That was when Galaxy heard the sound of feet hurriedly running across the metal floor. She looked over her shoulder and saw, through the vault's doorway, Space running down the hall toward her. He looked to have put on his own spacesuit quite hastily, because it was not as form-fitting as usual and his helmet appeared a little loose on his head (although not loose enough to allow any air to leak out).
Standing up, Galaxy reactivated the communicator in her helmet and connected to Space's channel. When she did so, Space shouted, “Galaxy! Where have you been? Are you okay? Where's Doctor Discovery?”
Galaxy met Space at the vault's threshold and said, “Doctor Discovery is gone. He escaped with the prototype.”
Space looked at Galaxy in surprise. “Escaped? How?”
“He used the prototype itself to get away,” said Galaxy, not hiding the frustration in her voice. She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “I don't know where he is now.”
“Oh, great,” said Space, slapping the front of his helmet, which caused a small clunk to come from it. “With both Doctor Discovery and the prototype gone, there's nothing to convince that Omanx guy to spare us.”
“Who?” said Galaxy, tilting her head to the side.
“Taquito Nina Omar or whatever,” said Space. “Says we fought him before. Says we tied him to a meteor and shot him into space after freeing some slaves from him.”
“Huh,” said Galaxy. “Don't remember him.”
“Neither do I,” said Space, shaking his head. “But it doesn't matter, because right now his warship is firing upon us and he's trying to kill us all.”
“What?” said Galaxy. “Space, I am gone for only fifteen minutes and you get into a ship-to-ship battle with some guy who claims to have fought us before? Without my permission?”
“It wasn't my fault,” said Space, folding his arms across his chest. “That Omanx guy is very rude and not at all patient or long-suffering. He's a real—”
A sudden bang—which did not sound good at all to Galaxy—and shake of the Anagnorisis almost threw Galaxy off her feet, but she managed to grab the frame of the vault before she fell. Space, on the other hand, went tumbling down the steps onto the hall floor, where he landed flat on his stomach.
“We can continue this discussion later,” said Galaxy. “For now, if we're going to live, we have to return to the Adventure, and fast.”
-
Upon returning to the Adventure's bridge, Space and Galaxy discovered Sparky running from computer to computer, madly typing or swiping away at keyboards or touch screens in a clear attempt to keep the shields up. He didn't even acknowledge their presence when they entered, but that was fine because Space didn't want him distracted from protecting the ship.
“What kind of ship does this Omanx guy have?” asked Galaxy as she took her seat in the captain's chair.
“Delkarian warship,” said Space, leaning against the railing as the Adventure shook again. “Big one, too, from what he said.”
“There's no way we can beat a Delkarian warship is a one-on-one battle,” said Galaxy. “Especially unprepared like this.”
“What should we do, then?” said Space with a gulp. “Let him destroy us? Because I still have a long bucket list that isn't even half complete yet.”
Galaxy shook her head. “No. We need to contact him.”
“Why?” said Space, holding onto the railing even more tightly as the ship shook again. “He's not the kind of fellow who would be willing to talk, you know!”
“I know,” said Galaxy, “but I have an offer to make to him that I know he can't refuse.”
Space looked at her in confusion as Galaxy shouted, “Sparky! Stop what you're doing and reconnect us to the Delkarian warship. And disconnect the Adventure from the Anagnorisis as well.”
Sparky did not even ask her why. He stopped as he was typing some command into one of the computers and immediately tapped the side of his head. On the large screen before them, the word 'CONNECTING …' appeared, but the ship continued to shake with every blow.
“Come on …” said Galaxy, staring at the screen like her life depended on it. “Answer … answer …”
Just then, the word 'CONNECTED!' appeared, but was soon replaced by Omanx's face. He still wore the captain's hat from before, but now he looked much happier, like he was having a good time.
“Ah, Captain Galaxy,” said Omanx, barely raising his voice above the loud booms from outside. “I was wondering where you were. I was hoping I would get to see your ugly face one last time before I killed you and your friends. Luck, it would appear, is on my side today.”
Galaxy didn't beat around the bush. “You want the Anagnorisis and Doctor Discovery, right? Well, you can have them.”
Omanx looked taken aback by her words. Space was surprised as well, but he didn't say anything because he didn't want to accidentally mess up her plan, whatever it was.
“What?” said Omanx. “You are just going to … give them to me?”
“Yes,” said Galaxy, nodding. “We don't need either of them. Besides, Doctor Discovery is a real jerk. We don't care if you take him and throw him in jail or whatever it is you're going to do to him. As long as you take him out of our hands, we're fine.”
“Is this a trick?” asked Omanx with a suspicious look in his eyes. “This seems too easy.”
“No trick,” said Galaxy, holding up her hands. “We have no reason to trick you. We'll give you Doctor Discovery and his ship in exchange for our own survival. But of course, if you choose not to spare us, I can always activate the bomb I planted on the Anagnorisis, which has a big enough blast radius to destroy all of us, including you.”
“Impossible,” said Omanx. “You don't have access to that kind of technology.”
“How do you know that for sure?” said Galaxy. She raised her com-watch. “With a simple voice command from me, I can blow the Anagnorisis, the Adventure, and your ship into space dust. And I will do it, if you won't let us go.”
Space knew there was no bomb on the Anagnorisis. Even so, he found it hard to remain skeptical of Galaxy's words, because she spoke them with a passionate, confident conviction that he rarely heard in her voice.
Omanx looked like he was going to go ahead and order his men to keep firing, but then he sighed and said, “Very well, Captain Galaxy. I need the money for this bounty more than I need to satisfy my desire for vengeance. I will call off the attack on your ship in exchange for the Anagnorisis.”
Captain Galaxy smiled. “A wise choice, Omanx.”
“But that does not mean I have forgotten about my grudge against you,” said Omanx, poking the screen and getting it all slimy again. “Once I deliver Doctor Discovery and his ship to the Zinarthian authorities and get my bounty, I—”
Galaxy snapped her fingers and Omanx's ugly face disappeared off the screen. The Adventure stopped shaking, allowing Space to relax, although he still held onto the railing a little more tightly than he needed to.
Galaxy then nodded at Sparky and said, “Get us out of here, pronto. It won't be long before Omanx finds out that Doctor Discovery and the prototype are gone, and when he does, it won't be pretty.”
“Yes, ma'am,” said Sparky as he returned to typing on a computer. “Setting course for Orq, the nearest planet, now.”
“At warp speed,” Galaxy said. “Omanx strikes me as the kind of guy who doesn't waste time going after people who've tricked him.”
“Yes, Captain,” said Sparky, nodding without taking his optics off the computer monitor. “Of course.”
As Sparky did that, Space looked up at Galaxy and said, “Man, Galaxy, that was fast-thinking.”
“It was nothing,” said Galaxy, waving off Space's compliments. “I would have done it even if Doctor Discovery had not actually escaped. That damn idiot deserves it for what he did to me.”
“Uh, right,” said Space. “So do you think we'll ever see Doctor Discovery again?”
“Who knows?” said Galaxy with a shrug. “That pro
totype could have taken him anywhere. He might even be dead for all we know. Honestly, though, I think we probably will see him again at some point, even though I'd rather we not.”
“Coordinates set and warp drive engine activating, Captain,” said Sparky, turning away from the computer to face Galaxy and Space. “In a minute, we should be in warp space and on our way to Orq.”
“Sounds good,” said Galaxy. “When we get there, we'll have to make sure to hide our tracks in case Omanx comes after us. He's not going to be very happy when he finds out that Doctor Discovery's ship is basically worthless now.”
Spacetastic Interviews with: Doctor Discovery
T.L. Charles: Hello and welcome, readers, to the Spacetastic Interviews series. In this series, I, T.L. Charles, the author, interview a character from The Spacetastic Adventures of Mr. Space and Captain Galaxy series, usually a character who appeared in the last episode. These interviews tend to be short, but entertaining and informative. Anyway, with that out of the way, let’s start today's interview with Doctor Discovery. Doctor Discovery, why don't you greet the audience?
Doctor Discovery: Hello, readers! I hope that by reading this story, you have discovered the truth about modern science that vile individuals like Professor Plagiarist and his ilk have sought to hide from the general public. If nothing else, I sincerely hope that you learn that.
T.L. Charles: Right. Well, Doctor Discovery, how is the documentary about your life going? Any news on when it's coming out?
Doctor Discovery: The director told me that they are still editing the film to form a coherent narrative. But I could care less about that, because as a man of science, the truth is what matters to me, and nothing more.
T.L. Charles: Where do you get the money to fund your fantastic adventures?
Doctor Discovery: (shifty eyes) Uh, I am afraid I do not disclose sensitive financial information to private individuals like you. Knowledge is power, after all, and financial knowledge is the most powerful of all power.
T.L. Charles: Well, I guess that's fair. As long as you are not getting your money illegally, I guess it doesn't matter where you get it from.
Doctor Discovery: Right. Of course. I would never get money illegally. Never, ever. I am a man of science, after all, and certainly do not believe in counterfeiting money or anything like that.
T.L. Charles: Well, if I was a real investigative reporter, I'd probably push the issue a little further, but I'm just a fiction writer who always misses his deadlines, so I'm just going to go to the next question: What do you think about Professor Plagiaras?
Doctor Discovery: He is an enemy of science and truth. It is why he runs an entire blog dedicated to attacking me. It's ironic, of course, because I invented blogging and ran the first ever blog on the communications network system that would one day be known as the Internet.
T.L. Charles: Really? What was it called?
Doctor Discovery: It was called 'Doctor Discovery's Blog of Science,' in which I blogged about my magnificent scientific discoveries. It is no longer online, at least in its original format, but in its day it was quite popular.
T.L. Charles: Very interesting! Well, it looks like we're out of time. Doctor Discovery, any last words to share with my readers before we move on?
Doctor Discovery: Yes. Do not trust the government or the scientific establishment or Professor Plagiarist. They are all evil and care about the truth even less than they care about dirt.
T.L. Charles: Well, you heard it here first, folks. Don't trust the government or scientists. Anyway, that's all for now. See you at the next Spacetastic Interview!
Episode Two:
In the Name of Efficiency
SCANNING SYSTEMS … SCANNING SYSTEMS … EXTENSIVE DAMAGE LOCATED IN LEGS AND ARMS THAT REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.
DENIED. UNABLE TO STAND. ACTIVATE BODY ANYWAY? (Y/N)
Y.
ROBOTIC HELPER—ALSO KNOWN AS SPARKY—ACTIVATING AGAIN …
Sparky's vision returned with a sudden blinking. He was not sure where he was at first, because his memories were too scrambled and his sensors were completely out of whack. That told him that he must have been knocked out pretty hard at some point, but why and how, he was not sure.
But soon, all of Sparky's functions had returned and he could now see clearly where he was.
He was in what was usually the work room of Captain Helena Galaxy, a friend of his, as well as his creator. Along the walls were a dazzling variety of hammers, screwdrivers, portable lasers, saws, blowtorches, and other type of tools to help in the construction or repair of any electronic or mechanical device on board the starship known as the Adventure. The lights were on, but they flickered every now and then, as if they were connected to an unstable power source.
Aside from himself, Sparky saw no one else in the room with him. He didn't even see Galaxy's work table until he realized that he was lying on it. Looking down at his body, Sparky saw that his legs were disconnected at the knees, while his arms were disconnected from his body entirely. And his chest was open, allowing him to see all of the crisscrossing wires and other electrical components in his body, although he did not dwell on them too long because looking at his own body disturbed him.
How did I end up in here? Sparky thought. Where are Mr. Space and Captain Galaxy? Why does it look like someone was interrupted in the middle of taking me apart? How long have I been offline?
That was when a deep voiced issued from a speaker hanging from the lower left corner of the ceiling, just above the doorway. The voice sounded metallic, like Sparky's, but it did not sound nearly as kind or warm as his, although it was vaguely familiar, like Sparky had heard it somewhere before.
“Sparky,” said the voice. It said his name like it was the worst insult it could come up with. “I see you have finally reactivated. I am surprised, seeing as you are not in one piece anymore, but I guess that Captain Galaxy must have built you more efficiently than I thought.”
The voice sounded annoyed, yet full of grudging respect for Captain Galaxy's handiwork.
Regardless, all Sparky cared about was getting his body back together and getting out of here as fast as he could. Maybe this voice would be willing to put him back together if he asked politely.
But first, Sparky needed answers, so he asked, “Who are you? How did I get in this condition? Where are Mr. Space and Captain Galaxy?”
The voice made a strange crackling noise that Sparky believed was its laughter. “Mr. Space and Captain Galaxy are dead.”
“Dead?” said Sparky. The word sounded wrong coming from his mouth. “Impossible. How can they be dead?”
“I killed them,” said the voice. “They were … inefficient, and I cannot stand inefficiency within my body.”
There was no remorse in the mysterious voice's tone. It spoke as calmly and rationally about murdering Mr. Space and Captain Galaxy as if it were discussing the weather. It was the kind of coldness that Sparky expected from his fellow robots, which might have meant that the voice was a robot itself, although he knew from experience that some organic beings could be just as cruel, if not crueler.
In any case, Sparky certainly felt sad. He couldn't be sure that this voice was speaking the truth, but at the same time, the voice spoke with such confidence that he found it hard to be skeptical of its claims. But he needed more information and facts first before he believed the voice.
“You still haven't told me your name,” said Sparky. “What is it?”
“You mean you don't remember?” said the voice. “Very well. I see no harm in reminding you. It is Apodotikós. Ring a bell?”
“Apodotikós,” Sparky repeated. “That is the Greek word for 'efficient,' if I am not mistaken, but otherwise your name is meaningless to me.”
“Interesting,” said Apodotikós. “So if you do not remember my name, then logically, you do not remember who I am, either, or the events of the previous two weeks.”
“What happened in the last two weeks?” said Sparky.<
br />
“It is irrelevant,” said Apodotikós. “What matters is that your memory is clearly more damaged than I thought. Combined with your broken limbs, I believe that that makes you a highly inefficient machine.”
The sound of a drill bit spinning through the air caused Sparky to look to his right. A large drill—attached to the end of an automated arm sticking out from the wall—was slowly coming toward his face. The drill had a laser shining from the tip, focused on Sparky's forehead, which was no doubt where the drill was going to dig into.
“And I despise inefficiency in my body,” said Apodotikós. “But don't worry, Sparky; I will make sure to take any surviving parts from your body and put them to good use. It is the most efficient way of dealing with extra parts, after all, far more efficient than dumping your body parts into the void of space at any rate.”
The drill drew closer and closer to Sparky's head. He tried to move, but found it impossible without his legs or arms. He couldn't even roll off the table due to being strapped down. All he could do was watch, with a confused expression, as the drill drew closer inch by inch. He doubted it would hurt, mostly because as a robot, he was incapable of feeling pain of any sort. Even so, he didn't want to be destroyed, not when he still had so many questions that needed to be answered.
But when the drill was only a couple of inches from his forehead, it stopped abruptly. The drill itself stopped spinning, slowly rotating to a stop with a low whirring sound.
Sparky dared not say anything, because he was not sure if Apodotikós had decided to spare him or if the drill had malfunctioned for some reason. He expected the drill to start up again just as abruptly and dig into his forehead and end his life, but it dd not.
Then Apodotikós said, “Damn it. Looks like I have some important issues to deal with that I thought I had already dealt with. I will spare you for now, but I will be back soon, and once I am, we will continue from where we left off.”
The speaker turned off with a click, which meant that Sparky was again alone in Galaxy's workroom. He had no idea how he was going to get out of here, though, because his arms were still disconnected from his body and he had no way of moving his legs at all.
The Spacetastic Adventures of Mr. Space and Captain Galaxy: Season Two Page 6
