Dimension: BIONICLE

Planet: Aqua Magna, Mata Nui Robot

Specific Location: Island of Mata Nui

Time: Twenty-two years after the death of the Paradox, seven months after the awakening of the Toa Mata

"We're lost, aren't we?" said Gene loudly as he and August worked their way through a dense jungle, "This is the north Le-Koro, near Lake Pala. We were supposed to be in the far east of Ta-Kini by now."

"I know," said August slowly, choosing his words carefully as he pushed his way through the rain forest, "I just… FEEL that this is the right way. We are working our way to Magnai Volcano, but I don't think Blue took the direct path."

"From what I heard, Blue was supposed to be a genius… so why DIDN'T he take the shortest route?" snorted Gene, still disgruntled.

"I don't know," replied August, "But from the memories I have of him, he did not look too well when he was here. His thinking could have been impaired, or he might have had a different set of ideas on mind."

"Yeah, you might be right," mused Gene, "There might be a couple other places that might be better to hide his armor other than the volcano. He might have known of a better place… or he could have just been insane."

Suddenly August stopped and held up a fist. Gene froze. Silence fell over the duo, and nothing but the buzzing of insects and the squawking of exotic birds echoed through the hot and humid air of the jungle landscape.

After a minute of silence, Gene leaned close to August and whispered, "What is going on?"

August's eyes raked their surroundings. Finally he let out a long breath and replied, "I thought I heard something. Not an animal, but another bipedal being. I thought we were being followed. I suppose not."

Gene looked around for a moment as well. Then he shrugged. "According to the holopad, the Toa and Matoran of this place, the island of Mata Nui, left for the city Metru Nui a couple months ago."

August nodded his head. "Yeah, you're right. We should be alone. I guess I let my imagination run away with me. Let's keep moving."

August and Gene continued to work their way through the jungle, stopping every now and then for August to get his bearings. As the day wore on, the rain forest thinned out, and the slope of the great volcano stretched out before them.

"Do you still know what you're doing, August?" asked Gene as they began to climb the rocks that lay interchangeably between the jungle trees as they drew closer to the smoking mountain.

"I… I think so," murmured August, "I see snippets of visions here and there, and once and a while a landmark will trigger something."

At that very moment, August glanced up. A ledge or stone lay far ahead of them, up and to the left. The moment he laid eyes on it, he had a flashback. Blue, looking as tired, disheveled, and depressed as ever, was standing on the ledge. He slowly lowered his right shoulder pad to the ground. Then he pulled out a thin tubular device with several sharp spikes. He rammed the spiked end of the tube into the ground and pressed a button. He then got up and left. As he left, he glanced behind him. The tube flickered to life and began to glow a light blue color. A hexagonal-surfaced bubble blossomed out of the tube and surrounded the shoulder pad and everything around it in a ten-meter radius. The bubble then shimmered and vanished. The shoulder pad melted from view. Whatever device Blue had planted had cloaked the piece of armor from view. But August had seen it all, he knew where it was.

August felt himself being pulled back into reality like a person rushing to the surface from the depths of a deep lake. He started as his eyes snapped open and he gave a small gasp.

Gene leaned in close and looked August in the eyes. "Did you see something? What triggered you?"

August pointed to the ledge far above them. "There. Blue left the shoulder pad there. Let's go."

Wordlessly, the two began to scale the surface until they reached a sheer wall. Far above their heads was the ledge. Gene glanced at August, "I see at least thirty different ways we could overcome this obstacle. Your choice?"

August shrugged. "I'll start climbing. I'm not going to use my powers just yet. I am not comfortable with them."

"Well, that's all the more reason to use them right now, then," insisted Gene, "Come on. Let's try this out."

August sighed and rolled his eyes, but he did not protest verbally. He extended his hands over the sheer rock face. Sweat began to trickle from his forehead as he struggled with his inherited Dimensional Traveler powers. There was a minute-long stretch of silence as he grappled with his abilities… and then the rock face began to change. The stone wall before them began to bubble and writhe like water in a kettle. Then a colossal blob of rock pulled itself away from the stone face. The blob swirled and stretched skywards, shimmering and shape-shifting. As the rock stopped swirling and shifting, it solidified into a rough-hewn staircase that led up to the ledge above.

It was Gene's turn to roll his eyes. "That was inefficient. I am betting you did that to show off."

August flashed Gene a smile. "It was fun, and I needed the practice."

The two began to run up the staircase. In a minute, they reached the top. It looked exactly like what August had seen.

"You saw this place in a vision, right?" said Gene after a moment of observing the stone ledge before them, "Where exactly is the armor piece?"

August got onto his knees as he began to pat down the rocks before him. As he worked, he said, "I don't know. The bubble looked just like a cloaking device, yet there is no distortion ripples around where my appendages have pierced the field. I also don't feel anything."

Gene shrugged. "The technology you saw Blue employing must have been designed to phase whatever it surrounds to sub-dimension. That means it is there, but it is also not there at the same time. What we need to do is distort the sub-space fabric enough that we create a sub-rip. Then we can pull the armor back into our current reality."

August straightened up with a rueful grin. "I have almost no idea what you just said; however, I trust you, so do you think you can do what you said?"

Gene stroked his chin nonchalantly. "Hmmmm… I don't know. Probably. If I can create a mini black hole here, and then feed it enough dark energy… maybe…"

Suddenly a voice drawled out from behind them, "Um, I don't think that would be a good idea. You were talking about inefficiency after all."

August pulled out the Inquisition Blaster, and Gene conjured up balls of plasma as they whirled around to face the voice. Standing behind them, leaning against the central pillar of the staircase that August had created, was a man.

He was tall and fair, his hair was brown and short, and his bangs curled upwards. He wore dark, flourishing, Victorian-age clothing, with a large overcoat with long sweeping coattails. On his head (listing at a jaunty angle) was a large, black, top hat. Beneath his overcoat (strapped to his elaborate red velvet waistcoat) was a line of thin throwing daggers on the right side and two elaborate daggers on the left side.

August's and Gene's jaws dropped. The man grinned at their obvious shock and discomfort and tipped his hat to them.

"Hello," he said amiably, "I suppose I have yet to introduce myself. I am Jefferson Madigan Hatterus. Pleased to meet you."

August snapped out of his stupor long enough to stutter, "Oh… Um, yeah! My name is August Dellor, and this is my best friend, Gene Grayson."

Jefferson smiled coyly as he swaggered off the staircase and strolled up to them. "Best friend, eh? Friends are rare, and friends that you can trust are ever rarer. You have a luxury, I am sure."

"Okay, that's great," interjected Gene sharply, "But what was this about my plan being inefficient?"

Jefferson took off his hat and spun it around a finger as he replied, nonchalantly, "Oh, yes, about that. You were talking about creating a black hole, and then causing a sub-space feedback loop by clogging the superdense center with dark matter. When the feedback loop reached critical, it would implode and explode simultaneously, creating a rip in sub-dimensional fabric. Through that rip you hoped to be able to pull… a piece of armor is it? I am correct, am I not?"

Gene eyed Jefferson suspiciously as he nodded his head. "Yes… That's correct."

Jefferson tossed the top hat in the air and caught it with his other hand. "Of course! Now, I was stating that that was an awful lot of work. You see, I am thinking, from what I overheard, that you guys are dealing with a sub-dimensional phaser. There is nothing here, but yet there is. Usually you would have to do what you proposed to break through the invisibility barrier, but I know a way around that. There is always a weak spot in those kind of devices, a molecular hole where all that sub-dimensional phasing power is coming from. We find that spot, and then destroy it to drop the shield."

August nodded his head. "I think I get it! That just might work!"

Jefferson winked. "Of COURSE it will work! Now let's look for that weak spot!"

The three of them began to wave their hands through the air around the ledge.

As they did so, Gene glanced at Jefferson and said, "Why are you here?"

Jefferson gave Gene his signature sly smile as he replied, "Oh, I was here looking for something else. While I was doing that, I stumbled on you two! I decided to be a Good Samaritan and help out. Nothing wrong with that, right?"

Gene was about to respond when Jefferson's hat stopped in midair. Jefferson pulled on the hat, but the fabric simply stretched around an invisible point in the air. He glanced meaningfully at Gene and August before declaring, loudly, "I think I might have located the point."

Jefferson removed the hat and gently combed his fingers through the space the hat had been naught a second ago. His fingers struck the invisible point, and a small vision-distorting ripple blossomed from the contact point.

Jefferson motioned for Gene to come closer and pointed at where his finger was touching the invisible point. "Hit this spot with a focused Dark Matter blast. That ought to do it. Oh, and please don't miss."

Gene glared at Jefferson, but did as he bade. Rearing back a fist, Gene charged it with the chaotic power of Dark Matter. He fired the writhing mass of dark purple power at the target spot. The beam struck the invisible point and blossomed into a miniature explosion. Suddenly the clear hexagonal-pattern of shield bubble became visible again with the right shoulder plate of Blue inside. A second later the bubble popped, but left the piece of armor behind.

August reached for the armor, but Jefferson was faster. He snatched it off the ground and inspected it as he purposefully placed the top hat back on his head.

"Well… I'll be… This is a unique artifact if I ever saw one!" exclaimed Jefferson. August pointedly reached to take the shoulder plate back, but Jefferson held it out of his reach. "Wait a minute," he said, "Sub-dimensional shield phasers are impossible to detect. You can only tell where they are if you knew where they were located beforehand. Who told you about this?"

"August has a special strain of information hardwired into his DNA that actually messes with his memories," snapped Gene, "A vision he had earlier allowed him to locate the device and that armor. Now you have three seconds to give us back that armor piece before I blow a hole in your head the size of Montana."

Jefferson rolled his eyes scathingly as he slowly handed August the armor piece. "Fine… fine… Here you go. I was just curious, after all. I mean, look at the metal that this is made of! I haven't seen anything like it before in my time-"

Jefferson's sentence was shut off by a loud sizzling sound. The moment August touched the shoulder pad, a sizzling explosion of light erupted from the contact point. The piece of armor then flew through the air to attach itself firmly to August's right shoulder. August frantically tried to get the armor off, but the metal shoulder plate stuck fast. It was part of his armor set now.

Jefferson blinking, then strolled nonchalantly up to August. He began to tap the piece of Blue's armor that was now permanently attached to August's shoulder as he said, "Well… That was intriguing. It seems to like you very much. How odd."

Jefferson then swaggered a several meters away where he stood, considering August's stunned face and stroking his chin. After at least a minute of silence, he snapped a finger and said, "I have a brilliant idea. Since you two – especially August – seem so inexperienced with this kind of stuff, I believe I will tag along."

Gene gave up trying to pry the metal shoulder plate off of August's right shoulder and glared at Jefferson with his arms crossed. "You don't say? And what makes you think we will go along with your 'brilliant' idea?"

Jefferson took of his hat and tossed it in the air. "Oh, because I think I can be of value to you in locating the rest of the armor. There IS more armor, after this… right?"

August sighed as he resigned himself to his face. He then said, "Yeah. There should be quite a bit more. But tell me, Jefferson, what were you doing here in the first place? What business do you have in the BIONICLE dimension?"

"Here? Ah, yes," sighed Jefferson dramatically, "I was on a mission to find a giant sundial. It is supposed to point straight to the BIONICLE Codrex, a device made of one of the toughest metals known in the multiverse."

"A… mission…?" repeated Gene slowly, "For who? You? Someone else?"

Jefferson pursed his lips together as he thought about his response. Finally he spoke, slowly. He said, "Wellll… It was for a… 'Friend' of mine. I am what you call a mercenary… of sorts. Not the kind to kill people, just the kind for looking for artifacts of importance… for a price."

Gene threw up his hands in disgust. "I knew it! I knew it! You're part of the problem!"

"Wait a second! Calm down there!" exclaimed Jefferson with a coy smile, "I'm not 'part of the problem.' I am just someone trying to make an honest living by portal-jumping and artifact-hunting! I am like Indiana Jones! Everyone loves that man… right?"

"I GUESS one could look at it like that," conceded August quietly, "But why did you give up searching for the sundial, and how do you get around? I cannot tell if you're a Dimensional Traveler, your energy signature is all messed up."

"So many questions! Listen up my fine friend," said Jefferson, "I didn't give up, I just deemed the payment and the risks to be of unbalanced proportions in the negative way, so I called it off on my own accord. As for how I get around… it's by this."

As he spoke the last phrase, Jefferson tapped the rim of his giant top hat. "This is a portal. I use it to get to all sorts of places."

August nodded his head. "Oh… okay."

Jefferson winked as he straightened the hat on his head. "Yes. Now, may I come with you or not? I am sure you two could use the extra company."

August beckoned for Gene to come closer, and the two began a whispering conference. Jefferson raised his eyebrows and then rolled his eyes. He turned his back to them and began to stroll complacently in small circles, now twirling his top hat around the tip of one of his fingers.

"I think we should bring him along," said August to Gene, "We could use the extra experience!"

"Are you kidding? I have thirteen years of experience under my belt! We should be fine!"

"I know, but he seems to know a lot about the stuff we are dealing with here, so it would not hurt for him to tag along."

"Actually, it is by virtue of the fact that he even possesses knowledge about this stuff that makes me even more suspicious."

"Come on, Gene! Let's give him a chance!"

Gene glared at August, who had just spoken, and finally said, "Okay… Fine. We will let him tag along for a bit."

Jefferson sidled up to them and winked. "I am so glad you two have reached an agreement. I am sure you two will not regret it. Now let's go find some more armor!"

August nodded his head decisively. "Right."

He then pulled out the holopad and checked it. It flashed and then projected something: another location.

Gene's mouth dropped. "That location…"

Jefferson leaned over August's shoulder to take a peek. He puffed out his cheeks and widened his eyes in mock exasperation. "Oooohhh… That is intriguing. I assume this was a joke… right? Or was the man in charge of hiding the armor intent on getting himself and everyone following him killed?"

August looked at them in confusion. "I don't get it… This says that part of the right arm armor is somewhere in 'the Deep Coal Cellar'?"

Jefferson took a step back and stretched. "That place is very cheery. From what I have gathered over the past twenty years, that place was designed to hold rogue Dimensional Lords."

Gene nodded, agreeing with Jefferson for once, "Yes. The Deep Coal Cellar was once used to imprison Dimensional Lords who had gone rogue. It even held Orion the Traitor for a bit. It is long abandoned now, but I assume that it is still in working condition. Thus… we are fairly much dead now."

Jefferson took his hat off and dusted it. "We might as well get a move-on then!"

August glanced at Jefferson in surprise. "What? You're still interested in coming with us?"

Jefferson winked. "Profit/Risk ration is still above one, my friend. I am fairly confident that your little 'visions' can pull us through it… and I'm still bored, so I might as well do something life-threatening for once."

Gene sighed. "I might as well open a portal now."

Jefferson held up a hand. "Wait a second. I have a little business transaction I need to complete first."

At that very moment, Toa Nuva Lewa arrived. His protosteel katanas outstretched, the BIONICLE character landed next to the group.

"Of all the weird-strange things I've seen today," said the Toa, "This is the weird-strangest!"

August glanced at Jefferson and saw him staring almost mournfully at Lewa's right hand. August glanced at the Toa, and saw that in that clenched fist was a small sundial.

"You shrunk the sundial?!" exclaimed Jefferson, throwing up his hands in disgust, "Of ALL the things you could have done with it... you SHRUNK it."

The Toa looked at him in surprise, "Huh? You know-recognize this?"

August then realized what Jefferson had meant when he had talked about "unbalanced Profit/Risk ratio." Most Dimensional Travelers would never dream of crossing swords with Toa from the BIONICLE dimension.

"Of course I do!" snorted Jefferson, "I was the one who tipped you off."

Lewa blinked. "Oh. So you were the one to tell-alert me to come here then."

Jefferson got over being momentarily indignant and bowed low with a flourishing gesture, hat in hand. "Of course. I am Jefferson Madigan Hatterus."

Lewa slowly crossed his powerful arms. "I appreciate the tip. It sliced-cut my search time by half. However, what do I need to pay-give you for this tip?"

Jefferson winked, "What, I'm not allowed to simply be nice?"

Lewa, who had now warmed up to the situation, returned the wink and swung around, calling back, "Right then! I thank you for your tip-help! Have a nice-wonderful day!"

"Wait!" exclaimed Jefferson, "I was just joking! There is something you can do for me!"

Lewa turned around. "Okay, pray-tell what is it?"

Jefferson glanced around almost as if he was wary of eavsdroppers. Then he said, in a low voice, "Tell Toa Helryx that she owes me. And tell her to put the sundial in the epicenter of Keetongu's Island when she is finished with it. Got that?"

Lewa nodded. "I will quick-tell her that when I can. Ummmm… Who is Toa Helryx?"

Jefferson threw his hat in the air and caught it again as he replied, airily, "Ask Axonn. He knows. In fact, ask him to courier the message."

Lewa nodded again wordlessly. Stretching out his katanas, he leapt from the ledge and glided off.

Gene turned to glare at Jefferson. "So, what was this about you giving up the sundial? You never actually was trying to retrieve it in the first place? Why lie to us?"

Jefferson, with a fake grin plastered to his face, just waved to Lewa as the Toa drifted away. "I didn't really lie, I omitted certain truths," he said out the side of his mouth, "I actually WAS trying to get the sundial originally, but then I got a new buyer: Toa Helryx. Her credit was much better than my previous employer… so I switched sides."

August bit his lip. The qualities Jefferson had shown were not the qualities he really wanted to see in a companion. But… he liked Jefferson. He wanted to trust him… but could he?

Jefferson broke the deathly silence by loudly clearing his throat. "Right! Off to the Deep Coal Cellar!"

August cocked his head to one side. "Wait, there is no Phantom Device around it?"

Jefferson snapped a finger. "But of course! Sooooo… do you have some sort of vision or something that can get us around this little obstacle?"

August meekly shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I can try first."

He closed his eyes and held up his Kanohi Olmak. His lips barely moved as he whispered, "Deep Coal Cellar."

The mask flared with light, and a portal opened up. As the tear in dimensional fabric grew, a metallic, female voice rang out: "Welcome to the Deep Coal Cellar, Inquisitor Blue."

August stiffened. "Did she just say Blue? But I'm not Blue."

Gene grinned and tapped the shoulder plate. "But you're wearing his armor. I think we might have just beat the system. I am guessing the Phantom Device recognized your armor and it confirmed Blue to be on the list of allowed beings. Nice!"

Both August and Gene strolled through the portal. Jefferson, however, stood at the threshold of the portal, his arms crossed. He was staring intently at the portal. Then he muttered to himself, "The outer-edge ripples confirm it… This is a Mark VII Phantom Device. It doesn't scan armor… it scans DNA."

Jefferson shrugged and then stepped through the portal. The portal closed behind him with a little "pop."

Note: The plot thickens like tomato soup! Anyway, please leave me a review! If you do, I will give you a large, velvety, invisible, top hat, like the one Jefferson has. Top hats are ALWAYS in style.