May 30th , 2008

Cryptosporidium and Trisomy 13 were playing a game of cards on the Third Ring of Furon. Trisomy had a losing streak of four games in a row, setting a new record. Crypto then got a transmission from Emperor Orthopox 15, his leader. He made up an excuse to leave so he could be private.

"What's the situation, Poxy?" Crypto asked.

"I hope you know you're playing blackjack with the last member of the rebellion," Pox told him.

"Oh I know Pox," Crypto said. "I'm just looking for the right moment to fry him."

"Well," Pox began with nervousness in his voice, "Be careful. He blew up the prison moon."

"No Pox," Crypto corrected his leader. "Gondii did that and he's dead."

As Crypto talked with Pox, Trisomy talked with his guards about the time to kill Crypto.

"When he walks out of the room," Trisomy said, "Nuke his face into oblivion."

Crypto walked out and was ambushed by the agents. He pulled out his Quantum Bazooka and blew up the guards. He then grabbed his plasma saber so he could impale Trisomy, who snuck up behind Crypto and knocked him out.

Crypto woke up in a room that smelled like lint. It was one of the condemned floors of the casino they were in, The Patau, or, as tourists called it, The Burning Star. Crypto looked at his arms and legs and saw that they were in shackles. He realized Trisomy was torturing him.

"Who is about to die now?" Trisomy asked as he readied a neural whip.

At that moment, shotgun fire blasted open the door. Crypto looked to his left as he saw a familiar figure in the shadows- Neuroblastoma. Trisomy tried to challenge her, but he was quickly knocked out. She blasted the restraints holding Crypto up to the wall.

"Now you know what it was like for me back in '89," Neuroblastoma replied with a bit of humor.

"This was my plan," Crypto replied with unmistakable cockiness in his voice.

"Sure, whatever," Neuroblastoma replied. "Now let's get out of here."

They made it to the door when Trisomy awakened and activated the alarm. The entire splinter cell force assembled in the room.

"This is the end, cobaka." Crypto could tell he was talking to Neuroblastoma. The rebels seemed to have a tendency to call women "dogs" no matter what.

Crypto and Neuroblastoma quickly eliminated the snipers on the upper floor of the Burning Star and the other rebels as they approached. Trisomy tried to shoot at the two enemies, but missed with each bullet. However, one of them sliced through Neuroblastoma's right hand. She shot open the view port window and Trisomy flew out, because he neglected the use of cover.

"Glad that's over," Crypto said, catching his breath.

"I don't think it is," Neuroblastoma said, pointing to a skeletal finger clutching the view port window.

Trisomy had returned with no skin on his arms or legs, but was still able to fight. Crypto and Neuroblastoma shot at Trisomy's legs, which caused him to lose balance and fly back out the window.

Orthopox came on Crypto's commlink and asked about Trisomy.

To be continued…