The Cyborg 0 0 9
The ten of them were gathered in the living room. Chang held a cookbook, studying it intently as he read through the recipes to see if any of them were worthwhile. G.B. was at his story writing again, tapping away at the typewriter to get the perfect storyline typed out. Geronimo gazed out the window, his dark eyes intent on the nature on the other side of the glass. His hands were twined behind his back.
However, this moment of silence was broken as Joe snored. Franciouse chuckled from where she sat in a little individual chair. She stood up, setting her tea down and going over to Joe. She took a blanket from the stack Gilmore had and gently placed it over the dark-haired cyborg. He’d been asleep for an hour or two, just taking a nap it seemed.
“He’s been really drained lately,” G.B. said, turning around in his chair to look over at 003 and 009. “I’m amazed he even eats.”
Franciouse tucked a pillow under Joe’s head gently, his head rolling to one side at the movement. She smiled at him like a mother would to a little child. “He’s been working hard, too,” she said.
“He seems to work too hard, though,” Jet cut in from where he stood by the wall, hands shoved into the pockets of his deep purple jacket. “He’s always out to help everyone. You’d think he didn’t have a life of his own.”
“Now Jet, I don’t think that last statement was–”
Boom!
“Good gravy!” exclaimed 006, the rumble causing him to drop his cookbook and gape at the team. “What was that?!”
The rumble startled every cyborg. It even aroused Gilmore, who had been hard at work in his study. The old doctor came stumbling out of his haven, glasses all crooked on his face. He straightened them with wide eyes. The only one who didn’t react was Joe, who remained fast asleep on the couch.
“It sounded like it came from the shore,” said Geronimo as Franciouse straightened.
“There’s something there,” she said, narrowing her eyes.
“Let’s get to investigating it!” Jet exclaimed. “If it’s a danger, we can’t just stand here!”
“Right,” Pyunma said. “Should we awaken 009?”
The team all stared at Joe, whose snoring had continued to a louder level. He settled into the couch, and Jet glanced back up at everyone.
“Nah,” he said. “Leave ‘im. We’re just investigating.”
With a few unsure glances, the team stripped to their cyborg uniforms. Every member (except for 009) was wearing a royal red uniform with golden scarves wrapped around their necks with four buttons on their fronts to match. They headed out towards the shore.
002 fired up the jets waiting inside his feet. He launched into the air, soaring high above the trees to scout ahead. He scanned the tops of the trees, looking for any sign of an intruder. Up ahead, he found the dark, bird-like silhouette of a ship.
“Hey, guys!” he said. “I think I know what made that crash!”
Chills ran down the team’s spine as they approached the crash site. The plane they beheld was sleek and black, the wings pointed like a raven’s beak. Great Britain morphed into a gray mouse and began to scuttle along the ground, trying to find any sign of life. 005 began to lift debris, trying to find any sign of life.
“Whose ship could this be?” 003 wondered out loud. She stared around, trying to find any source of survivors of the plane crash.
Pyunma shoved aside a piece of metal, and his eyes grew wide. “Guys! Look out!” he shouted just as a bright flash engulfed the entire team. 003 yelled, but it was soon cut short as the cyborgs disappeared, no trace of their existence to be found behind.
2
“009!”
Joe moaned and turned his head over, sinking down into sleep again. The voice pestered him again, “009! Get out of bed! This is urgent!”
“…It’s too early to be up,” he responded sleepily, eyebrows knitting together.
“It’s the middle of the afternoon! Get up! The team’s gone missing!”
Someone was shaking him now, but Joe’s eyes flew open. His senses flourished with life now, and he was suddenly sitting up. “They’re what?” Joe gasped.
“I told you! They’ve gone missing!” Ivan urged from his basket. “They went out to go investigate, and their contacts have suddenly disappeared.”
Joe threw the blanket off and lurched to his feet, bustling to get his uniform on, undoing the buttons on his shirt. “Why didn’t anyone wake me earlier? I could have helped!”
“They didn’t want to wake you,” said Ivan.
Joe ran out of the room momentarily, returning with his uniform on. He was hopping on one foot to get his last boot on. Once it was snug and fit, Joe headed for the door. Where had his friends gone? Who would take them? Had they fought?
“009, you can’t leave!” exclaimed Dr. Gilmore from the doorway. The man’s glasses had just about fallen off from his efforts to get to the brown-haired cyborg. “You don’t even know where they’ve gone!”
“I have to go, Dr. Gilmore!” Joe protested, ruby eyes full of urgency. “They’re my friends! If I don’t, who knows what will happen to them!”
Dr. Gilmore gritted his teeth and let out a shaky, unsure sigh. “All right, but you alert Ivan if something happens to you. Immediately!”
“Yes, sir!” Joe gasped. He threw the door open and was gone, accelerating across the island to the coordinates Ivan was feeding him mentally.
- - - - - - - - -
Joe soon arrived at the shore. He looked around, looking over at the shoreline and up along the beach. His eyebrows raised. “001, I don’t see that ship you were talking about.”
It should be there, said Ivan mentally. Are you sure you followed the coordinates I gave you correctly?
“Yes! I did!” Joe exclaimed back, now irritated. Suddenly, something whizzed past his head as if to saw it off. Joe ducked, crouching in the sand now. A spinning disk flew back to him, spinning and hovering a foot or two above the sand. A little blue light flashed on the top, and a voice sounded, “Hello, 009.”
Joe yelped and fell back, staring at the little device in shock. He froze, the little black disk flashing and spinning. Joe slowly made his way to a sitting position. “What are you?” he wondered.
“A messenger,” responded the little robot. “I send a message. Come to the cave on the southern end of the island. There you will find your friends.”
“Wait! Tell me who took them!” Joe demanded, glaring at the little device.
“I am only a messenger,” it said. “Come or your friends will be destroyed.”
At that, it was gone.
Frustrating, Joe pounded his fist against the ground, moaning. He shoved himself to his feet and glanced around. “The cave on the southern end of the island, eh?” Joe curled his hands into fists. “001, I’ll need your help.”
Gilmore and I are already on it, said Ivan. Here, follow my directions.
As soon as the coordinates reached Joe’s mind, he set off towards the cave. He ran through the trees, dodging roots and low-hanging branches. Out of his impatience, he accelerated. He ran across the entire island, the crash having been on the northern shore. He gritted his teeth, heart pumping as the cave came into sight.
Joe stood at the mouth of the humongous cave. He walked in, his footsteps echoing down the tunnel. It became darker and colder the further he traveled. Was all of this a setup?
Suddenly, Joe was blinded by overhead lights. He shielded his face until his eyes adjusted. He blinked and made out a familiar, rather unpleasant figure.
“Black Ghost!” Joe growled, clenching his fists.
“009, we meet again!” said the man, laughing as he did so. “I see you received my message.” He swept his arm out, cape revealing his black-gloved hand. “Come for your friends, have you?”
“What did you do to them?!” Joe demanded angrily, eyes ablaze with ferocity. Black Ghost only chuckled at his anger.
“They’re right here, my boy,” he said, opening both arms as seven lights lit up to reveal tubes with each one of his teammates inside.
“Joe!” shouted 003, the woman’s hands pressed firmly to the thick glass keeping her from escaping.
Joe’s eyes went wide, and he almost looked taken aback. He frowned at Black Ghost. He lashed his hands out as he spoke, “All right, what do you want? There has to be a reason you had me come here!”
“Of course,” said Black Ghost. “I have a proposition for you.” He brought his arms back into his cloak, voice echoing down the cave. “How about we make a deal, 009? I let your friends go, and in return you surrender to me.”
Joe’s eyes went wide, and he took a step back. The team erupted with outbursts, their yells almost muffled by the glass. Jet shouted, “009! Don’t do it!”
“And if I don’t?” Joe asked warily.
“Well, then they become my own minions,” said Black Ghost. “And then they die.”
Joe swallowed, almost shaking at the thoughts of his friends’ lives ending. He looked up as 002 yelled, “Joe! Don’t agree! Don’t listen to him! 009!”
Joe’s heart felt heavy. He hung his head and closed his eyes. “I…surrender,” he said quietly. Black Ghost’s laugh rumbled down the cave.
“Excellent,” Black Ghost laughed. “Your friends shall be released safely, 009.”
“JOE!” screamed 003. 007 was pounding on the glass, yelling for 009 not to do this as two guards rushed out, clasping Joe’s wrists with metal cuffs. They shoved Joe away, and the cyborg followed willingly. His teammates yelled and screamed in protest, pounding on the glass and trying to get Joe to change his mind, but it was no use. Joe disappeared down another tunnel.
The sounds of his teammates’ yelling faded. Joe lifted his gaze, the guard shoving his back so he’d keep moving. The cavern was dark, and Joe began to wonder if the guards could see. Dots swirled in Joe’s vision as light flashed on him again. He blinked, eyes wide for a moment. The guards removed his cuffs, the cyborg now looking around. How big was this cave? Was it even a natural cave at all? He glanced around, and the white panels on the walls slid down to reveal a room almost identical to the one Joe had awakened in when he was brought to consciousness by Ivan for the first time. He swallowed and found a reclined chair in the back wall.
“Sit,” said a voice, Joe spying a speaker overhead. Quickly, Joe sat in the chair. “Get comfy.” He felt a little awkward, setting his arms on the armrests and laying his head back, now staring at the ceiling. “Good.”
A door opened, and four people wearing white coats walked in. Two of them held clipboards, and the other two brought a machine in. Joe recognized that and swallowed. All of the scientists wore masks, and thus Joe couldn’t make out their genders. One of them lifted a mask off the machine, a tube draping down from the front of it.
“You’re going to take a little nap for a bit, okay 009?” said the scientist in a deep, gruff voice, thus identifying him as a male. He placed the mask over Joe’s mouth and nose. A few switches were flipped, and Joe’s anxiety boiled. However, the young cyborg’s mind began to fuzz over. His world spun, eyes becoming heavy. He blinked, eyelids getting lower and lower as he heard the fuzzy voice of one of the scientists, “Sweet dreams, little cyborg.”
Joe fell asleep.
3
As if today couldn’t get any more complicated.
Like flavorless gum, the cyborgs had been dumped on the opposite side of the island. G.B. snarled under his breath, rubbing his bum where the guards had dropped him roughly.
“If I ever meet those guards again, I’m giving them a piece of my mind!” he snapped, straightening and crossing his arms angrily.
“We have other things to worry about,” said Geronimo, towering over the other cyborgs. “009 is back there about to be brainwashed.”
The cyborgs fell silent. Geronimo glanced up at the sky, seeing the sun lowering. He narrowed his eyes. “We have to hurry.”
With 002 in the lead, the cyborgs trudged into the forest. Their pace was quick, hasty. They had to make it to Joe before it was too late! If they didn’t…
Would they lose 009?
The team shoved that thought into the backs of their minds, their pace quickening even more. 002 offered to scout ahead, but the rest of the team told him not to, for fear it may trigger that they were coming back for their friend.
“How much further, do you think?” 008 asked after about two hours of traveling. The sun had lowered, and the forest had become darker. Geronimo stared at the sky and then forward, into the trees.
“Maybe another hour or two,” he said. “I can’t be for sure.”
Stifling moans, the team kept going. Their willpower to retrieve their friend kept them going, the thoughts of the dangers of the cave running through their heads. 002 was concerned about how they were going to get in, having only seen one entrance to the cave.
The sun lowered and lowered by the hour, and eventually it was barely lighting up the island. By this time, the cyborgs were outside the cave, hiding in the trees and bushes.
“How do we get in?” asked Franciouse in a cautious whisper.
“Not sure,” said Pyunma. “There are bound to be guards in the mouth of the cave, so we have to find an entrance on the outside.”
“But,” said Albert. “Think: it’s a high-tech cave. They had to have renovated it to accommodate Black Ghost somehow.”
“He’s got a point there,” said Chang.
“That gives me an idea,” said Pyunma. “Here’s what we’ll do…”
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Everyone knew the plan. At Pyunma’s signal, it commenced. G.B. morphed himself into a mouse, scampering out of the bushes and into the cave. He morphed again, this time into a beetle. He scuttled along the ground, scanning everywhere for a sign of an entrance. His little beetle eyes scanned every nook and cranny of the cave. He came to a halt beside a door and waited, hearing the shuffle of guards’ feet down the hall. One of them slid a card in a slot beside the door, and the door slid open. 007 quickly ran after them, following close behind them, but not getting too close to their feet.
“So, we got that 009 kid, right?” said one of the guards. Another laughed.
“Yeah!” he said. “Kid’s so gullible. He took the boss’s deal of ‘setting his friends free’ and having him be a minion in their place!”
“Looks like we got the lucky deal!” said another one, the others laughing.
“Think about how much easier these missions will be with a cyborg like that on our side,” said the first guard. “I hear he’s pretty strong.”
“Yeah, he beat the more efficient prototypes after him,” said the second.
The third whistled. “Man.”
The guard in front slid another card on the door. 007 just got a look of what the room was. He saw 009, sitting in a chair with a mask over his face. He gasped mentally and glanced around, turning every which way until he had an idea.
Guys! 007 shouted to the cyborgs through their mental link. Guys! I found 009!
You did? 003 gasped. Is he all right?
Not sure. It looks like they’re keeping him asleep with one of those anesthesia masks, replied 007. But I know where the room is. And I got an idea!
Okay, shoot, said Pyunma.
You guys climb the rocks around the cave. 006, blast away through and keep moving down until you break into a white hallway! The tunnels in the cave were renovated into white hallways.
Can do, 007! said Chang.
While the team worked their way in, 007 was playing spy. He glanced up at the door, knowing that if he morphed into his usual self, the alarm would go off from the security cameras. To keep his cover, 007 went along the hallway, trying to figure out where the cyborgs would break through. It may take 006 a long while to get through the rock itself. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too late then.
What felt like an hour passed, and 007 became worried. Had they gotten caught? Were they stuck? Were they lost?
“007!” whispered a familiar voice. The little beetle turned around, seeing a head poke around the corner of the hallway. 007 scuttled as fast as he could towards the person, and as he got close, he recognized Chang.
“006!” 007 exclaimed, his voice more like a hiss. “You guys made it!”
“Yeah,” said Chang in a whisper. “Took out some guards too. We better hurry! Where is 009’s room?”
“This way!” 007 hissed, now morphing into his human self. He led the way all the way down the hall, the team’s footsteps echoing down the eerie, white cavern. 007 ignored this fact and skidded to an abrupt halt in front of one of the rooms. The door was windowless, but 007 knew this is where they were keeping 009.
Geronimo stepped in, seeing as they didn’t have a card to slide. He gripped the door’s hinges and began to pull. The metal screeched and moaned in protest, but with a grunt of effort 005 managed to break the door free of the doorway. He tossed the useless piece of metal away, and the team rushed in.
WHAM!
“That smarted!” exclaimed 006, now against the opposite wall. The team was now splayed against the ground and walls, having rushed straight into a thick (very thick) glass wall. 003 picked herself up off the floor and glanced up.
“009!” she gasped.
And there was the cyborg they’d been looking for. Joe lay in a reclined chair, a mask over his face for anesthesia. His eyes were shut, and three wires trailed from the ceiling down onto the chair. The cyborgs raced to their feet.
“009!” Jet shouted, pounding his foot against the wall as well as his fists. “009! Wake up!”
Albert frowned. “It’s no use to yell,” he said. “He can’t hear us; he’s asleep.”
003 whirled around. “There has to be a way to get him!”
“Break the wall down!” Jet snapped. “This is the only thing separating us from him, now HELP ME!”
Geronimo rammed at the glass, but the wall only jiggled in response. Albert shot bullets and bullets, but they only ricocheted off, causing the cyborgs to duck for cover. G.B. tried ever large, brute-force animal he could think of to break down the wall, but nothing worked. Finally, Ivan pitched in. The baby offered his mental strength to try and weaken the barrier with the help of the cyborgs’ brute force.
On three, the team gave their efforts to push and push and push…
Crash!
The glass broke into billions of pieces. Good thing the cyborgs had tough skin! They ran over to 009, who looked calm as can be. Pyunma shut the anesthesia machine off, flipping the switches down. 003 removed the mask, tossing it aside like a worthless piece of trash. She shook him lightly.
“009,” she spoke. “009, can you hear me? 009 wake up.”
Her friend remained unconscious, sleeping soundly. 002 frowned and reached his hand under Joe’s neck, wrapping his fingers around a thin, black plug. He yanked it out, making Joe’s head fall back against the chair. 002 tossed the wire and found two others on Joe’s legs. He yanked those out too.
Franciouse attempted at awakening her friend again, placing her hands on his arm and shaking him. “Come on, 009. Wake up!” she urged.
Joe moaned, and hope fluttered inside the cyborgs. He slowly opened his eyes, focusing on the two who leaned over the bed: Jet and Franciouse. The others had gathered around the edges. Joe’s sleepy eyes traveled from cyborg-to-cyborg.
“Wha…?” he didn’t finish his sentence. Joe’s eyes fell shut again, and he went limp. Franciouse almost panicked, but guards began to pound at the door. Hastily, Geronimo lifted Joe into his arms, the cyborg’s head resting against the taller man’s chest. 002 raced forward, kicking in the jets and slamming the door down and barreling into guards in the process.
“C’mon!” Jet called, hovering in the hallway. The cyborgs ran through, racing past the guards and towards their nearest exit: the wide hole 006 had blasted in the ceiling. However, guards had begun to flood the hallway. Albert ran ahead, aiming his fingers as the holes opened for the bullets waiting to come out. The guards still stood.
006 drew his blaster, selecting the second button. He lifted and fired, and the guards fell like dead weights. The cyborgs picked their way through the mess of men, stepping over them and making sure not to cause any injuries. They bolted down the hallway once through, hearts pumping incredibly fast.
“There!” shouted 003, pointing at the next corner. Guards were rushing down the hallway towards them. The team swerved to the right, seeing the gigantic hole. They all stood under it, staring at the ceiling.
“Here,” said 005. “004, fend off the guards.” He gently set Joe against the wall, the cyborg’s head hanging as he slept. 005 picked 006 up and held the man up to the hole. 006 latched onto the sides of the hole and began to climb. 005 helped 003 up the same way. Next came 008. Then went 002 and so on. 005 finally put 004 in, the guards unconscious now. Geronimo lifted Joe into his arms. He handed Joe up into the hole, and the cyborgs took turns carrying him up.
The tunnel itself was a challenge. The guards wouldn’t be able to get in since it was so high up. However, the tunnel was dark and twisty. 006 thankfully found ground, climbing up and into sunlight. He shoved his plump body out, helping 003 out. G.B. handed Joe up. 006 grabbed the boy’s arms and dragged him out into the grass. When the rest of the team was out, 005 took 009 into his arms again. It had become far darker now, almost pitch black. Thanks to the cyborg sight, the team was able to make it back to the house.
“You’re back!” exclaimed Gilmore when the cyborgs bustled into the house. The doctor’s eyes fell upon the sleeping Joe. “Is he all right?”
“I hope so,” said Jet. “He’s been out since we found him. It seems they sedated him pretty well.”
“Come,” said Gilmore. “Set him on the couch.”
Quickly, Geronimo laid Joe on the couch. Gilmore felt his forehead and checked his pulse.
“Well,” said the doctor. “He doesn’t have a fever, and his pulse is good.” He tilted his head. “I’d say they didn’t do much to him.”
The cyborgs all let out exasperated and relieved sighs. They straightened when Joe moaned, eyebrows twitching. Joe’s eyelids began to flutter, the cyborg finally being aroused from sleep. He yawned hugely as his eyes opened.
Joe slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, rubbing his eyes and trying to clear his head. He put a hand to his temple and glanced up, still looking sleepy.
“How did I get here…?” he asked, voice low and tired. The cyborgs relaxed, seeing that Joe wasn’t brainwashed now.
“We rescued you, you lazy bum!” exclaimed Chang, who was smiling triumphantly.
“Lazy bum?” Joe asked.
“You were under an anesthetic, silly,” said Franciouse. “We found you asleep in one of Black Ghost’s hideouts. He was trying to brainwash you.”
Joe paused. “Oh,” he said, blinking as an obvious light bulb went off. “Oh…I remember that.” He looked up at the team just as he felt a good thunk in the back of his head. He hunched his shoulders and looked up at the person: Jet.
“Quit bein’ the hero all the time,” Jet teased. In spite of himself, Jet smiled at Joe’s childish, clueless look. He rolled his eyes and ruffled the younger boy’s hair. Joe closed one eye and moved Jet’s hand away. The hot-headed cyborg laughed.
“Ah, 009,” Jet mused.
END
The ten of them were gathered in the living room. Chang held a cookbook, studying it intently as he read through the recipes to see if any of them were worthwhile. G.B. was at his story writing again, tapping away at the typewriter to get the perfect storyline typed out. Geronimo gazed out the window, his dark eyes intent on the nature on the other side of the glass. His hands were twined behind his back.
However, this moment of silence was broken as Joe snored. Franciouse chuckled from where she sat in a little individual chair. She stood up, setting her tea down and going over to Joe. She took a blanket from the stack Gilmore had and gently placed it over the dark-haired cyborg. He’d been asleep for an hour or two, just taking a nap it seemed.
“He’s been really drained lately,” G.B. said, turning around in his chair to look over at 003 and 009. “I’m amazed he even eats.”
Franciouse tucked a pillow under Joe’s head gently, his head rolling to one side at the movement. She smiled at him like a mother would to a little child. “He’s been working hard, too,” she said.
“He seems to work too hard, though,” Jet cut in from where he stood by the wall, hands shoved into the pockets of his deep purple jacket. “He’s always out to help everyone. You’d think he didn’t have a life of his own.”
“Now Jet, I don’t think that last statement was–”
Boom!
“Good gravy!” exclaimed 006, the rumble causing him to drop his cookbook and gape at the team. “What was that?!”
The rumble startled every cyborg. It even aroused Gilmore, who had been hard at work in his study. The old doctor came stumbling out of his haven, glasses all crooked on his face. He straightened them with wide eyes. The only one who didn’t react was Joe, who remained fast asleep on the couch.
“It sounded like it came from the shore,” said Geronimo as Franciouse straightened.
“There’s something there,” she said, narrowing her eyes.
“Let’s get to investigating it!” Jet exclaimed. “If it’s a danger, we can’t just stand here!”
“Right,” Pyunma said. “Should we awaken 009?”
The team all stared at Joe, whose snoring had continued to a louder level. He settled into the couch, and Jet glanced back up at everyone.
“Nah,” he said. “Leave ‘im. We’re just investigating.”
With a few unsure glances, the team stripped to their cyborg uniforms. Every member (except for 009) was wearing a royal red uniform with golden scarves wrapped around their necks with four buttons on their fronts to match. They headed out towards the shore.
002 fired up the jets waiting inside his feet. He launched into the air, soaring high above the trees to scout ahead. He scanned the tops of the trees, looking for any sign of an intruder. Up ahead, he found the dark, bird-like silhouette of a ship.
“Hey, guys!” he said. “I think I know what made that crash!”
Chills ran down the team’s spine as they approached the crash site. The plane they beheld was sleek and black, the wings pointed like a raven’s beak. Great Britain morphed into a gray mouse and began to scuttle along the ground, trying to find any sign of life. 005 began to lift debris, trying to find any sign of life.
“Whose ship could this be?” 003 wondered out loud. She stared around, trying to find any source of survivors of the plane crash.
Pyunma shoved aside a piece of metal, and his eyes grew wide. “Guys! Look out!” he shouted just as a bright flash engulfed the entire team. 003 yelled, but it was soon cut short as the cyborgs disappeared, no trace of their existence to be found behind.
2
“009!”
Joe moaned and turned his head over, sinking down into sleep again. The voice pestered him again, “009! Get out of bed! This is urgent!”
“…It’s too early to be up,” he responded sleepily, eyebrows knitting together.
“It’s the middle of the afternoon! Get up! The team’s gone missing!”
Someone was shaking him now, but Joe’s eyes flew open. His senses flourished with life now, and he was suddenly sitting up. “They’re what?” Joe gasped.
“I told you! They’ve gone missing!” Ivan urged from his basket. “They went out to go investigate, and their contacts have suddenly disappeared.”
Joe threw the blanket off and lurched to his feet, bustling to get his uniform on, undoing the buttons on his shirt. “Why didn’t anyone wake me earlier? I could have helped!”
“They didn’t want to wake you,” said Ivan.
Joe ran out of the room momentarily, returning with his uniform on. He was hopping on one foot to get his last boot on. Once it was snug and fit, Joe headed for the door. Where had his friends gone? Who would take them? Had they fought?
“009, you can’t leave!” exclaimed Dr. Gilmore from the doorway. The man’s glasses had just about fallen off from his efforts to get to the brown-haired cyborg. “You don’t even know where they’ve gone!”
“I have to go, Dr. Gilmore!” Joe protested, ruby eyes full of urgency. “They’re my friends! If I don’t, who knows what will happen to them!”
Dr. Gilmore gritted his teeth and let out a shaky, unsure sigh. “All right, but you alert Ivan if something happens to you. Immediately!”
“Yes, sir!” Joe gasped. He threw the door open and was gone, accelerating across the island to the coordinates Ivan was feeding him mentally.
- - - - - - - - -
Joe soon arrived at the shore. He looked around, looking over at the shoreline and up along the beach. His eyebrows raised. “001, I don’t see that ship you were talking about.”
It should be there, said Ivan mentally. Are you sure you followed the coordinates I gave you correctly?
“Yes! I did!” Joe exclaimed back, now irritated. Suddenly, something whizzed past his head as if to saw it off. Joe ducked, crouching in the sand now. A spinning disk flew back to him, spinning and hovering a foot or two above the sand. A little blue light flashed on the top, and a voice sounded, “Hello, 009.”
Joe yelped and fell back, staring at the little device in shock. He froze, the little black disk flashing and spinning. Joe slowly made his way to a sitting position. “What are you?” he wondered.
“A messenger,” responded the little robot. “I send a message. Come to the cave on the southern end of the island. There you will find your friends.”
“Wait! Tell me who took them!” Joe demanded, glaring at the little device.
“I am only a messenger,” it said. “Come or your friends will be destroyed.”
At that, it was gone.
Frustrating, Joe pounded his fist against the ground, moaning. He shoved himself to his feet and glanced around. “The cave on the southern end of the island, eh?” Joe curled his hands into fists. “001, I’ll need your help.”
Gilmore and I are already on it, said Ivan. Here, follow my directions.
As soon as the coordinates reached Joe’s mind, he set off towards the cave. He ran through the trees, dodging roots and low-hanging branches. Out of his impatience, he accelerated. He ran across the entire island, the crash having been on the northern shore. He gritted his teeth, heart pumping as the cave came into sight.
Joe stood at the mouth of the humongous cave. He walked in, his footsteps echoing down the tunnel. It became darker and colder the further he traveled. Was all of this a setup?
Suddenly, Joe was blinded by overhead lights. He shielded his face until his eyes adjusted. He blinked and made out a familiar, rather unpleasant figure.
“Black Ghost!” Joe growled, clenching his fists.
“009, we meet again!” said the man, laughing as he did so. “I see you received my message.” He swept his arm out, cape revealing his black-gloved hand. “Come for your friends, have you?”
“What did you do to them?!” Joe demanded angrily, eyes ablaze with ferocity. Black Ghost only chuckled at his anger.
“They’re right here, my boy,” he said, opening both arms as seven lights lit up to reveal tubes with each one of his teammates inside.
“Joe!” shouted 003, the woman’s hands pressed firmly to the thick glass keeping her from escaping.
Joe’s eyes went wide, and he almost looked taken aback. He frowned at Black Ghost. He lashed his hands out as he spoke, “All right, what do you want? There has to be a reason you had me come here!”
“Of course,” said Black Ghost. “I have a proposition for you.” He brought his arms back into his cloak, voice echoing down the cave. “How about we make a deal, 009? I let your friends go, and in return you surrender to me.”
Joe’s eyes went wide, and he took a step back. The team erupted with outbursts, their yells almost muffled by the glass. Jet shouted, “009! Don’t do it!”
“And if I don’t?” Joe asked warily.
“Well, then they become my own minions,” said Black Ghost. “And then they die.”
Joe swallowed, almost shaking at the thoughts of his friends’ lives ending. He looked up as 002 yelled, “Joe! Don’t agree! Don’t listen to him! 009!”
Joe’s heart felt heavy. He hung his head and closed his eyes. “I…surrender,” he said quietly. Black Ghost’s laugh rumbled down the cave.
“Excellent,” Black Ghost laughed. “Your friends shall be released safely, 009.”
“JOE!” screamed 003. 007 was pounding on the glass, yelling for 009 not to do this as two guards rushed out, clasping Joe’s wrists with metal cuffs. They shoved Joe away, and the cyborg followed willingly. His teammates yelled and screamed in protest, pounding on the glass and trying to get Joe to change his mind, but it was no use. Joe disappeared down another tunnel.
The sounds of his teammates’ yelling faded. Joe lifted his gaze, the guard shoving his back so he’d keep moving. The cavern was dark, and Joe began to wonder if the guards could see. Dots swirled in Joe’s vision as light flashed on him again. He blinked, eyes wide for a moment. The guards removed his cuffs, the cyborg now looking around. How big was this cave? Was it even a natural cave at all? He glanced around, and the white panels on the walls slid down to reveal a room almost identical to the one Joe had awakened in when he was brought to consciousness by Ivan for the first time. He swallowed and found a reclined chair in the back wall.
“Sit,” said a voice, Joe spying a speaker overhead. Quickly, Joe sat in the chair. “Get comfy.” He felt a little awkward, setting his arms on the armrests and laying his head back, now staring at the ceiling. “Good.”
A door opened, and four people wearing white coats walked in. Two of them held clipboards, and the other two brought a machine in. Joe recognized that and swallowed. All of the scientists wore masks, and thus Joe couldn’t make out their genders. One of them lifted a mask off the machine, a tube draping down from the front of it.
“You’re going to take a little nap for a bit, okay 009?” said the scientist in a deep, gruff voice, thus identifying him as a male. He placed the mask over Joe’s mouth and nose. A few switches were flipped, and Joe’s anxiety boiled. However, the young cyborg’s mind began to fuzz over. His world spun, eyes becoming heavy. He blinked, eyelids getting lower and lower as he heard the fuzzy voice of one of the scientists, “Sweet dreams, little cyborg.”
Joe fell asleep.
3
As if today couldn’t get any more complicated.
Like flavorless gum, the cyborgs had been dumped on the opposite side of the island. G.B. snarled under his breath, rubbing his bum where the guards had dropped him roughly.
“If I ever meet those guards again, I’m giving them a piece of my mind!” he snapped, straightening and crossing his arms angrily.
“We have other things to worry about,” said Geronimo, towering over the other cyborgs. “009 is back there about to be brainwashed.”
The cyborgs fell silent. Geronimo glanced up at the sky, seeing the sun lowering. He narrowed his eyes. “We have to hurry.”
With 002 in the lead, the cyborgs trudged into the forest. Their pace was quick, hasty. They had to make it to Joe before it was too late! If they didn’t…
Would they lose 009?
The team shoved that thought into the backs of their minds, their pace quickening even more. 002 offered to scout ahead, but the rest of the team told him not to, for fear it may trigger that they were coming back for their friend.
“How much further, do you think?” 008 asked after about two hours of traveling. The sun had lowered, and the forest had become darker. Geronimo stared at the sky and then forward, into the trees.
“Maybe another hour or two,” he said. “I can’t be for sure.”
Stifling moans, the team kept going. Their willpower to retrieve their friend kept them going, the thoughts of the dangers of the cave running through their heads. 002 was concerned about how they were going to get in, having only seen one entrance to the cave.
The sun lowered and lowered by the hour, and eventually it was barely lighting up the island. By this time, the cyborgs were outside the cave, hiding in the trees and bushes.
“How do we get in?” asked Franciouse in a cautious whisper.
“Not sure,” said Pyunma. “There are bound to be guards in the mouth of the cave, so we have to find an entrance on the outside.”
“But,” said Albert. “Think: it’s a high-tech cave. They had to have renovated it to accommodate Black Ghost somehow.”
“He’s got a point there,” said Chang.
“That gives me an idea,” said Pyunma. “Here’s what we’ll do…”
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Everyone knew the plan. At Pyunma’s signal, it commenced. G.B. morphed himself into a mouse, scampering out of the bushes and into the cave. He morphed again, this time into a beetle. He scuttled along the ground, scanning everywhere for a sign of an entrance. His little beetle eyes scanned every nook and cranny of the cave. He came to a halt beside a door and waited, hearing the shuffle of guards’ feet down the hall. One of them slid a card in a slot beside the door, and the door slid open. 007 quickly ran after them, following close behind them, but not getting too close to their feet.
“So, we got that 009 kid, right?” said one of the guards. Another laughed.
“Yeah!” he said. “Kid’s so gullible. He took the boss’s deal of ‘setting his friends free’ and having him be a minion in their place!”
“Looks like we got the lucky deal!” said another one, the others laughing.
“Think about how much easier these missions will be with a cyborg like that on our side,” said the first guard. “I hear he’s pretty strong.”
“Yeah, he beat the more efficient prototypes after him,” said the second.
The third whistled. “Man.”
The guard in front slid another card on the door. 007 just got a look of what the room was. He saw 009, sitting in a chair with a mask over his face. He gasped mentally and glanced around, turning every which way until he had an idea.
Guys! 007 shouted to the cyborgs through their mental link. Guys! I found 009!
You did? 003 gasped. Is he all right?
Not sure. It looks like they’re keeping him asleep with one of those anesthesia masks, replied 007. But I know where the room is. And I got an idea!
Okay, shoot, said Pyunma.
You guys climb the rocks around the cave. 006, blast away through and keep moving down until you break into a white hallway! The tunnels in the cave were renovated into white hallways.
Can do, 007! said Chang.
While the team worked their way in, 007 was playing spy. He glanced up at the door, knowing that if he morphed into his usual self, the alarm would go off from the security cameras. To keep his cover, 007 went along the hallway, trying to figure out where the cyborgs would break through. It may take 006 a long while to get through the rock itself. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too late then.
What felt like an hour passed, and 007 became worried. Had they gotten caught? Were they stuck? Were they lost?
“007!” whispered a familiar voice. The little beetle turned around, seeing a head poke around the corner of the hallway. 007 scuttled as fast as he could towards the person, and as he got close, he recognized Chang.
“006!” 007 exclaimed, his voice more like a hiss. “You guys made it!”
“Yeah,” said Chang in a whisper. “Took out some guards too. We better hurry! Where is 009’s room?”
“This way!” 007 hissed, now morphing into his human self. He led the way all the way down the hall, the team’s footsteps echoing down the eerie, white cavern. 007 ignored this fact and skidded to an abrupt halt in front of one of the rooms. The door was windowless, but 007 knew this is where they were keeping 009.
Geronimo stepped in, seeing as they didn’t have a card to slide. He gripped the door’s hinges and began to pull. The metal screeched and moaned in protest, but with a grunt of effort 005 managed to break the door free of the doorway. He tossed the useless piece of metal away, and the team rushed in.
WHAM!
“That smarted!” exclaimed 006, now against the opposite wall. The team was now splayed against the ground and walls, having rushed straight into a thick (very thick) glass wall. 003 picked herself up off the floor and glanced up.
“009!” she gasped.
And there was the cyborg they’d been looking for. Joe lay in a reclined chair, a mask over his face for anesthesia. His eyes were shut, and three wires trailed from the ceiling down onto the chair. The cyborgs raced to their feet.
“009!” Jet shouted, pounding his foot against the wall as well as his fists. “009! Wake up!”
Albert frowned. “It’s no use to yell,” he said. “He can’t hear us; he’s asleep.”
003 whirled around. “There has to be a way to get him!”
“Break the wall down!” Jet snapped. “This is the only thing separating us from him, now HELP ME!”
Geronimo rammed at the glass, but the wall only jiggled in response. Albert shot bullets and bullets, but they only ricocheted off, causing the cyborgs to duck for cover. G.B. tried ever large, brute-force animal he could think of to break down the wall, but nothing worked. Finally, Ivan pitched in. The baby offered his mental strength to try and weaken the barrier with the help of the cyborgs’ brute force.
On three, the team gave their efforts to push and push and push…
Crash!
The glass broke into billions of pieces. Good thing the cyborgs had tough skin! They ran over to 009, who looked calm as can be. Pyunma shut the anesthesia machine off, flipping the switches down. 003 removed the mask, tossing it aside like a worthless piece of trash. She shook him lightly.
“009,” she spoke. “009, can you hear me? 009 wake up.”
Her friend remained unconscious, sleeping soundly. 002 frowned and reached his hand under Joe’s neck, wrapping his fingers around a thin, black plug. He yanked it out, making Joe’s head fall back against the chair. 002 tossed the wire and found two others on Joe’s legs. He yanked those out too.
Franciouse attempted at awakening her friend again, placing her hands on his arm and shaking him. “Come on, 009. Wake up!” she urged.
Joe moaned, and hope fluttered inside the cyborgs. He slowly opened his eyes, focusing on the two who leaned over the bed: Jet and Franciouse. The others had gathered around the edges. Joe’s sleepy eyes traveled from cyborg-to-cyborg.
“Wha…?” he didn’t finish his sentence. Joe’s eyes fell shut again, and he went limp. Franciouse almost panicked, but guards began to pound at the door. Hastily, Geronimo lifted Joe into his arms, the cyborg’s head resting against the taller man’s chest. 002 raced forward, kicking in the jets and slamming the door down and barreling into guards in the process.
“C’mon!” Jet called, hovering in the hallway. The cyborgs ran through, racing past the guards and towards their nearest exit: the wide hole 006 had blasted in the ceiling. However, guards had begun to flood the hallway. Albert ran ahead, aiming his fingers as the holes opened for the bullets waiting to come out. The guards still stood.
006 drew his blaster, selecting the second button. He lifted and fired, and the guards fell like dead weights. The cyborgs picked their way through the mess of men, stepping over them and making sure not to cause any injuries. They bolted down the hallway once through, hearts pumping incredibly fast.
“There!” shouted 003, pointing at the next corner. Guards were rushing down the hallway towards them. The team swerved to the right, seeing the gigantic hole. They all stood under it, staring at the ceiling.
“Here,” said 005. “004, fend off the guards.” He gently set Joe against the wall, the cyborg’s head hanging as he slept. 005 picked 006 up and held the man up to the hole. 006 latched onto the sides of the hole and began to climb. 005 helped 003 up the same way. Next came 008. Then went 002 and so on. 005 finally put 004 in, the guards unconscious now. Geronimo lifted Joe into his arms. He handed Joe up into the hole, and the cyborgs took turns carrying him up.
The tunnel itself was a challenge. The guards wouldn’t be able to get in since it was so high up. However, the tunnel was dark and twisty. 006 thankfully found ground, climbing up and into sunlight. He shoved his plump body out, helping 003 out. G.B. handed Joe up. 006 grabbed the boy’s arms and dragged him out into the grass. When the rest of the team was out, 005 took 009 into his arms again. It had become far darker now, almost pitch black. Thanks to the cyborg sight, the team was able to make it back to the house.
“You’re back!” exclaimed Gilmore when the cyborgs bustled into the house. The doctor’s eyes fell upon the sleeping Joe. “Is he all right?”
“I hope so,” said Jet. “He’s been out since we found him. It seems they sedated him pretty well.”
“Come,” said Gilmore. “Set him on the couch.”
Quickly, Geronimo laid Joe on the couch. Gilmore felt his forehead and checked his pulse.
“Well,” said the doctor. “He doesn’t have a fever, and his pulse is good.” He tilted his head. “I’d say they didn’t do much to him.”
The cyborgs all let out exasperated and relieved sighs. They straightened when Joe moaned, eyebrows twitching. Joe’s eyelids began to flutter, the cyborg finally being aroused from sleep. He yawned hugely as his eyes opened.
Joe slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, rubbing his eyes and trying to clear his head. He put a hand to his temple and glanced up, still looking sleepy.
“How did I get here…?” he asked, voice low and tired. The cyborgs relaxed, seeing that Joe wasn’t brainwashed now.
“We rescued you, you lazy bum!” exclaimed Chang, who was smiling triumphantly.
“Lazy bum?” Joe asked.
“You were under an anesthetic, silly,” said Franciouse. “We found you asleep in one of Black Ghost’s hideouts. He was trying to brainwash you.”
Joe paused. “Oh,” he said, blinking as an obvious light bulb went off. “Oh…I remember that.” He looked up at the team just as he felt a good thunk in the back of his head. He hunched his shoulders and looked up at the person: Jet.
“Quit bein’ the hero all the time,” Jet teased. In spite of himself, Jet smiled at Joe’s childish, clueless look. He rolled his eyes and ruffled the younger boy’s hair. Joe closed one eye and moved Jet’s hand away. The hot-headed cyborg laughed.
“Ah, 009,” Jet mused.
END
