Chapter 8 Traces: Pieces and mechanics

Music: "Sail Away" – 'Enya'

Author Note: I'm probably leading you all somewhere horrible. I really am. If you feel you must turn around then you should do so now. I don't know what came over me here. Actually I do and in a sick sad way I'm very proud of it, but it's not very happy. Don't despair, its decent (at least for me it is).

Disclaimer: "None of them are belong to us" as my 'comrades' from ZADR in DA like to put it.

((Sail Away))

Cut to the scene where we left off of course. Hoagie has been having a conversation with Shaunie for a few minutes now… it's been … interesting; to say the least.

"I suggest you eat some chewy pellets, Shaunie." I told him.

"I'll pass, dad says I can't eat too much sugar" 'Dad says' has been a litany for Shaunie the whole time we've been talking. Where have I seen that kind of devoted, blind obedience before? I ponder this for a while now; it's one of those confusing riddle-things that won't leave you alone, like a bad sticky song, you have to look for something to get it out of your mind or give into it… give in… 'Dad'… 'Dad'…'dad'…'dad'…

…'Dad'… It's echoing in my mind why is this so familiar, this defeating, monotone voice?

…'dad'… … … … 'father'…

Woah, 'bad-trip' as teenagers like to call it. I shuddered visibly at the sound of the collective group of monotone chorused voices in my head. Could this be why Father wanted him? Because he behaved so well?

"Shaunie, why did Father want you?" I asked him right away.

"Dad doesn't want me to talk" He practically whimpered. It was then it hit me like a baseball bat or the realization of a bad hair day. This kid's more traumatized then a cat rescued from a plastic bag… a kitten, maybe… a baby kitten with a big brother and when will we GET to Moonbase?

Moonbase command, candy-cargo dropout

I see the ship take off after the 'cargo' has been delivered. It was time; it would determine if I would save Tommy and crack this case… I look into a corner of the room and see plastic bags with taffy… 'Plastic' I shudder; I've got to move fast!

I used my card and slipped into the communications hold and hid behind a door. As Fanny predicted the kids were immediately alerted to a traitorous intruder so they practically cleared communications. I knocked a kid unconscious with a piece of 2x4 that (mind you) I knew how to use, um, ok, he tripped. But lucky me no! I checked upon the machinery on the board. 'KND 2x4 experts of forgive me'. I thought as I ripped a substantial neurons conversion clean out of the controllers that covered the decommissions chamber's main operations. I cut the cables holding their grip over the re-configuring piece that gloss-covers the memories of the Kids next door and the forbidden hold of the cerebral mass. In fact I practically dismantled the decommissioning machine.

It was after a few minutes that not only my bag was settled but a 'how could you' made my blood run cold. Abby was standing at the doorframe. Her S.P.A.N.K.L.E.R. at her hand, my heart felt weird at that. Remember when I told you I kind of needed her approval? I think I would have collapsed dead or convulsed had her voice not interrupted my absolute sulking.

"Of all people, Numbuh Two, why us? Why did you betray us, just let us help you, Numbuh Two, Numbuh One's got an argument!" She pleaded and lowered her weapon, was those tears? I feel weird and I can't place my finger on it. I had betrayed my team, I almost betrayed my brother, my people, my 'family' because if you look at it all around like you do a bad piece of sculpture horrible and you can't stop staring at it; they WERE my family after all.

"Numbuh Two, please let us try to help you, Numbuh Five KNOW- you scared fo'!" Ah yes, mature, cool and collected; but you should never lower a gun to your 'opponent' 'This-

"-Hurts me more then you, Abby" I said as I used my bag to lunge at her full-force, she stumbles in the confusion as I make my escape directly into the decommissioning chamber, slowly realizing that each step I took I wanted to go back more; but I'm not leaving Tommy behind like that.

I burst through the door not looking behind me with the backpack behind me, I was panting hard.

The decommissioning chamber looked very ominous while empty like this. Some operatives hold very metaphoric meaning to these walls. Of course these walls are the last thing you see before you are 'taken from yourself'. Children 'loose their lives' between these walls. You can truly say they loose their lives; their childhood, their dreams, hopes even love… all between these dreadful walls; what could be worse?

Imagine how it must have felt to sit on that chair; I've felt it. The numb despair. Speaking of which, a loud bang on the door indicates me I will loose MY life if I didn't move quickly.

I set the detonator and back away quickly. The Wall explodes 'these walls' I finally ponder looking at the collapsed structure. I finish preparing myself for the lack of atmosphere in space only to be sucked out forcefully and wonder why I didn't bring any jetpacks.

I drift for a few seconds that felt like ages before being picked up by none other then Fanny herself. In the distance I see Abby holding her position with the doorframe of the decommissioning chamber and simply look at us sadly.

"Did you get it?" Fanny asks me.

"Yeah, you still have him, no?" She better say yes or I'll use that brain device on her SOULEY for pain. She just rolled her eyes

"Of course I do" She yelled at me.

We reach the delightful children's mansion and after a few hours of nothing but preparing pieces the Delightfuls simply dictating instructions to me and my brother. For some reason the freakish way Father was on edge all the time and the way they all knew the machine by heart disturbed me.

Then suddenly Tommy slammed the wrench he was holding on the floor. He looked like he had realized something and at his words I declared this case closed at his sudden furry.

"I REFUSE to finish this! I know what it is you sick - you evil-" He hissed only to be interrupted by father as her yelled in absolutely sickening and hair-standing glee.

"IT'S OPERATIONAL!" Tears stained Tommy's cheeks as I noticed what the machine did, by looking at the instructions he was following and the ones I was given I could tell, as I stood before the entire tank with it's five inner-capsules, the conductors, the cables, the water-delusory… well… the ENTIRE piece. That I had built what could seal the fate of all kid-kind for better or for worse… well, scratch the better; being delightfullized was NEVER for the better.

It was then I was terrified at the realization that Father was right. The delightfullizing machine WAS operational.

((To be continued…))

Author Note: Ooh what a turn! pant pant That was hard to come by… I'm concentrating this story in Hoagie, don't worry; but next chapter will be… Delightful… to say the least:

Coming up next: "God Please… PLEASE… Let us die!" – 'We just looked into it's monitor, and smiled "Thank you" was the monotone'