Chapter Eight
MIA
"Yes, well, although the evil of our own ancient past has never been given a personhood much less a name," said Triffid when Buzz had finished, "that does sound like it could match the technological advancements that made one self-proclaim himself as a god as a fallen autumn leaf in colored spender may believe it has surpassed the wintering tree only to fall into decay while the tree lives on for another year."
"How could this not be connected if Buzz Lightyear actually met this revived… thing?" asked Ericale. "It's a fact that cannot be denied."
"True," mused Triffid. "A space mummy. A rare occurrence, indeed, but Team Lightyear handled it so well that Galactic News did not have much to report on Natron himself; though I do recall the incident."
"Never a truer space mummy in my experience," Buzz asserted.
"But I'm afraid that unless we wake up Natron again on Planet X and hope he is complacent with our questioning, this is not going to help the investigation much," Triffid said.
Buzz smiled. "And that's not a suggestion I'm going to recommend to Star Command anytime soon."
"Then… what do you suggest, Ranger Lightyear?" asked Ericale cocking her head.
"Well, first I'm thinking that we should have a full scan from outside Rhizome," said Buzz. "I'll contact Star Command and have the LGMs see if they can locate any unusual technology hidden within the bowels of this planet with everything they've got and from a distance that is likely not to be caught in the Mother Bulb' interference. Hopefully Booster and Mira can catch up too. In the meantime, XR and I are going to see if we can't squeeze out some vipers that aren't so ancient…" He flipped up his communicator. "XR? Recharge-time's over. I've got a plan, but… XR?"
XR was not responding.
Buzz huffed. "XR, do you read me?"
Nothing.
"Craters," Buzz breathed. "Now's not the time for…"
Pr. Triffid cleared his throat. "Ranger Lightyear, I hate to make throw salt on a drought, but do you really think it is within the best interests of the universe for your scientists to find this technology. I for one don't, if it's all the same to you, and I'm certain the prime minister will agree with me."
Buzz threw Triffid an ugly glare.
Apologetic as Triffid grew, he was also glaring quite ugly back in a moment. "The temptation is too great even for them."
Still XR was not responding in the vacuum of speech Buzz was leaving him as he stared at the native of Rhizome.
He had known Triffid for a few years, and he could not say he had ever trusted his judgment over the judgment of the LGM staff at Star Command. Yet, the LGMs were not impervious to seeking knowledge to their own detriment. Curiosity and LGMs went together like syrup on pancakes, and that was how the LGMs were going to look at this opportunity. The LGMs would have no unethical intent, but what if it was something that no one should know about. A Pandora's Box? After all, Zurg had gained enough power on and off to take critical information from Star Command records. Was it worth the risk that he could do that again?
"Well, we can at least have them find out if there's a Zurg base hidden somewhere," Buzz challenged.
Triffid's stance was not moved to anything but further rigidity. To Buzz's surprise the tuffet, the as a rule serene Rhizomian was seated upon, was stiffening.
Buzz closed his communicator. His jaw was ajar speechless.
Although part of his mind was burning to know whether XR was just sleeping hard or had run off like he too often did when under what Buzz came to call "robotic duress", this had to be a first time for Triffid upsetting his native symbiotes. In the past he might have used it against Triffid, but now he felt his eyes soften.
"Professor…" Ericale whispered.
Triffid looked down. With a slight start he leapt off the tuffet as though he might have injured it. As he was inspecting the damage and stroking and coaxing it back to ease, Ericale came to assist.
"You really believe this is a dangerous thing… why?" Buzz demanded. "What is it? Or what do think it is?"
"My father—" Ericale began and then stopped.
Triffid gave an expression that was unreadable at first, but then glancing back at Buzz, he gave Ericale an encouraging nod. As both Rhizomians straightened themselves before the ranger, Ericale bowed her head.
So the secrets of this strange young woman were about to be revealed? Took her long enough. Buzz knew there was something going on with her.
"My father heard her."
Buzz winced. "The Mother Bulb?"
"Yes," said Ericale looking very meek. "Ranger Lightyear, it had not happened in so long that no one believed him, but I think that, if I'm not speaking for Pr. Triffid…"
"I'm pretty sure I believe him now," said Triffid.
"Why?" Buzz pressed.
"Because of XR."
"Really?" Ericale was more surprised than she had ever looked in Buzz's presence.
"But Ericale's father can't be compared to a robot!" Buzz insisted.
"He can if he has hearing aids designed for the deaf on Capital Planet always in his ears using similar technology to what is used in XR since I believe it was based on LGM design," said Triffid.
Buzz blinked. Impatience to find his ranger rose.
"Bramble was born deaf," said Triffid. "It was something no natural cure could avail him. Although, he had learned lip reading and had taken speech therapy to such flawlessness that those who did not know him well could never guess. It was his own decision not to have non-Rhizomian technology aid him as a matter of principle. When he studied abroad on Capital Planet, however he changed his mind among non-Rhizomians. When he returned after graduation, he came to pay his respects at our most honored gardens where in a cove lies the Mother Bulb. It was there that he heard her. When no one believed him, he went back to Capital Planet. I tried to convince him to stay. We were once very close friends, you see, but he did not return until he had married and he never spoke of the incident in public again. It's for old time's sake that we still have the contact that we do have, or even that he recommended me to his daughter when she desired— well, maybe we should stick to the topic."
"Yes, please," said Buzz. "What did he hear?"
"He saw and heard," Triffid corrected.
"What?"
"In a vision he saw the memories of Rhizome. Among them was the memory of a tool that could transform matter from the cellular level into any other matter," said Ericale.
"What?" Buzz pressed again.
"And I don't care if you believe it, I never doubted him," Ericale insisted, not irritated but quite firm.
"But I don't think I, uh… disbelieve…" Buzz began then started again. "You mean no one's ever triggered this because an off-world device before?"
"It was the latest model of hearing aid," Triffid shrugged.
"Well, yeah, but— they believe XR and not one of their own people?"
"Ironic, isn't it?" sighed Triffid. "And when it had happened to poor Bramble he was overcome by it. I wasn't there when it happened, but I met him soon afterwards. He was quite shaken. The other factor that is in common is that there had been a bad storm surge that had everything on the fritz for a time within the electro-plant system. It was not as bad as now, but it could have been enough to be have created similar factors for speaking between Mother Bulb and another."
"But Zurg figured it out," said Buzz feeling grim. "Ericale, where's your father now?"
#
Gar Lake, a town and a lake some ways from Goozman Du and Bloomeria, and so far it was unaffected by the disease.
Water lapped along a sheltered bank. Most of the town had a front row seat to the placid glassy surface more of a large mere than a typical lake with marshy flourishes but well maintained so that it was more like a wetland garden true to Rhizomian conduct. In all simplicity one might have called it a swamp in some spots, but it was the most beautiful "swamp" at its crudest.
It appeared at first glance that the wildlife was busier than the local townsfolk, but in the background there were voices carried on a whispery breeze of those about their business. Children were playing with pollywogs and splashing each other along thick vines coiling over the water's surface at the nearest curve of the bank.
But there was one person who was not a native, however much someone unfamiliar with what Rhizomians looked like would not know it. She blended right into the scene despite her thick fur. As still as a stature she looked over the glittery water like she had been there an age in her Rhizomian attire, but Buzz knew the sight as a Shragarakian in the coldest of wind blowing in the harshest snowy dune on Shragarak. Her huge eyes did not appear to blink, because of the catlike eyelid shielding her eyes for such staring. He could feel the tenseness before her daughter beside him did.
XR was nowhere aboard Starcruiser 42. He was nowhere at all for the time being, and Buzz felt that they had come here to find further disappointment. When Ericale looked up at her mother on the far side of the bank, she left Buzz's side, racing with feline finesse and stopping with just as much precision. Her mother turned to her and was surprised to the see the ranger behind her, but before either woman could speak, Buzz said, "Bramble isn't here, is he."
With a deep pout the Shragerakian shook her head.
"He's the space ranger investigating the—" Ericale began.
Her mother, looking straight at Buzz, interrupted, "He went to the island, but has not come back. I was just thinking of going there myself."
Buzz sighed. "He won't be there, ma'am."
Now what?
Ericale grabbed Buzz quite suddenly by the arm.
"Whoa!"
"Come on, I think I know something that might help!" she begged.
Buzz steadied himself as Ericale huffed half in frustration and half in apology.
"First where are we going?" he demanded.
"To my parents' house," said Ericale pointing to a little green tree-house overlooking the bank, and after a moment of thought, Buzz allowed her to take him there.
Her mother followed on swift and silent paws.
Inside Ericale did not stop tugging at Buzz until they reached a room that looked like a study. Inside was the usual Rhizomian plant-made furniture. One of these had a series of cubbies reminiscent of a honey comb except for being sleek spring green. The slots were covered by natural filmy "panes" like the windows often were except translucent rather than transparent. She curled one up with gentle paws and pulled out a not so natural looking box covered in Capital Planet medical script, and inside was a pair of extra hearing aids.
"And?" Buzz crossed his arms.
"Before studying under Pr. Triffid, I was spinning some daisy chains," teased Ericale despite the situation.
"Yeah?"
"If you call working on Capital Planet with computer programming daisy chains," Ericale grinned, sharp teeth quite unlike the flatter Rhizomian sort; she looked too much like a Cheshire now for comfort, "and if you think it will be helpful, I think I know a way to use a computer to link to these hearing aids if one was willing to wear them and listen in on the system."
Buzz gaped. Then smiled. "I would be neglecting my duty to protect civilians to let you do that, Ericale."
"I meant you," grinned Ericale.
#
"Talk about pain…" murmured Brain Pod 42 to himself rubbing the side of the glass bowl over his brain. "I've got a headache that's gunna last for weeks."
He was too thankful to be able to pull away from the mental stew pot that he had entered to contact the robot. The plant herself had been overwhelming in her deep melancholy. The robot had been like dealing with a bratty child. Both ancient wisdom and simple straightforwardness attacked from both ends of 42 like a juice machine and his brain the orange in the middle.
Guilt?
Never! thought the Brain Pod, and yet he felt a little shaky, a little ill, and a little like he was a rotten orange that would make no appealing beverage for a crisp healthy breakfast. That last bit was a given.
Besides, who was the one taking advantage of the whole thing? What was innocence when the loss of it meant the ability to grip all forms of trust and naivety like a mutated orange could destroy any juicer? Its high-concentrate of acid could destroy anything. He was one of the 40's Division of Zurg's pods. That made him a behind-the-scenes man. It made him a pillar beneath the figurative tower of Zurg's evil empire. For all the discomfort this plot had caused 42, the fruits of his labor were obvious.
On screen XR could be tracked as long as he was in the communication network of the Mother Bulb. He was following the memoires of ancient past just like 42 had predicted. If the plants knew anything about this ancient technology, that little Star Command robot would discover it, and it was no longer his concern to worry about anyone finding out in the meantime. All of Rhizome was abuzz with the news of this robotic prophet. All Rhizomiphiles would be next. Buzz would have a blockade against him that he could not just fight back like hornets.
That in itself made 42 snicker.
Was it petty?
Oh, yes!
Excuse for pettiness was one of the reasons 42 had given up his body— among the obvious reasons, like being an unethical scientist lusting power. The one being in the universe more powerful than Brain Pod 42 right now was Zurg himself.
All hail the empire of Evil Emperor Zurg! May his reign penetrate every corner of the universe with its piercing glare. And 42 was one of those relentless eyes peering into the very soul of the universe.
He had recorded what the robot had seen. Warp would have visual aid for when he harvested this weapon for Zurg like the little errand boy he was.
Turning round, 42 made for the door of the small computer lab. How cold and cruel the lighting! 42 beamed as he turned the corner for the meager break room of the place, coldly furbished but with the right sort of black coffee a busy employee of evil needed, not to mention the sinfully good chocolate donuts.
Warp was drinking that coffee but he didn't touch the donuts. 42 helped himself to one with shameless greed and ignored that leer the henchman gave him. It was the type of look that could kill if such things were possible without psychic ability or built-in laser vision, but if he killed 42 now, Zurg would be very displeased. It would be a pleasure 42 would almost have found worth being killed for if he could see it after he was dead: Zurg punishing the great Warp Darkmatter for killing a humble Brain Pod.
His tastebuds were dulled by the treatment he had undergone, but he relished the chocolate nonetheless. When he swallowed 42 sniggered.
"I'm paid by the hour," Warp muttered. "Zurg better remember that."
42 threw his retractable arms behind his back. "Yes, heh. And your waiting is at an end. It took a mere twenty minutes, you know. The robot is discovering when and where this tech has been within the knowledge of the Mother Bulb line."
Warp raised a brow. "He found it?"
"Guh," 42 lurched but was quick to collect himself. "No, not yet, but, if you follow me, I'll show you the progress. A robot is much more reliable with such things than an organic mind. If nothing interrupts the robot's progress, he should reach his destination within the next half hour or so, and all you have to do is pick up the package."
As he was speaking Warp slammed down his mug. He had already been standing and now he was passing the Brain Pod as he marched for the lab.
"Ahem!" 42 zipped after him.
"This the indicator for Mr. Expendable?" demanded Warp, taking a brief look at the main screen.
"Y—yes, why?"
"He isn't moving, genius."
The hot and the cold of the lifeless atmosphere tore at both ends as much as the plant and the bot had just moments before.
"What?!" gasped 42, bubbles blinding his vision again. "He woke up!"
Warp distinctly smiled and shook his head.
#
"YAhhh!" XR cried holding his hands over his helmet.
Nothing.
He was still shivering when he opened his eyes, and he was not sure if he was surprised or not to find that he was unharmed in this darkness. He blinked his eyebulbs to flashlight-mode.
Everything looked familiar in the most disturbing way.
Like he had just seen it two seconds ago.
In that memory.
In silence, XR backed up and bumped right into a wall. As he spun his body around and looked up he knew for a fact where he was. Right above him was an ancient slab. There was nothing legible to anyone on it anymore, but the few scratches that remained were an exact match to what had been there before when Phyto had gazed upon this image who-knew-how-long ago.
He no longer cared that a gulp was unnecessary without spit. It was necessary as far as he was concerned for an expression for himself as no word could have expressed it better. Though he tried anyway, "Oh… this isn't good. I don't care what Phyto said, I sure wish the Protector of this era was here right about now. Buzz! Where could he be?"
And to make the whole thing all the better he heard and felt a rumble below him. It could be a cave-in, an earthquake, an excavation, and a great many other excuses, but XR felt his best bet was the return of that centipede thing that had attacked (very possibly killed) Phyto. Though, it was also plausible to think he lived if one remembered that Tunica had to have survived if it was her memory. How could she have survived down here without a chaperone?
How come that was not making XR feel any better either way?
He looked around him. The drop into the path that Phyto had taken the first time was blocked by years of roots and rubble. He could try to go that way by taking great care to remove the debris.
"But how is that going to help me exactly?" He asked wringing his hands. "Ahem? Say, Mother Bulb? You there? Why did I follow the memory? I'm going to assume that it was not on purpose just for the sake of keeping the peace. I might have gotten angry otherwise, but… Mother Bulb?"
He paused.
"Oh, right! I don't have my scanners up!" He chucked. "Oh, for a second there I thought I was getting the silent treatment!"
He put up his scanner and headset and listened, but the moment he did so he got one response.
PAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!
"Ow!" cried XR throwing of the squealing headset unable to compensate for such tremendous force of anguish. "Aww, c'mon!"
The rumbles grew more prominent and XR backed up against the slab. Rumbling continued right beneath him almost as if it was going to—
"Crash right through the floor!"
GROOSH!
"Ah!" screamed XR.
Debris spattered everywhere, rock, dust, and root. XR shielded himself just in time with a good old-fashioned cast-iron pan he managed to scrape from his auxiliary compartment at the last second.
Hey, it worked, didn't it?
XR was unharmed, but the surreal vision before him as he lowered the ancient kitchen weapon, was enough to make him wonder if he had been knocked cold. It was an exact replica of it from the plant's siphoned memory— that centipede thing. A creature of Natron's— or would that be the creature of the ancient slaves of Natron?
"How is it still online?" XR could not help but ask. "Correction, how is it still online without ever having been detected before on one of the most prominent planets in the Galactic Alliance? Correction again. Why am I not getting out of here and saving these questions for later?!"
He turned on his jetpack and darted away to flee the scene as the centipede-thing attacked.
Ancient slab? Not so lucky.
XR?
Looking back had not been the brightest thing as he rammed right into a natural column. Right in the wing of course! Talk about bad luck! If it had only been an arm he might have come back for it later, but the wings on his jetpack were a little more delicate. Natron's curse could almost be felt radiating off the walls as XR lost control.
Sailing past the centipede, XR let out a scream as he tumbled down past the rubble of the next corridor and down into a deep, dark hole.
"Worse than a nightmare!" he wailed.
Would he ever wake up!?