Here's the next chapter of "The Final Countdown". Last time, Jimmy discovered something in the book they found. Now it's time to share it with the others…

Enjoy…

Chapter 6: Platform

Later that morning, Timmy told Danielle, Darry, Tammy, Tommy, SpongeTron, and Sam the news and they all gathered into the living room. They gather around onto the sofa and waited till Jimmy arrived. Eventually, the genius came from upstairs with the small book in his hands and stood in front of everyone.

"So, what's this all about, Jimmy?" Tommy asked, looking uninterested.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's important." Tammy added while Tommy glared at her.

But then Dani intervened and dully said, "How about letting him get to it?"

Jimmy chuckled nervously and said, "I'm sorry to keep you all waiting. But I've discovered something last night that may have connections to our battle with the SpongeCog bots and with DarkEvil LaserPants." He held the book into their view. "As some of you may know, this book was acquired in our last battle with a SpongeCog bot and once I open it, it'll hold the contents I'm talking about."

"So open it already!" Tommy yelled impatiently, earning him a glare from Timmy and Tammy.

Jimmy frowned as he opened to the first page of the book, showing everyone the page full of handwritten text.

"'Platform'?" Dani questioned as she read the word at the top of the page. "What's a Platform?"

"Platform is a machine." Jimmy answered as he pointed at the text written in the book. "A machine created by the one who wrote this book. And apparently this book was written to act as an instruction manual in order to operate a machine like this." He turned a page and began to explain the details out loud, "Like these operate the device which are connected to the modem allowing for the correct reaction that would be needed to-"

"Get right to the point of telling us what it does!" Tommy yelled again which Timmy elbowed him for, "Ow."

None the less, Jimmy complied and turned a page to the book to show a hand drawn schematic of a satellite connected to the tip of part of a machine. "This may be hard to comprehend, but this device- or Platform as it is known- has the technology to alter the nature of any universe."

"And what does that mean?" Tommy asked as everyone narrowed his eyes at him.

"It means that it can change the world to whatever the operator wants just by sitting right here at the controls." Jimmy explained as he pointed to another picture of a chair with a dome overhead in front of a couple screens and controls. "Like say you wanted a world made entirely candy and soda- or a world where everyone lived under your command with no one questioning you."

"Whoa," Darry said in awe over the explanation. "That machine can really do all that?"

"That's right." Jimmy nodded as he pointed to the previous picture. "It would seem this part over the control area is designed to keep the operator safe from any of the changes made to the world once Platform is operated. You can alternate history with this device and you still would be safe at the controls of Platform."

Dani looked speechless by this. "That's…incredible."

"It's remarkable." SpongeTron added as he stretched out his arms and grabbed the book from Jimmy. "This inventor is a genius to find the technology to make a machine like this. It can literally change the world."

Then Tammy's eyes widen. "That's it!"

Tommy looked at her in confusion. "What's it?"

"DarkEvil has this machine. And now he's making the SpongeCog bots look for this book." Tammy explained. "He must want this book to know how to work the machine to change the worlds to what he wants it to be."

"You're probably right, Tammy." Jimmy said as he nodded in agreement. "Clockwork said that DarkEvil had the one thing to get him what he wants, but he still needs two important things."

"Oh man," Timmy gasped as he pointed at the book. "That must be one of them. There's no telling what he'd use that machine to do."

"He can make the world anything he wants it to be." Dani pointed out. "He can change history so he can rule the world or make us his servants."

"That is a possibility." Jimmy nodded in agreement, "All the more reason for DarkEvil to get his hands on this."

Then Tommy snatches the book from SpongeTron and skims through the pages. "It's all the more reason for ANYONE to get their hands on it." Then he closed the book and smiled widely. "A machine that can really change the world to anything you want."

He closed his eyes and imagined himself sitting on a large throne, wearing a large crown on his head. "I can be king, and my first two official rules will be dessert for breakfast every day, and kids like me can do whatever we want whenever we want."

He then imagined himself laughing in triumph as a large crowd of kids cheered with all the candy they could ever want falling from the sky. But his concentration was soon interrupted by the chiding from his twin sister.

"Tommy!" Tammy shouted, getting his attention. "That's not right!"

"Yeah!" Timmy seemed to agree until he smiled and added, "How about instead, the rules are 'there are no rules'?"

"Better…" Tommy agreed with a smile.

"Guys, we shouldn't be discussing Platform like this." Jimmy insisted as he walked over and took the book back from Tommy. "It's obvious that the creator intended for a device as sensitive as this to be used for good." Then he stared at the book with his voice trailing off, "With an invention like this, it can benefit all mankind…"

He became lost in through as he imagined a futuristic city. "It can change the world to exactly what it should be. Scientific technology benefits mankind as intended, and science and math being the answer to everyday problems. And of course, the most prestigious lab in the world for only the best scientist with a genius intellect…like myself."

He then completely zoned out to imagine himself in a white lab coat, standing at a desk to successfully pour a chemical into a beaker with a crowd of famous scientist to applaud him.

Jimmy's eyes widen to see Timmy snapping his fingers in his face to get his attention. "More like a world of boring." Timmy said, after hearing Jimmy absent-mindedly announce his idea out loud.

"I think Jimmy has a point." Tammy suddenly said. "But with something like Platform, it can be used for something better. Like…like-like girls are never appreciated anymore!" she then had a look of determination on her face. "If I used Platform, I can make it so us females can be appreciated and respected for the smarts and superiority we truly have."

"Man," Tommy said as he gave her a dull look. "I thought I heard boring, but that is lame."

"Oh yeah!" Tammy shouted in his face.

"YEAH!"

While Tammy argued with Tommy, and Jimmy argued with Timmy, SpongeTron watched it all with a sigh.

"Gee, this fighting will get us nowhere." Then he turned around and thought to himself. "But that Platform does sound powerful. I wonder if it can be used to make a world where robots like me were the dominant race on Earth."

He then imagined himself in the future where robots were running free, and humans contently tending to their needs such as oiling, polishing, maintenance, and various things that they usually assisted humans with. SpongeTron was sitting in Future Jimmy's office chair, kicked back with his feet on the desk as he sat next to a coffee maker.

"It'd be so great." SpongeTron said, feeling lost in the happy thought. "We'd all be happy and we'd never have to worry about anything ever again."

He imagined Future Jimmy using an electric polishing brush on his head while Darry held a can of oil to SpongeTron, which the robot drank from using a straw.

"No way!" Darry shouted, interrupting SpongeTron's vision. "That could never happen!"

SpongeTron crossed his arms and turned away. "Well, it could."

"Platform needs be used for good; something that can benefit for humans and ghosts- like me and my dad." Darry eagerly explained. "It would be totally gnarly if both the human world and Ghost Zone were merged into one. That way, humans and ghosts can live together as one, and we won't have to worry about invading each other's worlds anymore."

Then he suddenly had the image in his head of the streets of the human world and the eerie green dimensions of the Ghost Zone standing side-by-side of each other; with a human man and a green ghost smiling and shaking hands. But it was suddenly interrupted when SpongeTron complained.

"My idea is way better!"

"More like way creepy." Darry said in a dull tone.

"Yours is creepier." SpongeTron pointed out defensively. "It has ghosts crossing the road in it. At least mine had fresh cans of oil."

"I ain't filling up your fuel gauge!"

While Jimmy, Timmy, Tammy, Tommy, SpongeTron, and Darry continued to argue with each other, Sam stared at it all with a disappointed look on her face.

"Will you all stop it?" Sam yelled, silencing everybody. "You guys should be ashamed! You're all arguing about what YOU want to do with Platform instead of what a machine like that can do for others."

Jimmy and the others all stared at each other as Sam continued on, "I mean, think about it. You can finally give what everyone needs: world peace. And give poor defenseless animals the rights they deserve. What's also important is being rid of all the environmentally dangerous buildings and devices that are hazardous to nature."

But before she could go on, Jimmy, Timmy, Tammy, Tommy, Darry, and SpongeTron went right back to arguing over their ideas on what Platform should be used for while Sam angrily shouted, "Oh, come on!" and joined everyone in the arguing.

After having stood there silently, Danielle just sighed in frustration at having to listen to everyone's arguing while a threat is outside, plotting his next move. She cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted, "EVERYONE, QUIET!"

At this, everyone suddenly stopped arguing and stared at her silently. "Do you think we can get back on topic here? We know what Platform does, so now we just need to find it."

"You're right, Dani." Jimmy said with a nod as he looked at the book. "Though finding a machine like this may not be so easy with DarkEvil possibly holding it- unless we find the original holder of this book."

"You mean that weird guy with the blue robe and four arms?" Timmy asked.

"What guy with four arms?" Darry asked, looking confused.

"I'll explain that later." Jimmy answered. "But yes, he was the one who dropped this book I found. I figure if we find him, we'll be able to get a little more information on this machine."

"Okay, that doesn't sound so bad." Dani agreed with an unsure tone. "But how are we supposed to find him?"

"Well, he only seems to appear whenever we're attacked by one of those SpongeCog robots- he must also have some sort of connection with them."

"Then I guess we'll have to start up a search for that mysterious robed figure," SpongeTron instructed, "and get him to tell us about Platform."

However, Jimmy seemed to have zoned out as he looked at the last page of the book and saw the words, 'Can only accessed by digit security code.' "Code?" Jimmy questioned to himself. "What code?"

Platform sounds like a wonderful machine, doesn't it? But it looks like the machine has some protection to it. Please review what you think and keep an eye out for the next chapter.