In 2007, a seven-year-old Simon was in the playground of his kindergarten reading a book on Ancient Rome on a bench as the other children were playing. "These guys have really long names." Simon noted. Sitting next to him on the bench was Alvin Monk, age seven. "Hi, I'm Alvin." Alvin greeted Simon. "I'm Simon." Simon replied.

"What're you reading?" Alvin asked. "A book about Ancient Rome." Simon answered. "Wow, you must be really smart!" Alvin commented. "I just like old things." Simon added. A chubby green-shirted child approaches the two with a lollipop in his mouth.

"You guys are Simon and Alvin, right?" the child asked them. "Yeah. What's your name?" Simon asked the child. "I'm Theodore." Theodore answered. "Hey… Alvin, Simon, Theodore… it's like that movie coming soon with the singing chipmunks!" Simon realized. "This must mean we should be friends!" Alvin said.

"I think that sounds good." Simon agreed. "Let's promise to be best friends forever!" Alvin declared. "Yeah!" Theodore agreed. "I always wanted to have friends." Simon also agreed. "Then it's settled: we're gonna be best friends forever!" Alvin exclaimed

In the months following The Voyagers' mission to Alpha Centauri, Minerva has united the cities and towns visited and connected all by a network of spacebridges. The Voyagers now operate on an international scale with branches all over the world. In those months, the three original recruits returned to Founders Island to celebrate a winter Founders Island holiday. As The Voyagers Ooo branch were temporarily on leave, Finn and Jake returned to adventuring all over Ooo, meeting new friends, fighting old enemies, and plundering dungeons. Today, Finn and Jake were in The Voyagers base prepping for their next adventure.

"So, what should we do first? I hear there were some earthquakes that opened up some caves." Finn asked Jake. "That sounds like a good idea. I'm all in for it!" Jake agreed. Finn zipped up his backpack and the two headed for the elevator when Simon arrives in the elevator. "Hey, guys." Simon greeted them. "Hey, Simon. Wanna go spelunking with us?" Jake asked.

"Your mom called me. She said we have another mission." Simon said. The main screen in the base activates, displaying Minerva on it. "That is correct." Minerva said. "I guess the caves can wait." Finn said. "So, what do you have for us?" Jake asked.

"We received a letter last night addressed to The Voyagers." Minerva began before the screen displays a scan of the letter.

To the ones who has explored

I am not one to be ignored

In the wasteland devoid of soul

Down the ancient home of the mole

Finding me will be a breeze

Go to the place where the brains freeze

"It's a riddle." Finn said. "That's not all. Shortly after the letter was received, a Secure-T protoform arrived at the Hub Dome and delivered a cryogenic freezer before deactivating." Minerva continued. "It delivered a fridge?" Jake said. "Not quite. A cryogenic freezer is used to preserve human body parts such as vital organs. This one carried a brain." Minerva explained. "Was it alive?" Finn asked. "Yes. I extracted it into a cloud chamber and successfully conversed with her. Conveniently, she knows of a possible location from the last line of the riddle: Cephalon Cryogenics." Minerva continued.

"I know Cephalon Cryogenics, but it's all the way in California!" Simon said. "And the aforementioned state is missing on our recent satellite scans." Minerva added. "What if it was teleported somewhere else like Russia?" Jake suggested. "If my theory is correct, that's exactly what happened." Minerva added. "From Russia's records, a meteor or a comet struck the Earth, teleporting Russia to Alpha Centauri. Residual energies affected the rest of the world, teleporting as small as fauna from Texas to Australia, to as big as parts of entire landmasses forming new islands, such as Ooo. We found many landmarks of other countries all around Ooo and believe some of the former Los Angeles area composes most of Ooo's landmass." Minerva explained.

"So where is that Cryogenics place?" Jake asked. "According to data from the recovered protoform, it was located underneath the area the locals call the Desert of Wonder." Minerva answered. "I remember that place. It was crawling with goo monsters." Finn said. "And because of the need to traverse through tunnels we have recruited a new Autobot member and have built another Transtector." Minerva added. "Who is it?" Jake asked.

Ascending from the elevator was a familiar face; Backfire, an old friend of Simon's friend. "Backfire, you're joining?" Simon asked Backfire. "You got that right." Backfire answered. Next to Backfire on the elevator was a purple motorcycle, the same model that Elita-Two Prime transforms into. "This is Chop Shop, the third Transtector unit." Minerva introduced the machine.

"Yeah, a bike's more my style!" Finn said as he ran to Chop Shop. He was ogling at the machine as he rubbed his fingers all over the chassis. "Because of its size, it can be used alongside other non-Autobot members where they otherwise cannot reach. This exact reason is why I recruited Backfire: for his size." Minerva elaborated. "So, when are we going?" Jake asked Minerva. "You should go now. Your mission is to not only locate the sender of this riddle, but also to recover any frozen brains from Cephalon Cryogenics." Minerva commanded.

"Yes, ma'am!" Simon saluted alongside Backfire. The four enter the elevator and descend. "Come back soon for dinner!" Minerva quickly reminded Finn and Jake. As soon as they leave, a robotic arm pulls a panel off a wall and pulled out a small peppermint-shaped robotic spy spider for Minerva to take a look at it. "I thought you were better than this, Princess. Come see me tonight." Minerva said to the drone's camera eyes before crushing it with the robot arm.

In the Desert of Wonder, the astronaut-suit-equipped Voyagers were driving through the wasteland with Simon riding on Backfire's three-wheeled motorcycle mode as Finn and Jake rode on Chop Shop. They soon come across the same hole Finn and Jake once descended into with Princess Bubblegum and the late James years ago. They park a few metres away from the edge for Backfire to transform into robot mode. "So, how do we get down there?" Backfire wondered as he looks down the hole. "Last time we got out from some slopes at the side." Finn answered as he and Jake walk to the hole.

They all look down and see the great depth of the hole. At the very bottom was the melted remains of Princess Bubblegum's exploration tripod. "Ready your weapons, guys." Finn advised before they climb down the zig-zagging slopes at the side of the hole. Backfire readies twin assault rifles, Simon and Jake held M.H.M.s in their hands, and Finn brandishes his Night Sword, while Chop Shop follows them autonomously in vehicle mode. "What do these goo monsters look like? Green, have holes on their faces and barf acid goo?" Simon asked Finn.

"Yeah, something like that." Finn confirmed. "I think I remembered encountering them with Marceline a thousand years ago. Nasty things. The only way I stopped them was with my Ice King powers." Simon continued. They soon get to the bottom where they become even more alert for goo monsters. "Watch your back. They can come out of the ground at any moment." Finn warned his team. As they walked, they found no indication of life, including the goo monsters.

The ground started to rumble for The Voyagers to huddle back-to-back, ready to face whatever threat is thrown a them. "Get ready!" Finn yelled. The quake stops after a few seconds as the four were still on their guard. A wall in front of Jake crumbled, revealing a cave. "Guys, a cave!" Jake alerted the others.

"Looks like we're going to explore some caves after all." Finn said as he and the team looked at the cave. They continue into the cave with their weapons drawn. They walk through a network of tunnels leading further underground. Eventually they are led to a large cavern where they gaze upon a sunken street filled with roads, houses, and derelict cars, lit by only dimly-flickering street lights and the team's helmet-mounted headlamps and Backfire's bright blue eyes. "It's like there's an entire neighbourhood in here!" Jake noted.

"This place… I know this place…" Simon said before running into the street. "Simon, wait up!" Finn yelled to Simon before chasing after him. As Simon ran down the cracked road, he looks left and right at the houses around the street as if he was looking for something. He stops before a suburban home and goes inside as the rest of the team catches up. "Simon!" Backfire yelled to Simon.

Inside the house was a dusty living room that was dimly-lit by a few flickering lights. Simon was scrambling around the room in search for something. The rest of the team enters the house and sees Simon pulling apart piles of rubble and miscellaneous items. "Y'know, we don't usually loot until after our main goal." Jake told Simon. "Simon… did you used to live here?" Finn asked Simon as he was pushing a cabinet away from a wall.

After some straining, Simon pushes the cabinet onto the floor and retrieves a picture frame that was stuck behind it. "I… I did. This was my parents' place." Simon told Finn as he presented the dusty frame to them. He dusts it off, revealing Simon as a child with his parents, though their faces are obscured by stains and dust. "This is the place where I grew up; Tranquility, California." Simon added. "Weird that we ended up here of all places." Finn said.

"If all this were back on the surface, Cephalon would be miles from here." Simon added. "How do you know so much about Cephalon Cryogenics?" Backfire asked. "I… I had a friend who…" Simon answered slowly. "It's fine, Simon. You don't have to say anymore." Finn told Simon. Outside, they hear the sound of a twig snapping.

"Someone or something's here." Backfire said as he readied his rifles. They all slowly walk to the door with their weapons, Finn peeking from the edge of the door frame. "On three, we jump 'em." Finn whispered to the team. "Three!" he screamed. They all leap out of the door screaming and come face-to-face with Susan Strong and her friend Frieda, both ready to attack with scavenged swords.

"Susan!" Finn yelled. "Finn!" Susan responded. The two drop their weapons and hug. "It's great to see you guys!" Finn told Susan. "You too, Finn!" Susan agreed.

"You know these guys?" Backfire asked Finn. "Yeah I do! Simon, Backfire, this is Susan Strong and her friend Frieda. We met them on Founders Island a while back." Finn introduced the two. "Susan, Frieda, this is Simon and Backfire. Simon used to be Ice King, and Backfire is an alien robot that can turn into a motorcycle." Finn introduced his team to Susan and Frieda. "Wow, a real alien!" Frieda said excitedly as she ran up to him. "What planet did you come from? Do you have weird robot food there? Do you have a space ship?" Frieda asked Backfire excitedly.

"Cybertron, yes, and I lost my ship license." Backfire answered in order. "Hello, Miss Strong. We haven't met formally, but I was the security at the Battle of the Bands a while back." Simon greeted Susan as he extended his hand to her. "Oh yeah, you were security!" Susan recalled. "So, what brings you here, Susan?" Finn asked Susan. "Oh, y'know, adventuring, and stuff." Susan answered.

From the horizon, they all hear low rumbling. "Is that another earthquake?" Frieda wondered. "No, that's an engine roaring." Backfire said as he raised his rifles. Drifting into the street were three of Lockdown's muscle car drones that quickly transform to face the six. "Looks like we'll have to catch up later, Susan." Finn told Susan.

To be continued…