Disclaimer: Zoids, I don't own it.

CAUTION: Lots of talking ahead. But you get most of the unclear ends tied up and explanations are given.

DarkMetalist: Really?

I don't know, you decide.

Raven: You really are lazy aren't you?

I just haven't written the chapter yet, they're just floating ideas right now.

Chapter 8

Master Plan

"Squish squish, squash, squash squash, SQUISH!"

Upon the speech made by the papaya leader, the smaller soldier flying papayas floated

up and down happily as applause.

"Squish squash..."

"I can't understand a word the leader papaya is saying." Van commented. "It's like they're speaking papayanese or something."

Fiona handed Van what looked like an ear bud.

"Here" she said "Take this, I found it on the floor, stick it in your ear."

"Ew, you found something on the floor and now you want me to stick it in my ear?"

"Van, don't be such a baby. Now put it on so you can understand what they're saying."

Van reluctantly put the interpreter into his ear, and what the papayas squished was instantaneously translated into English.

"My fellow papayas" started the papaya leader. "It is now our time to strike back. It has been millennia since the Zoidians have oppressed us and now it is time to rebel."

"Yeah!" responded the papaya soldiers.

"We now have control of this base and its Zoids. Those Zoidians who have been a threat to us have been taken care of however; there are still three Zoidians on the loose within this base. To fully implement our plan they must be captured and stopped before they can interfere."

"Hey Van, what do you think their plan is?"

"I don't know, but I intend to find out."

"How are you going to do that?" she asked "Go up there and ask?"

"That's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Van, are you crazy? We're wanted right now; we might be the last and best hope for Zi."

"I know, but don't worry I have a plan. You can reverse engineer these translators, right?" Van asked Fiona

"I can, but it'll take some time."

"How much time?" he asked

"Done" Fiona happily said and passed the modified translator to Van.

"How did you..." Van began then sighed "never mind."

Van spoke into the translator and asked the question.

"Sir, how do you intend to take over Zi?"

"Why are you asking that soldier, shouldn't you have already been briefed?" responded the giant leader papaya.

"I fell asleep."

"Well that's just great, hours before battle and you had to fall asleep during the briefing. (sigh) Since it is going to be at least a couple of hours before the plan is executed, I might as we tell you. However you're getting the condensed version so you are going to have to figure it out as we go along for yourself! First we will take over the weapon storage/destruction facility the blue devil tried to destroy before. Then the weapons will be loaded onto the Zoids. Next we will hold both capitals of Zi hostage, colonies and smaller cities will also be watched in the event they try to unite and take out the main squads. Then, when both governments agree to surrender, we will rule the planet!"

"But what if they do not decide to surrender?"

"Then it is the complete annihilation of the Zoidians and we have the planet to ourselves."

"THAT'S HORRIBLE!" shouted Fiona.

"Uh Fiona, did you just realize that you gave away our presence here?"

"Oh, oops, sorry Van."

"Intruders, seize them!"

"Ruun!" shouted Van

"Van?"

"Yeah Fiona?"

"I think they got us."

He looked down to see that his waist had been wrapped around with the papaya's vine-like appendage.

"Aw, man."

The two were slowly reeled up against the papayas that captured them, and they were held there until the papaya leader could come up and squish, um talk to them.

"So, if it isn't the legendary ancient Zoidian and the infamous Van. Take the girl away to the holding chambers; while I answer any questions Mr. Flyheight may have."

"Van, help me!"

"I will Fiona, just hang in there!"

"Oh, I don't believe you'll be seeing your girlfriend anytime soon."

Knowing that he wouldn't be going anywhere, he took the papaya's advice and asked questions to bide his time and to find out as much as he could.

"So" Van began. "How were you oppressed and why do you want to take over Zi?"

"It all occurred several millennia ago..."

"This is going to take a while." Van said, bored.

"Hey, you want to know or not?"

"Fine fine, I'm sorry, continue."

"Ahem, as I began, this all occurred several millennia ago. The now ancient Zoidians were working on the genetic modification on papayas. They wanted to use us as slaves to do their dirty, menial, human work. Sure they had the Zoids, but apparently they are less expendable than us. So a war broke out and the ancient Zoidians created something they could not control, us. We eliminated most of the Zoidians, but most, like your girlfriend there, were cryogenically frozen."

"So if you eliminated the ancient Zoidians, why is it that there is no record of this war and much evidence that supports the Death Saur ultimate destruction."

"Well, would you want future generations to know that the most advanced Zoidian civilization was defeated by papayas?"

"No, I suppose not. That would be pretty embarrassing."

"And the evidence was a last request by the Zoidians, to make it look like a battle between them and the Death Saur. So basically we planted it all."

"Oh, so how did your numbers diminish?"

"Well unfortunately, by destroying the Zoidians we eliminated our primary source of nutrition."

"Your source of nutrition involved eating Zoidians?"

"Oh no, we're not people eaters. The Zoidians provided us food. That was their way of keeping a leash on us, but not even a food restriction could stop the anger. We survived by going out on our own and finding food in random places like near lakes and stuff like that. But the food supply was limited, and we could not sustain our numbers for long. Papayas started to die off and replication was forbidden for we did not want our offspring to suffer. A century ago, the food supply became plentiful again and the last remaining papayas replicated to produce more of us and our numbers slowly grew. We remained in the least populated areas, until we had a strong population and that's when we took over this base."

"Wow, that's some history. I have another question."

"Another one? You're kidding, we have a battle to prepare for and...aw forget it, this is the last question because we are launching afterwards."

"So, what exactly am I infamous for?"

"You were a threat to this entire operation ever since you first spotted me several years ago."

"You mean the in the fog of Mount Isolina?"

"Yes, there."

"But Moonbay said you were just a hallucination induced by hunger. I can't wait to see the look on her face when I tell her the papaya I saw years ago is now the exact same one trying to take over the world."

"Van, have you lost your mind? You have just been captured by the most advanced fruit of the planet and the only thing you can think of to do is to brag about your discovery?"

"Like I said to Fiona, it won't be long until I get out of here."

"(scoffs) Yeah? And what makes you think you can escape? You are outnumbered in this room with plenty more outside and there is no chance for anyone left to help you."

Suddenly, there was a bang at the door and who just happened to hobble in?

"Irvine!"

"Hey Van. I got bored with waiting in the infirmary so I came out looking for you. Whoa, need help?"

"Uh, yeah that'd be nice right about now."

Irvine tossed the microwave bazooka thing up to Van. Van caught it and shot the papaya holding him. Then he aimed it at the giant papaya.

"Any last words?" he asked the papaya

"Just a phrase. Launch the attack!"

"NO!"

Van shot the papaya and it fell to the ground. The dispatch alarm went off and the papayas rushed immediately to the Zoid launch hangar.

"So what did I miss?" Irvine asked.

"Lots, but now is no the time for explanations. We've got to stop the launch."

"What's your plan?"

"I want you to get to the control tower and enable the security lockdown for the base. Then disable the power systems and make sure the auxiliary power doesn't come on. Meanwhile I'll try to find the others."

"Got it?"

"Yeah"

"Alright, move out."

Van and Irvine took their routes with their independent missions. There were no difficulties in navigating the corridors because all of the papayas had prepared for the launch and attack. Van was searching the rooms for the others, but he just didn't have any luck.

"How am I supposed to find the others if I don't know where the heck they are?"

"WARNING: BASE LOCKDOWN HAS BEEN INITIATED!" came over the loudspeakers

This warning continued for about a minute, and then the alarms and lights went out. Van waited for a second and the auxiliary lights didn't activate so he knew that Irvine had succeeded.

"Good work Irvine" Van announced over the radio.

"No problem, that was easy. But some Zoids left the hangar, what are we going to do?"

"Try to signal any of the other bases, if they don't respond, we will take care of the problem after I find the others, they might be in more serious trouble."

"Acknowledged"

Van was starting to worry about whether he would ever find his friends in this huge base. He turned the next corridor and saw a green light emanating from under the door.

"Hmm, this looks promising."

Van proceeded into the room.

Meanwhile

Squish, squish squash...automatic papayanese to English translator reactivated. "How are we supposed to get out of here now! The doors won't open."

"I would not worry comrade; at least a hundred got out before the doors shut down. Our leader's death will not be in vain."

Back in the briefing hanger

"Van Flyheight...you will pay."

--------------------

Hmm, I'm brilliant!

DarkMetalist: Yes you are. Want a cookie?

Raven: I want a cookie!

Raven that's rather out of character.

Raven: So is everyone else in this story, so why should I be different?

More ideas pop up than I can expand on. Please review while I finish this cookie.

DarkMetalist: Yes, eat the cookies.