Poke-genetics: infiltration
Genno was nervous. On paper, things always sound easy. When it came to doing them yourself, it could prove itself… harder than assumed. That's what he was thinking. The bad news was: he was surrounded by men and women in red and black. The good news was: none looked at him. After all, he was one of them.
«I'm not sure if that's your best idea, Genno. » Ash pondered.
« I don't know either. » added Pikachu.
«Listen guys, this is the best way to get to know their headquarters better. This is just a preliminary measure, I'm just going to explore their hideout. It's not like I'll try to take them all on by myself. I'm not that stupid, guys. »
«What if you get caught? »
«I won't be. They would have no way to know I'm not a member; I'll be in the body of one. »
«If you act off, it won't matter what you look like. »
«It will, there's a good way to ensure that. »
«Not convinced. » declared Ash.
«Do you have any other plan that would let us evaluate the full strength of team Blast? »
The two pokemon stayed silent.
«In that case, just train. Ash, you have not fought anything for a while now. So, just practice moves away from our camp. Remember not to use any electric attack. That would be a good signal for Team Blast to follow.»
He sounded confident, but none of his friends' worry seemed to disappear.
Genno didn't like the fact that he secretly agreed with them.
«So far, so good. » he thought. He had copied one of the many members going out of the hideout. It was a pretty big group and the vehicle they used to get away looked like it hid something. It made his infiltration all the more urgent.
«Stop being so nervous! You're making yourself look more suspicious. » he had to tell himself as he entered. The door only opened on an elevator going in the ground and it needed a fingerprint to be used. Genno had to keep himself form smiling. «Looks like this mission was made for me, after all. »
He also felt like frowning. Team Blast was cautious. This was NOT good. They already had a reputation of being dangerous, he didn't need a confirmation. He almost ran in panic when he heard:
«What are you doing here? »
At the exit of the elevator, there was a guard.
«Why are you asking? » he countered as he tried to sound normal.
«You left for operation P two minutes ago. »
«There was a mistake in the list. I'm supposed to leave on the next truck. »
«Really? That's weird… »
«I'll get going then. » he had fooled the guard rather easily. To his defense, the probability that a ditto would try to infiltrate the place was slim.
The inside was sober, no apocalyptic design, just a practical metal corridor to the first few rooms. The first two led to even smaller corridors leading nowhere. He supposed that meant he needed a higher ID to get beyond those places… or that he was being watched and had not been granted access. He hoped his first guess was the right one!
He walked away, looking for the tiniest of details that could later make a difference.
He heard voices from his left and his right. There was a metallic corridor on each of his sides. He could hear laughs, implying those rooms were most likely a place to relax. He had no use for that right now.
He continued exploring the underground building. He turned around a corner and arrived in the middle of what seemed to be a cafeteria. The hall was so big voices echoed in there. Many members were currently eating, taking a criminally-earned break from their irregularly scheduled… activities.
He walked near the walls, trying to be as quiet as possible. If by any chance they determined he was not a member, he would not stand a chance.
Then it happened. He was wondering about another corridor that looked more important and had gotten too close to it for his own good. A higher graded member shouted at him.
«Hey, you! What do you think you're doing wandering in front of the cells? »
He was glad he was wearing a mask like a few other members that preferred being anonymous.
«Oh, my deepest apologies. »
The severe looking woman came closer. She seemed suspicious.
«Take off your mask. » she ordered.
Genno did as he was told and revealed the feminine features he had borrowed. Gosh, this was embarrassing enough as it was. He knew there was no way anybody could ever say that he voluntarily turned into a (good-looking and black haired) girl, but a silly part of his mind keep telling himself that someone would see through this appearance. It also felt totally freaky not to have…
It was better not to think about it.
«What are your name and your member number? »
He tried not to show his joy. He didn't choose that body because he felt like having a sex change; she was the only one he heard the name being pronounced. Plus, the number was on the clothes tag. He memorized it before entering and was mentally applauding his intelligence now.
«Elizabeth, 14728. »
«What is your daily assignment? »
«I was scheduled to work on operation P, but I was told to return to the headquarters. »
«Why? »
«There were too much people on the operation. The man in charge ordered me to return and wait for another assignment. »
The black haired woman judged the sincerity of Genno's statement. She looked at a sheet of paper on the wall. There really was an Elizabeth assigned for the operation P and the list had trouble fitting on one page… it could be true. She raised her voice.
«Can anyone in this room vouch for this girl? »
More than an hundred pair of eyes turned toward Genno. Oh Mew, there was no way his lies were going to be accepted.
«I can! She's my roommate. »
«And who might you be? »
«Sarah, 14328. »
The woman judged her, then she sighted.
«Very well, you may return to your seat, Sarah. Elizabeth, since you are currently without assignment, you'll come with me to lead the scientists to the lab. »
He tried not to open his eyes wide.
«Take this key and follow me. » she ordered as she gave Genno a particularly small key.
The captain entered the previously forbidden corridor and turned around a corner. Genno followed her with his heart beating stronger than ever.
He gasped as they turned a corner. He saw something he didn't think he'd see anywhere other than science-fiction: lasers, lots of lasers.
The veteran inserted one of the keys into a hole in the walls and they disappeared.
After a thirty seconds walk, they entered another room. This one clearly reeked of despair.
To Genno's horror, there were more than a dozen of cells. Each occupied by at least two persons. The woman stopped in front of the three cells she was interested in.
Genno's heart missed a beat. He had his father under his eyes!
Janes's Alakazam was sulking. It was tired of teleporting for things he considered meaningless. However, it wasn't stupid enough to ever complain to his mistress. She was not the kind of trainer to tolerate her pokemon's complaints. She was more of the physical punishment kind.
Janes was not exactly in her best mood either. Her boss told her to fetch the forgotten notes in Avery's lab.
«Seriously, these science freaks are playing with our nerves. As soon as one realized he doesn't have every single piece of paper he wrote something on, all of them claim they needs their VITAL piece of work, though in this case, it will probably be. »
Alakazam moved the door with psychic and they entered the house. She remembered the time they «broke » into the house… and the house was different from now. Someone had cleaned up. Did the young Avery come back to his house? He ran away as soon as she threw the test tube at him. He was probably in the wild now, trying to adapt to the wildlife, fearing trainers more than a genuine wild pokemon.
She laughed at the thought. She definitely had to go in these woods someday and find him. He would make a most… enjoyable prey.
Janes walked upstairs and got to the lab. She then entered both passwords (it was her boss' idea to add a second, a sadistic idea like the one she loved). The first password disabled the ordinary security system; the second disabled the… secret one.
She was surprised when the screen turned yellow. It stood for double password. In other word, she disabled something that was already disabled.
Her smile turned into a mad grin. That could only mean one thing: the DNA solution had been used up! Someone got turned into a pikachu!
And now that she was thinking about it, she had a strong hunch of who it could be…
Genno was frozen. His father was there, right in front of him. He could reach him! He had the key to the cell… he could free his father right now.
«Elizabeth! Open the cell containing Mister Avery and Mister Folklow. I'll take care of the other two. »
Genno had to force himself to move. With tense movements, he unlocked the door and let the two men out. If he got closer to his father, he could whisper to him…
«Mister Avery, your cooperation allows you to eat in the cafeteria with the other members, you have fifteen minutes to do so. »
Genno's surprise went up a notch. His father was cooperative? It was Team Blast they were talking about!
«Very well, I'll make good use of that time. »
He looked neutral about it. He left the room alone, without any guard following him. Genno had to assimilate the information fast; the captain gave him another order.
«Elizabeth, you'll be the last one in the line, right behind mister Folklow. »
He nodded and they began to move.
Genno's brain was working at an hundred miles per hour. He had to think of something! He knew he was not supposed to, but he had met his father and the other poke-geneticists. There had to be some way to help them without blowing his cover. «Think Genno, think! » They were in the middle of the cafeteria and he felt Stan tensed up as they passed near his father, who was eating peacefully.
That gave him an idea!
He moved closer and leaned on mister Folklow's shoulder. The poor scientist almost jumped when he felt Genno's breath on his neck.
«Mister Folklow, don't react, don't answer. » he whispered as faintly as possible.
The man continued walking as if he had not heard a thing. Genno even doubted for a moment that he had been heard. «Mew, I hope it'll work. » he thought. As he explained his plan, Stan's body language tensed a little. Good, he was listening.
Genno finished just in time, as they got to the elevator. In the small room, there would be no way to explain without being caught.
It was a good thing that he was not claustrophobic, because at eight in a small elevator like this one, he'd have snapped.
The door opened on an enormous lab. Team Blast already had its own scientists. They just wanted a few more… in a field of study that was not considered that important before.
Genno took a good look at the place. « This is bad! This place is an ideal lab. It has everything! »
The scientists all went to the same desk… on which there was glass box containing a ditto!
Genno felt his breakfast moving up in his throat. Ash had wondered what would happen to him if he was unlucky, well, if he was really unlucky, this!
He tried not to throw up thinking how his fellow pokemon was feeling. It was clearly sick and was eying every person in the room, hoping one would free it. How could his father even think of cooperating with this! There was definitely something wrong with his dad lately.
Stan Folklow's anger was rising as he approached the box. How could anyone treat a living sentient creature like that? He had a feeling it would be easy to be convincing.
George Greenwood, the head of Team Blast research team, welcomed them with open arms. As always, he was unbearably cynical.
Good, this was going to be a piece of cake.
He used his movement as a momentum and punched the horrible scientist in the face.
All Team Blast's members in the room ran toward the two fighters… except for Genno. He rushed to the elevator and pressed the downward button. As the door closed, he stared at the one person he needed to and changed.
When the elevator reached the third floor, the captain got out of it. «Mew, I hope turning into girls won't become a habit! »
It was his plan. Stan was to cause a ruckus, which would mobilize every capable member in the room. He would then be able to escape without being seen… with the key.
He switched bodies since he was sure that Elizabeth was not high graded enough to go to the most important places and since the original captain was occupied… it wouldn't be too risky.
His hunch was right. The computer room was on the lowest level. A few members were working on the giant computers operating the headquarters, its branches, the lab's data and the missions. When he entered the room, a member rose up from his seat and bowed.
«Captain Seriza, what are your orders? »
Turning into that woman had definitely been a good idea… except for the whole «feminine body» concept.
«I want you to give me a detailed report of operation P and of our next operation. »
«Immediately captain. »
Genno looked at the unknown man as he worked on the sophisticated machine. He was fairly young, somewhere in his mid-twenties… he wondered what made him join an organization as evil as Team Blast.
«The printed version? » the man asked.
«Yes. »
He clicked in the corner of the screen and the machine spit a few sheets of paper.
Genno tried not to shake as he took the sheets. This was it! He had the information he needed. He had to get out of here now before things got dangerous.
«Good work, now return to your occupation. »
«Thank you, captain. »
He had to stop himself from running. Each step made it harder to restrain. He walked through the base as in a dream. He didn't even remember going in the dining hall that he was in front of his father's cell.
Under the eyes of a bunch of confused prisoner and an inattentive guard (he could not say a thing to a captain), he dropped it in the corner of the cell. He only hoped Stan would find it before anyone else. He promptly got back in the corridor between this room and the dining hall and, as the guard looked somewhere else, he turned into him. «Ah, it's good to be back in a boy's body. »
Jokes aside, he had to do it. He was not sure how long mister Folklow could keep her busy. Judging from the muscles of her body, probably not long.
He tried to walk as calmly as possible as he got closer to the exit. His heart was beating too fast for its own good. «Calm down. » he ordered his mad organ.
The guard looked at his fellow member with surprise. Usually, being the entrance's watchman was a quiet job.
«Where are you going? »
«I was chosen as a replacement for the girl that was on the wrong mission. » he answered without thinking.
The guard's eyebrows rose. What were they doing in the computer room? They were messing up a lot lately. Still, he had no reason to stop that guy from going out.
Genno entered the elevator like a robot. «Just a few more seconds. » he whispered. He felt that unsettling feeling in his guts as the elevator moved toward the open.
When the door opened and he was alone, he started running. He couldn't believe it, he had done it! He successfully broke through Team Blast's headquarters and got out safely. It had to be a world premiere. Though in all honesty, Team Blast didn't exist for that long.
Genno morphed into Ash as he reached their camp. The use of the word «camp» was generous. It was only a green tent they shared and a portable cooking set. No camp fire allowed. They were too close to Team Blast to dare.
The place was deserted. His friends were apparently still training somewhere in the middle of the forest. He sat down, his legs finally giving up under the pressure of stress.
It wasn't the best moment to rest. He had to examine Team Blast's plan.
As he read the sheets, he felt a chill run down his spine. This was madness!
And it would work!
Genno thought about the pokemon used as test subjects in the lab, especially the ditto and he finally lost it. He threw up.