Aex sighed and Kao whistled again, "Was that REALLY necessary?" asked Aex looking at his younger sister.
Mri sighed and looked at the silent body of her servant, "No, probably not. But…"
"But nothing. She was very valuable." snapped Aex, his eyes locked on Cri. Kao snorted and replied in a simple tone, "Well, can’t be helped now. We have to go round up the Followers. We need to pay the Tallest a little surprise visit…." Aex shot Mri a look from the corner of his silver eye and left the room to find whatever means of contact Mri had decided. Mri winced, Aex didn’t need any words, his looks sent shivers down the most trained Irken Elite. She looked at Kao who shrugged and left to help Aex. Mri turned to Moose… Who had keeled over and was lying on the ground.
"Coming anytime this Millennia, Mri?" asked Kao, poking her head in. A wicked grin danced across her face; "Another one bites the dust, eh, Mri? Same slow death as the last one? Didn’t like her type either?" she taunted and left the room laughing. Mri sighed quietly and wondered for not the first time if it had really been wise to let them be freed. Had she just
poured the kerosene and her siblings had the lighted match? She left the room, and Moose’s eye opened and followed her out.
Mri, Aex and Kao were gone. They had come in a few minutes later and Aex demanded what was Mri doing? Killing everything in sight? They had left, thinking Moose had been knocked out and slowly, Mri had recalled her Essence.
Not all of it, though.
Moose struggled to her feet and stared around until her eyes lit on Cri. Moose’s mouth opened in a silent scream but she pulled herself together and turned away. Cri was dead, but who had done it? She saw a light dance of blood across her shirtfront… Had she-? No! She would never- Wait, why couldn’t she remember anything past she, Moose took a gulp, the Tallest had lied? And that she wasn’t Irken? She shook her head and bit her lip, she’d find out soon, right? And it’d be okay, right? She walked over to the door and pulled on the knob.
It was locked.
Figured! She beat her hands on the door and a vid screen winked on. Aex’s face grinned down on her as she turned, "YOU! Who are you and why am I locked in?!" she snapped.
Aex waved his hand and said in a clam tone, "You should know ME. I’m the one who showed you what you really are! Nothing but Earthen SCUM." He spat the word, like it was too terrible to say. "Why are you locked in? Do you think me stupid, human? No,
don’t answer that-I don’t want to hear. I’d love to explain, but my return to power is just around the corner! There’s a whole cosmos out there waiting for me! Have fun, little Moose." Stereotypical villain.
Figured!
So, she knew he was Aex, Leader of the Rebellion, but what help was THAT? She had to get out, so how was she going to do it? "A key!" said Moose. "I need a KEY! Wait-where do I find a key? They won’t leave one just lying around! Unless they’re some sort of idiots!" said Moose thoughtfully. She turned around. CRI. Of course! Cri would have a key! But that meant… "Oooh nooo…." Said Moose shaking her head and backing away
from the body. "I refuse to go through her pockets!"
¾ OF AN HOUR LATER
"Oh, God…" muttered Moose placing another of Cri’s knives on the table. "What was she-a homicidal maniac or something?" That made thirty-two knives in all!
And some Tic-Tacs, bubble gum (cherry doom), a miniature CD player and a rubber ducky.
No key.
No stupid, stinking key.
Moose sighed and went to the right side of Cri to try THOSE pockets. Skittles, a floppy diskette, and some stamps from Cairo.
No key.
"Oh, come on!" screamed Moose. "Why is nothing good happening? WHRE’S MY FAIRY GODMOTHER?" A small piece of paper floated to the ground, Moose picked it up.
" 'Dear Moose, Be happy I’ve given this to you! I woke you up; I could’ve made you DIE like Cri! Erg… Finish this! Go on, quit reading! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU STILL READING?? Love, Noodles' " Moose shook her head and stuffed the paper in her pocket.
"Ah, well, let’s KEEP trying. MAYBE I’ll FIND something in Cri’s POCKET. (Hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge!)" Said Moose and looked pointedly upwards. A new slip of paper slid down.
"' Dear Moose, I have as now to inform you to SHUT UP AND KEEP GOING! I’ll give you chocolate if you finish, and Pluto 'cause I’m auctioning off the planets! Love, the author' Oh, how sweet!" said Moose and tried again. And again, and again, and again and you get the point. Cri, you must understand, liked pockets. She was one of those people who had pockets sewn in EVERYWHERE. So there were some everywhere on her. Now, this was all fine and dandy, but the Rebellion-! She could almost hear it- and then, cold metal pressed into her hand.
"I got the key…" She darted to the door and shoved the key in.
Turn.
Click.
"Got ya!" Moose pocketed the key and turned back for a minute. Cri still lay there, quiet and wide-eyed from shock. Moose bite her lip and kept going. 'Sorry, Cri' she thought as she ran, 'I'll get you a funeral when this all ends!' She skittered around a corner only to be faced with the Neo-Rebellion.
M E A N W H I L E:
The Tallest both stood at the Control Brain. It had been nearly ¾ of an hour they had spent trying to get the 'Brain to show them what was going on. The CB had only said in a cheerful voice "Thorry! Flieth no longer exitht or were deleted at some patht point!"
Purple was starting to bargain for ANY tidbit of information and Red was trying to find the files. Finally, the Control Brain found the files. But it still refused any information.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US?" shouted Purple pulling his antenna, "What? Do you want us to dress in drag and do the hula?"
"Weeelll…."
"NO. Please 'Brain!" said Purple, whacking his head on the keyboard. "Please don't!" The
CB let out an evil cackle and Purple wailed at the indignities! "Make it STOP, RED!" Red sighed quietly and double clicked on the Probe. It shot out of the Containment Unit and went after Moose. Purple stood speechless, "I DIDN'T have to do the hula?"
"NAW! It would’ve been FUNNY, but nope." Replied Red with a grin. Purple began thwacking his head against the computer again.
"Can you show us the Probe Readings, Control Brain?"
"Thay 'pretty pleath, with thugar on top'."
"Pretty pleath with thugar on top." Replied Purple glaring at the holographic face on a smaller monitor.
"Thmart ath." Snapped the CB but showed the files.
And Moose wasn’t doing too good either.
"So, you finally got out, hmm?" asked Mri walking up to Moose. "Even searching through that Blood Doll's pockets didn’t faze you?"
" 'Blood Doll'?"
"A Blood Doll," said Kao with a wicked grin, "is a clone. Or, almost. The Blood Doll has the blood of its creator and is implanted with the characteristics you want."
"It’s like a computer. It’s just a living computer, with flesh, blood and bone," said Aex and gave her a lop-sided grin, "and just like a living creature, it can be KILLED. But you know that, don’t you?" Moose looked at her shirt, it hadn’t been her imagination, she had killed Cri. Aex smiled again, "So, now what’re you gonna do? You’re faced with mutiny on both sides, murder and several others, including assault with a deadly weapon-"
"I haven’t handled any weapons!"
"Check out your pockets, my friend,” drawled Kao looking tired with the whole event.
Moose went into her pockets and drew out a laser gun.
With shaking hands she put it back and looked at Aex, "I never had this before."
Laughter filled the hall.
"Moose, join me, join us. Join the true leaders of Irk! The Neo Rebellion is here for their true title! Help us, and I will forgive you for all of your sin-"
"I have not sinned!" snapped Moose; "It is you who have sinned!"
Aex shook his head and snapped a finger. Several Rebels came up and handcuffed Moose, "You have two options, 1: You join the Rebellion or 2: You watch. What would rather?" he asked. Moose spat at him and he rubbed the burnt area on his skin without so much as wincing.
"I’d rather rot in Hell!"
He shrugged and motioned to his Followers, "Suit yourself. Let’s go." The Rebels went on.
They were reaching the gate. The Imperial Forces stood waiting for them, guns ready. Red and Purple seemed shocked to see her at Aex’s side, her eyes blank and laser in hand.
"You give up?" called Aex, "Now is the time, before the cosmos is mine to control!" Red snapped back that he would never bow and Purple screamed a war cry and the troops advanced. Kao smiled and the Rebels attacked.
But the battle raged in two places:
By the Palace and inside Moose.
Mri’s Essence was devouring her, and Moose was fighting back. Mri was sweating from trying to keep Moose at bay with no help, if Cri were alive- Moose wilted at Mri’s thoughts. Mri took this chance of sorrow to attack viciously. Moose felt like she was drowning in a sea of Mri’s Essence and no one could help. Her mind was being ripped apart! Her body was being destroyed! She could feel Mri’s Essence pounding her into nothing, see the life she once knew- And she gave up. It was the third time to the surface and she accepted it, she was not coming back. She felt like someone had thrown her out a window, ultimate nothing.
Mri felt her surrender. She could see her fall off the building to her doom, and she knew she had won. But, she felt funny, all weak and dead. Kao turned to see her older sister falling to the ground.
"Mri, you idiot! You put too much of yourself in!" screamed Kao rushing to her sister. "Aex-HELP!" she shouted staring up to her brother in panic.
Aex looked down; "It's her own fault for pouring herself in like that. It is no concern of mine." He returned to watching the battle. Mri and Kao stared up at their brother. Mri sighed softly and started laughing.
"Mri-What is WRONG with you?" shouted Kao.
Mri laughed again; "I'm DYING!" she giggled and slowly slipped away. Kao sat there holding her sister and wondering why Aex didn’t care about his sister dying and why Mri thought it was funny. She turned to Moose, ready to pull out her Claws (large metal strips attached to a strip of leather that goes around your hand) and kill Moose.
But it was already done.
Moose lay on the ground battling for her life with a non-existent foe.
