mind.
It can't be dead. It's a digital clock, and if it died the numbers wouldn't still be there. Alexis felt frightened as she realized what had happened. The time-stop had started. So, for eight hours she was trapped with a crazy pixie and maybe even goblins. Not a comforting thought.
Thinking back to the shuttle she tried to remember what Artemis had said about escaping. She needed to fall asleep, something that was supposedly impossible. Maybe the owner of the office had trouble sleeping. Yeah, right Alexis, she thought, silently berating herself. Why would anyone keep, sleeping pills at the office? Still, she checked anyway. There were a few pill cases, but she didn't dare try them. The writing was in Gnomish, and she couldn't read it.
There is only one other option for me to fall asleep. Getting knocked unconscious might make me sleep. She'd need the pixie to do that. If I was a crazy pixie, she thought, where would I go? She couldn't help but picture an asylum. Cautiously, she went back to the large courtroom. To her surprise, opal was already there. In her hand, she held a syringe. If Foaly was right, and Opal knew how to escape, then that was probably a sleeping potion. Alexis hesitated. She'd have to wrestle it away from the pixie to escape herself.
"Hey Opal!" She called. As long as she distracted the fairy, then she had a chance of getting close.
"Well, if it isn't the Mud Girl. How are you enjoying your trip to Haven?"
"Fine, no thanks to you," Alexis called back.
"What's the matter? Didn't you think fairies were smart and tough too? Or are you just frightened, because in five minutes my goblins will launch their biobomb and kill you?" Opal laughed.
"And how are you getting out, ma'am?" The pixie scowled.
"'Ma'am' is for old women," the pixie said in a childlike tone. For a moment, she imagined Alex nagging her.
"Well, you are an ugly, old woman." Opal snapped, dropping the syringe. She threw herself at Alexis, but she simply smiled. With a single fluid movement, she kicked the giant, childlike head, sending opal spinning across the room. There was a reason she had taken karate for six years. Opal groaned and tried to get up, but after a few moments it became clear that she wasn't going anywhere. Satisfied, Alexis scooped up the syringe, and slid it into her skin, wincing as it pinched. She pushed it down, and waited for sleep to overcome her, hoping that it was a hypodermic, and not some suicide attempt. As her vision blurred, she saw Opal get up, coming towards her with a gun. Behind her, coming through the doors, a group of goblins carrying something that looked like a cartoon bomb. This wasn't good. What if she didn't escape? What if Artemis was wrong and she would just sleep through her own death. Her eyes closed, and she couldn't open them. She heard a trigger, and knew that it was all over.
Artemis felt very guilty. He was sitting in the courtroom with butler, Foaly, Holly, Mulch, and Trouble, but no one was speaking. It had been three hours, and five more to go. The final hour approached with dread. If the goblins set off the blue rinse, he didn't even want to think about it. It might have gone off already, for all he knew. There was only one hope.
Until Opal appeared, the bomb couldn't have been set off. That was still hours away. His brooding was distracted by Mulch.
"What's that?" On the floor where the dwarf was pointing, a shadow was appearing. Before anyone could blink, Alexis was lying on the floor. Artemis was both worried and amazed, but the latter took over as he saw the syringe. She had taken a hypodermic needle, most likely from Opal, and had used it to escape.
"Get her to a medic. Heal her shoulder a bit, but not too much," Artemis ordered.
"Why only a little?" Holly asked, arching an eyebrow.
"It's all part of the plan."
Okay, sorry it was so long. I don't normally do this, but please R&R! I'm only asking because my granddad is in the hospital and I need something to distract me. I'm really worried and might not be able to write for a while.