Chapter 34
Gantu sprinted across the room, arms flailing in front of him. In the darkness, it was easy to trip on a deactivated drone, especially since he was so big. The air smelt strongly of burned out electronics. That experiment 221, that was reportedly seen had found the generator. Hamsterviel had ordered all available guards to be posted inside the generator room. Then everyone was called to the experiment room, leaving the generator all but unguarded. Gantu had ordered everyone to the experiment room. So no doubt- he was getting the blame.
"Woah easy there, big guy." Rueben's voice in his ear, he was perched on his shoulder as he blundered through the darkness. "Ooooooh… The ghost's might get ya,"
"Would you quiet down!"
"Hey I'm trying to lighten the mood, ha ha."
"You… I… Ok that one wasn't bad,"
"There you go! Can ya see better?"
"You know, I think I can…" There was an audible smack as Gantu connected with a metal wall.
"To be fair, walls are pretty hard to see."
"Be quiet, 625,"
Gantu felt his way round the circular room. His hands searching for a hatch. Rueben was quiet as he did it, he appreciated the importance of the situation. If they were any later than they were already they could be punished- painfully. Gantu found the hatch. He grabbed the hatch, pushing up with all his strength. It came off, clattering on the floor. A red outline around the hatch revealed a keypad. Into the keypad he typed the manual override pass code. All around the room, emergency lights flickered on. For a moment, they were dazzled by the light. They were pushed back as the wall began to shift. The metal shell that protected the captain's room slid down into the ground. Red emergency lighting filled the room with a dull hue.
"Place is like a graveyard," No joking for once, the room was certainly intimidating. Lifeless drones littered the floor of the huge room, great hunks of metal. The operators had been moved to further down the ship- on Hamsterviel's orders, which meant the once bustling room was empty. Devoid of life. It was rather a ghostly image. The silence was ominous, the air tinted with the unnatural aroma of frying. Gantu took a moment to appreciate the empty room. The silence as so serene. He knew it would be gone in seconds. Gantu, hammered on the door of the captain's room. The screen above the room activated, Hamsterviel's face appeared.
"Ahhh, Gantu… Good… come in." The door slid open seamlessly, Gantu was taken aback. He was used to being greeted with a barrage of insults. Contrary to what he was used to he sounded, slow, and quiet. Surely he was just acting like Gantu hadn't done anything so he could get his hopes up. Hamsterviel was devious like that. Rueben too had noticed the change. They looked at each other frowning.
"I think the Hamsters got it in for you now," he chuckled. Gantu steeled himself and walked inside.
The room was large, luxurious and circular. No expense was spared in this room, all manner of comfort was available. Most of it was looted from Earth. Sofa's carpets, colourful drapes, fine linens. Hamsterviel certainly had a taste for luxury. The room was packed to the ceiling. It was like the room had been padded with pillows. Not a square inch was not covered with some kind of comfortable silken material. Ordinarily this room was a highly efficient operations centre, but Hamsterviel had his priorities slightly bent. Gantu had been in this room before. Hamsterviel always preferred to insult his underlings in person, yet he had been in it before when he was a captain of the galactic alliance. Oh how I miss those days he thought- bracing himself what was coming.
"Doctor Hamsterviel sir!" He stood to attention, giving a very convincing air of professionalism. "I apologize for my actions, I assure you that this should not…"
"Hmm, stop your speeching and wailing Gantu, I'm trying to think." Rueben and Gantu's eyes met. This was not normal. Hamsterviel was acting strange- be it more than usual. He paced back and forth in front of his large panel of controls. His fur was ruffled, his brow furrowed in thought. His head clasped between his hands. He shoved piles of soft material to the floor as he paced, much of the scenery was strewn about the place. In the midst of the apparent turmoil, Rueben felt he should lighten the mood.
"Hey I told you that decorator looked dodgy, ha ha," Gantu cracked a smile. Hamsterviel stopped pacing, turning to look at the pair. His gaze bore into them, no uproar, just telepathic disapproval. Gantu almost backed off. Even Rueben seemed hesitant. He was far more threatening now than he was violent.
"It would seem I underestimated 629, my friend gave me a copy of his blueprints," He pointed to them spread out on a fancy table. Gantu walked up to the table, peering down at the papers. "He is also on zis ship, I saw zi footage of zi breakout in zi experiment bay and zat was definitely 629. He has also absorbed zi powers of zat experiment 221. Zey shall look for each other no doubt, and we have no camera footage, no remote security, and worst of all zi audio system is down. Now… I knew zis woud happen once I heard 221 had boarded zi ship. So i left one generator on and isolated circuit just in case. It was zi right move." Gantu was halfway down the page.
"Where are our mercenaries?"
"Our soldiers have become unresponsive, I did not give zem a break, I thought I would have all the experiments by now. Now zere is a rumour zat I am not going to pay zem, so zi imcompetent soldiers refuse to work now,"
"Sir, you weren't going to pay them… Anyway, Jumba created headsets that block the sonic wave."
"Yes, we cannot rely on the sonic wave now," He slumped onto a chaise lounge. Experiments 221 and 629 will make zere way to zi backup generator and try and shut it down, if they do zi ship will fall to zi earth, we can't let zat happen. I need power, to counter zi two experiments. But how?" His face was contorted with plans, all of which he ruled out." Maybe I could talk to 629. Zat couldn't work. Zis was all going so well," Rueben jumped to the floor,
"Hey Hamster what rooms are you powering exactly?"
"Only one generator is left, I have to power zi experiment room, this room, and the thrusters, the gravity system and all the essential airing systems. It would only take one spark to set it off."
"So you didn't power the prison sector?"
"No why?"
"Cause Lilo is free," He pointed to one of the monitor screens, where Lilo was sprinting through the ship. Flitting from camera screen to camera screen,
"Problem after problem, I put a lot into zis and I am so close."
Gantu lifted the blueprints pointing to a line.
"Sir, this looks promising." Hamsterviel glanced over to him.
"I think I have an idea," he grabbed the blueprints studying it with a practised eye.
"The trog can only transform once an hour, he cannot transform again or he will lose all of his energy." Hamsterviel started making his trademark child noises,
"Gantu you have zi captain's chair, try and convince the mercenaries to stop zere silly strike. 625 come with me, I have some talking to do." On his way out Hamsterviel grabbed Jumba's computer. He began to laugh as himself and Rueben walked away. Hamsterviel, though a dramatic, egotistical, maniac. Hadn't become an evil doctor through stupidity, though technically he had cheated the title, he was still devious.