Chapter 5

James and Peppy got to the base in a blink of an eye. When they got to the R&D department, the scientists and engineers where gathered around several computers, white boards and parts to the housing to the rail-gun's electromagnets. But the one thing that James and Peppy didn't see was the rail-gun itself.

"Ah. You must be Peppy." The head scientist said shaking James' hand. James sighed and pointed to Peppy.

"He is Peppy. I'm James." Peppy snickered under his breath, as James explained.

"Oh sorry, my mistake. As you might have noticed, they don't let me out much and when I can get out, I don't" The scientist admitted. "I due apologize for the mix up, I know just who you are, but I don't recall ever seeing your pictures anywhere. But I have to know, where is the third member to your team? I was under the impression that all three of you was going to be here for this."

James shrugged his shoulders, "I didn't know that there was plans to start testing today. I know about the fighters being ready but that was about it."

"I was on my way to let James know about the test but he was talking about something crazy and I guess I forgot to mention it." Peppy admitted.

The scientist looked at them then back to the other scientists, "Shall we get started?" James nodded with a slight grin. Then he noticed that the rail-gun was in parts scattered around the whole R&D department.

"Wait, how are we going to test the electromagnets if the rail-gun isn't put together?"

"The parts you see scattered about," the scientist started pointing around to the parts, "they are all linked to the near completed rail-gun. So instead of draining most of Corneria to power up almost 90% of the magnets that will not be used in this test, we can just use enough to get your ship off the ground and test its effects." The scientist explained. James nodded.

"Makes sense. So what do you need me to do? Please don't tell me you want me to fly my ship in to this crowded area."

The scientist laughed. "No, no, no we have the electromagnets dismantled for that very reason. We can place them wherever we need to set them up for the test. Now for the actual launch, we'll move your ships into position before hand. So let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

James nodded, then he followed the scientist as he led the way to where James' ship was currently docked. "We got the extended fuel cell installed with little trouble but we found a..." An engineer started before James jumped in.

"Ya I know about that. It's something that is of the utmost importance to be kept a secrete. Think of it as classified black." James said while shushing the engineer. "It's of my own design and I know everything that went into it, but since you did see it, will the electromagnets effect them in anyway, shape or form?"

"Well that's why your here today. Now if you could be so kind and get your ship powered up like you're preparing for any given assignment. Once you have that done, then I need you to lift your ship about three feet from the ground, at that point you should be off the supports we used to keep your ship off the ground. After that, I need you to pull up your diagnostics. Let me know when you got that done and we'll move onto testing the electromagnets." The engineer instructed, then he turned to his assistants and gave them orders to start setting up the electromagnets about two feet from each tip of the ships wings.

While the engineers scurried about, the old fox climbed into his ship like he had done a great number of times. He flicked several switches on the console and above his head. Once he seen that the computer was online, he started going through the pre-flight checklist he normally did.

"Turn engines power to enable." James told his computer.

"Enabled." The computer advised.

"Set deflector shields to enable and prime."

"Primed." James then watched as a slight shimmer surrounded the ship.

"Set external power to disable."

"Disabled."

"Set primary weapons to enable."

"Enabled."

"Set secondary weapons to enable and primed."

"Primed."

"Set navigation to enable."

"Enabled."

"Targeting systems to enabled."

"Enabled."

"Twin lasers to enabled."

"Enabled."

"Set altimeter to enable."

"Enabled."

"Set communications to enable."

"Enabled."

"Set nova bombs to enabled and prime."

"Primed."

"All systems go."

"Acknowledged, all systems go. All systems primed and ready." James sighed.

"OK, let's take this bad boy off the ground." He said aloud to himself. He took a hold of the control sticks and slowly raised them up and felt the ships engines hum louder as the worked to get it off the supports. James took it to the required height of three feet. Then he flicked a switch and let the ship in hoover. He sighed once more then turned the comms on and called out to the engineer. "OK, now what?"

"Just sit tight, we are still setting up the electromagnets. We'll let you know when we are about to start something so you can be ready in case something happens." The engineer advised. "We are almost ready, its just getting these test magnets to link with the rail-gun magnets is being a pain in the ass right now." James snickered, he was bored out of his mind and a fly around Corneria would something fun to do.

About two hours came and went, James was about ready to fall asleep when his comms buzzed in, "James, we are ready. You holding up okay in there?"

James yawned, "Well I could use some coffee, other than that I'm fine."

"Good to know, disable your shielding and I'll get you some coffee."

"I'm good, the sooner we get started, the sooner we get finished. Let's do this."

"Alright. Switching the electromagnets on now. You might get a strange sensation. So don't be alarmed." The engineer flipped a lever and the magnets hummed to life. The started humming lower and slowly got louder and louder. As the humming got louder the engineer called out the percentages as the magnets powered up.

James got a really strange feeling just as the engineer said. He felt like every hair on his body was standing straight up and felt like he walked through a spider's web on top of that. He was really feeling uneasy. He called out to the engineers and scientists that where manning the consoles and the other assorted equipment just out side his ship. But something was already wrong, the electromagnets where interfering with his communications. James thought for a second about how to get a hold of them. He tried to open his canopy but it would respond, probably because the deflector shields was still on. "Set deflector shields to disable." James told his computer.

"Disabled." The computer advised, then James tried the canopy once again and it still wouldn't respond.

"Dammit!" James said when that didn't work. Then he thought of something that was very risky but he had to do something to let them know that the magnets where effecting his systems. James looked around at the surroundings in front of his ship's laser ports. James then seen that there was little around him that could be hurt if he fired. He then grabbed the controls once more and pulled up his targeting and locked onto a twenty foot tall concrete block.

"Targeting failed." The computer advised. James gritted his teeth then.

"Manual targeting control to enable."

"Enabled." Then the fox targeted the concrete block once more but he pulled a little more to the left to make sure he didn't completely demolish it. After a few seconds of fast math, he fired. Everyone jumped when James fired his lasers. They started yelling all at once and some said things that didn't seem to be anything at all. The engineer who got James to start up his ship jumped up and tried to call out to James. That's when they realized why James fired, his systems started to go down. The engineers and scientists started to slowly wean power from the electromagnets and kept calling out to James on the comms. After a slow process they was able to get the number they needed before the magnets started messing with their systems.

"Why didn't you try to get out of your ship and tell us?"

"Do you think I'm that crazy to just shoot when I can't get communication out? That was the first thing I tried, but I figured it was because my shields were still up. I disabled them and tried again and still nothing. I was starting to panic, a mix of the strange feeling and being out of contact."

"Well at the very lest I'm glad that you did something that crazy, or else we wouldn't have known." The engineer admitted, "And it looks like the magnets don't hold their effect over your equipment. That's a good thing. Now the next thing I want you to do is when we lose communications once more, I want you to take your ship off hoover and put your shielding back up. Now we need to see how much it will take to suspend your ship."

They powered the electromagnets back up and James lost his comms once more. He then did like he was told and took his ship off hoover and re-enabled his shielding. But he didn't take hit hands off the controls. He didn't realized that he ship didn't move from the position. He let go of his controls to be sure. And his ship didn't do anything it seemed to be suspended. He then noticed that a scientist was trying to get his attention, they motioned for him to grab a hold of the controls and bring the ship higher. James did like he was asked and took his ship up another two feet then he held it there, he then glanced over the right side and seen that he was about to the top of the station they set up. They looked over to James and gave him a signal to be ready, James nodded and took firm hold of the controls waiting for anything.

The engineers started to raise the power level and that's when something happened. James and his ship started to tilt and point upwards, but James wasn't high enough off the ground to allow full 90 degree rotation. They turned the power back down slowly and let James set his ship back down.

"Well, I think we have it." The engineer told James once he was back down on the supports.

"Good news, now when will the other magnets be configured and ready for launch?" James asked as he powered his ship off.

"I already told you that they where linked together, so the numbers we tested and set these too, the rail-gun is set to as well. So its ready whenever you and your team is."

"Alright, then we'll take tonight and leave first thing in the morning." James said with a sigh. "Did you need anything else from me before I take my leave and enjoy the rest of my day?"

"Nope, I think that was everything. But one thing I wanted to ask, when you was in the magnetic field, what else did you feel?"

"It felt like every hair on my body was standing on end and like I walked through a spider's web. It's very unnerving, but it could have bin worse if you didn't warn me ahead of time. I was a little prepared for it but man was it strange feeling. Almost like when you think your being watched when you know there is nobody around." James explained, then he shuddered the feeling off. "Well since that's everything, I'll be seeing you guys tomorrow."

As he left the R&D department, he met up with Peppy and they went to inform Pepper that the rail-gun was ready for launch.

"Well that's good news. So you're wanting to go tomorrow? Fine with me. Have you told Pigma yet?"

"I just got done testing with the R&D department. I figured it would be best to let the one who has to tell the city that they will be loosing power for several hours tomorrow first. I'll call Pigma later and the three of us will go out for drinks. I'll tell him then."

"As long as your team is on the launch area tomorrow, its fine with me. And James, Peppy, you guys be careful. This is by far the most important and dangerous mission that I have ever assigned to you."

"Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it. Just be sure to have our fee ready." James said with a lighthearted smile. He felt what Pepper was trying to say, he felt it when they were given the assignment. "Peppy, you ready to leave?"

Peppy nodded, "Don't worry, general. If anyone can keep this crazy fox under control, its me. I'll bring him back."

James and Peppy then left, headed for their homes. First Peppy had to drop James off to his place and they hung out for a bit before Peppy had to head home. "See you tomorrow, James. I'll be here at 8. If I have to beat on your door again, I'll be upset." Peppy said with a laugh then he got in his car and waved to James as he pulled out.

James waved back. "I'll be out here, just you wait and see." He then turned and headed back inside and went to his a/v monitor and called Pigma's number. He needed to let him know about the mission was set for in the morning.

The number rang three times before a pink pig's image appeared on the screen. "Hello? Oh hey, James. What's up?"

"Hey Pigma, I needed to let you know that the rail-gun is ready and we'll be launching in the morning." James instructed. Pigma let out a soft sigh.

"This is it then, it don't feel like the other missions. Have you noticed it?"

"Somethings are feeling a bit off but I still think it has something to due with being exposed to powerful electromagnets for an extended length of time."

"So what's it like?"

"Well its odd, to say the lest. But it might be different for you then it was for me. For me it felt like every hair on my body was standing on end and then it felt like I walked through a spider's web. All in all it was a very unnerving feeling." James explained. A bang pulled James from the monitor, "Hey I think Fox is home. I got to go, I'll see you at the base around 8:30. Peppy is getting me at 8 so you leave whenever you feel you'll get there on time."

"Alright man, take it easy. Tell Fox I said congrats on hurting Herald." Pigma snorted then the monitor went dark. James smiled as he turned to look to see if his son was home. "Fox? You home?" No answer.

"Fox, tonight isn't a good night to play spy." James said again, then he quieted his mind and listened to his surroundings. He focused his mind, he heard something coming from upstairs. James quietly walked to the top of the stairs and seen, or so he thought a tiger in a dark blue shirt crouched over looking at something. Just as James placed his hand on the but of his blaster, the front door opened and Fox walked in, causing James to look away for a split second. When he looked back up to the tiger, it was gone. James pulled his baster out of it's holster and he trained the sights to where the tiger was at. He slowly made his way to where the tiger was at and looked around for any more signs of the intruder but there wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The thing that the tiger seemed to be looking at was a book James was looking at before Peppy came and they went to the base. Everything else looked to be where James had left it.

"That's odd." James said aloud to himself as he holstered his blaster.

"What is?" Fox asked. James looked around once more to ease his mind.

He then shook his head, clearing what he thought he seen, "Nothing, son. I just thought I seen someone standing at the top of the stairs reading a book I dug out this morning. But I only turned away for a split second so there is no possible way that I could have seen someone."

"Dad, if you didn't just get back from working at the base, I would swear you have bin drinking."

"How did you know I was at the base, you wasn't home when I left."

"You're so predictable. If you're not home, then you're at the base and vice versa."

"Oh. I need to tell you that I have a mission tomorrow morning. I'll be leaving at 8, or well that's when Peppy is coming to pick me up." James explained.

"Where are you going this time?"

"To Venom, a planet at the far end of Lylat. General Pepper thinks that Andross is massing an invasion force and he wants us to investigate, and to cause as much damage as we can if there is anything fishy going no." James explained, "But there is something about this mission that has me feeling a bit on edge. I can't place my finger on it, it could be just the fact that we will be going so far that we have to really watch our power. Or it could be the strange guy who had a strange request for Pepper and me." James sighed then lifted his head back and looked at the ceiling, "Fox I know its going to sound strange, but I think that guy I told you about, I think he is like the ones from your old storybook. Although I don't have much to back that up. If you seen him, you'll understand. But I don't know. To be honest it could be a number of several things."

"Dad, your talking crazy again, go lay down and we'll talk later." Fox said as he urged his dad towards his room.

"Maybe you're right. I am talking a little crazy." James said, then he turned and gave Fox a quick hug, that caught the young fox by surprise. "I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I'll always be here for you." James then hopped into his bed and rested his eyes for a few minutes.