Flying Higher than Ever
EDIT: Upon discussing with RevenantReaper337, I've revised both this chapter and the previous one to better expand on Ratchet and Cora's spat, to make it more believable.
Clank was waiting patiently as Elaris typed at her computer. Having been shown Drek's message to Novalis via the Info-bot, Elaris was now running over the reports of the destroyed planets; no doubt, ones Drek had already visited, and harvested. Clank looked around Elaris' office. Aside from the disinfectants and cleaning equipment, the walls were plastered with Gadgetron logos and posters, advertising various products. There also appeared to be a picture of Captain Qwark covered in graffiti, although it was partially hidden from sight.
"So, this is your office?" Clank inquired slowly. "Seems, erm, cosy…"
"Yeah, budget cutbacks by Gadgetron," Elaris shrugged. "They turned the old office into a weapons silo. But at least it's easier to keep clean."
"Hmm, speaking of Gadgetron, what is with all the Gadgetron logos and advertisements?" Clank wondered. "They seem to be highly prevalent here at the Hall of Heroes."
Elaris frowned. "Yeah, it's part of our sponsorship," she lamented. "Gadgetron provides us with the latest armour, weapons and ships, and in exchange, we have to advertise them whenever we can."
Clank noted Elaris' scowl and briefly clenched fists. "I take it you do not like this arrangement."
"Are you kidding? Every time they come out with something, it's the same: 'Show this to the public! Tell them how awesome it is! Make us more bolts, et cetera, et cetera!'" She sighed, reaching behind her head to run a finger around her horns. "Sometimes, it's a miracle we're able to save lives at all."
"Then, why do you put up with it?"
"Because Qwark just revels in the publicity it gives us. As if his muscles weren't the only big compensation... Cora gets bored with the company arrangements; Brax is rarely interested on what their products do, just as long as they work; Helga's never satisfied; and our troops aren't interested either. But without Gadgetron, we'd go broke in a heartbeat."
Clank was a little concerned. Elaris was clearly upset by this.
"Maybe you could ask Captain Qwark to make some adjustments to your sponsorship, so it is not such an impediment to your work?" he proposed.
"You honestly think I've never tried that?" Elaris sighed. "We've all tried, but Qwark's in charge, and he calls the shots on that deal." Her fists clenched again. "One of these days, Qwark, one of these days…!"
Clank tilted his head in puzzlement at this last comment. He wondered what Elaris meant. Did she harbour ill feelings towards the Captain? But before he could ask, Elaris returned to typing at the computer.
"That message from Drek you brought certainly explains a lot," she noted, skimming through the files of the destroyed planets. "When emergency services scanned the remains, they noted that certain landmarks were missing; and the fragmentation was too regular for them to be simply blown up by natural phenomena." She leaned back in her chair again. "Hmm… but if Drek has the technology to build a new planet, why not just use it to restore his planet?"
"That, admittedly, is something I have wondered, too," Clank agreed. "Do you think it is worth mentioning to the other Rangers?"
"Not really," Elaris answered. "I'm not sure if they'll think it's that important. They're more interested in just stopping Drek. Although telling them he's after specific landmarks might give us ideas of where he's gonna strike next. So there's that."
"Are… you ignored by the Rangers, generally?" Clank wondered.
"Mainly by Qwark; Cora and Brax… they're more willing to listen to my advice, but they never want a full tactical plan. Rather, they just want the basic gist of what they can do, and then, they improvise as they go. They're gonna get themselves killed one day." She sighed (boy, she's been doing that a lot here). "Still, it's a better treatment than how Qwark has treated me…"
Elaris paused, thinking about something.
"Although, speaking of which, as of late, Qwark's been acting… odd, lately," she confided. "Well, odder than usual, anyway. He spends a lot of time in his quarters, and never says what he's doing. He usually shares everything he does in his private time. And… every time he was gone, shortly afterwards… a planet was destroyed." She frowned. "But no, surely not… it's probably a coincidence… he couldn't… he wouldn't…"
Clank frowned. He could see what Elaris was getting at, but surely, she was just overthinking. Captain Qwark was a hero! He could never be involved in such horrible acts.
Just then, the door opened, and Ratchet and Brax re-entered the room.
"Hey, Clank!" Ratchet greeted. "Like my new Proto-Suit?"
"It's, erm, very spiffy," Clank noted, slightly startled by the sudden return of the Lombax.
"Clank; now that Ratchet's training is complete," Brax told the small robot, "it's time for you to get some upgrades, so that you can join us in the field. Elaris will provide the first one."
"Oh, and what is it?"
"While I am happy to assist in any manner, I find this arrangement… rather embarrassing."
Clank was now attached to the back of Ratchet's cuirass, via a bolt installed onto his own back. His head, arms and legs were folded close to his chassis, making him look a bit like a turtle half-tucked into its shell.
"Sorry about this, Clank," Elaris said, "but it's the easiest way to carry you around."
"Besides," Ratchet added, "this way, you're watching my six at all times. And it saves me carrying you by hand." He shook his body a little.
"Please do not do that," Clank pleaded. He turned back to Elaris. "What is my next upgrade?"
"For that, you'll need to go to Big Al's Robo Shack," Elaris replied.
"Big Al's Robo Shack?" Ratchet recognised. "We saw a commercial for that on Novalis."
"This is certainly an interesting coincidence," Clank agreed, as Ratchet made his way towards the exit.
Outside, another air taxi was waiting for them. Ratchet jumped into it.
"Big Al's Robo Shack," he told the taxi's on-board computer. The taxi rose into the air and began to fly across the city.
As they floated along, Ratchet looked out over the city. Though still in awe of the sheer size of the buildings, it also felt a bit overwhelming to Ratchet. Somehow, he felt smaller than he had on Veldin. But he shouldn't feel that way, surely! He was a Ranger now: among the heroes of the galaxy! It was just more awe; that's what it was.
"Are you alright, Ratchet?" Clank asked, breaking the silence.
"Why would I not be?" Ratchet smirked.
"You have been awfully quiet. Is something bothering you?"
"Nah, it's nothing!" Ratchet scoffed. But Clank wasn't convinced.
"I do hope you are not lying to me again, Ratchet."
Ratchet just laughed, albeit defensively. "I tell one white lie, and you start acting as if everything I say is a lie! Don't be so paranoid, pal! You'll be jumping at shadows before long!"
Clank just shook his head. He was concerned about Ratchet. Was Ratchet really as amiable as he had seemed when they first met, or was it all a ruse? Could this Lombax be trusted as a Ranger? A part of Clank's sisterboard chastised him for being so suspicious of his companion. He just didn't know what to think of Ratchet, right now. He decided he would reserve judgment. Besides, there were more important things to focus on at the moment.
The taxi finally touched down in front of the same shack they had seen Qwark advertising. As Ratchet jumped down from the taxi, Clank jumped down from his back.
As they entered the shack, Ratchet's eyes widened.
"Holy cow! I've died and gone to nerd heaven!" He gestured at posters plastered on the walls. "Look at this - they have 'My Blaster Runs Hot', 'Fongoid With a Stick', 'Speero the Space Dragon' - they even have the Mega-Limited Ultra Edition of 'Intransigence: Fall of Blarg!'"
They heard someone clear their throat and they turned to see the rotund alien guy they'd seen in the advert on Novalis standing behind the counter.
"That one comes with exclusive content if you pre-order through Gadgetron," Big Al pointed out, in a nasally, slightly lisped voice. "I take it you're the ones Elaris called me about."
"We are," Clank confirmed.
"And you're that robot guy, right?" Ratchet asked.
"No, actually, I build robots," Al corrected. "I, myself, am not a robot guy, per se. He, he."
"I like him," Clank mused. "You work with the Rangers, then?" he said to Al. "We saw you in a commercial with Captain Qwark."
"Your logic is commendable," Al commented. "However, I've not spoken directly with the Rangers since we shot that commercial. Too busy being heroes, as they claim!" He looked down at Clank, bringing down his magnifier to scrutinise the small robot. "Say, do you run on standard XP-18 sisterboards?"
"Version 7.66," Clank affirmed.
"Back at ya!" Al grinned. "So, you're here for a heli-pack upgrade. Since you're a seven-six-six, I can have you up and flying in no time. Of course," he added, "I'll just need my fee for service."
Ratchet raised his Bolt Magnetiser. "Well, at least you're not charging me out of spite, like Fraulein von Critical did."
"You mean Helga, no doubt," Al chuckled, as Ratchet scanned his Bolt Magnetiser to transfer 1000 Bolts.
"Okay," Al announced in preparation, "this won't hurt a bit." And he reached over the desk to grab Clank.
Ratchet couldn't really see what Al was going, as he had turned away, but the guy's hands were flying about over Clank.
A few moments later, he turned back to produce Clank, who was now sporting three helicopter rotors - one from his head and the other two from his arms.
"Ratchet, am I cool now?" the small robot asked.
"Yeah. You da man, Clank!" Ratchet chuckled.
"You're welcome!" Al huffed irritably, as Clank hopped down. "Oh, I almost forgot: there's something else you boys might like to see." He reached behind the counter and produced another Info-bot.
"Hey, where'd you get that?" Ratchet wondered.
"I found it wandering about outside," Al replied. "I think it may have been left by Drek's forces by mistake."
"Do we need to pay for this as well?" Clank inquired.
"Tempting, but given it's likely very important, I'll let it slide. Have a look."
The Info-bot's head expanded and began its message.
A large, bulky robot that bore a striking resemblance to Victor - except green and gold - was standing amid a forested area, while several turquoise axe-wielding robots were cutting down - or rather, trying to cut down - the trees in the background. He saluted to the camera.
"Greetings, Executive Chairman Drek. Lieutenant Ernest Von Ion reporting from Eudora."
The image cut to Drek on his ship.
"Dispense with the pleasantries, Lieutenant. My sources tell me you're behind schedule. You must prepare that planet to be harvesting for our new world."
"Yes, sir," Ernest acknowledged. "As you can see, everything is moving along as planned."
Even as he said this, one of the axing robots tried to chop at a tree and sliced his partner in half by mistake.
"I'm counting on you, Lieutenant," Drek reminded Ernest dangerously. "And as your predecessor will tell you…" He drew a finger across his throat. "…I don't take disappointments well."
"Yes, sir," Ernest asserted quickly. "I won't fail."
"It seems Drek is aiming to destroy another planet," Clank exclaimed, as the Info-bot shrank into his chassis.
Ratchet scoffed. "Yeah, but if that's the kinda help he's getting there, I don't think there's anything to worry about."
Clank frowned. "You should not underestimate Chairman Drek," he admonished. "He is quite dangerous. We should inform the Rangers at once."
"My thoughts, exactly," Al agreed.
"Hey, that Lieutenant doesn't seem as tough as his brother," Ratchet noted. "Perhaps we can take him out ourselves!"
Clank thought. "Perhaps the Lieutenant can be 'persuaded' to tell us where Drek is," he proposed.
"Now you're talkin'!" Ratchet grinned. "Come on!"
And they left the shack.
"You're welcome!" Al called after them. "No one ever says 'thank you' these days!"
As they approached the taxi, Ratchet had an idea.
"Hey pal, fancy trying out that new heli-pack?"
"I suppose it is only reasonable to see how it works," Clank conceded, hooking himself to Ratchet's back.
The Gadgetron Help Desk spoke up at that moment.
'The Gadgetron heli-pack can be used to glide across wide gaps, and is useful to add a little extra push to your jump. Just crouch and then jump as hard as you can. The heli-pack will activate and lift you higher.'
Ratchet stepped up to the taxi and bent his knees. Tongue between his teeth, he jumped up. As he did, he heard the sound of helicopter rotors whirring and he rose even higher.
"Whoa! Awesome!" Ratchet cried, as he and Clank landed on the taxi. "This just gets better and better! Anyway, Hall of Heroes." And the taxi left off.
When they showed the Rangers the Info-bot's message, Ratchet and Clank received a slight surprise.
"As it happens, we just received a distress call around those same co-ordinates," Qwark informed. "It came from Skid McMarx and his agent."
"Skid McMarx? The famous hoverboarder?" Ratchet asked eagerly.
"The very same," Brax confirmed, as he began the recorded message they'd received over the HoloNet.
"Mayday, mayday! This is the solar ship Radical! We seem to be under attack from the planet's surface!"
"Relax, kid. It looks like some sorta fireworks display. Probably in your honour!"
"Whoa! That was close! Aaah!"
"Pip down, I can't concentrate!"
"We've been hit!"
"Err, an unexpected detour! When we land, I'll see if I can stir an exhibition for ya."
"We're not gonna live that long!"
"Kid, let's…"
"EJECT! EJECT!"
The message turned to static.
"Boy, he must be in some real danger," Ratchet whistled. "Never heard him so scared before!"
"Your objective is two-fold," Elaris told them. "Find and hopefully capture that Lieutenant; and rescue Skid McMarx and his agent on Eudora. I'd give you advice on the best approach, given your inexperience…" She drew in a deep breath. "…but Qwark reckons you two can handle it fine.
Clank regarded her with sympathy, but said nothing.
"Captain, with all due respect," Cora spoke up, "I think Elaris is right. Ratchet and Clank are inexperienced. They've only just been initiated as Rangers. I think I should be the one to go. This Lieutenant could be more dangerous than the Info-bot implies, given he's the brother of Victor."
Ratchet couldn't believe it. Cora still doubted his capabilities? This was really getting on his nerves. He decided to have some fun with her.
"Aww, is the Markazian afraid for our safety?" Ratchet asked in a mock-cutesy voice.
"I'm more afraid for the safety of Skidz and the people of Eudora!" Cora snapped.
"Now, now," Qwark soothed. "Give Ratchet a chance. Such a unique specimen deserves the chance to prove himself." Qwark winked at Ratchet, who grinned. "And if he survives-err, I mean, completes this mission, he'll be ready to take on Drek with us! But don't worry, recruits; we'll be monitoring your position from here the whole time. Good luck to you both!"
"Cheers, Captain," Ratchet thanked, as he got to his feet, ignoring Cora's scowl.
"I'd see you off, but I have an urgent appointment with my acupuncturist," Qwark concluded. "But if you head outside, you'll see that we spruced up that little craft of yours. Call me when you arrive at Eudora. We're counting on you, Ratchet."
"Vell, I'm not!" Helga declared, as Qwark departed. "Such a veakling is a disgrace!"
Ratchet ignored her.
"Come along, Clank," he urged. "Let's get going!"
"Hold on!" Cora cut in. "I'm coming with you too!"
Ratchet groaned as he turned to her. "Qwark assigned this task to me, Cora."
"Well, I'm assigning myself to accompany you," Cora insisted. She took a deep breath. "At the very least, you should have one of us directly at your back, just in case you… get overconfident."
"I'm not 'over' anything; I'm just confident," Ratchet smirked, as he made his way towards the door, Clank at his side. "Just don't get in my way, okay, lady?"
Cora narrowed her eyes after him.
"You sure you should be doing this, Cora?" Brax asked, a little worried. "Qwark mightn't approve if he realises you went behind his back."
"Eh, Qwark only looks behind his back when he's posing in the mirror," Cora muttered. She turned to Elaris. "Keep us posted on any updates. You know the drill, Lara."
"Of course," Elaris acknowledged, though she was gazing after Qwark, a little concerned.
"Something on your mind, Lara?" Brax inquired, noticing her distraction.
Elaris hesitated. Did she dare voice her suspicions about Qwark? It would put their teammates on their guard, certainly. But then, if they were divided, even against one of their own, their effectiveness against Drek would be compromised. And if her suspicions were false, it would be for nothing. Argh, why was this so hard?!
"Nothing, Brax," Elaris lied finally. "Just… nerd stuff on my mind, as usual."
In the Hall of Heroes' Hangar, Ratchet located his Skyhopper, though not immediately. The reason for this was that the Skyhopper had been given a brand new paintjob: dark blue, with gold lining and the Rangers' symbol emblazoned on the side.
"Swee-he-he-het!" Ratchet giggled, running a gauntleted hand over the Skyhopper's hull. "Special metallic paint that doubles as extra protection against laser bursts and space debris…"
"Sounds practical," Clank agreed. "Shall we get going then?"
"Like you even need to ask."
Ratchet opened the cockpit, and jumped into the pilot's seat. Clank hovered himself in after Ratchet, using his heli-pack upgrade, and settled into the seat besides the Lombax. The diminutive robot began to type at the ship's on-board computer, entering the co-ordinates for Eudora into the system.
"Perhaps we should wait for Cora," he suggested, just as the computer accepted the co-ordinates.
"And let her slow us down? No way!" Ratchet scoffed. "She can catch up later. Eudora, here we come!"
And firing the Skyhopper's thrusters, Ratchet and Clank took off out of the hanger, for their important mission.