Rocket & Liftoff – The Bedlam Bugs

by Jon Ireland

  ‘No, I haven’t – see!’

  Three tiny legs projected from the base of the globe and it rose up off the ground by several inches. The Lumiscope began to vibrate and a series of flashing lights emitted all over the small globe like a disco ball. Tinysaur circled it, yapping furiously.

  ‘I don’t trust this thing,’ said Hoppy. She lifted up a foot to stomp on it.

  ‘Stop, stop!’ cried the Doctor. ‘What are you doing? It’s just a projector. A portable projector for video messages. It’s just switching itself on.’

  ‘What’s going on in there?’ said Rocket, trying to see through his tiny door window.

  ‘It’s perfectly harmless,’ said the Doctor. ‘The Lumiscope is warming up. It should begin to play us a video message of some kind.’

  In front of their eyes appeared a holographic stream of stars, erupting from the top of the globe; a dazzling light show in the centre of the room.

  ‘Oh great,’ said Rocket, throwing his hands in the air. ‘We’re stuck in here while you get to watch a movie!’

  ‘Just our luck to miss out on the fun stuff,’ said Liftoff grumpily.

  ‘Be quiet, you wallies,’ hushed the Doctor. ‘It’s starting to play.’

  Millions of stars hovered and swirled above the Lumiscope, gradually and elegantly forming into the shape of a face, just the outline at first and then with more detail. Before long, Hoppy could see the holographic face had a scar that ran across the left cheek. It was the face of a man with long and wavy hair. His eyebrows were thick and his forehead heavily wrinkled.

  The holographic face spoke ...

  ‘Many years ago I constructed the secret computer facilities within this mountain. It was I who enhanced your animal bodies – giving you incredible speed, strength, agility and intelligence. But other scientists took the credit for my genius, and I was betrayed and abandoned. Now finally, I will have my revenge and very soon the whole world will know my name. What once was hidden will be revealed. I am the Code Maker, the greatest scientist in the world! And I am about to collect what is rightfully mine.’

  The scarred face dissolved into a cloud of stars that drained like a whirlpool into the Lumiscope. The ball’s legs retracted, the flashing lights dimmed and it switched itself off.

  ‘I recognise that voice from somewhere,’ said Hoppy puzzling it over in her mind.

  ‘It’s disastrous,’ said the Doctor ominously. ‘We’re doomed!’

  Hoppy clicked her fingers. ‘Of course! At the satellite dish the other day. I spoke to him on the telephone. That’s why I recognised his voice!’

  ‘Can someone please tell me what’s happening?’ shouted Liftoff. ‘I can’t see anything from here. What was the movie? And who’s the “Card Maker”?’

  ‘Not Card Maker! Code Maker!’ said the Doctor; her hands were trembling. ‘He said he wants to collect what is his. And that can only mean one thing!’

  ‘He wants his cards back?’ said Liftoff.

  ‘No, idiot!’ said the Doctor. ‘He wants - us - back.’

  Chapter 19 – The escape key

  ‘Someone’s coming!’ said Rocket.

  The Arm-E guards turned to inspect a small visitor who had just arrived in the Specimen Chambers’ entrance.

  ‘I can’t see who it is.’

  ‘I can,’ said Hoppy. ‘Down there. It’s just a little robot carrying a mop and a bucket! Must be a maintenance droid, that’s all.’

  The new visitor was a strange little boxy robot, painted blue and white, with two stumpy legs. Most of the robot’s face was covered in orange goggles. The robot’s upper body was oddly disproportionate, somewhat oversized for the small legs that held it upright. Awkwardly, he proceeded to dip his mop into his bucket and started to clean the reception floor.

  ‘Maybe that little robot can help us,’ whispered Rocket.

  ‘Don’t bother,’ said the Doctor glumly. ‘The virus has infected everything.’

  ‘Pssst!’ said Rocket. He tapped a couple of times on the door window. ‘Hey you!’

  The blue and white robot ignored Rocket and carried on mopping.

  ‘It’s no use,’ said the Doctor. ‘It’s just a dumb less-than-nothing robot.’

  Rocket sighed deeply. ‘There’s got to be a way out somehow.’

  ‘If you’d just listened to me in the first place,’ mumbled Liftoff.

  ‘What was that?’ said Rocket tersely.

  ‘You heard me!’ replied Liftoff crossly. ‘If you’d listened to me outside we’d be safe back home now.’

  ‘What do you mean listen to you? We fell down the chimney and tunnel by accident! You can’t blame me?’

  ‘You made me go up the mountain!’ Liftoff was turning red in the face. ‘You never admit to nothing! You’re always getting me in trouble. And because of you we are going to die here!’

  He turned to Rocket with accusing eyes.

  ‘Oh come on, we’re not going to die. Don’t be so overdramatic, you big soft teddy bear.’

  ‘I’m not being overdramatic! And I am NOT a teddy bear! If I wasn’t tied up right now I’d pound you on the head and smack your bottom till it made you cry!’

  ‘Just you try,’ retorted Rocket. ‘You couldn’t catch me if I was stuck in Quicksand Custard!’

  ‘OH YES I WOULD!’ roared Liftoff, straining at his leash. ‘Without your fruit snacks you’re slower than a snail! And you know it!’

  ‘Guys!’ shouted Hoppy. ‘Stop arguing with each other! This is not helping anyone.’

  Rocket took a deep breath. ‘It’s not my fault, okay. I’m just trying to keep the mood upbeat. It will work out in the end, just you see.’

  ‘I’m not a teddy bear,’ mumbled Liftoff. He picked up his toy bunny and gave it a cuddle. ‘How dare he call me a softy ...’

  Clunk!

  Something had fallen through the door hatch in Rocket and Liftoff’s cell. It was a small plastic box.

  ‘Is it another one of those video messages?’ asked Liftoff. ‘More bad news no doubt.’

  ‘There’s only one way to find out,’ said Rocket, and he picked up the box and peeled back the lid.

  Rocket beamed a huge smile.

  There inside, shining like the glorious ocean on a hot summer’s day, was a heap of fresh, glistening, delicious blueberries. And lying on top of the blueberries was a small, thin silver key.

  ‘I think we’ve just been saved,’ said Rocket grinning. He held up the little silver object in his hands. ‘I don’t know who, but I think someone’s just given us a key to get out of here.’

  ‘What do you mean a key to get out of here?’ said Liftoff, still in a bad mood. ‘There’s no keyhole in the door, dummy.’

  ‘There’s no keyhole in the door but there is one in your handcuffs. And I think this is what it’s meant for.’

  Liftoff held up his wrists and Rocket tried the key on the handcuffs and with the smallest of clicks, the cuffs popped open and the unbreakable cables fell away.

  ‘I’m free,’ said Liftoff in delight.

  ‘Look, I’m sorry for getting you into this mess,’ said Rocket. ‘I know you never wanted to come here in the first place.’

  ‘Forget about it,’ said Liftoff kindly. He stood to his feet and stretched.

  ‘Now how about knocking that door down,’ said Rocket and he took a bunch of blueberries, filled his big furry cheeks with them and chewed on the fruit to restore his lost energy. A warm glow filled the room as Rocket’s tummy and legs lit up with power.

  ‘I wonder who sent us the key?’ said Liftoff thoughtfully.

  ‘Open the door and let’s find out.’

  ‘Bear coming through!’ roared Liftoff, and with his right shoulder he barged through the cell door like it was made of recycled cardboard.

  CRUNCH!

  Chapter 20 – The insider

  The two Arm-E guards didn’t stand a chance against Liftoff. Toppled like bowling pins, it wasn’t even a fight.

  Liftoff st
retched out his arms, cracked his knuckles, and surveyed the mess of broken metal pieces dumped across the floor.

  ‘That was quick,’ said Rocket, hopping side to side, nervous energy bursting from his legs to the tips of his fingers. ‘You couldn’t even leave one for me?’

  ‘Door, please,’ said Hoppy, looking out from inside her cell.

  Liftoff wandered over, tugged gently on the handle and the whole door peeled away from its hinges, dust and debris flying everywhere.

  Doctor Mischief shoved Hoppy aside and walked triumphantly out from the cell. ‘I knew one of my trusty robots would rescue us,’ she said snootily, nodding her approval to the little blue and white robot who stood in the corner with the mop and bucket. ‘My trusty servant brought you the key and saved us.’

  Hoppy pushed Mischief back out the way. ‘If I remember correctly you said we were all “doomed”!’

  Tinysaur raced over to the little maintenance droid and began licking its face furiously.

  ‘Tinysaur, leave the poor robot alone!’ said Hoppy ‘You’ll frazzle his circuits.’

  With all of Tinysaur’s special attention, the little robot lost control and tumbled backwards. Hoppy gasped when its head fell off and slipped across the tiles.

  ‘What have you done, Tinysaur!’

  But it wasn’t a robot’s head at all.

  Popping out from his robot disguise was none other than Shelly himself.

  ‘You!’ cried Hoppy. ‘It was you all along.’

  Thoroughly covered in dinosaur saliva, Shelly managed to push off the excitable Tinysaur and sat himself upright.

  ‘It’s me, Shelly,’ said Shelly.

  ‘We can see that,’ said Rocket. ‘But how? How did you know where to find us? How did you even know we were in the mountain?’

  ‘The invitation from the Doctor. The red-eyed bugs. The Tree House spider webs. The empty lake. The robots in a trance. There was only one logical conclusion I could make. And after that it was simple’

  ‘I still don’t get it,’ said Rocket.

  Liftoff shook his head in astonishment. ‘I don’t even know what time of day it is!’

  Shelly continued, ‘It was when I discovered those little black beetles weren’t real insects but machines – it all began to make sense. Those pretend-beetles were spying on us! Tiny cameras designed to track our every movement. Did you not see the note I wrote – “Beware the bugs”?’

  ‘Oh, so that’s what you meant!’ said Hoppy, helping lift the tortoise up off the floor. ‘But that still doesn’t explain how you knew we were locked in the mountain.’

  ‘The last time I saw spying bugs like that was five years ago in this very mountain. It was inside one of the laboratories belonging to the Code Maker.’

  ‘You knew the Code Maker!’ exclaimed Hoppy.

  ‘Oh yes, clever chap. Brilliant mind. Devilishly smart.’

  ‘And you knew he was behind all this?’

  ‘It suddenly all made sense why Doctor Mischief wanted my password, I knew it could only mean one thing – the Code Maker had taken control of the computers.’

  ‘Then you’ll understand why you must tell me your password immediately!’ said Doctor Mischief forcefully.

  Shelly shook his head firmly.

  ‘You know I can never tell you my password. If you knew it, you would control every lethal weapon stored inside this mountain.’

  ‘What?! You’re killing me!’ The Doctor looked like she was about to burst a green blood vessel. ‘Without that password my computers and robots are out of control! We’ll all be doomed! You must give me the password!’

  ‘Hmm, I hate to say it but the Lizard has a point,’ said Hoppy. ‘That crazy Code Maker used the robots to trap us here and who knows what else he’ll send after us?’

  ‘I say we go home and get lunch,’ said Liftoff. He scratched his head thoughtfully. ‘Or should it be breakfast? Or dinner? I don’t know anymore!’

  ‘I can’t tell you the password,’ said Shelly, taking off the rest of his robot disguise, ‘but it doesn’t mean I can’t use it. Take me to the underground warehouse and I’ll input the password there. The Doctor can then reset the computers without ever knowing my secret.’

  ‘Why don’t you write it down just to be on the safe side?’

  ‘Don’t push your luck, Lizard Lady,’ said Hoppy. ‘I’ll escort Shelly underground. And you two can escort the green doctor back to her command centre.’

  ‘What if the robots gas us again?’ said Liftoff. ‘I don’t want to go back to sleep and end up back here.’

  ‘We’ll be ready for them this time though,’ said Rocket. ‘I’ll hold my breath like I did when you ate that crate of Baked Beans.’

  The Doctor pointed at Shelly and Hoppy. ‘Go to the central computer terminal and authorise a system reset using the password. And you two freaks of nature, get me up to the Command Centre safely and I’ll do the rest from there.’

  ‘Let’s get one thing straight, we’re not slaves like your robots,’ said Rocket. ‘We just want our island back to normal.’

  ‘Whatever, freaks!’

  ‘Freaks?’ muttered Liftoff. ‘Has she seen herself in a mirror lately?’

  ‘We’ve wasted enough time already. Follow me everyone! Before the Code Maker realises we’ve escaped and ...’

  Before the Doctor could finish her sentence the room suddenly went pitch black.

  ‘Uh oh,’ said Rocket. ‘I think he knows already.’

  Chapter 21 – The final countdown

  ‘Somebody put the lights on!’ cried Liftoff. ‘I’m getting scared!’

  The Specimen Chamber was blacker than night.

  Doctor Mischief pulled a small torch from her pocket and shone it round the room and across the floor.

  ‘It’s just a power-cut. The emergency power will be back on in a second.’

  ‘Ha Ha Ha!’ laughed a booming voice. It seemed to be coming from all directions. ‘You’re all too late!’

  It was the voice of the Code Maker.

  ‘Very funny, Code Maker!’ hollered Rocket. ‘Now how about you put the lights back on?’

  ‘Listen up and listen closely, I will only say this only once,’ boomed the Code Maker’s voice.

  ‘He’s using my PA system!’ said the Doctor. ‘How dare he!’

  ‘Shhh,’ hushed Hoppy.

  The voice continued;

  ‘Riddle me this, riddle me that

  Have you ever heard of a racing cat?’

  ‘Easy. That’s me,’ said Rocket. ‘Hardly a riddle.’

  ‘Riddle me here, riddle me there

  How strong can you make an ordinary bear?’

  ‘Duh! And that’s Liftoff obviously.’

  ‘Quiet! I’m trying to listen,’ snapped Hoppy.

  ‘A dash of this and a pinch of that

  A dinosaur, a lizard, a tortoise in a hat.’

  ‘Not much of a rhyme,’ said Rocket.

  ‘Partly animal, partly man,

  All the result of a computer plan.’

  ‘Hey, would you just switch the lights back on for goodness sake!’

  ‘Please Rocket!’ hissed Hoppy. ‘This could be important!’

  ‘Trillions of lines in computer code

  An experiment created long ago.

  A genius fled the island then

  Never to return again.

  Until in a virus he came back

  Looked through eye’s of beetles black.

  He tested you for strength and speed

  To collect the data that he needed.

  Among the animals that raced and played,

  He saw the things that he had made

  The DNA, that once cost millions,

  will sell today for more than billions!’

  ‘Thank you for that wonderful poem, oh great Code Maker,’ said Doctor Mischief, in a poor attempt to suck up. ‘I do hope we can sort this out amicably. Please feel free to take away these wretched animals and in exchange
I’ll happily sort out any mess that’s left behind.’

  ‘Oi!’ Hoppy nudged the Doctor in the chest. ‘Stop trying to make deals. We’re in this together.’

  ‘I don’t make bargains with animals,’ boomed the loud voice. ‘I am the great Code Maker!’

  ‘That didn’t rhyme,’ said Liftoff. ‘Does that mean his riddle has finished?’

  ‘Your time is up,’ said the Code Maker’s voice. ‘Goodbye.’

  The hall lights flickered back on. A siren began to wail from down the corridor and a calm female voice spoke through the PA –

  ‘Self-destruct initiated. Eight minutes to detonation and counting.’

  ‘SELF-DESTRUCT!’ Shouted the Doctor. ‘NOW WE ARE DOOMED!’

  ‘What’s going on?’ said Liftoff.

  ‘We have less than eight minutes before this whole place explodes,’ said Shelly matter-of-factly.

  ‘But why?’ asked Hoppy. ‘I thought the Code Maker wants to sell us for billions? Wasn’t that what the riddle meant?’

  ‘He doesn’t want us,’ answered Shelly. ‘He wants our DNA. DNA is like the computer code that makes our bodies. And all our DNA code is stored in these computers.’

  ‘Of course!’ shrieked the Doctor. ‘That’s why all the computers are overheating! The computer virus has been downloading all our DNA information to the Code Maker. He wants to sell our DNA to the highest bidder!’

  ‘DNA what? Oh boy,’ said Rocket scratching his head. ‘I should have paid more attention in Science class. Hey! I didn’t go to Science class!’

  ‘But why destroy us now?’ asked Hoppy.

  ‘Our DNA is only valuable if he’s the only one who has it,’ explained Shelly. ‘The Code Maker wants to erase every last piece of evidence that we exist.’

  ‘How do we stop the self-destruct?’ said Hoppy.

  ‘I have a self-destruct over-ride key up in the command centre,’ said the Doctor, ‘Once Shelly enters his password, I can reset the system and use the key to stop the explosion. But we must move quickly.’

  ‘Who builds a self-destruct system in their own home?’ said Rocket with a puzzled expression.

  ‘Mad scientists, that’s who,’ said Liftoff, making the crazy gesture with a swirling finger.

  ‘EVERYONE OUT!’ shouted the Doctor. ‘MOVE IT!’

  ‘We’ve got another problem,’ said Hoppy, staring out the exit door.

  There before her were millions and millions of black beetles – a sea of Bedlam Bugs! Too many to count, from floor to ceiling they blocked their path.

  ‘Anyone got some bug spray?’ said Rocket. ‘We’ve got ourselves an infestation!’

  Chapter 22 – The return of the Bedlam Bugs