We interrupt our gripping story to bring you a quick interruption regarding the fate of Ratchet and family!


Later. An unknown location.

Doctor Kayla scowled. "You couldn't catch her?"

The Blarg who had brought her the news shook his head. "Sorry, Ma'am. She slipped past us. We last saw her leaving Fastoon. Dunno where she's gone from there."

"Hmmm.." Kayla drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. "That's unfortunate. If I'd been able to catch her, I'd have been able to reverse engineer the process I used on her. Ah well, we'll catch her soon..." She gave a nerve scraping smile. "I have what I want, anyway. The Galaxies greatest heroes at my feet. I think I'll go see how they're doing..."

She got up and left, gloating as she went. Finally! After years of planning and scheming, ever since the day that wretched Cain woman deleted her lifes work, she finally had her in her clutches. And her children too. Kayla smiled and hugged herself happily. Twins, no less! It would be interesting to see how much modification they could stand.

And...Ratchet...

She'd leave him till later. A treasure like him could wait for now...

She reached a heavy steel door and unlocked it, carefully pushing it open, stepping into a small, dark room. There was a soft whimper from the far corner. With a cold smile, she flicked on the light.

"Hello, children..."

Kaden and Alister huddled together, backed up as far as they could go, staring up at her with frightened eyes. It was clear they had taken after their mother. Coal black fur shone under the florescent lights. But their eyes...a rush of hatred sped across her brain. They had their fathers eyes...

"P-please don't hurt us..." One stuttered. Was it Kaden or Alister? They really were hard to tell apart, weren't they? No matter...

"W-we're only ten!" wailed the other one. Kayla gave him a nasty grin.

"All the better. Makes it easier for me...Oh, we are going to have so much fun! I wonder what I'll do to you? Extra limbs? Extra eyes? The possibilities are limitless!"

The twins buried their heads in each others shoulder and wailed in terror as she cackled.

"Well, so long, you two." she said, turning to leave. "Be seeing you real soon..."

And on that ominous note, she stepped out, locking the door behind her. Her next stop was on the next floor down, this one darker and colder. As she approached the cage at the end of the corridor, there was a low, warning growl. Kayla switched on the light, and Jasmine Cain hissed with discomfort as it seared her eyes. She struggled fruitlessly at the glowing energy bonds at her wrists and ankles that forced her into a kneeling position. She glared at her captor, amethyst eyes blazing.

"Come to gloat, have you?" she snarled.

"Hmm...yeah, pretty much. Enjoying your stay so far?"

Jasmine didn't rise to the bait.

"Where's Ratchet? What have you done with him? And god help you if you've hurt my cubs..."

"Your cubs? They're fine. At the moment. But believe me, I have plans for them..."

"LET MY CHILDREN GO, YOU BI-!"

Kayla raised a remote, and a glowing band of energy snapped across Jasmines muzzle, cutting her off in mid-sentence. All she could do was growl impotently at her captors smug face.

"I've been waiting for this moment for years. I'll make sure that you regret the day you deleted my work. See you soon, Jasmine. Have a nice day..."

With a mocking laugh, she left. Her hands started to shake with excitement as she descended to the last floor. Finally...

The walls were bare stone, hacked out of the bed rock. Lights over head flickered on and off randomly, casting strange shadows on the walls. The corridor was a dead end, finishing at a slab of rock. And Ratchet. He was chained spread-eagled to the wall, steel bonds at wrists and ankles, tail dangling limply. His head hung downwards, ears drooping as the last of the tranquillizer left him.

"Hello, Ratchet."

He looked up, eyes still vaguely unfocused.

"Who's there?"

She stepped into his line of view, and Ratchet finally got a look at his captor. She wasn't much to look at, a fairly tall Blarg with mousy brown hair slicked back in a pony tail. But she had a look in her eyes, a cold glint that chilled him. It was the look of someone who would do anything they wanted to you. Because it was fun.

"Who are you?"

"Doctor Kayla. I believe you're looking after one of my experiments?"

It took a while for his drug addled mind to reach a conclusion, but when it did, it drove the last of the tranq from his system. He strained against his chains.

"You-!"

"Oh yes, I'm quite proud of how Shona turned out. Some of my best work. You wouldn't happen to know where she is, would you?"

The venom in his voice would have melted steel.

"Even if I did, I sure as hell wouldn't tell you!"

She nodded.

"Ah well, she can wait. I'll find her. Your boys, on the other hand..."

Ratchet's heart sank like a stone.

"You have them?"

"Oh yes."

"Let them go!"

"I can't do that, Ratchet. I have plans for them. I've been working on a number of ideas for genetic modification, and those two will make perfect subjects. And...yes, that's a nice idea...Every time I've finished a test, I'll bring them down so you can see. See all the little...improvements..."

Ratchet felt sick.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"You don't know?" she growled. There was a pause, and her expression of rage changed to realization. "You really don't know, do you? Look at me, Ratchet. See me."

Ratchet looked, eyes roving over every one of her features, straining for comprehension. Then, just as a cloud can turn into a face if gazed at long enough, he saw, saw the little similarities in the eyes and face. His eyes widened with shock.

"Drek?" he breathed.

"My father. And you killed him!"

"He was a monster! He destroyed planets! Thousands died!"

"Entrepreneurs are never understood in their time."

"How can you say that?"

She ignored him, lost in her own world of hatred.

"My father was always supportive of my work, right from the day I made my first pigeon-rat. He gave me my first lab, bribed the authorities so my work could proceed unhindered. A lot of my...techniques are very illegal. Without his help, I'd never have become the person I am today. And you took him away from me."

"Look, I'm sorry, but innocent lives were at stake!"

"What do they matter? A few lives more or less, who cares?"

"I do."

She sneered.

"A real goody-two-shoes, aren't you. Well, a fat lot of good it'll do you here. I finally succeeded where so many have failed. So long, Ratchet. Be seeing you soon..."

She left, the door sliding closed behind her. Ratchet hung his head, dark despair filling him, tangling in his thoughts. Back in the old days, Clank would have been there to help him out, or at least keep him company. But he was at the Great Clock now. Ratchet had no-one. He didn't know where Jasmine was, he didn't know where Shona was, and his cubs were in the hands of a monster. The dark wings of misery enfolded him. Alone in the darkness, Ratchet wept.


Ending this chapter on a bit of a dark note, aren't I? I'm rather proud of the plot twist involving Kayla's father. Hands up all those who were expecting it!