SEASON 1: EPISODE 18
Location: Fog Chamber 9Z9, Evercity
"Hurry, Sambo!" Kieran anxiously prompted. "The Fog is up to Charles' shoulders." "I'm hurrying!" an exasperated Sambo said. "They just tied your knots a little tighter 'en mine." Jacoby waited patiently for the boy to free Kieran, but in the mean time worked on yanking his knots to save some time. "So, how are we going to get the doctor free anyways? I don't think Sambo can break though chains." Sambo smirked. "Well," Kieran started, "The tough part is keeping the Automations away until we can free ourselves." He took a peak down at the arena pit which was filled with Fog up to the doctors neck now. The Automations seemed to be pretty preoccupied. "I think our best shot if to get free and see how many Automations we can knock into the pit." Jacoby scoffed. "You're kidding, right?" Kieran looked seriously at Jacoby. "Do you see any weapons around? This is the only way that will work." Sambo nodded his agreement.
The boys were suddenly aware that there was a commotion below. "What?!" Lucky's voice rang. The green liquid seemed to stop around Charles' mouth, which he had clamped shut. "Why did the Fog stop? Who is ruining my plans?" "We're not sure, my lord," replied Arthur, quickly. "But for some reason the Fog tank is empty. There was a leak in one of the pipes. We'll just move on to the next drill." Lucky crossed his arms and muttered, "Fools."
"Drill number two!" yelled the Commander. The single rod on the dome ceiling began to jolt. An electric bolt that looked like lightning headed straight for the Fog below. Lucky smiled out of satisfaction. The Fog liquid sizzled until it reached the outer edge of the walls. Lucky's smile faded as he noticed the doctor was still alive, even though he looked limp from the shock.
"Arthur!" yelled Lucky. The Commander looked a little despaired, but then brightened. "We have one more test, sir." He smiled. "Our scientists have put long hours into this. No doubt about it, this will definitely work." "It better," yelled Lucky, "or you'll be right in that pit along with the prisoners!" As a few Automations went to the operator to see if everything for the next drill was in tact, Arthur ordered Smith to get another prisoner ready for the pit after the doctor was done with. "Bring in the newer prisoner, Sambo Gleamwalker."
Kieran turned to Jacoby and Sambo. "We better get loose soon or we're all gonna be goners."
Location: An Underground Mine, Woods in Bootleg Pass
Ariella sprinted towards the light. She knew it could be dangerous if she fell, but she would rather die of a fall then of hunger. The far away light became clearer and started to have greenish sort of look. She found that it wasn't far away at all. Was it some kind of mirage? A squeal of delight broke the dreadful silence. "Who's there?" Ariella yelled. She dashed through a doorframe leading to the greenish glow. The squeal had come from Silverclaw and the brightness had come from a pile Fogrock.
Location: Fog Chamber 9Z9, Evercity
Arthur had told Smith and a few Pacifiers to stand by the prisoners until the third drill was over. Luckily for the boys, Smith didn't notice Sambo untying Kieran. "If we want to rescue Charles, we've got to do it now," Jacoby whispered to the other two. "The Commander sounds really confident in this third test." Kieran nodded in agreement. "You almost got it Sambo?" "Close, guv. Could be moving faster if I had a sharp object."
Arthur came clanging back down the stairs from the booth, two steps at a time. "We are ready for the final drill, my lord," he called out. "Proceed," was Lucky's reply. "Drill number three!" yelled the Commander. A green mist filled the room. The three boys couldn't see what was happening to the doctor. Creak! CLANG! "What on earth, Sam-" Kieran started. For the younger boy had ripped the head off of a Pacifier as if it was a cockroach. "Cheap upgrade," he said as he grabbed the lifeless Automation by the arm, yanked out the bayonet and sliced the ropes that had bound Kieran. "What's that noise?" yelled Smith, realizing what was happening. "The prisoners are free! After them!" he called out to the other two Pacifiers with him. Kieran and Sambo took off leaving Jacoby tied to his pole.
They two ran down the seats of the bleachers, passed an astonished, but disgusted Lucky, and jumped over the low railing, trying to save Charles. "Fire!" commanded Smith to the Automations. Shots rang. Alarms went off everywhere. Automations came pouring into the arena from the double doors. Jacoby, who had been pulling against his ropes, finally broke them free. He ran blindly into the misty Fog which had made everything hard to see. "Oomph!" He had banged into someone leaning against the rail. It was Lucky. "You're finally going to get what's coming to you!" Jacoby yelled. He made a fist and flung his hand at the Emperor, forcing him hard into the rail. Lucky called out for help, his arms flailing around. With all the weight on the rail, it suddenly gave way. They both fell into the pit with Jacoby still pounding away at the evil man.
But he suddenly realized his punches weren't doing any damage. He was just hitting the liquid Fog. Lucky was gone. He had disappeared into the Fog below.
Location: An Underground Mine, Woods in Bootleg Pass
Not a pile of Fogrock. More like fifty. And huge ones at that. "Look at all of this!" Silverclaw pointed to all of the piles. "It must have been abandoned. I'll be rich! Lucky will give me anything I want for all this." "Don't be so sure," Ariella said, pointing downwards. "There's something making this rock turn into liquid. That makes it tougher to carry without a bucket. And how do you expect to get out of here anyways?" Silverclaw ignored her question and knelt down searching through the rock, looking for the cause of all the melting. She stood back up cupping something in her hands. "What in Lucky's dominion is this?" she demanded. Ariella peered into the metal cupped hands. Purple liquid.
Silverclaw threw it to the ground. "Blasted stuff is shrinking my Fogrock!" she yelled. "Don't yell so loud," whispered Ariella, clamping Silverclaw's mouth with her hands, fearing another cave-in. The claws flew through the air. "Get your wretched hands off me!" she yelled again. Ariella was thrown back against the cave wall. She could see scratch marks on her right arm.
A rumbling sound was heard above as the top of the cave started to crumble. Silverclaw made a dash for the doorway. "Oh, no!" thought Ariella, still propped up against the cave. "This is the end." Huge chunks came crashing down on her. She closed her eyes and pushed against the wall with her good arm, barely dodging a big piece of the caves' rock top. She fell face forward into something wet. She lifted her head and opened an eye. Purple was the color of the wetness. Black was what she saw next.
Location: Cafeteria Room 6F3, Evercity
May Otterview had just finished lunch period. She took her trash up to the front of the room and smiled as she gave her tray to the lady that ran the cafeteria. With a frown, the women accepted it. May sighed and went back to her table. She looked outside the room's only window. All she could see was the green sky. "Thanks to Lucky for that," she said sarcastically, not realizing she had said it out loud. "What's that?" said someone sitting at a table across from hers. "Oh," May straightened up. "Just thanking Lucky for this great day!" she said cheerfully. "Good," responded the person as he turned back to his food.
"Another comment like that and I'm a goner. What's gotten in to me?" She couldn't believe she was having second thoughts about Lucky. Where had these rebellious thoughts come from? He was the Emperor. He protected all of his citizens. He took care of everyone. Or did he? Did he just want people to believe that, but behind their backs he was scheming and plotting against them? "Maybe he isn't so good as everyone thinks he is," thought May.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Violet Applehelp, who had come running up to her. "May!" she panted. "They need backup below!" "What's wrong?" asked May, as she adjusted her jetpack. "The prisoners they were torturing are loose. There's a big commotion. Hurry up!" The two dashed out and headed for an elevator. "He can't even execute prisoners correctly. I wonder what they did wrong anyways," May thought aloud again. "What's that?" asked Violet as they entered the shaft. "Nothing," she muttered. "Nothing at all."
Location: Fog Chamber 9Z9, Evercity
Kieran had swam out to the pole Charles had been tied to, but he had found that Charles was gone. "Do you think Jacoby freed him?" asked Kieran to Sambo. There was no response. "We're supposed to stick together!" He quickly paddled to where he and Sambo had jumped into the pit. He scrambled out over the high ledge. Realizing it should have been tougher to get out then in, he noticed that the railing was knocked out of place. "Who did that?" he wondered.
Even though the green mist made it hard to see, Kieran noticed a shadow up higher in the seating area. A few Automations came running by. Kieran ducked underneath a seat until they left, then followed after the shadow, hoping it would belong to one of his friends.
Sambo had lost sight of Jacoby. A few clanging Pacifiers came charging across the floor. Sambo grabbed one by the shoulders and rammed it into another. Not many people knew, but Lucky's people had designed to make more Automations for less money, but of a cheaper quality. "Easier to have fun with," Sambo had always told his friends. There weakest spot was around the head. It had little to no armor.
Another Pacifier came running up to him. Sambo grabbed him. "Lighten up! I'm on your side." Sambo looked around for the voice, but realized it was the Automation itself. "Yeah, and I'm Lucky," said Sambo, smirking. "Would you like my assistance or not?" asked the Pacifier in its gravelly voice. "For your information, there's a Troubleshooter Officer in on this mission too." The Pacifier opened a flap in his arm and pulled out a few Fog Pistols. Sambo let up his grip. "Fine," he said as he grabbed a few pistols and started shooting at advancing Automations.
He ran blindly into the mist and ended up falling flat on his back. "Sambo is that you?" a voice called out.
Kieran had found Sambo by crashing into him. "Where's the doctor?" asked Sambo. "He's gone! I thought you guys got him. Where's Jacoby?" Sambo ducked down as he heard bullets go whizzing by. He handed the taller boy an extra pistol he had grabbed from their Pacifier friend before he dashed off. Kieran looked puzzled at the weapon until Sambo explained the run in with the Automation. "Who's the Troubleshooter Officer? We only had the Pacifier helping us. And where's Jacoby?" Kieran asked again as they ran off towards the exit. "I don't know, and I don't know that either," Sambo called out as he shot down a Whiplasher who was about ready to spring. "I sure hope he was able to get free from his pole."
Jacoby had gotten out of the water and had headed straight for the exit right after he had lost Lucky. The green mist was sure helping in the boys favor to escape. He rammed right through the double doors, but found he was in the midst of Lieutenant Hans Oddcraft and his regiment of Automations. Before Hans could say or do anything a voice from behind him yelled, "Catch!" Jacoby reached up and caught the Fog Pistol that someone had thrown to him. "Fire!" was Hans' command. Shots went off everywhere. To Jacoby's surprise it wasn't he who was shot down, it was the Lieutenant and his Auto's.
Jacoby noticed the someone was actually a something. It was the Pacifier the doctor had befriended, behind him was a Troubleshooter Officer. "A friend," said the Pacifier mechanically pointing to the TO. "He says he know Charles." "We'll take anyone we can get at this point. Now lets get outta here." Before they could move the Pacifier spoke up again. "But I saw one of your friends inside," he reminded. "I don't think they have made it to the exit yet."
Jacoby pondered the thought. "Don't look now, but we've got trouble up ahead," said the TO. For around the bend came May and Violet, along with some more Automations. "Here come your friends," said the Pacifier. Jacoby caught a glimpse of two figures as they opened the doors and came running from the misty room. "Where's Charles?" all three boys asked each other. "Oh no," whispered Jacoby when he saw that the doctor was not with the other two.