A/N: Here is the (short) awaited chapter 4. I don't have much to say other than chapter 5 is now being started. Anyway, feedback is always welcome because it tells me that people like to read this story. Also thanks for following and whatnot.
They had just reached the lombax dimension when they got a radio transmission. "Unknown lombax ship, please state your name and ID number." Came the voice of a very bored flight control manager.
"Uhh, my name is Ratchet and I have no idea what my ID number would be, but I have a call sign that was given to me in a letter," Ratchet responded to the person on the other end of the line with confusion evident in his voice.
The bored voice's frustrated sigh prevented it from hearing the last part of Ratchet's reply, "the ID number you were given at birth dude." Ratchet went to repeat himself before he was interrupted again. "It's common knowledge, you would have to be an outsider to not know." The voice paused and thought for a moment and then exclaimed, "Wait, are you guys from the last dimension?!"
Ratchet sighed in frustration, "Yes, that's wh-"
"Well why didn't you just say so" the operator interrupted, totally brushing off that he did it again Ratchet.
Ratchet just groaned at the sheer incompetence of the operator. Rivet, who was starting to get annoyed with the operator, interrupted him before he could get any further. "Would you just give us directions- or better yet, put us in contact with who sent the letter." She finished with a growl.
"First off you need to chill," he huffed annoyed. "Secondly you will be transferred to the councilman that sent the letter shortly," He finished grumpily
A few seconds later another voice came through the radio. "Greetings outsider lombaxes, I hope your travels have been well. My name is Kaden, and I'm with the council. We want to welcome you to our fine city, but first I need to ask a few questions."
"Ok" Ratchet responded, hopeful it was his dad on the other end of the line.
Kaden continued "Good, lest start off easy. What's your name?
"Ratchet"
"Ok, did you come alone or with someone else?"
"I have a few friends with me"
"How many is a few?"
"Let's see, one… two… five of us, me included"
"Splendid, is the boy with you?"
"Yes, Caleb is with us, why?"
"Oh good, I was worried because I'm 'supposed' to be his guardian, but that kinda fell through because of my fellow council members. One of the conditions of his, I hate to say this, survival is that he is outcasted from our society. All because they did not want him to continue the Azimuth bloodline. But that is neither here nor there because I believe he is in good hands with you."
"Yes he is in good hands, say where are we going to meet you?"
"I will send your ship the coardents, once there, wait at your ship for me to come to get you. From there we will discuss further." Kaden finalized the transmission and cut the line.
Ratchet let the ship pilot itself to the destination, 'the council parking garage', according to what Aphelion said. Rivet was sitting quietly mulling over what Kaden had said. Clank was the first to talk, "do you think it's him Ratchet?
Ratchet responded, "I don't know, the likelihood of it is near impossible, I mean Tachyon said it himself 'I killed your father.' It's not like they have figured out how to raise the dead."
"Raising the dead, didn't we witness something like that on savali when we were racing the emperor to that map thing?" Rivet added in thought.
Kit responded, "we did, but they were skeletons."
Everyone sat for a moment thinking, till Caleb piped up, "In one of my history books there was a lesson on tachyon's invasion, and it said something about going back and rescuing the keeper of the dimensionator. I also believe there is a documentary somewhere on it also.
"We have arrived" came Aphilon's thought intruding announcement. Aphelion landed shortly after the announcement, causing everyone to look out the window. To Caleb this was nothing new, he had been here a few times due to needing to be with his mom when she brought him to work and during the investigations. But as he remembered this he was saddened because he knew she would never be around again. He then remembered that Ratchet and Rivet said they would be there for him. He interrupted Rivet's thoughts by hugging her. Rivet was confused for a moment then remembered that the boy said that his mom worked in the council building. She hugged him back knowing what it's like to lose someone.
It was at this moment a male figure walked up, it was just a little taller than Ratchet and had the same body type. But due to the low light level of the parking garage, it was unclear what its fur color was. It waved at the ship in a friendly manner, beckoning for them to come out. Ratchet was the first to do something by opening Aphilon's cockpit, Clank was the first one to make a move though, he leaped from the cockpit with surprising agility. "Greetings, I assume you were the lombax that sent the letter to my friend?"
The figure responded, "Yes, I was the one who sent you guys the letter. I would assume your name is Ratchet correct?
"No, my name is Clank, but my friend's name is Ratchet." Speaking of Ratchet, the lombax himself had finally built up the courage to leave the cockpit as well. With a less flashy move, he slid off the side and onto his feet. and turned to face the figure. The figure was stunned because before him was a 20 year younger version of himself. Ratchet on the other hand was still confused as to who this was because they were still sticking to the shadows. Caleb on the other hand, knew him by smell and leaped out of the cockpit at Mach 2. Rivet on the other hand had the most graceful exit... and by graceful I mean clumsy. Having been so amazed by the sights she forgot where she was going and slid off the ship landing face-first on the floor. She lifted her head and huffed the hair out of her eyes, before getting up and shaking some sense back into her head.
Ratchet did his best not to laugh, he really did, but the end result was a loud snort/wheeze thing. Rivet in response just glared at him. The figure also couldn't help but snicker at her fall. Then like a light went off in his head, the figure recomposed himself, walked forward, and resumed speaking, "I'm sorry I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Kaden Storm, and I'm the one who sent you the letter, I see it found you well." Once Kaden entered the light Ratchet froze, whatever he was expecting it wasn't his father that was certain.
"Yo-you-your ALIVE!" Ratchet exclaimed, surprised to find his dad alive and well.
"Yes son I'm alive"
"H-how?"
"That is a story for another time, but first we need to prove Caleb is okay so that I can stay on the council," with those words he started walking to the teleporter that brought him up to the parking garage. Ratchet and Clank were still recovering from the fact that Ratchet's dad was in fact alive. "Well, are you coming?" his dad paused and turned around to ask him. They nodded in response and soon followed him to the teleporter, followed by the rest of the group.
A/N: Next chapter is going to be about meeting Kaden's coworkers and surviving relatives.
