The Knight is the darkest just before the dawn

Part Six: Catch me if you can!

The Joker pushed Dr. O'Shay and Reno into a well lit room at the end of the hall. It was a well equipped Robotics laboratory with computers, power monitors, and tools. Lying on a well lit operating table in the middle of the room lay an inert robot body. Just a bit over five feet tall, well polished and clean. The robot's chest panel was open, revealing the power and programming connectors. All it needed was to have it's A.I. downloaded, and to be powered.

"Get to work!" the Joker ordered. I want this robot on line and ready to be programmed by the end of the day.

Dr. O'Shay immediately recognized the robot as Tenma's work. He had no desire to put this mad man's mind into that body.
"You're crazy if you think I'm going to help you, Joker." O'Shay said defiantly.

"We'll soon see about that" The Joker replied. He walked over to an intercom panel on the wall and pressed a button. "Get Dr's Tenamann and Blackjack in here at once!"

Within minutes, the door opened and a rough looking man in a wool suit escorted Tenamann and BlackJack into the room.

"Hail, hail, the gang's all here!" the Joker laughed. "I assumed that I might have to resort to some adjustments in your loyalties, and since my life will be in all of your hands, I am going to resort to some drastic measures."

The Joker snapped his fingers and one of his henchmen handed him a box, which the Joker opened. He extracted what looked like a metal collar and grabbing O'Shay by his nose pulled him close while snapping the metal ring around his neck.

"I hope it doesn't fit too tightly doctor, I really don't want to cut off the circulation to your brain." He said. "That really wouldn't do at all!"

Doctor O'Shay fingered the metal collar he now wore. The Joker could see that it fit loosely and was not causing the doctor any physical discomfort, although he clearly didn't like it.

"Each of you will be wearing one of these fashion statements while you are in my employ." The Joker laughed. He snapped his fingers again, and his henchmen fitted Dr. Blackjack, Dr. Tenamann, and Reno with the same neck band. "These devices have several interesting features. They contain a small shaped explosive charge, which were I to detonate, would have the same effect on you as a guillotine. They also contain a device that can activate certain nerve endings in the pain receptors of your brain. I think I will demonstrate that on you, Doctor O'Shay!"

The Joker removed a small transmitter from his pocket and pressed a button. Dr. O'Shay suddenly doubled over in pain. He could feel his skin burning from his body, and could see the flesh on his arms blister, and start to peel away down to the bone. O'Shay could hear himself screaming in pain and begging for the torture to stop. The Joker pressed the button again, and the sensation of pain ceased. O'Shay looked at his arm and saw that it was untouched. Where moments ago his flesh had burned away, there wasn't even a mark.

"As you now surmise Doctor, the device doesn't actually cause any real damage." The Joker explained "The pain is totally in your mind. It is, however quite real. Were I to increase the intensity enough, I could cause you to go into shock and die. I can cause you, or any of your associates the same discomfort any time I want. If somehow you're thinking of self sacrifice I can always force you to watch Reno suffer. Think about that before you decide not to do as I ask."

Dr. O'Shay growled with anger.

"Oh one more little thing." The Joker pulled up his shirt to reveal a device connected to several electrodes stuck to his skin with tape. "This monitor keeps track of my EKG and EEG. Were my body to suddenly stop living those explosives I mentioned earlier will go off and separate your heads from your bodies. I will have to personally deactivate those little collars before they can be safely removed, and I won't do that until my soul is inside that robot body that Dr. O'Shay is going to activate. Now get to work before I loose my patience!"

The joker started to laugh as he walked out of the room leaving the scientists horrified.


Batman picked up the intercom phone and pressed the call button.
"Alfred, would you mind getting the car and picking up two young ladies from the Hotel United States?"

After hanging up the phone, he spoke to Astro.
"I know that you and your sister have some sort of telepathic link via your AI. Please contact her, and tell her and her friend to meet my driver outside the hotel. My butler Alfred will bring them directly here, where they will be safe. I fear that the Joker might try to kidnap them to obtain some influence over Dr. O'Shay or Dr. Blackjack."

Within the half hour, Bruce Wayne's late model Rolls Royce Phantom stretched sedan arrived outside of the hotel. Alfred greeted Zoran and Pinoko, who were still wearing their cosplay costumes. He made them comfortable in the rear of the automobile, and they were soon on their way to the grounds of the Wayne Estate, and the Batcave.

While the girls were in route, the Batcomputer completed its work.
"It seems that there are seven or eight places that one could land a helicopter where it would have been hidden from view." Batman told Astro.

"Then all I have to do is to fly by each one and look for the helicopter to find where the Joker's hideout is located." Astro said.

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy." Batman told him. "I'm certain that the Joker would have been smart enough to get rid of the aircraft as soon as he arrived at his destination. If you do find the helicopter, it will be a diversion. At least we know in what area the Joker has probably hidden our scientists. I've already contacted the Gotham police and started another computer search. There are other ways to locate him."

"I still want to do something." Astro said.

"The Batcomputer is now looking for tie-ins to the Gotham power grid. If the Joker is stealing current from Gotham Edison, we may find him when they attempt to power up Dr. Tenma's robot body ." Batman said.


Reno assisted Dr. O'Shay in getting Tenma's robotic body on line.
"I don't understand how you can go along with that mad man." Reno complained.

"I don't want to, but at the moment it appears that he holds the upper hand." O'Shay sighed. "He could kill us in an instant by just pressing a button. I don't care about myself, but I won't be responsible for your death. Besides, your knowledge of robotics may be the best hope in defeating him later on."

Reno watched as O'Shay began the task of initializing the basic A.I. functions, in preparation for Tenamann to download the Joker's brain program into the robot. He quickly saw what O'Shay was trying to do.

"You're setting up a symbiotic link, aren't you?" Reno asked.

"It's the only ace in the hole that we have." O'Shay told him. "All A.I. robots can interconnect to communicate with each other over common links. There are several cypher codes that can be set up for such purposes. Astro and Zoran share such a link, and there is another code which is shared by Astro and Cobalt. Those links are usually two way, but I've broken all of the outbound command links in this robot's A.I. I've enabled only a single code link, Astro will be able to plant suggestions into this robot's A.I., and he will be able to read its thoughts. Astro will have the advantage of knowing what the Joker-bot is going to do, and where it is at all times. Zoran shares the same code link, so she will have that ability too."

"The Joker will never be aware of that, will he?" Reno asked.

"No, he shouldn't." O'Shay said. "At least I hope so. This electronic brain is the most advanced I've ever worked on. Dr. Tenma outdid himself on this."


The Joker entered the laboratory, and found Dr. Tenamann and Dr. Blackjack waiting for him.
"I assume that you gentlemen are ready to attempt the transference?" he asked.

"I want to examine you first." Blackjack told him. "I may be able to cure you of your toxic poisoning."

"We've been over that before." The Joker told him "You will proceed with the transference, or would you rather experience pain?" He held up the controller for the collars.

"Your brain is deteriorating as we speak, Mr. Joker," Blackjack reminded him. "At least let me take a blood sample and run a toxicology screen so I can prepare a serum to slow the process. Or would you rather the transference fail because your EEG levels drop too low?"

"Point taken, Doctor." The Joker agreed. "You may proceed."

Blackjack drew several tubes of blood from the Joker's arm. He used the gas chromatography equipment that Tenamann had requested to analyze the Joker's blood serum. Finally, Blackjack used his extensive pharmacology knowledge to mix up a suitable antidote for most of the poisons that were slowly killing the clown prince of crime. Blackjack inserted an IV needle in the Joker's arm and connected a saline solution bag, and then pushed his antidote into that.

"This should start to take effect almost at once." He explained. "We can now prep for the transference procedure."


Dr. Tenamann had his equipment ready and waiting. The computer interface would be connected to the Joker's brain via a number of implanted electrodes sitting on the surface of the brain. Dr. Blackjack would have to drill several holes into the Joker's skull and insert the electrodes using a special surgical tool that would gently set each one in place. Each electrode would contact several areas of the brain. They would use a cat-scan and an MRI machine to locate the attachment points.

It took all afternoon to map the Joker's brain. Dr. Tenamann used the MRI to map the areas that had the desired activity, and verified the actual locations with the cat-scan. By the end of the day, the Joker's scalp was covered in several colors of dry-mark ink, indicating the exact areas where the holes needed to be drilled.

"OK, Mr. Joker, we are ready." Blackjack said. "It's time for you to lie down on the operating table. I will be giving you a local anesthesia, so you won't feel me making the openings in your skull for the electrodes. You will remain conscious while I insert the wires, the brain cannot feel any physical pain, however I have no idea what effect the computer equipment will have on you."

"I won't be transferring your consciousness into the robot," Dr. Tenamann explained, "we will actually be making a copy."

"You mean there will be two of me?" the Joker asked. "Now THAT won't do at all!"

"I can leave your biological self in a state of near coma after the transference is complete," Blackjack said.

"Yes, that's the ticket." The Joker decided. "Once I inhabit that metal body I won't have any need for flesh and blood."

Dr. Blackjack finished inserting the last of the electrodes under the Jokers skull.
"Check your equipment, Albert." he said.

Dr. Tenamann activated the computer procedures to begin the transference. A bar graph on one computer screen showed the percentage of data transferred. Over in the adjacent laboratory Dr. O'Shay and Reno were looking at a similar display as the robot's A.I. began to take shape, their computers combining the programming already in place with the brain program and memory data now being transmitted from Tenamann's equipment. Finally the download was completed.

Reno and O'Shay were ready to power up the robot body now that the download from Tenamann's equipment was completed. This would require an injection of a several tens's of megawatts of electrical power to jump start the the robot's atomic power plant.

"It looks like the power lines from the city grid leading into this old Mall are nearly adequate for the task." O'Shay said. "With any luck, we will be cause enough of a drain on the grid to give away our position to the authorities."

"I wonder if the Joker has considered that?" Reno wondered.

Reno and O'Shay cranked up the energy. The lights in the mall dimmed, as O'Shay diverted the outside power into the robot. The Joker's mind inside of Dr. Tenma's robotic body awoke. He struggled to get up off the operating table, and slowly swung his feet over to the floor. He looked at his hands and down at his feet.
"Amazing!" he said, delighted to hear the sound of his own voice.

The robot Joker slowly walked though the hallway and entered the operating room where his human body lay comatose on the table. Joker removed a device from the pocket of his former self and laughed. The three doctors, and Reno huddled together as the Joker tossed the gizmo to the boy.

"I've started a little countdown clock on that remote control." The Joker laughed. "You'll notice there are seven buttons and three lights on there, in addition to that timer display, now counting down. When that timer reaches zero it's all over. If you want to free yourselves from those explosive collars, you have until then to press one of those seven buttons. Which one? The clue is in the pattern of those blinking lights, or not!" Once the counter reaches zero, it's all over. Press the wrong button, and you will all lose your heads!

The robot Joker and his henchmen left the building, locking the doors behind them. Reno, O'Shay, Blackjack, and Tenamann stared at the red numbers, counting down on the remote control now just minutes from zero. The three lamps flashed on and off, in a repeating pattern.


A buzzer sounded in the Batcave, as the Batcomputer pinpointed the location of a significant power drain from the Gotham city grid. The location appeared on a computer screen.

"That's right in the middle of the search area near the old abandoned Gotham Mall!" Batman said. "Let's get to the Batmobile!"

Batman and Astro made it quickly to the site of the old Gotham Mall. Astro used his super hearing to locate where in the building to go. As they came to a locked room, Astro could hear O'Shay and Reno talking though the door. He forced the door open to find the four captives huddled around the blinking device in Reno's hand.

"We've only got sixty seconds left!" O'Shay asked "Which button is it?"

"I don't know!" Reno cried. "This doesn't make sense."

Astro looked at the device.

"The Joker said that this device will disarm the explosive collars on our necks, and that the clue was in the pattern of the blinking lights, or not" Reno said. "Those three lights have flashed in every possible combination, in the same order. I don't see the clue."

"Why don't I just cut them off with my Laser?" Astro suggested.

"No, that might detonate the explosives." Batman replied.

Astro and the Caped Crusader watched the lights blink. Every third of a second a different combination of lights was lit. The same sequence repeated itself again and again.

"I think it's a sequence of binary numbers." Reno said. "But there isn't any combination missing. One through seven, and there are seven buttons."

"No, there is a combination missing." Astro said. "There is a binary number not present in the sequence."

"I don't see it" Reno said.

"The number zero is missing." Astro explained.

"But there are seven buttons, labeled one though seven." Reno said. "There is no zero. Unless?"

The timer was seconds away from zero.

"We've got to try something!" O'Shay yelled.

"No!" Astro said. "Just wait!"

The counter reached zero. Nothing happened. "CLICK!" "CLICK!" "CLICK!" "CLICK!"

Each of the metal collars snapped open. Astro quickly yanked them from around his friend's necks, and threw them into the hallway, where they vaporized into a cloud of smoke.

"The Joker wanted you to press a button in desperation and seal your own doom" Batman said. "He hoped you'd panic when the clock was about to run out. That was a good bit of logical reasoning, Astro."


"We should all return to the Batcave" Batman said. "With Dr. Tenma's robot on the loose with the Jokers mind aboard, I'm going to need all the help I can get!"

"When you get there, send an ambulance back here for me and the Joker's human body." Blackjack suggested. "I'll stay here with him until then."

"Very well." Batman agreed.

"You can take Dr. Tenamann and Dr. O'Shay back with you in the Batmobile" Astro said. "I'll fly back there with Reno."