I do not own any characters or ideas created by Eoin Colfer
A/N I really want to finish this story and have my first finished FF. I'm really making this one up as I go along, so it might not be as good as some of mine. Thank you to all of my reviewers!
Chapter 7- The First Vent
Haven was just as Artemis remembered it. Well, not exactly. There wasn't a single person in sight. Sool had made them all wear special jackets and pants; just in case the toxic affected through your skin.The humans, of course, had to get theirs tailored but they were ready in no time.They also had to wear helmets, of course, that had extra long- lasting filters (Foaly was quite proud.) Artemis looked around and the structures looked the same but whenever he looked to his right, something crucial was missing. Holly wasn't wearing an LEP uniform. Even though the suit would hide it, he should've been able to see her boots. It just wasn't the same. They walked for some time before they got to Police Plaza.
"Why couldn't we just take a transport, Sool?" Mulch asked angrily for the third time.
"We don't want our transports to get ruined by the toxic, convict. Some experts are checking if the engines will be affected," he responded; also for the third time except that he sounded quite annoyed know.
"Some experts. It shouldn't take this long," Mulch muttered. The group of eleven walked through the doors after Sool showed the guards at the front his badge. They went up to the Ops. Booth and everyone took a seat around what seemed like a table. Except it wasn't. It was round and made of metal, in the middle it had glass type half dome, and all around it were blinking lights and a keyboard on Sool's side. Sool quickly typed something and a holograph appeared above the dome.
"Holographic projector. Impressive. Is it new?" Artemis asked.
"You know, it's one of my greatest inventions yet. You see, with solar panels above the surface…" Foaly began, but Sool wasn't in a good mood.
"Shut up, pony," Sool snapped. "As you can see here," he beckoned to the hologram which was some sort of cylindrical machine, "This machine is very big and hi-tech. Correct?" Everybody responded with a low, unenthusiastic, "Correct." Sool wasn't exactly happy about their boredom, but he continued. "It was found in a troll nest. Yes, unbelievable, I know but Ms. Short over here, inspected a bit longer than us. Isn't that right, Holly?" Sool looked at Holly accusingly. Holly gave him a look and a small shake of the head, which meant, Without me, you wouldn't be getting this information!
"That is correct Sool. Mulch and I arrived faster than your LEP team. I inspected the machine's screen and saw some plans. What plans, I can't be sure but I know there were plans," when Sool gave her a questioning look, she answered the question he was thinking. "The title said, Plans." Sool than muttered something, and Artemis asked,
"Why would they put such a revealing title?"
"It was in a troll nest, Artemis. The maker probably didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to go looking around. One more thing, the title wasn't written in Gnomish," Holly explained.
"So Johnson is in league with the trolls?" Butler asked.
"If he's the one working there, he controls them," Trouble said.
"He controls them? How?" asked Juliet.
"There are these little light things on their heads. When its green, you're okay, when its red, you're in trouble," Mulch informed her.
"Let's stop sharing information we already know! I don't know about you, but I want to catch this Johnson guy as soon as possible!" Sool exclaimed.
"Then why don't we go to the damn nest, Mr. General?" Holly said, putting a mock tone in Mr. General.
"Why I ought to…" Sool said while raising his hand.
"Hey watch it!" Foaly said.
"Okay, everyone calm down!" said one of the officers.
"Oh yeah, I haven't introduced you guys properly. Lenz, Sotter, and Kannel," said Sool while beckoning to the three officers.
"Weren't you just trying to hit me?" Holly said in a puzzled tone. Sool pretended not to hear her.
"So are we going to go to the nest?" asked Trouble.
"It's something we must be fully prepared for," Artemis said. Everyone thought carefully. Suddenly, an officer burst through the doors.
"General Sool! We found something!"
Five minutes later, they were all in their suits and walking out behind the newcomer. After about twenty minutes, they got to where a number of guards were standing in a way that told everyone to stay away. Artemis was exhausted. The officers saluted to Sool as he marched up to them. Holly had a look of great disgust on her face because of this. They were in a very broken down part of Haven. Some shops had even been looted. It looked like the perfect place for criminals. Some buildings looked in a very poor shape.
"Julius started a fund to take care of this place," Holly said, like if at the point of crying. "I see you didn't continue the fund, Sool!" Holly said loudly. He pretended not to hear her. Holly was going to charge at him, but was stopped by Lenz.
"You should turn up the filter capacity and the oxygen capacity on your helmets," said one of the officers standing guard.
"Turn it up?" Artemis said.
"Yes. You see, the filter can filter an awful lot of things. If you put it too high, it can filter some vital minerals in the oxygen. And the oxygen, well, you might need more of it at a time if you are in a highly intoxicated area," Foaly explained. Everyone rolled his or her eyes except Foaly and Artemis. They each did as they were told. Suddenly, the inside of the helmets became cold.
"To much oxygen…" Sotter said. The officer that had burst into the Ops. Booth told them to follow, and continued walking. The air seemed normal again. The air here could kill you without these helmets. Artemis looked around. It wasn't like Haven at all. The air began to become…acrid. Artemis cranked up his helmet's capacities. The officer stopped and changed course abruptly. They were heading southwest now. They turned and twisted, went on rocky and smooth terrain, even went past a small swamp. Finally, in a small clutter of destroyed buildings and trees, the officer stopped.
"Right here," the officer said to Sool. He pointed to a little vent at the bottom of the tree. The toxic was coming out so rapidly, you could see the air a slight shade of green.
"Whoa," Mulch said. It was connected to a pipe, but the pipe was soon lost in the swamp.
"Well, we can't blast it," Kannel said.
"Can't you do something nerdy with it, Foaly?" Juliet asked. Foaly looked deeply offended, but nodded.
"But I'll need some materials that I didn't bring," he said.
"Why didn't you bring it, donkey?" Sool demanded.
"Because he didn't know he'd need it," Artemis responded for him, before Sool decided to strike him again.
"We could follow the pipe in one of the Hydrospeeders," Trouble remarked.
"What do you mean, one of them? I just finished making one!" Foaly objected. Once again, he was ignored.
"How is it that there's water down here?" Butler asked. Holly smiled.
"One of nature's wonders." They discussed possibilities a little longer, until Foaly said,
"I think we should talk about this in the Ops. Booth." They all agreed, and they set of again, officer in the lead. Grrrrrrrrr. They couldn't pretend not to hear the growling. Suddenly, a big bush of fur leaped in front of them and took down the officer. It bared its giant jaws into him. It was a troll. Holly, Mulch, Sool, Trouble, Butler, Juliet, Lenz, Sotter, and Kannel all took out their weapons at once. Only Foaly and Artemis were unarmed.
"Well, he's a bit outnumbered, no? Hahaha…" when nobody laughed at Foaly's remark, he shut his mouth. The troll charged, and leaped… right on Juliet. Wrong choice. Butler moved like a bullet, and kicked it off like a soccer player. It went flying and landed at the edge of the swamp. The armed group went after it, and the firing began. They charged at the troll as one, peppering the troll with whatever their weapon shot. It was greatly affective, and after a while it died. But it wasn't alone. Three more jumped out of the nearby buildings. Then three more. Then a couple more.
"Now we're a bit outnumbered, aren't we Foaly?" asked Mulch.
"Oh, shut up, Diggums," Foaly sneered back.
"Don't let them surround you!" Sool shouted. They moved quickly, farther and farther until the trolls were unable to surround them. Holly fired one hole through an abandoned speeder. Yes! It was fuel powered so that the fuel instantly poured out.
"Quickly!" Holly shouted. No one needed an explanation. The fuel had made a line between them and the trolls. Once the creatures were over the black/dark brown substance, they all fired at it. It went instantly ablaze, scorching all of the trolls on it. The ones that were behind had to stop or they would get burned just like their impulsive and now scorched friends.
"Go! Go! Go!" Trouble shouted. They all ran before the trolls found a way around it. They made it out again safely. Well, all of them except the officer. The group made it back to Police Plaza and went to the Ops. Booth.
"Now for getting to the source of that vent," Lenz said enthusiastically. Everybody groaned. But they knew they had to.
"When?" Holly asked.
"When we're ready. How about now?" Sool answered.
A/N I hope you liked this chapter. Things are going to heat up! Please review! Ummm… REVIEW!