Team Sloth Returns

     And beneath it all, hidden deep below the station’s inhabited levels, Team Sloth moved exactly as planned.

     Galix grinned as the detention cell door slid open with a hiss.

     “Took long enough,” he muttered.

     Galix, or Lieutenant Galix as he was known in Team Sloth, had been trapped in the detention block for months now, waiting patiently since his failed mission with the Space Fuzzles. Galix let his icy glare scan the corridor, taking in every detail. Emergency lighting painted the hallway in a deep crimson red, and he could see the other prisoners beginning to venture out of their cells. Everything was proceeding as planned.

     Shortly after his arrest, Galix had received a message from Supreme Commander Hax of Team Sloth. He thought it was a message informing them of a rescue attempt, but instead Hax was alerting them that their capture was part of a larger plan. What followed were strict instructions and details. Galix was delighted to see it was finally happening.

     Beside him, Morix, a former Commandant in the Security Core who had betrayed his comrades and joined Team Sloth, emerged. Morix was perhaps not as enthusiastic now that he was exposed as a traitor, but he had said he would carry out his orders to the letter.

     “Supreme Commander Hax said the power fluctuations would give us exactly four minutes before backup systems seal this level again,” Morix said.

     He had been going over each and every detail meticulously, acting out various parts during his confinement, with a strange fanatical zeal. At first Galix had puzzled over it, but he had soon realised Morix was committing to the cause. He couldn't go back to the Security Core now, and Morix knew that. So he was throwing everything at this mission.

     Galix smirked and eyed his conspirator. “We’d better move fast.”

     All around them, detention doors were unlocking one after another.

     Some prisoners stumbled out in confusion. Others smiled and looked knowingly at each other. These were the other Team Sloth operatives that were hidden among the detainees, and they were moving to immediately foment chaos across the station..

     At the door of their detention cell lay their communication device. Morix picked it up and could already hear reports echoing from operatives.

     “This way!”

     “Move toward the lower lift shafts!”

     “Security’s overwhelmed upstairs!”

     Galix glanced down the corridor toward the heavily reinforced blast doors at the far end of the prison sector.

     Beyond those doors, Galix now knew lay The Red Cells. Galix nor Morix had ever heard of them, but according to Supreme Commander Hax, it was the lowest detention block on Virtupets Station, and it housed the most dangerous prisoners ever captured during the conflicts surrounding Dr Sloth’s rule.

     Morix lowered his voice. “We release them all”.

     Galix’s grin widened.

     “Every single one.”

     Far above them, a large blast rattled the station and the lights flickered violently.

     Perfect timing, thought Galix.

     —

     Alix navigated through the upper maintenance corridors of the station as the security sirens blared overhead. It had been only a few hours ago that he had been at the mercy of Team Sloth. He thought he was a goner, but they had just stunned him and left him there, lying on the floor.

     Alix chastised himself for his failures. Pride and his accomplices just laughed at his attempts to stun them and give chase. They had easily evaded him and thwarted all his efforts.

     Tears began to well in his eyes, but he shook his head. Now is not the time for a pity party, he had to think. Alix knew they wanted him to escape and inform the citizens of Virtupets of Pride's return, but what was their end goal?

     Alix began to puzzle it out. First Team Sloth had unleashed their announcement to the station.

     Then every sector of Virtupets seemed to be descending into chaos simultaneously.

     False fire alerts had triggered across the Commerce Ring.

     Cargo haulers were being remotely activated in Docking Bay Three.

     Security drones had been locked inside their charging stations.

     Even the vacuum cleaner store had had all its stock turned on at once and used on passersby.

     He could hear scattered reports of Team Sloth graffiti and coordinated sabotage continued pouring into headquarters.

     Professor Pride’s broadcast had done exactly what it was meant to do.

     It had spread fear. Citizens bolted their doors and stayed inside. Others scrambled to flee the station, hence the chaos despite the time of night.

     Commander Veln’s voice crackled urgently through Alix’s communicator. Veln and the other Leadership Council members had been rattled by his report; Alix knew that, but the shaking voice of his superior officer surprised him.

     “We’re losing control of the lower sectors,” Veln said. “Security teams are being diverted faster than we can deploy them.”

     Alix ducked beneath a sparking overhead pipe. “This is coordinated. They’re keeping us distracted.”

     “We know.”

     Static burst across the channel before Veln continued.

     “We intercepted partial transmissions mentioning the detention blocks.”

     Alix froze mid-step.

     “I need you to go immediately to the detention level and use your purple authorization badge and proceed to Secure Zone 74. This is of the utmost importance, I'm sending all my best agents there."

     “But Sir, The Red Cells? They can't know about those surely?”

     A heavy silence followed.

     Even over the comm, Alix could hear the tension in the commander’s breathing.

     “If Team Sloth reaches the Red Cells…” Veln began carefully, “…we may have a station-wide emergency.”

     Alix immediately changed direction toward the lower transit lifts.

     “I’m heading there now.”

     “I can't guarantee you all will make it there,” Veln warned. “Most units are occupied containing riots in the central sectors, and others may be intercepted.”

     “That’s exactly what Pride wants.”

     Alix accelerated down the corridor.

     Every flashing alarm light now felt deliberate.

     Every act of chaos across Virtupets was part of a larger plan. It all made sense now.

     Somewhere below the station, Team Sloth was getting closer to the Red Cells.

     —

     Galix and Morix reached the lower transit platform just as a pair of security officers rounded the corner.

     “There!” one officer shouted.

     Stun blasts erupted instantly through the corridor.

     Galix dove sideways behind a cargo crate while Morix returned fire with practiced precision.

     Blue rings of stun energy rebounded harmlessly against the walls. The first security officer staggered backward as a stun blast struck his chest plate.

     The second officer activated an alarm beacon before Galix fired again, stunning him moments later.

     The corridor fell silent except for the pulsing alarm overhead.

     Galix stepped over to the controls carefully and pressed the buttons.

     Nothing happened.

     He frowned.

     “Locked, can you bypass the security?”

     Morix shrugged and checked the wiring panel nearby.

     Galix’s expression darkened slightly and he reached into his jacket and removed a folded data schematic.

     It was old and damaged but perfectly readable. Presented to him, as though it was a trophy, by a Team Sloth agent.

     “The lower maintenance tunnels connect to the Red Cell generators here,” he explained, pointing toward a faded section beneath the prison levels. “We shut those down, the containment systems fail automatically.”

     “And the prisoners walk free.”

     Galix smiled.

     “Exactly.”

     The transit lift finally jerked shakily downwards, and Morix smirked.

     "I'm getting the hang of this".

     Deeper they descended into Virtupets. Deeper into the forgotten parts of the station and closer to their goal.

     —

     Professor Pride stood calmly within the abandoned maintenance hub while dozens of transmission screens flickered around him. It wasn't the level of comfort he was used to, but this makeshift office would do for the time being. Around him, each screen displayed a different section of Virtupets descending into confusion.

     There were crowds running through marketplaces, either heading home or trying to flee.

     Security officers were seen chasing false reports and leads that his team were supplying.

     Exacerbated by power failures, the docking bays had been placed on lockdown, only adding to the citizen distress. No one was getting in or out of the station now.

     Fear, the station stank of it.

     Pride adjusted the sleeves of his long coat as another Team Sloth operative approached.

     “The diversions are working perfectly,” the operative reported. “Security forces are stretched across fourteen sectors.”

     “And Officer Alix?” Pride asked.

     “He escaped the cargo rail chamber,” The operative stated

     Pride smiled faintly.

     “Good.”

     The operative chanced a question.“You wanted him to escape?”

     “Of course.”

     Pride turned toward the glowing station map projected across the wall.

     “Without an eyewitness to our activity, the Leadership Council may not have taken the risk we pose seriously.”

     He tapped several sectors on the display.

     “Virtupets has grown comfortable,” he continued quietly. “They believe Team Sloth vanished after Dr Sloth disappeared.”

     Another explosion echoed distantly through the lower station.

     Pride’s smile widened slightly.

     “Tonight reminds them we never truly left. It let's them know just how wrong they were.”

     One of the screens suddenly flickered.

     It was a transmission request. Pride accepted it immediately, and the image of Supreme Commander Hax appeared through heavy static. Unlike Pride’s calm demeanour, Hax radiated intensity. Supreme Commander Hax was not always in command of Team Sloth; he had assumed command after Dr Sloth disappeared. Pride knew Hax had sustained injuries during his service to Dr Sloth, and the Supreme Commander used a wheelchair, but this did not hamper his ability to rule, to spread fear and ultimately, led the team to resurgence. Hax was an unstoppable force of fury, and this was why Pride had acquiesced to Hax's leadership and why he obeyed him now.

     “Report,” Hax ordered.

     “The diversions proceed successfully,” Pride replied smoothly. “Galix is approaching the generator sectors now.”

     “And the Red Cells?”

     “Soon.”

     Hax nodded once before stating “When the prisoners are free, Phase Two begins.”

     The transmission briefly distorted before stabilising again.

     “Virtupets Security must remain occupied until extraction is complete.”

     Pride glanced toward the alarms flashing across the station map.

     “Everything is proceeding as planned.”

     “Good.”

     Hax leaned slightly closer to the screen.

     “What of Officer Alix?”

     Pride’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

     “He is resourceful but seems to have played his part so far.”

     “Is he problematic?”

     “Potentially Sir, but not thus far.”

     For a moment, silence lingered between them.

     Then Hax gave a cold smile.

     “Then let him keep chasing us better to try and control someone we know we are dealing with, that try to manage unknown foes.”

     The transmission ended abruptly.

     Pride folded his hands behind his back once more and continued to observe the monitors. Soon, the Red Cells would open, very soon.

     —

     Galix led the way carefully through lower maintenance tunnels, navigating the darkness with precision while Morix scanned ahead with a stolen security torch. So far, every aspect of the plan had gone without a hitch, right down to the bag of tools that was left at the entrance to this level. Supreme Commander Hax was thorough, and Morix intended to be just as thorough and competent as him.

     “You ever been this deep before?” Morix asked quietly.

     “No,” Galix said as he stepped over a broken conduit.

     “After Sloth fell, the station's new Leadership Council deployed teams that sealed most of these levels. That Leadership Council uses the Security Core to police the station endlessly. Most areas are monitored, and if monitoring proves difficult, they seal it. Over the years, the Leadership Council has taken over every aspect of this station and attempted to purge it of any reminders of Sloth. Due to this, they had to expand the detention levels, but with limited space, the cells back onto other parts of the station. It wouldn't do to have people down here where they can interfere with them or be only one or two walls away from criminals."

     Morix said nothing; he knew some of this but was content to let his superior lecture him.

     Galix continued ranting about the Leadership Council as they moved. On these levels there were no crowds or alarms.Only the distant mechanical hum of the station itself. Finally, they reached an enormous blast door marked with faded warning symbols.

     “Well. Here we are,” Galix said as he approached the control panel and glanced toward the heavy power conduits disappearing into the walls. Beside the cables lay a small door, heavy but wide enough for only a single person to travel through.

     "The back door to the Red Cells", whispered Galix.

     They got to work immediately. Sparks exploded through the tunnel as the pair pried open an exterior maintenance panel. Its thick cables pulsed with energy. This was the only part of the plan the pair were unsure of. Neither were engineers, and they didn't know if cutting through these cables was safe.

     Regardless, Morix activated a plasma cutter, and blue light filled the tunnel. He couldn't stop now; he had no choice.

     “One… two…”

     The cutter sliced through the first cable.

     Then the entire corridor shook violently.

     Emergency lights flickered once and then died. The containment systems began shutting down one by one.

     And in the darkness the door beside them slowly started to open.

To be continued…