And for the next hour the girls exchanged stories about themselves, their families and their home worlds. P’yxx was mesmerized by the story of Rose fighting Mobius, Egg learning to be Flying Girl and the amazing stories of the Hameggattic Sisterhood. She couldn’t help but feel that to become a Sister would be the culmination of all that she felt she was transforming into – an adventurer fighting for justice.
On the other hand, Ellie was beyond excited to find out more about this place. She wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight thinking about all the technology she would have a chance to see in the morning.
And the time machine . . . that was actually scary. Who knew what damage you could do to a timeline by changing events in the past?
When they finally stopped to catch their breaths, Ellie said, “I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”
As they got up to leave, P’yxx turned to her new friend and said, “I am disappointed about one thing.”
“What?”
“You. I thought a Princess would be terribly refined, speak in poetic phrases and long for the day when she would wield absolute power over the little people. You seem so . . . so normal. When I get home, I’m going to throw away my fake tiara. It’s such a sad, sad day when a little girl’s dreams are crushed.”
Ellie grinned. “Before I leave, I’ll show you my royal persona.”
“Will I be impressed?”
“As I see it, you’re one of the little people that I may or may not trample underfoot if and when I become Queen. You will be awed.”
The moment was ruined when she stuck out her tongue.
Chapter 11 – House of Horrors
“She’s being stupid.”
“May I ask why?”
“Ellie wants me to stay here until she decides if it’s safe for me to join her, right?”
“Correct.”
“Terrific. But if it isn’t safe, how are we going to save her if we don’t know where she’s being kept or what the situation is?”
“I see your point. However, we do know which building she is in.”
“True, but that is a really big building. She should have picked a place for us to rendezvous at the very least. If she’s going to be my brain, she needs to start thinking better.”
If her mother were here watching her younger daughter, she would have been stunned. The girl who would only do what her sister told her to do had somehow transformed into an equal partner. She would never be as ‘book smart’ as Ellie, but she had her mother’s uncanny tactical sense. Time would tell if that sense was up to the challenge.
“Do you intend to do as she asked?”
“Not quite. When I flew around the city, I got lucky and stumbled on a junk yard of sorts.”
“That is indeed fortuitous.” The dragonetta was teasing.
“Indeedily-doo. There are enough old parts there to make me into a robot.”
“Such whimsy! However, is this really the time to play make-believe?”
“No, you ninny. I’m going to use it so I can get inside that building without being stopped.”
“To what end?”
“First, to get to the capsule. We’ll wait there until Ellie calls. If we don’t hear from her in say two hours, we’ll go looking for her.”
“Is that wise?”
“Do you want to hear something weird? I have this feeling in my stomach that it’s the right thing to do. I’m not sure why.”
“Your mother was well known for her intuition. Perhaps you have inherited some of that trait?”
“Maybe. More than likely it’s my just my belly reacting to that horrible food you brought me.”
*****
“Professor, this is a special guest of the ALF Prime.” P’yxx phrased it just so because it would irritate the woman.
And true to her nasty self, and without a word of greeting, the woman went on a rant. “I strongly object. This time has been reserved for me and my class. I find your presence outrageous and an intrusion and I will lodge a formal complaint with the governing council. Do not interfere with us or the consequences will be dire. What is your name, child?”
Oh, how Ellie hated pompous fools. With the whole class watching in silence, the girl decided to have a little fun – and to give P’yxx an opportunity to see her royal side. In a very quiet voice she said, “If you choose to address me, you will stand up and do it properly. Or should I assume that you have been raised by a family of street urchins?”
“How dare you?” The indignation in the professor’s voice was palpable and the room became electric with anticipation. P’yxx wasn’t sure how she should react; this wasn’t going quite as she expected.
“I dare because I am the Princess Ellie Rose of the House of M’earth, first of that name, an heir to Throne of Aerianna. You will stand up now, you impudent woman or incur my wrath.” It was incredibly difficult to keep a straight face and not break into laughter.
The Professor’s mouth fell opened and she forced herself to rise. “I . . . I am so very sorry, Your Highness. Please forgive me.” She had never heard of Aerianna or the House of M’earth – but that would explain why this girl was being treated as a special guest. Better safe than executed.
Ellie stared haughtily at the woman as if trying to decide her fate. She let the seconds tick by to add to the tension. “Very well. You may sit. I will be taking my dinner with this delightful young woman. That table in the corner will do nicely. I do not wish to be disturbed.”
“No, no. Of course not. Please enjoy the food.” She glanced at P’yxx with uncertainty . . . why in the name of the cosmos would this royal person want this infuriating Shazarette as a dinner companion was beyond understanding. Nevertheless, apparently, she did. “P’yxx, if there is anything the Princess might need, please come ask me.”
“Of course, Professor. If you’ll excuse us?” and without waiting for a reply the two girls turned and left. From the corner of her mouth P’yxx whispered, “Don’t you dare start giggling.”
“Why not?”
“Cause if I start, I won’t be able to stop.”
And that did it. They both started to laugh.
*****
Back in his room, the Big Oh was putting the last touches on his reprogramming effort. He entered a few more lines of code then sat back. Absentmindedly, his hand reached out and grabbed some food from his dinner plate. He took a bite then threw the rest back from whence it came. “Shazbot” he cursed when he realized there was a logic error in his commands.
It wasn’t very often that the big bully felt humbled – but this little exercise had done just that. These ALF Primes’ AI’s were incredibly complex. There were millions of lines of code. And in a rare moment of maturity, he reconsidered what he was doing.
But it passed.
He made a few last changes to correct the error then executed a compile command. This was the process which would turn his code into actual program instructions for the AI’s.
And the deed was done.
*****
Ellie and P’yxx were having a grand old time at dinner swapping stories, asking and answering questions, and taking the opportunity to greet a few of the students brave enough to introduce themselves.
And though P’yxx was transfixed with the adventures of the Sisterhood, the floating city of Q’umulus, and the pranks played by Ellie and her sister, one story truly captured her imagination. “That’s so amazing . . . a whole population stuck inside this Reverie Glass for hundreds of years until your mom and her sisters rescued them.”
“Yup,” replied Ellie proudly. She and Syl took their mother’s exploits for granted. It wasn’t until she told this perfect stranger did she begin to fully appreciate the magnitude of what the Sisterhood had accomplished.
“I wish I could see your world and meet all these amazing people.”
“Just say the word. I do have a little influence back home.”
“Speaking of which, you never did say in which quadrant Aerianna is located. Actually, how did you
even get here since our Displacement Gates don’t go that far? Do you have faster-than-light drives?”
“Um, what do you call the next closest galaxy?”
“What?”
“That’s actually where Syl and I are from. We call it the Twisty Twirl.”
P’yxx just gawked at her tablemate.
“Is it something I said?” teased Ellie.
“That’s impossible.”
“No. I’m pretty sure it’s possible since I’m here.”
“Ellie, how advanced is your science?”
“From what I can tell, we probably excel at a few things while you guys excel at others. Pretty evenly matched, all in all.”
“Do people from your galaxy come to the Pinwheel often?”
“Is that what you call this place? Cute. And, no . . . Syl’kie and I are the very first.”
“You’re telling me that two eleven-year girls decide to go out exploring and the first place they chose was thousands and thousands of light years away?”
Ellie smiled proudly. “Are you as impressed as I am?”
P’yxx stared at the other girl. Finally, she managed to say, “How brave are you?”
“Brave, stupid – they’re kind of interchangeable in this case.”
P’yxx returned to staring. After a dozen or so seconds she asked, “Do you think it’s too late?”
“For what?”
“For me to attack you.”
*****
Syl’kie and Zani flew to the outbuilding that the girl had discovered. As before, there was no one (or thing) around. “Okay, look for parts that I can use to disguise myself.”
“Princess, this doesn’t seem like one of your best ideas.”
“It’ll be great, I promise.”
“Your enthusiasm is infectious . . . if misguided. However, I will assist you in your search. Are there any specific requirements that I should be aware of?”
“Well, um . . . it can’t be so big and bulky that I can’t walk. And, it should make me look fierce and someone not to mess with.”
“Very well.”
“Oh, and nothing too ugly. I want to be pretty and fierce; not ugly and mean.”
“May I remind you that time is of the essence.”
Syl’kie pouted. “Okay, okay. But if I look stupid, it’s on your head.”
As it turned out, there was so much material to choose from that they quickly assembled an outfit that Syl’kie could walk in without difficulty.
“How do I look?”
“Words fail me,” replied the dragonetta diplomatically.
“Great. I can’t wait to see the look on Ellie’s face when she sees me.”
“I’m sure she will react in a manner true to her nature. Shall we go?”
The ‘robot’ and the dragonetta made their way to the tallest building which housed the capsule and Ellie Rose. They stopped about a hundred feet from the entrance. “Okay, when we get in there, lead me to the capsule. And make it fast.”
“Why the need for speed?”
“Cause I gotta go to the bathroom . . . and I don’t mean later.”
*****
Oh’tezla made his way down to the dining room. When he walked in, everyone else looked up, stopped what they were doing and went quiet. The relaxed atmosphere that had permeated the place immediately evaporated. Even the Professor took note. The Big Oh was really a plague on her class and she finally admitted to herself that the boy’s genius had caused her to overlook the negative effect he had on his classmates. She resolved to remedy that when they returned home.
The oversized man-child looked around the gathering until he found his teacher. To her horror, he gave her a thumbs-up. Whatever programming change he had attempted apparently had been implemented. She could feel the blood drain from her face and her skin goes clammy.
He made his way to a dining room robotic, one of three, whose function was to serve and bus tables. “Hey, mech.”
“Sir, how may I be of service?”
“I need to talk to your stupid boss.”
“Sir?”
“The guy in charge, idiot. The ALF Prime.”
“Ah. I am sorry, but he cannot be disturbed unless it is an emergency.”
“It is. It’s an emergency.”
“What is the nature of that emergency?”
“Umm, one of the students is planning to sabotage this place.”
“In what manner?”
“Can’t tell you. I’ll only tell the Prime. You better call him.”
The robotic nodded. “He has been summoned. He will arrive momentarily.”
“Good job, you useless pile of scrap metal.”
“Thank you, sir.”
*****
“Wow, that was close.”
“Princess?”
“I almost wet . . . never mind. So, first, let me check in with Aerianna.” They had promised their father that they would send a signal every two hours to show that all was well. In this case, she was playing fast and loose with that concept. She touched a button on the control panel and the coded message was sent. “Now, let’s see if we can get my sister on the communicator.”
“Use your indoor voice,” suggested the dragonetta.
“What? Why?”
“In case she is being held against her will. Wouldn’t want the bad guys to hear your voice and know that you were nearby.”
“Oh. Very clever.” She tapped her communications crystal and whispered, “Ellie, it’s Syl. Can you hear me?”
No reply.
“Ellie, it’s Syl. Can you hear me?”
“S%^, you%$ break*(& up.”
“What she say?”
“I believe she said that your signal was breaking up.”
“Ellie, you okay?”
“Yes. Wai% a se*ond. Some**&ng’s going &$.”
Syl’kie looked at Zani and scrunched her face. “I believe she said that she was okay, but to wait a moment because something was happening. May I suggest that you route your communications through the capsule’s computer. It will amplify the signal.”
The girl did as suggested then tried her sister again. “Ellie, what’s going on?”
“The robots are going craz . . . P’YXX, look out.”
“What?”
No response.
“Ellie.”
No response.
“Rats. Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“To save my sister, of course.”
*****
Z’spon walked into the dining hall, and again, everyone stopped what they were doing to watch. The mechanical man walked up to Oh’tezla. Without preamble, the Prime said, “Summoning me under false pretenses is an actionable offense. What can I do for you?”
“You know what, mech, I don’t like your tone of voice.”
Everyone watching, including the professor, sucked in their collective breaths.
“Your approval is not required. I will ask you one more time, what can I do for you?”
The Big Oh intended to savor this moment. History would record that on this day, he would forever be considered one of the greatest programmers that had ever lived. He stood up, face to face (almost) with the large robotic and commanded in a loud, obnoxious voice, “I reprogrammed you, mech. Now, I want you to go to your knees and KISS MY FEET.” He smiled at the gasps from his classmates and waited for the mech to obey.
Those three little words triggered the program change Oh’tezla had created.
Those three little words triggered another logic error in his programming – one that he had not noticed.
Those three little words would enshrine Oh’tezla’s place in the history of programming – but not for the reason he thought. The Big Oh had inadvertently created the very first computer virus in the Pinwheel Galaxy. And in a few hours, it would infect every ALF when Z’spon synced with his fellow Primes.
*****
Upon hearing those ‘trigger’ words, Z’spon froze . . . for all th
e world looking like the Tin Man caught in a rainstorm. Unfortunately, a little oil wasn’t going to fix his problem.
“I said, KISS MY FEET,” yelled Oh’tezla who was beginning to fear that his little stunt wasn’t going to work.
What happened next was just as Ellie told her sister – the robots went crazy.
Z’spon, momentarily losing equilibrium because of the faulty programming change, fell to his knees and Oh’tezla screamed a triumphant “YEAH.” The word had hardly left his mouth when it was replaced with a scream of “HEY.” The robotic, instead of kissing the boy’s feet, had grabbed both his ankles and pulled. Screaming, the boy fell over backwards smashing into a table. It disintegrated under the weight of his oversized body.
The Prime stood then reached down and picked the boy up by grabbing the material of his shirt.
The Professor, though scared out of her mind, knew that her responsibility was to her students. The fact that she was complicit in this fiasco by not stopping Oh’tezla’s little prank also nagged at her conscience. She hurried over to the ALF and demanded, “I insist that you unhand that child immediately. How dare you?”
Z’spon didn’t let go. He glanced at the three service robots and nodded. Each of them had trays of dishes which they simply dropped to the floor. The resulting cacophony as the plates and silverware clattered and broke was jarring.
Then each of them walked up to a student and grabbed them by the arm. It was the one that tried to snag P’yxx that caused Ellie to yell, “P’yxx, look out.” The girl jumped up and pushed her new friend out of the reach of the robot. She grabbed the girl who had fallen to the floor and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s get out of here.”
“What about them?” referring to her classmates who were running around in circles trying to keep out of the reach of the robots.
“We can’t help if they take us prisoner. Come on, let’s go find my sister.”
But as they turned to run, the same robot grabbed Ellie in a vice-like grip. “Let go,” she screamed.
P’yxx turned around to help . . . pulling her friend by her other arm.
“Let go,” Ellie yelled – this time at the Shazarette. “Go, find my sister. Her name is Syl’kie. Hurry.”
“I can’t leave you.”
“Go.”
P'yxx - Syl'kie and Ellie Rose's 1st adventure Page 13
