Author's Note: If you wish to comment on my story, either positively or negatively, don't hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation and DIC. Sailor Sirius is the property of Sharon Williams. Any references to Vulcan are the province of Gene Roddenberry and Paramount Studios. So, please, don't sue me because I haven't any money. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes, not copyright infringement.
Girls Just Want To Have Fun
by Jeffrey C. Branch
Part Four: Investigating Girls
Rating: PG-13
The woman called Midnight was furious.
Seated behind an oak desk in an elegantly furnished office, the black haired woman's gloved fists were tightly clenched as she glared at Agent Gold who stood rigidly at attention in front of the desk, Agents 1 and 2 flanking Gold were also at attention. 2, literally shaking in her pumps looked pitiful.
"I can't believe what you've told me!" Midnight snarled at the trio, her face flushed from anger. "I trained all of you myself in unarmed combat, and yet you were taken down by three teenage girls? Gold! Explain yourself!"
Gold, red welts on her face from Tanya's fingernails shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I have no explanation, ma'am. We were caught off guard and overpowered. The dark haired girl with the, um, pointed ears took out 1 with some sort of nerve pinch, and the black girl knocked me out with a punch to my jaw. For a tiny little thing, she hit like Mike Tyson."
Scowling, Midnight glared at 2. "And what's your excuse?"
"I, er, fainted, ma'am," the brunette nervously replied in a small voice.
"Clearly that wasn't all you did." Midnight's nose wrinkled as the stench hit her. "Is that urine I smell?"
2, thoroughly ashamed, nodded. Her bottom lip trembled and tears spilled from her eyes. "Yes, ma'am. It is."
Midnight rolled her eyes. It took all her willpower to keep from strangling the woman on the spot. "Lord help me. Get out of here, you stupid bitch! You're confined to quarters! And take a bloody shower!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The brunette clicked her heels, gave Midnight a salute then hastily left the office.
Midnight fixed Gold a baleful stare that made the blonde shiver slightly. "All right. Back to business. Did you find anything at Tomoe's house that could lead us to Okada?"
"No, ma'am. Tomoe wasn't home and his basement laboratory was not in operation. By all appearances, it doesn't look like he had even been down there in months," Gold replied. "We didn't find any address books, nor any personal computer to hack either. It was if Tomoe had cut himself off from his previous life. We came up empty."
"That's frustrating. Tomoe's the only link we have to Okada. Without him, we have nothing. The boss lady is not going to like this." Midnight paused to stand and walk over to the window behind her. "She'll be flying in from Hong Kong this afternoon. And I have no answers to give her. We have to find Okada and his cronies, and find them fast. Suggestions?"
"Maybe we could backtrace Tomoe's history via the Internet. That might yield a clue as to where Okada's hiding," said 1.
Midnight thought on the redhead's suggestion for a moment, then nodded. "Good idea, 1. Get right on it. But don't waste any time, clear?"
1, like her partner, clicked her heels and saluted. "As glass, ma'am! I'll get right on it!" And with that, the redhead quickly left.
After 1 left, Midnight walked over to Gold and laid a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Look at me, Courtney," she said, her voice considerably softened.
Gold, openly apprehensive turned to face Midnight. Her eyes were filled with fear and pleading. "Lisa, I'm sorry. Please, don't punish me."
For the first time, Midnight smiled as she gently placed a hand on Gold's cheek. "I wouldn't dream of it." The black haired woman then took Gold into her arms and kissed the blonde full on her lips. Gold embraced Midnight and their kiss deepened while they passionately caressed each other. When they finally broke the kiss, Gold smiled fondly at the woman she loved.
"Does this mean you've forgiven me?" she asked.
With a smile, Midnight nodded as she slowly ran an index finger along Gold's red smeared lips. "Of course I do, my darling." Stepping back, Midnight balled her right fist and suddenly drove it up into Gold's stomach with such force, the blonde was lifted off her feet before collapsing hard to the floor where she lay coughing and gagging and writhing in pain. Midnight, her face hard and menacing stood over Gold.
"Consider that a reward for your incompetence! Even though we're lovers, I'm still in charge!" she snarled. "And with this much riding on our mission, I can't afford to have you screw up again! Understand?"
Gold, her face contorted looked up at Midnight, fat tears running down her cheeks. "Yes, ma'am," she croaked.
Her mood changing yet again, Midnight knelt in front of Gold and, with a mother's gentleness, gathered the whimpering blonde into her arms and dried her tears. "Don't cry, my sweet. I'm sorry I hurt you, but I needed to make you realize that we can't have any failure. Mrs. Hunsacker is sending ahead extra troops along with armaments. Have the spare rooms prepared, then brief them on the situation after they arrive. Can you do this for me?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Midnight nodded, then she stood and helped the blonde to her feet. With a smile, Midnight put her arms around Gold's waist and held her close. "Excellent. Once this mission is over and we get our half million dollars from that disgusting, bourbon swilling crone, we'll quit, then head for Australia and get married, just like I promised." Midnight then took off her right glove and displayed the engagement ring she wore. "Remember?"
Gold smiled, then removed her glove to show a similar ring. "How can I forget? It's all I've dreamed about since you proposed six months ago."
"That's good. I love you, Courtney, I've loved you from the day we met, and I want you by my side, forever." Midnight paused to kiss Gold a second time. "For now, we need to get back to work. Be sure to have those scratches taken care of, and re-do your makeup. Can't have my second in command....and my fiancee looking less than perfect."
Gold, shaky on her legs, came to attention and nodded. "Don't worry, Lisa. I'll take care of everything."
"I'm sure you will, my dear."
Once Gold left the office, Midnight sat back down. Savoring the sweet taste of Gold's lipstick, the black haired woman pondered the situation. Three Sailor Scouts fought Okada's android. Then three teenage girls interfered with Courtney's recon, the woman thought. If that's a coincidence, then I'm straight. There's definitely a connection here. But what could it be?
Talia's bedroom in the home of Takeo and Mitsuyo Hattori, the sponsor couple she lived with in Japan with was just the way Tanya envisioned it: sparse and sterile, totally bereft of any color or decoration.
There were no posters of hot boy bands or handsome movie stars adorning the room's plain white walls. No knickknacks on the dresser, no cute stuffed animals on bookshelves, not even a television since Talia didn't bother with it. The Vulcan girl explained to Tanya that she spent her idle hours reading textbooks on archaeology and history, listening to classical music CD's on a small portable stereo by her bed or meditating. Near the window was a small table where a Lucite chess set sat since Talia often invited Amy over to play. Spotlessly clean like a hospital room, it was, to Tanya, simply a place where the Vulcan girl slept or studied instead of lived.
Ugh! A jail cell is probably more homey than this place, the ebony beauty thought. Tanya then chided herself for thinking ill of her newfound friend.
For the last ten minutes, Tanya and Serena lounged on the bed while Talia was seated at her desk, entering a series of names and addresses into a word processing program on her Apple G4 Titanium Powerbook. Once the Vulcan girl had stopped typing and leaned back in her chair, there were 27 names on the screen, listed in alphabetical order by the last name.
"I am finished," she said. Talia pressed a key and a hard copy list of the names was produced on her inkjet printer. Serena and Tanya rose from the bed and walked up to glance over Talia's shoulders at the names they saw on the piece of paper.
"Wow! You typed in all those names from memory? That's impressive!" said Serena.
"It was nothing. Simply the benefit of total recall."
"Where do we go from here?" Tanya asked.
"We perform a elimination of names from this list could not have created the android we fought earlier," Talia explained. "We are looking for scientists, doctors, engineers, highly skilled individuals with the wherewithal to construct such a machine, or people who might be connected with said individuals."
"That's one heck of a reach, Tal. What if our man, or woman doesn't have a PhD?" Tanya asked. "After all, Bill Gates is one of the most brilliant men in the world, and he's no more a doctor than George Clooney was."
Talia arched an eyebrow. "Who?"
Tanya rolled her eyes and sighed. "Never mind."
Serena shook her head and giggled. "Ti has a point. But I'm guessing you already have a plan, huh, Tal?"
"Of course, Serena. To attack this problem without a firm strategy would be highly illogical." Talia saved her work, shut down her word processor and dialed up her online account.
Tanya, who didn't own a computer or have Internet access felt a powerful twinge of jealousy. "How'd you manage that, stone face?" she asked.
"My parents paid for both my computer, and my Internet account for a full year in advance prior to my having come here since I use both regularly for schoolwork and archaeological research which is my pastime," Talia explained as she entered a query into her favorite search engine, Alta Vista.
"Your folks must be loaded. Er, rich, I mean," said Tanya.
"Not quite. My mother is an emergency room physician and my father a programmer at Apple Computer. It was he who obtained my laptop at a substantial employee discount," the Vulcan girl explained. "We are not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, Tanya, but we are fortunate to enjoy a very comfortable lifestyle. And my parents see to it that I want for nothing."
"Must be nice. According to Sere, you've been in Tokyo for seven months now. Do you miss your parents?"
Talia gave Tanya a quizzical look as she entered information for her query. "Miss them? That is an illogical question. I correspond with them by email every night and call them twice a month. It is not like contact with my parents had been severed. I know they are well, and they know I am well."
"That doesn't answer my question."
Talia was silent for several moments. A look of sadness briefly clouded her face, but her expression quickly returned to it's normal stoniness. The Vulcan girl sighed ever so softly. "Yes, Tanya, I miss them. Did you seek to cause me discomfort by forcing me to make such an admission?"
"Yup, I sure did. Consider that payback for calling me short stuff this morning." Tanya then squeezed Talia's shoulder and gave her a warm smile. "But seriously, Tal, you've got a second family with Sere, me and the girls. As long as we're around, you'll never be lonely. I promise you that."
A grinning Serena nodded and placed a hand on Talia's other shoulder. "You got that right, Ti. We Sailor Scouts have to stick together, you know."
Talia shook her head, but a grin played across her lips while a pleasant warmth filled her chest. "Humans. How irrational." The Vulcan girl then returned her focus on her computer screen. "Now, if one of you would please be so kind as to call out the names on the list, I will enter them into this database that lists medical, scientific and engineering specialists in Tokyo and beyond. We shall find our suspect through a simple process of elimination."
"Okey dokey. I'll do the honors," offered Serena, holding the list.
For the next half hour, the girls went through the names on the list, checking them against the database for any connection to Professor Tomoe. But their efforts yielded no success as they were all just casual acquaintances who didn't have the expertise to build the android the girls fought earlier in the day. When they got to the letter '0' and Talia entered the only name listed, she arched an eyebrow from the information that appeared on the screen.
"Most interesting. Ladies, I believe we have a potential culprit," the Vulcan girl proclaimed. "Professor Masaharu Okada, Dean of Biological Sciences at the University of Tokyo. He is the country's leading expert on genetic engineering. Since the heartsnatchers are an artificial lifeform, this would certainly fall under Okada's field of expertise. And, according to this biographical profile, he and Professor Tomoe were classmates at MIT and partners in genetic research here for almost twenty years."
"You think he built that tin can we tangled with?" Serena asked.
"Highly unlikely. There is no mention of his possessing skills in robotics. Therefore, we must assume Okada is associating with someone who does."
"I don't get it. Why would anyone want to recreate that horror?" Tanya wondered. "Judging from what Sere told us about the heartsnatchers, Okada's sitting on a powder keg. Doesn't he realize what he's getting himself into?"
"I do not know, Tanya, but there is one way to answer your question," said Talia. She terminated her Internet connection and powered down her laptop. She then stood and fixed the girls a hard gaze. "We shall ask him."
Serena was startled. "What? You're kidding!"
"No, Serena, I am quite serious," Talia replied. "It is important we quickly ascertain Professor Okada's involvement with the heartsnatcher android. If he is not involved, we must seek out another culprit. But if he is...."
"Then we get medieval and layeth the smacketh down on his over-educated candy ass!" finished Tanya with a wolfish smile, smacking a fist into her open palm.
Now it was Talia who rolled her eyes. "Crudely put, Tanya, but that is the intended objective. I recommend we go to the campus of the University of Tokyo and confront Okada directly."
"But won't he just lie if we ask?" Serena wondered.
"The possibility exists, but we must investigate nonetheless."
"Sounds like a plan to me," said Tanya with a nod. "Let's hit the road."
"Wait. Before we leave, Tanya, I wish to apologize for my behavior earlier with our captors which I am sure repulsed you. It was never my intention for you to see the uglier side of my personality," said Talia, looking morose. "I have a disturbing habit of....losing control whenever my friends are threatened. During my first Scout mission, I took a life and have deeply regretted that action ever since. I would understand and hold no animosity if you choose to sever your association with me."
Tanya chuckled. "Hey, Sere. Is she always this self-conscious?"
A grinning Serena shrugged. "Sometimes."
Smiling warmly, Tanya clasped Talia's hands and stared deeply into her eyes. "Tal, there's something you need to know about me. When I make a friend, it's forever. I'll never turn my back on anyone I care about. No one's perfect, I darn sure know I'm not, and I don't expect you to be either.
"I won't say I understand the guilt you're feeling over what you did, but if you ever need to talk about it, I'm here for you. Anytime. Whether you like it or not, I'm part of your life now. Even though I've only known you a few hours, I know for a fact that I love you, Talia Kirk. So give me a hug before we go back to work!"
Talia, her eyes moist felt her throat tighten as she gave in to her emotions and hugged Talia. While she wouldn't admit it, the expression of affection felt extremely good to her. However, Talia's smile clearly showed how she felt about her newfound friend. "Thank you, Tanya. I love you as well. Now that we have bonded, does this mean you will no longer call me stone face?"
"HA! Not on your life, partner!" said a misty eyed Tanya with a laugh after the girls broke the embrace. "Time to book! We've got bad guys to catch!"
Ramsey leaned back on a stool with a can of Pepsi and grinned.
"Gents! We are back in business! The tin can's fixed and ready for action!" he proclaimed to the others.
Okada nodded. "Excellent, Scott. I appreciate your diligence. Now that we concluded that our human trials were a success, we are going to need as many containment units as possible to complete Operation Liberate."
"What of your examination of the pod?" Bagwell asked Okada.
"It would appear that the seed has a limited lifespan, using up a tremendous amount of bio-electric energy in the course of its absorption functions," said Okada. "And its impromptu battle with the Sailor Scouts caused the seed to exhaust it's power even faster. By my calculations, the seed's normal lifespan once activated is no more than two hours at best."
"Is there anything we can do to extend it's lifespan?" a concerned Hawthorne asked. "We'd be foolish to think we won't tangle with those vigilantes again. It's important to be prepared for another confrontation."
"I agree. Cletus, you're our expert in physics. Can we directly infuse the seeds with radiation to boost their energy levels?" Okada asked the black man.
Bagwell's brows knitted and he stroked his chin as he mulled over the question. Then his face brightened. "Yes, I believe it's possible, Masaharu. But it would be risky. Too little radiation would render the seed inert and useless, too much and it'll fry like bacon. Still, I think it's doable."
Okada nodded. "Good. Let's get it done. Time is of the essence. Along with the Scouts, there's the possibility that we'll have Hunsacker to deal with as well. That horrid woman may have laughed at us when we made our proposal a month ago, but if she learns our experiments were successful, there's every reason to believe our lives will be in jeopardy. The threat to her, and to her industry from our invention is too great to allow us to live."
"You got that right, boss. I told you we shoulda gone straight to Washington instead of sneaking in the back door and playing footsie with that slimy bitch," Ramsey grumbled. He glared at Hawthorne. "But no-oooooooo, Limey here didn't wanna wade through official channels, so he peddles our invention to the nastiest, sleaziest whore that ever crawled out from under a rock. Now she's sure to put a bullseye on our butts. Smart thinking, Reg!"
Hawthorne snorted at Ramsey. "Don't be a fool! Considering the moronic abhorrence America has towards legitimate projects like stem cell research, did you really think your leaders would embrace a process that requires the taking of lives in order to work?" he growled back. "You yourself said our experiments aren't ethical! We'd be thrown in prison for revealing what we're up to! At least Evelyn was willing to listen to us!"
Ramsey laughed. "So, it's Evelyn now, huh? What happened, Reg? Did you do the wild thing with that rotten old skank so she'd give us an audience? Christ on a crutch! The mental picture that paints makes me wanna puke!"
"Insolent punk! I'll thrash you for that!" growled an outraged Hawthorne, his fists balled.
"Well, don't just stand there, dude, bring it on!"
"Stop it! Both of you!" shouted an irate Okada, stepping between the two men. "This is neither the time or the place for this nonsense! You're supposed to be scientists, not hormone driven schoolboys spoiling for a fight! We have to stand together or we'll fall together!"
There was a lengthy moment of tense, strangled silence as the Briton and the youngster stared each other down, neither willing to give ground. Finally it was Hawthome who shook his head in disgust and turned away from Ramsey. 'All right, Okada! I'll behave! I just want this project to work!"
"I'm cool too, boss. But we're still up to our armpits in alligators," Ramsey pointed out.
"He's right. Between the Scouts and Hunsacker, we're between the Devil and the deep blue sea. What's the next move?" Bagwell asked Okada.
Okada thought over his answer before he gave it. "We may have to accelerate our timetable and carry out the final stage of the operation tonight. Afterward, we'll have to make our proposal to another government. It's safe to say neither the United States, Great Britain or Japan will finance our experiments. Perhaps Russia or China would be interested."
Hawthorne snorted. "Bah! The Russians can't keep their submarines from blowing up, and the barbaric Chinese would sooner have us shot than lend us assistance. I still say a private backer is be the best way to go."
"We tried that once already, leading to our possible problem with that loathsome woman," Bagwell countered sharply. "Given what we've learned about Hunsacker, she won't hesitate to have us killed. And she's supposed to be a friend of yours, Hawthorne!"
Hawthorne scowled. "I still think you're making a mountain out of a molehill. Evelyn wouldn't doublecross us."
"This isn't about treachery. It's about burying a technology that could render all current forms of energy production, including nuclear and solar power obsolete," Bagwell snapped. "The oil companies would kill to keep our invention from going to market, or out of the hands of foreign interests. And what do you think the Arabs with their links to terrorist groups would do if they got wind of this? No wonder we had to go into hiding! We're sitting on a time bomb!"
"Let's not get melodramatic, Cletus. In the meantime, we still have work to do," said Okada. "Scott, I'm going to need my notebooks on the effects of radiation on single cell organisms in my office at school. I didn't think we'd have to resort to using radiation directly on the seeds or I would have brought them. Would you go to the campus for me? You'd be less inconspicuous since I'm supposed to be on an extended sabbatical."
Ramsey smiled and gave Okada a thumbs up. "No prob, boss. I need to get some sunshine anyway. I'll be back in thirty." Throwing off his lab coat, he dashed for the exit, whistling a Blink182 song.
"Hmph! Recess for the brat," Hawthorne grumbled.
The campus of the University of Tokyo was a pleasant hotbed of frenetic activity as students walked from one class to another, played sports on the campus' expansive lawns or sat about chatting.
To a deliriously overjoyed Serena and Tanya, feeling like kids in a candy store, all they cared about were the throngs of handsome boys who had the girls' heads all but swiveling as they gazed happily all around them. Meanwhile, Talia, walking behind the girls felt a growing sense of embarrassment at what she deemed to be the childish behavior of her friends.
"Oh, daddy! Get me one of those for Christmas!" said Tanya, gazing at a tall, muscular blond wearing a Dragonball Z t-shirt and jeans.
"Yeah! He's a major hunk!" said a grinning Serena. "But you've already got a guy in Yaten. He wouldn't appreciate you staring at other boys."
"Uh-huh! Like you're not drooling over all these studmuffins!" Tanya shot back. She paused to gape at a wiry redhead in a dress shirt and slacks who winked at her. Tanya cooed. "Darien would be just as steamed with you, sister!"
Talia shook her head. "The two of you amaze me. Despite the gravity of our situation, you still find time to ogle at males. How do you manage that?"
"Hey! We're girls! The ultimate multitaskers!" said Serena with a chuckle. A sly grin then curled her lips. "By the way, Tal, you never told me if you left a boyfriend behind when you came here."
"That is because I did not have one, Serena. I never found the time, or the inclination to seek out a significant other."
Tanya was shocked. "I can't believe my ears! A gorgeous hottie like you, and you're flying solo?"
"You may find this difficult to accept, Tanya, but there is more to life than adolescent romance."
Tanya snorted. "Oh, really? Like what? Digging around in musty old ruins like Indiana Jones? Gag me!"
"I will have you know that archaeology is a most noble profession," Talia countered, her tone sharper than she intended. Tanya's derision of the profession her father on Vulcan devoted his life to, and ultimately died for annoyed her. "And for the record, Harrison Ford's character was more fiction that fact, and not an accurate portrayal either."
"Oh, so you wanna be the next Lara Croft instead?" said a smirking Tanya. She then turned to Serena. "Sere, after we finish this case, we have got to find Tal a boyfriend! This poor girl's in serious need of some romance!"
Serena giggled. "You can say that again, Ti. Maybe we could hook her up with Seiya. He likes brainy, sophisticated types."
"Or better yet, with Andrew down at the Crown! That way, stone face can have both romance, AND all the chocolate fudge ice cream she can eat!" Tanya then roared from laughter.
In spite of herself, Talia blushed. It made her feel uncomfortable to have someone talk about her one lone vice. She shot Tanya an icy stare. "Tanya Cambridge, you are positively incorrigible."
Tanya grinned, her wide smile lighting up her face. "Yep! That's what makes me so gosh darn lovable! Hey! There's the Science Hall! Dead ahead!"
"Excellent," said Talia, eager to get back to the business of finding Professor Okada and away from talk about her personal life, and the dull ache she sometimes felt in her heart from being alone.
The Sciences building was a six story, glass encrusted structure with a ten foot tall chrome model of a microscope on the lawn in front of the building to the left and an equally tall chrome beaker to the right. Electrically controlled double doors whooshed open as the girls neared it and they entered the building. The front lobby was a large, three story tall atrium with solar energy panels attached to the walls near the ceiling and, hanging twenty feet overhead was a huge, color coded model of a human DNA strand that stretched the length of the lobby. Serena and Tanya gasped and gaped, wide eyed from wonder Even Talia was impressed with the architecture.
"Wow! This is so cool!" Serena gushed.
"Moreso than boys?" Talia asked.
"Not on your ever lovin' life, stone face!" Tanya playfully shot back.
The girls went to the front desk and Talia asked where Professor Okada worked. After getting directions to his offices on the fourth floor, the girls went straight there. After exiting the elevator, the girls headed to room 401. Opening the door, they found the Professor's spacious office, it's walls lined with books empty save for one person, a lanky, redheaded young man wearing a Blink 182 t-shirt, jeans and Doc Maartens. Seated at a large oak desk, putting notebooks into a backpack, the man looked up in curiosity as the girls approached him. He flashed a crooked grin at them.
"Hiya! What can I do for you?" he asked casually.
"Good afternoon. My friends and I are looking for Professor Okada," said Talia in greeting. "We attend a local high school and were wondering if we could speak with him regarding a science project on genetics which is his forte."
The young man's eyes darted back and forth briefly before he spoke. "I don't know where the Prof is right now. I just started here today as one of his assistants. If you've got a minute, I can try to find him."
"Thanks. We appreciate that," said Serena with a grin.
Returning Serena's grin, the young man rose from the chair with the books and retreated into another room. Closing the door behind him, Scott Ramsey, nursing a feeling of dread pulled a customized cell phone from out of his pocket and hurriedly dialed a number. It rang twice before it was answered.
"Go ahead, Scott," came back Okada's voice.
"I think we've got a problem. There's three babes here asking about you."
On the other end, Okada, listening to Ramsey over the speakerphone with Bagwell and Hawthorne frowned. "Most disturbing. The operatives in Hunsacker's organization are all female. Are they her people?"
"That's a negative, boss. They're kids, high schoolers. You think they're working with the Scouts?"
Okada, his brows furrowed rubbed his chin before he responded. "A distinct possibility. Another possibility is that those girls are the Scouts."
Bagwell and Hawthorne both did double takes. "That's a bloody tall conclusion you just jumped to. What makes you think that?" the Briton asked.
"According to eyewitness accounts, the Scouts are said to be teenagers. We've seen that for ourselves when they fought our android earlier," Okada replied. "Taking that into consideration, who's to say those troublemakers don't have civilian identities?"
"If you're right, then how did they find out about you?" Bagwell asked.
"They must've pieced together my connection to Tomoe. We worked together until two years ago when he dropped out of sight after the lab explosion that nearly killed his daughter," Okada replied. "And it was the Scouts who fought Tomoe's mutations during the disaster that destroyed the Mugen School. Those alligators you spoke of are snapping louder than ever, Scott."
"Well, what are we gonna do, man?" Ramsey demanded.
"Stall them. I don't care how you do it, but keep them on the grounds long enough for us to spring a little....surprise on them."
"The android?" a surprised Bagwell asked.
Okada nodded. "Yes. If we can eliminate those meddlers, it'll mean one less problem to contend with. Scott, can you steer them over to the new wing that's being built at the Engineering Hall? There aren't any workers there on weekends, so casualties will be kept to a minimum."
"Yeah, I think I can."
"Good. Once you do, activate the homing circuit on your phone and leave it behind. It'll guide the android there so it can do its work. Get going. I'll activate the machine."
"Roger that." And the line went dead.
"I hope you know what you're doing," said a now worried Bagwell.
"I do. Let's go to work. Time is short," said Okada.
"Sorry I took so long, ladies," said Ramsey as he came out of the office where the girls had patiently waited. He pressed a red button on his still activated phone before putting it in his pocket. "This place is plenty big, so it's easy to lose track of someone. And Professor Okada never uses his beeper cause he hates being interrupted."
"But you know where he is?" Serena asked.
"Yep, sure do. He's at the new wing in the Engineering building."
Talia cocked an eyebrow. "Engineering? Professor Okada is a geneticist. Why would he be there?"
"Well, he goes there sometimes to read. It's empty and quiet with the workers out on weekends," Ramsey explained, flashing a nervous grin. He found Talia's grim expression unsettling. He then picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulders. "C'mon, I'll take you to see him."
"That's great. Thanks a lot," said Tanya.
"No prob. The building's on the other side of the campus, so it'll make for a bit of a walk. Hope you guys don't mind," said Ramsey as he opened the door to let the girls out. He couldn't help but stare at Talia, curious about her appearance. She returned his stare. "Uh, this is none of my business, but have you ever thought about plastic surgery?"
Talia cocked an eyebrow from puzzlement. "Plastic surgery? For what?"
Ramsey tugged the tops of his ears upward. "Your ears. I'm, uh, studying genetics under the Prof. Were you born with them like that?"
"Yes, I was. And no, I do not wish to have them altered. I prefer them this way. They make me... unique," said Talia, practiced at having to answer questions similar to that about her ears ever since she decided to stop hiding them. While she understood the curiosity of strangers about her appearance, there was no way Talia could reveal to anyone that she was an extraterrestrial.
Ramsey grinned. "Hey! Whatever floats your boat. I think they're rad."
"Rad?'
"That means he likes them," Serena patiently explained.
"Oh, I see." Talia then turned to Ramsey and nodded. "Thank you."
With Ramsey leading the way, deliberately taking a roundabout route, the walk from the Science Hall to the Engineering Hall took twenty minutes. The new wing to the building was newly built, but there were no doors or windows installed as it still had scaffolding erected in front of the structure. There was also a noticeable lack of activity as the site looked to be abandoned.
"Your boss is in there?" Tanya asked.
Ramsey nodded. He silently hoped he gave Okada enough time to prepare an android for combat. "Yep. The Prof is a nut for solitude."
"Are you sure he will not mind the intrusion?" Talia asked. She was beginning to suspect something was wrong with this situation.
"Nah. He usually finishes his reading around this time before going back to work," said Ramsey, feeling Talia's eyes boring into his back, increasing the nervousness he already felt. "Let's go inside." The inside of the building was nothing more than walls and doorways as it was as unfinished as the exterior with cans of paint on the floor. Ramsey led the girls deep into the structure, removing his cell phone and palming it in his hand as he walked along. Finally reaching what would be the building's auditorium, which had double doors, installed that were closed, he grinned and opened them.
"The Prof s in here," he said with a grin. "After you."
Talia, at the head was hesitant at first, but went in, followed by Serena and Tanya. Once they entered, Ramsey tossed his phone inside and closed the doors behind the girls. Acting quickly, Ramsey shoved the thick handle of a shovel through the handles of the doors so they couldn't be opened, trapping the girls inside.
"Suckers!" he growled. "Piece of cake!"
On the other side of the door in the empty auditorium, Serena and Tanya panicked. Talia scowled at having been fooled.
"That creep! He's locked us in!" cried Tanya, futilely pushing on the door. "What'll we do?"
"Calm yourself Tanya. All we need do is transform and use our powers to escape," Talia said simply. "In any event, this act of duplicity has shown that Okada has associates involved in his madness with the heartsnatchers."
"But he wasn't all that old!" said a puzzled Serena.
"Age has nothing to do with an individual's level of intelligence, Serena. Your association with Amy should have taught you that." Talia then noticed the cell phone that Ramsey left behind, sitting on the floor ten feet inside the auditorium. Walking up to the phone, the Vulcan girl picked it up and cocked an eyebrow at the flashing red light on the small screen. "Peculiar. Why would he leave his phone here?"
Suddenly, from the far end of the auditorium came a loud crash, followed by the sound of heavy footfalls. The girls stood together as, out of the darkness came the heartsnatcher android they had fought earlier this afternoon.
NEXT: Fighting Girls