Chapter 29:
There was no time to think. There was time to run if there were anywhere to run. There was no time to question the wisdom of running.
It had started as a standard day-at-the-office. Freddie was attending a meeting, as the leader of Mystery, Inc. Shaggy was sorting out expired ID cards required to access certain security areas, as always accompanied by Scooby, classifying them as either To Be Renewed or To Be Terminated. Daphne and Velma were on security duty. All was well until noonish.
That was when the infiltration occurred.
There had been no warning, other than a loud metallic buzzing a split second before the Veqs arrived. Clearly the first person to see them had pulled the alarm, initiating an immediate evacuation.
For just about everyone in the building, life was the first priority. The Veqs were heavily armed, with weapons that nobody had ever seen before and thus could not identify. For everyone in the building, the only thing that mattered was getting out. Everyone, that is, except two.
Daphne and Velma.
Fortunately, seeing as they were so far down, the Veqs hadn't actually found them yet, but by the very brief intercom message they received following the pulling of the alarm they knew there was little time. But they could not go. The Orb must be protected; the lives of millions of Fizlayens depended on it.
The idea of simply carrying the Orb with them was completely ludicrous; it was too large to conceal surreptitiously, and once the Veqs caught up with them they would take it with whatever means were necessary, killing the carrier if they had to.
Daphne could think of only one possibility. She loaded her gun.
Velma, however, was busily working at a box of wires near the back. Daphne looked at her, alarmed.
"Velma!" she screamed. "The Veqs are coming! They've got us cornered! There is no other way out of this basement! We need to fight them!"
Velma tried to answer calmly. Her voice was shaking.
"I know. But our mission here is to protect the Orb. Not necessarily by shooting at those who might wish to take it..."
Daphne was confused. Velma continued.
"Over the past several months, Mr. Fizlayer and I have been working on this force-shield system that should protect the Orb from any outside forces. It was almost ready... now if I can just change a few things around I should be able to activate it..."
"You never told the rest of us about that!"
"Sorry! 'Loose lips sink ships.' But that is the real reason I got that raise, at least the bulk of it... the translation may have tacked on five or ten..."
"Whatever! Just hurry!" Daphne yelled. Her perceptive hearing seemed to be acting up again... the Veqs were coming down the stairs...
"Almost..." Velma exclaimed.
The creatures burst open the door. There were maybe fifteen or twenty... All at once they lunged for the Orb. Daphne shot at as many as she could. She was outnumbered; she couldn't keep track of all of them...
"...there!" Velma finished. She turned around triumphantly as a huge wall of green light formed around the Orb. She had done it; the Veqs were retreating--
Her joy did not last long. As soon as they fled, Velma saw the unconscious, limp form of Daphne on the cold floor before her.
Velma rushed down and pressed the emergency button on the intercom system, summoning help. Hopefully the emergency workers hadn't abandoned the CCC in the struggle... no, someone had stuck around to answer. Velma told him everything that had happened, but briefly... she had to get to Daphne, to make sure her friend was all right...
She felt for breathing. Good. Years ago Velma had taken a course in rescue breathing, but she didn't think she remembered everything... Instantly Velma's second reaction was to feel Daphne's stomach.
Miraculously, the child was still kicking. The baby would live if the mother survived... or maybe they could at least deliver the child safely; at eight months she still had a chance...
Velma brushed the thought away. She didn't want to think about her friend... dying?
"Hang on, Daphne..." Velma whispered. "They're sending help... you'll be okay... hold on..."