~Chapter Eight~
Location: Control Central:
Control Central's chief technician, Richard Stanley, looked up at the monitor of the supercomputer in the main control room. It displayed the former location of the Benson household. But where the house once stood, there was now nothing more than burnt ashes. Two men stood with him: Cyber-ruler Sir Dalhart and one of his workers, Frank.
"I was right," Frank sighed, "They're dead!"
"There's nothing you could've done Frank," Sir Dalhart said reassuringly.
"I still can't believe they went after two INNOCENT children," Richard shouted pounding his fist against the panel, "Those monsters!"
As Sir Dalhart patted Richard on the back consolingly, a pink light caught their eye. Behind them, a portal opened from above and spat out the two Benson children. Melissa fell face first onto the floor and Marbles landed on top of her. The three adult cyborgs were in awe of the portal. It was a rare phenomena that was known only to happen by nature's force and had never been controlled by anyone... until now.
The three of them ran to the aid of the children. Marbles looked at his surroundings, amazed by the sight yet confused as to where exactly he was.
"My goodness!" Sir Dalhart exclaimed recognizing the children, "Are you alright? We all thought you were dead!"
"I'm fine," the boy replied also recognizing who he was speaking with (both children had spoken to the kind ruler via their parents' Skwaks), "But where am I?"
"Control Central," Richard answered shaking Marbles' hand, "My name is Richard Stanley. I am the chief technician for the computer system here. It's a very important part of the way the facility functions."
"Yeah Rich, we've got all the time in the world for intros. Right now we have a bit of a situation here!" yelled Frank whom was kneeling beside an unconscious, seizuring Melissa.
Marbles shouted her name and rushed down next to her, as did Sir Dalhart and Richard.
"What happened to her Marbles? Do you know?" Sir Dalhart asked, worry all over his face.
"She was trying to protect me from a bunch of cyborgs that were chasing us. They shot her with a magnetite gun!"
"Yes. I see," exclaimed Frank holding up her injured and shaking arm, "The magnetite is still there!"
"Bring her to the medical area at once," the Cyber-ruler ordered, "This case is severe!"
"Yes sir," the cyborg replied as he picked up the small child and carried her out of the main control room.
"She'll be fine Marbles," Sir Dalhart said seeing the concerned look on the young cyborg's face, "They'll remove the magnetite from the wound which should stop the seizure and then they'll do further testing to treat any possible damage to her physical condition."
"I don't understand though. She wasn't like this when she first got shot."
"The mind is a very powerful tool," Richard said as he stood back up, "She was probably too focused on trying to get both of you out of there to give in to the effects of the magnetite."
"Not to mention she fell pretty hard just now," Sir Dalhart added, "That alone would be enough to knock anyone out, at the very least."
Marbles nodded politely and looked around the room again. It was an enormous glass dome with the previously stated supercomputer hanging overhead, a large control panel standing beneath the monitor. There were several smaller panels below the bridge-like floor they stood on. In short, this was every aspiring computer technician's dream.
"This place is incredible!" Marbles said as he took it all in.
"Thank you Marbles," said the Cyber-ruler smiling, "But I must talk to you about some things. I need to know the exact events that have transpired since yesterday."
One hour and several tears later, Sir Dalhart and Richard had been told all of what the six-year-old cyborg had recently experienced: a fire that burned down his house, the death of his mother before his very eyes, everything. The two adults felt terrible for the children. It took everything in Richard's power not to show his extreme anger and hatred towards the enemy for stooping so low.
"Don't cry Marbles," Sir Dalhart said softly hugging the son of his two most trusted employees, "They would not want you to grieve."
"I know, I know," the child said calming down.
"You must be exhausted by now," Richard said as he realized just how much the two little cyborgs had to endure -both physically and mentally- in the past twelve hours or so.
Marbles only yawned in response.
"Take him to Eileen's former bedroom," Sir Dalhart whispered to his technician not wanting to re-upset the child, "Let him rest as long as he needs to."
"Will do Sir Dalhart."
Once Richard and Marbles were out of the room, Sir Dalhart looked back up at the display of the burned down Benson house. Now alone in the room, he finally allowed tears to fall from his own eyes.
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Melissa groaned in pain as she slowly came to consciousness about an hour and a half after she fell out of the portal. When she realized she was in an unfamiliar place and was being bandaged by a complete stranger, she immediately began to panic.
"Don't be alarmed little one," the cyborg caring for her said, "My name is Dr. Adams. I am the medical examiner here at Control Central."
"Control Central?''
"Yes," Dr. Adams said smiling politely, "This is wh-"
"I know," Melissa interrupted, "But when did I end up here? The last thing I remember is jumping through a portal with..." her voice trailed off as she realized her brother was absent, "MARBLES! Where is he?!"
"Don't worry dear," the doctor answered, "He's asleep in a room down the hallway." (Dr. Adams was also taking caution not to mention the deceased parents).
The doctor then ran a full medical exam on the eight-year-old while he explained what happened while she was unconscious. Aside from a minor fever, the girl was in perfect condition. But it was clear that she also needed to rest. Dr. Adams carried her to a currently unoccupied bedroom, the former occupant having retired three days prior. To calm her fever, Dr. Adams gave her a glass of iced water and laid a wet wash cloth over her forehead.
"Is there anything else you need right now?" Dr. Adams asked taking the half-drank glass from Melissa's small hands.
"Not now. Thank you. But if you would please check on my brother..."
"I know Melissa, I know," he replied, "Just go to sleep now. You need to get rid of this fever."
Dr. Adams turned off the light and left the bedroom. Melissa lay uncomfortably a few moments. She was never one to tolerate heat very well and now was no exception. Even the slightest bit of excess warmth really got to her. But eventually exhaustion overtook her and she fell fast asleep.
Dr. Adams did not break his promise. He quietly opened the door of Eileen's former bedroom to see Marbles sound asleep. The doctor expected that these two children would most likely sleep the rest of the day and long into the night, after all they had been through the past twelve hours.
As Dr. Adams walked down the hallway he thought to himself, "She really does look out for that boy. She'll be a great mother some day. In fact she may as well be his mother..."
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Sir Dalhart sat on his bed, looking at a photograph of Clyde and Eileen. In the photo, Eileen was cradling a two-month-old baby girl. (Of course that baby was Melissa). Clyde was next to his wife with one arm around her waist. The kind ruler of Cyberspace still was struggling to believe they were gone. Just then he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," he said putting the photo on his nightstand.
The door opened. It was Dr. Adams.
"Dr. Adams, how's the girl? Will she be alright?"
"Yes Sir Dalhart. She'll be fine. The seizures stopped as soon as the magnetite was removed. Her arm will most likely be sore for a couple days and she is currently running a fever. I expect the fever to be gone by tomorrow morning however."
"So there's nothing else wrong?" Sir Dalhart asked.
"Nothing," the brunette doctor answered.
"That's good."
"Will you be alright though sir?" Dr. Adams asked. He knew the male cyborg never handled death well.
"I have come to a decision," Sir Dalhart answered.
The doctor could tell from the look in the cyborg's grey eyes that this would not be good.
"I will be resigning from office in two years time."
"Sir, you don't intend on giving Abaddon control of Cyberspace?" the doctor asked shocked.
"I do Dr. Adams. We can't let anymore lives be destroyed," Sir Dalhart answered defeated, "Besides the Cyber Constitution specifically says that 'At any time any citizen may call for an election for the rulership of Cyberspace.' So if the people don't like him they can easily find a new ruler."
"But who knows how much damage he can do before that?" the doctor shouted angrily. He could not believe what he was hearing.
"Dr. Adams! It is the only option!" Sir Dalhart said impatiently, "Now please. I would like to be alone now."
Dr. Adams nodded and left the room. Sir Dalhart buried his face in his hands.
"How could this happen?" he thought, "How could this happen?"