Sorry for the wait. Feel free to poke me in the ass with a cattle prod to make me move faster.
When the portal closed, Mike found himself in the middle of the Millennial Fair. Every booth was closing down for the night.
A stocky man walked past Mike. Mike remembered him from Lucca's Telepod show. This was her father, Taban.
Mike followed Taban to his house. After Taban went inside, Mike knocked on the door. Lucca answered it and did a double take before smiling at Mike.
"Hey, you're that guy Joel and I saved! Nice to see you again!" Lucca looked around, then asked, "Where's Joel?"
Mike paused before replying. "That's what I came to talk to you about. Where are the `bots?"
"They're in my shop. Come on in!" Lucca held the door open for Mike as he stepped inside. He saw Taban again, and a blonde woman sitting at a table. Next to her was a cane.
"Oh, you're Joel's friend," she said. "Where are you staying?"
"Over in Truce Inn," Mike answered.
"Now, now. You're welcome to spend the night. Taban, go to the Inn and get his stuff."
"Will do, honey!" Taban walked out the door.
The woman extended her arm to Mike. "I'm Lara Vallant, Lucca's mother. Who might you be?"
"I'm Mike Nelson," Mike replied, shaking Lara's hand. "Joel's my best friend."
"Oh, that's wonderful. You can stay in the guestroom upstairs. I'm about to get started with dinner. Do you like pork chops?"
"Yeah, they're great!" Mike was excited that he would get to have dinner with the Vallants. He hadn't eaten a home cooked meal in years.
"That's nice. You and Lucca can run along now. Dinner won't be ready for some time."
"My shop's in the back," Lucca stated. "Let's go see the `bots."
***
"Anna Kournikova is NOT a babe!" Servo objected.
"Is so!" Crow shot back.
"Are you boys fighting again?" Lucca asked as she walked through the door. "I never should have let you check out my dad's old calendars." She kicked a box out of her way. Pinup calendars fell out of the overflowing box onto the floor.
"Hey, Mike!" Gypsy greeted him. "What's up?"
"Didn't you say Lucca's one of Joel's friends?" Crow asked Mike. He leaned over and said quietly, "How did Joel EVER pick up a babe like that?"
"It's not like that," Mike said.
Lucca interrupted the powwow going on in the doorway. "Didn't you have something to tell us?"
"Oh yeah." Mike hung his head. He realized that he should have thought about how he was going to break the news to the `bots. Whatever the case, it was best to be honest. "Joel was killed in combat."
The others stood in stunned silence. Lucca bit her lip, waiting for Mike to say something else.
"There might be a way to resurrect him," Mike continued. "I don't know if it'll work or not. I figured that I should let you guys know what happened in case it doesn't."
Lucca broke the ice. "I see."
"Do you know if it's gonna work?" Gypsy asked.
"No," Mike replied. "It might even be really stupid to try. But, it doesn't matter. I'm going after him."
"Do you have a plan?" Lucca asked. "Is there anywhere specific you need to go, or are you just going to drift across time?"
"Drifting..." Mike's voice trailed off. "That sounds like how I was before I met Joel."
Everyone looked puzzled. "What do you mean?" asked Servo.
"I was just drifting along with you guys, being led by circumstances. When I met Joel, something inside of me snapped. From the moment I met him, I knew we were both the same. We would understand each other." Mike paused, then began again.
"My feelings were right on the money. We became best friends quickly. We have both risked our lives to save the other. That's why I'm going to find Joel. Without him, I have no purpose in life."
"That's not true!" Gypsy objected. "You take care of us!"
"Sorry, Gyps, but that's how I feel right now."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Lucca inquired.
"Yeah, there is," Mike replied. "I need some winter gear in order to save him."
"Ask my dad after dinner. He used to ski, so I'm sure he has some stuff in the back of his closet." Lucca walked to the doorway. "Come on. Dinner will be ready soon." Mike headed out the door and to the kitchen. Lucca poked her head through the doorway.
"If you guys don't wreck the shop again, I'll give you some leftovers!"
"Mike hasn't let us eat people food since the spaghetti incident," Gypsy stated.
Lucca smiled. "We don't have to tell him, do we? See you later!" She headed to the kitchen.
Crow and Servo resumed their argument. Cambot slid next to Gypsy and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Yeah, I noticed it too," Gypsy said to Cambot. "Mike's changed. I wouldn't call it `change', though. It's more like he..." Gypsy paused, searching for the appropriate word. "Matured."
Cambot nodded, then hung his head.
"Yeah, I know," Gypsy continued. "I'm worried about Joel, too. I hope that Mike's plan works."
***
For Mike, having dinner with Lucca and her parents was a bittersweet experience. He enjoyed getting to know the Vallants better, but the meal reminded him of the family dinners his mother used to host. They were experiences he would never get to have again.
Despite that, Mike found it reassuring that he was not the only one who had come across hard times. Four years earlier, Lara had lost the use of her right leg in an equestrian accident. The Vallants had to make many sacrifices for her, both financial and personal. In fact, Lucca and Taban had set up shop at the Millennial Fair to cover the expenses for Lara's upcoming surgery. Even though Lucca was enjoying her days in the spotlight, Taban was very serious about the whole routine.
Lara let Mike stay in the guestroom with the `bots. The bed was comfortable, and Mike was determined to get some rest for his expedition the next day. Sleep did not come very easily that night.
The night was calm, seemingly unaware of the tumultuous events that had recently come to pass. The `bots were in sleep mode, and were sprawled in various locations on the floor. The Vallants were also asleep. Even Lucca, who usually pulled all-nighters with her machines, was sleeping soundly in her bed. Mike was up with no company except for his own tormented thoughts.
He could still hear Joel's voice, echoing somewhere in his memories. Like Mike, Joel had also been through a lot. He had spent a slightly longer time on the SOL than Mike had, yet he didn't hold the bitterness Mike did. He seemed to be more forgiving and accepting of his consequences. That was why Mike had been in shock when Joel decided to challenge Pearl.
Maybe there's something I can learn from that. Mike rolled onto his side. Once again, he tried to block the sudden stream of consciousness. It was impossible.
THUMP!
Mike gasped when he heard Cambot's lens hit the floor. Cambot very rarely went into sleep mode, which made him snap out of it more quickly than the other `bots did.
Mike pushed himself to the edge of the bed. "You okay?" he whispered.
Cambot nodded and scooted over to the bed.
"That's good." Mike ran his hand down Cambot's lens. "You didn't seem to get hurt by that. Did you fall?" Cambot nodded again. Mike remained silent for a few seconds before Cambot tapped his hand.
"What? Oh, I'm fine," Mike lied. Cambot tilted back and made a gesture that appeared to be a pout. Mike slumped forward until his forehead almost touched Cambot's lens. "You're right, I'm not."
Cambot made a series of gestures that any other bystander would mistake for a drunken game of Charades.
Mike leaned back and rested his head on the mattress. "I know it's going to be dangerous. I know it might not work. But I'm going to go find Joel anyway. Without him, my life is empty. I'm going after him, no matter what. Even if I have to head to the ends of the earth."
Somewhere in the back of his system, Cambot felt the first vague stirrings of concern. He had never seen Mike like this before.
"I'll...come back with him." Mike closed his eyes, and finally felt the blessed repose of sleep come upon him. Puzzled, Cambot poked Mike with his lens again, but received no response. He paused before curling up to go to sleep again. After all, Mike wouldn't be anxious if he was sleeping, so Cambot didn't have to worry about him for the time being.
***
Mike placed his arm over his eyes when the sun began to rise. He was incredibly tired, but he had promised himself he would leave before anyone else woke up. If he spent too much time saying good-bye, leaving everyone behind would depress him.
As Mike started to get dressed, the bell in Leene Square started ringing. Mike grumbled to himself, wishing someone would attach a few packs of C4 to that goddamned bell. Maybe then, he could have time alone with his thoughts. He took his rod off the dresser before opening the door.
Mike tiptoed down the wooden stairs, and was careful to skip the one that creaked. He had already solved the problem of how he would return to the End of Time. Since the machines in Leene Square were able to distort the time-space continuum, he could use them to his advantage. He unlocked the front door and quietly slipped out.
The sun poked up over the horizon, sending its incandescent beams throughout the pink morning sky. It was the most beautiful sunrise Mike had ever seen. Then again, he was never up early enough to watch a sunrise.
Leene Square was empty, so Mike was able to go about his business without a hitch. He pulled down a lever on one of the machines, then stepped on the left platform. A blue portal materialized, and through some odd coincidence, took him directly to the End of Time.
There, the old man greeted Mike. "I figured you would show up."
"Do you know where I can find Staniv?" Mike inquired.
"Of course I do, but why on earth do you want to see him?"
"I heard that there might be a way to bring Joel back."
The old man reached into his pockets. "To bring a loved one back, eh? That's what everyone wants. Joel must be proud to have a friend like you." The man pulled a small egg out of his pocket. "Here. Head to the future Green Bay...or, what's left of it. There's a giant mountain there called Death Peak. It'll be right there, so you can't miss it. Ivanov will be waiting for you."
Mike placed the egg in his pocket before realizing something. "Hey, wait a minute. Are you Staniv?"
Staniv chuckled. "That's what they used to call me many years ago."
Mike headed up the stairs to the blue portals. Staniv had been right under his nose the entire time. Perhaps if he had known, Schala and Chekov could still be alive.
He stepped into one of the portals and was whisked away to Green Bay.
***