EOS Tracy Island TAG POV
EOS had gathered everybody in the living room on Tracy Island. She did not think that her father and her uncles, Scott and Virgil, were present in mind. She would describe them as in standby mode. Not sleeping, but not quite awake either! Humans were so strange! But they were her humans. It was up to her to fix them!
Seated on different couches, they seemed entrapped in their own worlds. Not even greeting each other, when they sat down. EOS observed, as more and more of the people she was waiting for, trickled in and sat down. Brains, Kayo, Grandma Sally, Lady Penelope, Parker, Sherbet and MAX joined them. Finally, everyone had arrived!
The atmosphere was gloomy to say the least. You could cut through the silence with a knife. EOS thought she used that saying correctly. She couldn't ask anyone right now. It had been ten hours since this mess started. It was high time to fix it! She wanted her humans back to normal!
EOS brought the room out of its zombie like state, with her simple statement "Hi everyone! This is EOS! I have some new information regarding Alan and Gordon!".
That made everyone snap out of their own thoughts, a cacophony of sound erupted, as everyone started talking at the same time "What do you mean news? What! Have you found them? Are they alive? EOS, explain please! Are the lads all right? Where are they? Beep, beep, bop!".
It was almost impossible to discern who said what, with MAXs beeping as an exception. The questions seemed endless to EOS, so she blared her alarms, to get the inhabitants of the room to settle down and listen.
"I will tell you, if you just let me!" EOS said, while sulking. She had worked so hard for this, and everyone just shouted at her! This was not how it was supposed to go!
The room descended into silence.
EOS continued "Thank you! As I said before, I detected some anomalies coming from the research facility. With the help of all of you, I have been able to gather enough data, to come to a preliminary conclusion.".
The group of people exchanged glances with each other. Trying to find out, how the tasks they had been assigned by EOS, had led her to a conclusion that seemed so far out of reach for them.
John, EOS father, finally said something for the first time, in almost ten hours. His voice sounding strained, probably because of all the leaking he did earlier "EOS, please tell me, what did you find?".
"Great to hear your voice again John! You scared me! I have reason to believe that Gordon and Alan, have been transported to another universe and could very well be alive.".
That statement made the room pause in astonishment. After the shock wore out, it sparked a flame of hope to the room's occupants. EOS felt smugly pleased! Her masterplan was working!
Grandma Sally gathered herself together first, and asked "EOS, darling! Can you walk us through how you came to that conclusion?".
EOS liked her strange great grandma, even though she sucked at modern technology "Of course I can! I detected a strange anomaly from the research compound. It coincided with the explosion that threw Alan into the ocean. The same anomaly occurred with the second explosion, just before I lost contact with Gordon and Alan in the water. The research facility had previously reported some irregularities. Therefore, I hacked into what was left of their system to investigate. What I found indicated that the nuclear research facility was a front for the continued research about alternative universes. They were building a world hopping machine!".
Brains responded, "EOS are you referring to the multiverse or parallel world theory?".
"Yes! That is exactly what I am talking about!" EOS responded, feeling proud.
"Great work EOS! Alan and I watched a documentary about it a couple of months ago. Wasn't the project shut down, pending legislation from the world council?" John continued the conversation, feeling immensely grateful for EOS. He would have to thank and reward her later!
"Yes, I remember that!" Lady Penelope said "Me and Parker attended a conference regarding the subject. If I am not misremembering; This all went down a few years ago. Different factions were arguing, both for and against the continuation of the project. There were concerns regarding potential war and conflicts, as well as devaluing of currency by possibly shifting the equilibrium of supply and demand. The different concerns were deemed valid. After an outdrawn, worldwide debate, the testing phase was put on hold until legislation could be made.".
"That is quite right, my Lady." Mr. Parker added.
"Unfortunately, the world council could not come to a consensus. The project was because of this put on indefinite hold. The scientist in charge of the project were distraught. They tried to lobby against the decision to be allowed to continue their research. They were unsuccessful. The project was temporarily shut down, while waiting for the green light to continue." Lady Penelope explained.
Brains asked "EOS, do you have evidence suggesting that the research was continued in secret? Going against the worlds councils ban?
"Yes!" EOS responded "I have determined, that is the most probable scenario. The nuclear power research facility was likely a front for continued research regarding alternative universes. There was no sign of anything radioactive!".
"On a second thought, it is bizarre to put a nuclear research facility in the ocean! It is a safety hazard! Why did they get a building permit? Ignorance? Corruption?" Virgil added to the conversation, he had taken until now to finally allow himself to hope again.
"I agree Virgil! There are much safer places you could put it! I am suspecting corruption! If the facility was a front for something else, it would make a bit more sense. Having it remote out in the ocean makes it hard to spy on.". Kayo contemplated. EOS was right, Kayo thought, something fishy was going on here. Not just her fish of a brother missing along with the squirt.
"There was a fire! We actually never went inside the facility, as all the workers had evacuated outside the building, while waiting to be rescued. It could have been a front for something else. It did not look like a typical research facility for nuclear power. I never saw containment structures for safekeeping and testing of radioactive material." Scott said, while starting to believe in this insane theory.
EOS continued explaining, feeling delighted that she managed to pull her uncles out of their standby mode! "My examination of the buildings blueprints, shows that it could not safely handle or research anything radioactive, without breaking all the safety protocols made into law after the horrible accident year 2036."
"If they were building a world opening machine to alternative universes could the explosion have triggered it to turn on? John asked.
Brains continued "Viable theory! When the explosion happened, a rip in the space and time between our worlds, must have opened in the ocean, pulling Alan and Gordon through!".
"How can we find them?" Scott asked urgently.
"We need more information!" Brains replied.
"I will gladly extract that information out of the ones responsible for endangering Alan and Gordon! No one, is allowed to get away with endangering our family!" Kayo said darkly, while cracking her knuckles, her eyes reflecting her stone hard determination.
"We would be more than happy to join you, Kayo! Won't we, Parker?" Lady Penelope said sounding more furious than they had ever heard her before.
EOS privately thought that Lady Penelope was a bit intimidating, to be able to sound so scary and sophisticated at the same time. Maybe she could learn from her. It sounded awesome!
"Oh, yes! My Lady! It would be our utmost pleasure!" Parker responded, voice showing a hint of his allegedly previous occupation, skills honed during his misguided youth.
"Excellent!" Grandma Sally stepped in "You three work on that together with the GDF, they owe us enough favours and Cornel Casey wants her godchildren back! We have her full support! I spoke with her just before now. Kayo, can you please brief her on the way there?".
"Of course! Let's go immediately! Let's get our boys back!" Kayo retorted, already getting up to leave, body language barely hiding her utter fury at those responsible.
"Lady Penelope! Can Kayo ride with you in FAB one. She has already been in the air, for the maximum allowed flight hours today. If you go in one vehicle, you can try to get some rest and eat some food on route!" Sally requested.
"It would be our pleasure to escort Kayo there. We can better discuss strategies as well this way." Lady Penelope added. Sensing Kayos reluctance.
Grandma saw the annoyed look on Kayos face "Kayo! It is late and you have been flying in extreme weather conditions the entire day. With this lead, I can't order you to sleep, but you must at least give me this for my piece of mind!" At grandmas hard no-nonsense stare, Kayo backed down and accepted the order for what it was. No one could win against Sally when she was this determined. Not even Kayo.
"Fine, Grandma! Let's hurry up and go!" Kayo said with a defeated sigh while practically dragging both Lady Penelope and Parker to FAB one. Sherbet following on his own. Having been on his best behaviour during the meeting. Maybe he sensed the atmosphere? Dogs were much smarter than they got credit for!
"Let the rest of us work on what we can! Scott, Virgil, John, Brains, MAX and EOS, please join me in the kitchen! I realise that this has been an unbearably, horrendous day. Thanks to all of you and our wonderful EOS, our hope of bringing our boys back home have returned! As a doctor I would like to recommend sleep, but as a Tracy, I know that it would be impossible for any of us to calm down enough! We are going to the kitchen, MAX will make some coffee, hot chocolate and food for us all. I promise I will only help him carry everything. We need to replenish your energy stores. Are you boys and our girl in the sky with me?" Grandma Sally asked.
With a chorus of "Yes grandma" and an affirmative nod, they went into the kitchen and huddled around the kitchen table.
Grandma took the opportunity to thank EOS now, when they had a moment of privacy, before joining them. "EOS, honey! I just want to let you know how incredibly proud I am of you! I can't thank you enough for your help! You are remarkably intelligent, to be able to figure this out! I am so grateful that you are a part of our family! You are a real Tracy, stubborn, heroic and with a big heart. Thank you for being a wonderful first greatgrandchild! I only wished that you had a body so that I could hug you so tight right now. Not that you aren't perfect just the way you are child, because you are! But my words fail me, in describing how much I love you! When that happens, I usually use physical affection, to get my point across! I must work on that, my dear great grandchild!" A few tears fell from Sally's eyes. Voice thick with emotion.
EOS was so happy, that she did not know what to do "Great grandma Sally, I think that you are amazing with words. You just made me so happy! No hugs needed. I feel your love! I love you too!" EOS responded.
"I love you EOS, you are truly our dawn! We should check on our boys now! Are you coming, honey?" Grandma asked.
EOS only had one answer "Of course!". Grandma smiled in response.
Grandma soon followed her boys into the kitchen. She had collected a big pile of blankets, after her heart to heart with EOS. Sally put blankets around everyone's shoulders, even Johns who now had two.
She hugged them one by one, long and hard. Whispering individual reassurances. Bringing her family back to the present, instead of staying trapped, alone in their dark thoughts. Just because she has not had the time to talk to them before the meeting, doesn't mean she forgot how devastated they all looked. With some calories and caffeine in their stomachs, they got to work. Discussing everything they could think of to get Alan and Gordon back home.
None of them were fine, not even close. But they were a lot better than they were before, when they thought they might have lost their sunshine brothers forever. After the worst day of their lives, they were finally getting somewhere. Everything was still filled with uncertainty, but this would have to be enough, for now.
No one would be whole, until they got their boys back home.