Three and a half hours since Max began the trip of the shipping dock on the edge of Cyberspace in search of eight cruise ships, he spotted ahead the deserted dock as the squad stirred in their naps. All except Inez.
"There." Max pointed ahead. "Fender's Stratoships."
Inez leaned forwards as she spotted the floating dock with a handful of ships that seem perfectly intact.
"Has anyone been here since..." Inez's thought trailed off.
"Not that I know of." Max responded quickly. "Better hope those ships are workin'"
Inez didn't say anymore as she watch the rest of the squad slowly began waking up; rubbing their sleepy eyes and stretching.
"Are we there yet?" Matt asked the cliché phrase.
"Yeah. Someone should go check on the pilots and make sure they're all okay." Inez said. Slyder volunteered as he slowly rose from his chair, patting Jackie's shoulder as she turned around to sleep. The pilots shortly entered the front of the ship, standing a distance from the squad.
"We're close men." Max told them as he began to switch some of the knobs off.
His ship parked by a fuel station; also with more of Fender's stratoships. He put his ship to park as he rested back in the seat.
"Alright guys, let's check this place out." Matt said as the squad lead the way for the pilots that followed. Max and Digit stayed with the stealthcraft.
/
Stepping down the metallic plate, the group made their way through the dock; gigantic cruise ships looming over them. Inez stared straight up as the light shone brightly down on them.
"Can't we just take one?" One of the older pilots asked.
"Sure, if you know how to hot wire one. But maybe a key would be better?" Jackie walked up beside Matt. They stood before a low building that showed signs of vacancy. Matt reached out to turn the handle, but it was locked.
"It's locked." As he try to break the handle and ram his way in. Slyder stepped forward and kneeled down. His metallic, index fingertip transformed into a lock-pick as he played around and managed to open the door. He pushed it, making a way for the rest of the gang.
"Good 'ole hand." Jackie patted his arm.
The pilots stood outside as Matt equipped his flashlight. Inside were dust-covered shelves and paper left on the floor; dust coating all of the surfaces including the windows. Jackie coughed as she covered her mouth from the dust.
Slyder lifted his collar so it covered his mouth partly, following the path Matt was making with the light. He shifted the flashlight over to where metallic, square lockers stacked on one another were as he made his way over. They were all unlock, so he easily opened one. A pair of keys was all that was left. Matt reached for it, glancing down at the tag that read FSC701.
"That's the ship's model. I guess whatever keys we find the ship must be here." Slyder said.
"Search the lockers." As Matt curiosity got the best of him as he flashed his light down the hall. "I'm going to see if there's anything else."
Inez stepped forward beside him, "I'm coming too."
Slyder and Jackie snatched the rest of the keys as they glanced at the two. "You two be careful. We'll be waiting outside."
Matt smiled as they both descended down the hall and disappeared behind a cloud of dust. Inez's coughing got distant as it faded.
"C'mon." Slyder told Jackie as they escaped the dusty fortress.
/
Matt and Inez's voices were shallow as they descended down the stairs. The only sounds emitted from their footsteps and breaths as they stood closer together. Inez's hand clung to the crook of Matt's arm as she used the glow of her tech watch to check the hall before them.
"Basement?" Matt asked.
"Probably." Inez said breathlessly. Matt gripped her tighter, to make sure she was close to him.
"So much for a romantic day out." Matt grinned. Inez chuckled.
"You call a dusty basement romantic?" Inez raised a brow, her glasses glaring blue from her her watch.
"A little." Matt joked as she punched his arm lightly.
"Let's hurry up before we choke to death." Inez rolled her eyes as they descended deeper. As they inched closer to the end of the hall, they heard loud creaking noises from the other side of the double-doors. The two of them froze.
"You heard that right?" Inez kept her voice low.
Matt nodded, "Probably just upstairs. This place been dead for how many years." He edged towards the doors, "No one is here 'Nezzy."
Inez scowled at her old nickname, "Don't, call me Nezzy!"
Matt chuckled as he pushed the doors open. Caught by surprise, the two teens experience an unusual gust of wind that pushed them back. Matt gripped on a shelf as the wind pushed against them.
"What the hell is going on down there?" Inez heard Max from her watch.
"You? How did you get through?!" Inez demanded.
"I'm an android, I can hack into devices." Max growled. "Get your asses out of there."
"What the hell is THAT?!" Matt pointed at the end of the hall where the wind was coming from. It emitted an eerie, deep roar as something was warning them to leave.
"I think we better get out of here!" Inez backed away as Matt reached out and yanked the doors back. The wind ceased as the doors slammed shut on them. But it didn't the stop the thing on the other side from groaning.
"Okay Inez. I like that plan." Matt breathed as they both rushed back up the stairs.
/
The two teens rushed out of Fender's Stratoship shop and immediately locked the door. They were faced by their friends and eight curious pilots.
"Guys? You okay?" Jackie checked. Inez shook her self as she dusted her clothes.
"Out of breath." As she tried to veer the conversation to the pilots. "For you eight, this is where we part ways."
"Part?" Said the taller pilot named Stanleo.
"It's time to be heroes." Matt said. "It's up to you now to make sure your fellow civilians get out of that hellhole. And we'll do ours."
The pilots stared at one another, as they realized their lifelong purpose was finally given. As if they were waiting for a real command for a long time. They all got down on a knee, holding their caps to their chest.
"Thank you Cybersquad. For freeing us and being here." Stanleo spoke on behalf of the pilots. "We'll do our best. And good luck; we will never forget you."
They dispersed, running towards ships as Matt and Jackie synced up; crossing their chest. They watched as the eight pilots hopped on the ships and began to take off one by one. The squad watched as they took off, disappearing in the distance.
"C'mon guys. Let's go save our worlds." Matt said as the four of them walked towards the stealthcraft. Hopping inside, waited an impatient pilot and a knocked-out Digit.
"That took half an hour. Lucky you didn't get snatched by that thing." Max growled as he flipped on the switches and began to take off.
"What, was it?" Matt demanded. Slyder and Jackie exchanged confused glances.
"One of Dr. Alvin's experiments. Don't worry, that not the only one he made." Max chuckled darkly.
"Not funny." Inez hissed.
"Let's worry about that later. Where are we going?" Jackie asked as she began petting the avian-hybrid's head. He stirred in his sleep.
"Into the battlezone; Hacker's lair." Max let a harsh grin plaster his face. He felt himself getting pumped up with a new feel of adrenaline.