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A funny thing happens when terror strikes the
very insides of you, Linny pondered as her guards forcibly dragged her down
to the bowls of the space. Her thoughts traveled back to the initial ride to
the space station, finding it amusing, somehow, that she actually came to the
space station to avoid trouble, and somehow managed to get herself into more.
Perhaps it was simply karma repaying her for
her own doing within the carrot blade incident, but then again she really didn’t
think that destroying some priceless artifacts merited this sort of mortal peril.
She would have learned her lesson with maybe the loss of ten Neopoints… really!
She simply could not comprehend the fact that
out of all the years in which Sloth had not dared to come near Neopia, he simply
had to try and take over Neopia again when she was running away from
the law! He really should check with other people’s schedules before planning
a take-over of an alien world, not everyone’s schedule was suited to being captured
and dragged to an unknown fate!
Linny had never seen this part of the space station,
however she was very sure that no on else had either. It was cold and metallic,
not the slightest hint of a liveable environment like the upper levels of the
station. Everything from the walls, to the ceiling, and floor were simply a
wash of cold metallic colors. A solitary light would blink here and there among
the depressing walls, but beyond that the only things which moved in these levels
were the Grundos themselves.
Eventually the Grundos halted in front what looks
like any other part of a simple, ordinary looking wall. Upon it sat no marks
of lights to differentiate it from the other sections of the lifeless station.
However, after only a few seconds of standing before the wall, small lines immediately
deepened into the wall, streaking through here and there to create an odd rectangular
pattern on that one section of the wall. Eventually the lines gave way as they
disappeared into the wall with a tinny 'woosh’, revealing from behind
its thick protection a rather decent looking room. Linny didn’t have even a
second of time to gaze in awe at the bit of technology before she was roughly
thrown into the room, landing with a painful thud on the red carpeted ground.
"HEY!" she howled, turning about as to make a
break for the door, but stood in place when the door slammed shut with more
force than it seemed to open with. The intricate patterns did not vanish from
the door, but after a few second of kicking, screaming, and yelling a few choice
words at the door, it remain immobile, confirming her suspicions that she was
indeed trapped in this room.
It wasn’t that bad of a room to be trapped in,
Linny thought, as her wide eyes traveled around it (for curiosity had currently
overtaken her fear). The walls were a delicate creamy white shade, though they
were distinctly bare of pictures or anything else. She flopped down upon the
rich red carpet below her, trying to organize her thought and musings. Her attention
was quickly caught by the large circular window in the back of the room, presenting
the beautiful galaxies of the cosmos and the shimmering stars around her, while
Neopia peacefully turned below her, teeming with the land, clouds…everything
that made up her home…
It was at that second that it struck Linny how
alone she was and how very defenseless she was. No one could save her from this
place. And even if Sloth was defeated, perhaps no one would find this door and
let her out.
"Oh... I kinda wish I didn't eat that carrot,"
Linny sighed as she sat on the floor and hugged her book bag. Quietly she laid
her head on the bag, emitting a few pitiful cries and sniffles every now and
then…
But after awhile, a strange sound suddenly became
more and more apparent to her ears while she laid on the bag... a sort of static
like crackle that she always heard when she talked with...
The walkie-talkies! Of course! Linny could
have slapped herself for forgetting about their existence. Quickly she rooted
about her bag, fishing around through the remnants of the carrot blade, a change
purse fill of Neopoints, some food, candy, and books until she found it…
Though the volume had been turned down (to prevent
her from actually having to listen to Tahoshi's words) it still gave the comforting
hum of electricity. It was at that time, and only that time, she wished that
Tahoshi was still talking on.
But as she clicked on the radio she was sure
that she could hear the voices of more than just her Lupe…
"We still haven't decided what we'll do!"
"I still say that we should go to Faerieland!"
"But what if Fyora turn—"
"GUYS!" Linny hollered into the walkie-talkie
desperately, feeling as if she had just seen her pets in the flesh. Back on
the surface of the planet the group gave a startled jump as they vainly looked
around, trying to find the owner of the voice.
"Linny!?" Kuraiiro whispered, looking about with
happiness and excitement. Tahoshi quickly fished inside his jacket, producing
from within the walkie-talkie.
"Linny, You remembered about it this!? Hey, I'm
pretty surprised," Tahoshi cried into the device with a surprised face. The
pets were quite relieved to her their owners voice, confident that she was,
at the very least, alive.
"Oh Linny! What happened?! Are you all right?"
Harri cooed into the machine with a hyperactive concern.
"You wouldn't believe it! First Fyora thinks
I ate a carrot blade!" Linny huffed into the walkie-talkie, "Then I accidentally
spray chocolate goo all over Dr. Sloth and now—"
"CHOCOLATE GOO!?" Tahoshi roared into radio. "Linny
you FOOL! That is a good way to get launched out into SPACE!"
"Erm..." The girl looked out at window at the
twinkling lights of the abyss before her. "I think it's a bit late for that..."
The Lupe hung his head in agony as the mutant Cybunny snatched up the walkie-talkie
form her annoyed brother.
"Linny, where are you? What can we do to get
you out of there?" Kuraiiro inquired. Linny pondered for a few seconds on the
other side, the static crackling as she did so for a few uneasy minutes.
"Erm... uhhh... Defenders of Neopia?" Linny answered
slowly.
"I'm a DEFENDER, Linny! Remember?" Tahoshi hissed
somewhat away form the group.
"Oh! Well then can you come and save me, Tahoshi?"
Linny asked sweetly.
"Not-on-your-life," he snapped, quite close to
smashing the blasted devise and be ride of his annoying owner. Thought she was
ready to respond with something equally as cruel, Linny froze as the sound of
footsteps begun to echo from just outside the door.
"Guyyyssss, help me!" she whispered in a scared
tone, quickly shutting of the two way radio and stuffing it in her bag. Only
a few seconds had passed when the intricate lines on the door begun to glow
a dull green, then swooshed to the side as the door opened. Framed within the
doorway, with a particularly evil grin on his face, stood Dr. Sloth.
"So, how are you enjoying your stay here?" he
cackled smoothly, gliding towards the center of the room with a twinkle of malice
shining in his eyes. Linny discreetly kicked the bag underneath a bench within
the room, hoping that her hidden lifeline would not be discovered.
"Well, I think I've learned my lesson and will
never spray evil overloads who wish my family nothing but ill will in the face
of chocolate!" She chattered nervously. "So... do you think maybe I could...
you know... go now?" she squeaked meekly, pointing to the door with an oversized
red sleeve. The dark overlord gave a mirthless chuckle at her naivety as he
leisurely strolled forward, causing her to slowly grow more and more nervous.
"No no, my dear, I'm afraid that you will not
be getting away today," Sloth grinned, looking much like a Skeith staring down
its next meal. It took only the blink of an eye for two burly Grundos to appear
on the side of sloth, each grabbing the Linny roughly by the arms.
"Now come along," Sloth smirked. "We have business
to conduct."
***
"Linny!?" the Lupe hollered into the walkie-talkie furiously, shaking the device
madly in his paw. The voice of his owner had now been replaced with uncomforting
static, leaving each of them feared the worst with this turn of events.
"...so...now what?" Kuraiiro asked. They knew
for the most part that their owner was alive, however the idea that she had
sprayed Sloth in the face with chocolate solidified in their mind that she was
not as safe as they would have hoped.
"What else? Let's go to the travel depot," Tahoshi
replied grimily. “See if we can get some sort of transportation out to the Space
Station. We just can't let that pathetic Fyora take this on her own sweet time!
Not to mention if she finds out Linny is up there she may just let the whole
station rot for all she cares about!"
"Hrmp, how do you think we can get a ride from
the travel depot? I’m sure that they’re all shut down!" Kuraiiro frowned, slowly
beginning to follow the Lupe and Gelert towards the travel agency.
"Who says we’re going to run on their schedule?”
Tahoshi smirked dangerously. Though Harri and Kuraiiro seemed abhorred at the
prospect of stealing a ship from the travel station, they all agreed upon that
they had to get to the station, whether it was to save Neopia, or simply the
person who would burn their morning breakfast.
To be continued...
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