“I got this!” Maeve stepped up to each of the team members and stuck her finger in each of their right ears. Lyla thought it weird until her turn when the prodding ended with a slight buzz in her ear followed by Maeve’s voice, “Testing one two…” Lyla blinked, of course, Maeve had nanites which could act as microphones and speakers. She had just placed a few of them in each of the team’s ears. “Now each of you?”
One by one the team repeated Maeve’s test. Each time another voice was added to the noise in Lyla’s ear. Andrea retracted her arm and gestured them through. Lyla stepped up to the portal and stepped through.
Chapter Twenty-five
The Incident
They had hurried through the Sugar Town. No one had been there to witness the kidnapping , but Natto felt speed and caution was the best of plans. He didn’t like that he didn’t control all the variables. Someone was sure to notice Goru was missing fairly soon. The portal from Sugar Town back to Sanctuary was backed up with traffic. Much of the town spent at least a portion of the week working in Sanctuary. The population of the town was transient in nature, a fact that until now had benefited Natto’s plans. When he and the girls finally got through the Sugar Town portal, Natto was sure that he was home free. He had only been through the portal to the omniverse once on an inbound trip, but he knew the route to it simply from the fact that the whole portal room was arrayed around it.
“Remember, if they offer any resistance I am going to pretend to threaten you two. Don’t worry, I won’t really hurt you,” Natto said with a smile as he caressed their heads.
“Yes, father,” The girls smiled and nodded in unison.
Together the three of them headed towards the short exit line. They were in the line a few minutes before one of the watchers began walking towards them. Natto withdrew a blade from his belt. Before either girl could react, He snatched Inu by the arm. He clutched the stasis loop in one hand and wrapped his knife arm around Inu. He put the blade to her throat. Inu screamed in startlement before calming.
“Put the knife down.” The watcher suggested while gesturing with his arms, “No one needs to be hurt!”
“Whole planets worth of people need to be hurt!” Natto snarled.
“What are your demands?” The watcher asked stepping closer.
“I am leaving with these children!”
Several more watchers began to form an arc of muscle around the portal. The other people in line backed away until they were behind the watchers. Natto knew the watchers would try to get between him and the portal. “Back off! I swear I will cut her!” One of the watchers made a move to cut him off and Natto drew blood. If he were captured the consequences would be dire for him.
The watchers backed away from their positions.
“That’s better!”
Ibu noticed the blood on her sister’s neck and squealed, “Father! I thought you were going to act like you were going to hurt us!”
“Shut up you fool!” Natto dug the knife a little deeper and fingered the stasis loop in his other hand. Inu began whimpering. Her pathetic weakness was beginning to irritate Natto. “I said shut up!” Natto jerked Inu backwards towards the portal.
Suddenly he felt an impact in the left shoulder with a projectile from the somewhere further out into the portal room, beyond the portal. The drug it delivered worked quickly and Natto lost his grip on the stasis loop. The impact of the stasis loop on what passed for a floor in the portal room jarring Ibu even further. She leaped away from him into the arms of a waiting watcher. Natto felt the drug spreading through his system. He continued to back towards the portal.
“Give up Natto!” A girl shouted. Somehow she was behind him, almost between him and the portal. She looked familiar. His eyes refocused, and he recognized her in his delirium, “Not this time Mae!” He backed his way through the portal. The transit was incredibly disorienting, and longer than he expected. Natto was barely hanging on to consciousness by the time they arrived in a plain-looking park. There was an empty bench behind them. He released Inu and leaned back into the bench to rest.
“You said you wouldn’t hurt us!” Inu howled holding her neck.
“Come here and let me see it!” Natto growled. She started to back away. Natto snapped his good hand out around her wrist and released a chemical cocktail which had always served to make women pliable in the past. She took on a calm, dreamy look. Natto considers staying on the bench to catch his breath, but he knew they would be on him soon. Instead with his right hand still wrapped around Inu’s wrist, he proceeded to drag Inu off world masking his teleportation to the best of his ability which was significant.
- - - - - - -
The portal from the school sent Beaker and the rest of the team to the far side of the portal room. There was a good long walk to get to the back side of the main portal out into the new omniverse. The distance was such that Beaker was certain he was better served removing his glasses and remaining where he was. He took off his glasses and pocketed them. The rest of the team began marching towards the portal as quickly as they could. Beaker sighted along his rifle to give them cover.
He could see the normal flow of travel through the portals. Beaker was sure he should see Natto by now, but there was no sign of disturbance. Lyla and the others continued rushing towards the main portal using the portal itself to shield them from view. Beaker kept scanning the crowd for the man Maeve had shown them. He held steady where he was. He had a rifle loaded with immobilization capsules and knew he could hit any target in his sight with it.
He spotted Ibu and Inu first. Then noticed Natto hovering close to them approaching the main portal. Beaker cleared his throat, “Natto, Ibu and Inu are approaching the portal. I don’t know what he is planning but I don’t like the way he is hovering near the girls. I can see a stasis loop in his left hand.” Natto and the girls got in line to exit through the portal.
“Got it,” Lyla whispered, “Whatever happens people don’t let him get out of the portal with that loop!” Lyla and the others reached the portal just before a watcher left his post to approach Natto. Natto produced a knife out of nowhere and held it to Inu’s neck.
Beaker focused on hearing the exchange between Natto and the watcher. The watcher smiled reassuringly at Inu and spoke firmly to Natto,“Put the knife down.” The watcher gestured with his arms, “No one needs to be hurt!”
“Whole planets worth of people need to be hurt!” Natto snarled. Beaker couldn’t see Natto’s face but from his tone, Beaker could imagine the look on his face.
“What are your demands?” The watcher asked stepping closer.
“I am leaving with these children!”
Several more watchers began to form an arc of muscle around the portal. The other people in line backed away until they were behind the watchers. “Back off! I swear I will cut her!” One of the watchers made a move to cut him off and Natto drew blood. The watchers backed away from their positions.
“That’s better!”
That was when Ibu squealed, “Father! I thought you were going to act like you were going to hurt us!”
“Shut up you fool!” Natto dug the knife a little deeper into Inu’s neck and resettled his grip on the stasis loop. Beaker heard as Inu began whimpering. “I said shut up!” Natto jerked Inu backwards towards the portal.
That was Beaker’s cue. None of the rest of the team had a line of sight on Natto at the moment. Beaker leveled the rifle and aimed for Natto’s left shoulder. One capsule would immobilize him, but it would take time. Beaker needed to make him drop the loop quickly. Beaker took a breath, held it and fired. Beaker smiled as Natto reacted to the impact. The drug it delivered worked quickly and Natto lost his grip on the stasis loop. The impact of the stasis loop floor seemed to startle Ibu to her senses. She leaped away from Natto into the arms of a waiting watcher. Natto appeared to panic.
Lyla managed to get to a position very nearly between Natto and the portal. “Give up Natto!” Lyla shouted.
“Not
this time Mae!” Natto announced deliriously as he backed his way through the portal.
Beaker focused on the team and began trotting towards them secure in the knowledge there was nothing to trip over on the way. He was so focused that when he blinked, he could see himself there. When his eyes opened from the blink everyone was right in front of him. Dizzy he put his glasses back on. It wasn’t how he thought his first experience teleporting would go. Milo steadied him. Lyla picked up the stasis loop as the watchers surrounded them.
“Who would you be kid?” The watcher comforting and restraining Ibu asked.
“Lyla Carlyle, sorry to step on your toes but Natto was attempting to kidnap a member of our team,” Lyla held up the stasis loop.
“Natto?” Another guard asked.
“Natto Oshido,” Millie supplied.
“Oshido?”
Faith stepped up trailing the apparently unnecessary medical kit, “Natto Harvey.”
“The genocidal monster? He’s dead!” The watcher holding Ibu replied.
Lyla smiled sweetly, “No, he isn’t. You are holding on to one of his daughters which I hope he tricked into following him.”
“He was my father!” Ibu sobbed, “He could be doing anything to Inu right now!”
“Who are you kids?” Another watcher asked.
“Sorry, I’m Lyla. This is Beaker, Faith, Maeve, Milo, Millie and Stone. The razorwolf hiding behind the portal is Sport. We are students at Aspirations Academy,” Lyla gestured to each of them in turn. Sport peeked around the portal with a grin. The grin faded as his eyes reflected recognition. Beaker turned back to the group to see Mae Amante approaching the group. Beaker heard Lyla let out a soft hiss, and Beaker believed it was her way of saying, “This was getting real.”
- - - - - - -
For Lyla the mission really began once she managed to get into a position very nearly between Natto and the portal. “Give up Natto!” Lyla shouted.
“Not this time Mae!” Natto announced deliriously as he backed his way through the portal.
Lyla blinked at the portal, sure she had failed in her mission. That was when her eyes caught the stasis loop on the infinitely white floor. Lyla picked up the stasis loop as the watchers surrounded them.
“Who would you be kid?” The watcher comforting and restraining Ibu asked.
“Lyla Carlyle, sorry to step on your toes but Natto was attempting to kidnap a member of our team,” Lyla held up the stasis loop.
“Natto?” Another guard asked.
“Natto Oshido,” Millie supplied.
“Oshido?”
Faith stepped up trailing the apparently unnecessary medical kit, “Natto Harvey.”
“The genocidal monster? He’s dead!” The watcher holding Ibu replied.
Lyla smiled sweetly, “No, he isn’t. You are holding on to one of his daughters which I hope he tricked into following him.”
“He was my father!” Ibu sobbed, “He could be doing anything to Inu right now!”
“Who are you kids?” Another watcher asked.
“Sorry, I’m Lyla. This is Beaker, Faith, Maeve, Milo, Millie and Stone. The razorwolf hiding behind the portal is Sport. We are students at Aspirations Academy,” Lyla gestured to each of them in turn. Lyla was still looking at Sport when his grin faded and his eyes reflected recognition. Lyla looked over her shoulder to spot her mother closing on their position. She hissed out a sigh. Her mother was not going to be happy. Lyla was so far from wanting to face her mother let alone having to tell her about Goru, and Natto. Her mother stalked through the crowd with her most intimidating expression plastered across her face
“Chief, this girl and her sister were attempting to leave through the portal with a man reported to be Natto Harvey,” The watcher restraining Ibu stated.
Lyla’s mother’s eyes shifted to bore into her. “I might have known… when I heard about a group of kids facing off against a man trying to flee out of the Preserve, I might have known you would be involved. Andrea has been keeping me updated on your progress.”
“Chief, what should we do with this one?” The watcher asked.
Lyla’s mother didn’t even glance at Ibu, “Lyla?”
“Chief, she should probably go back to the school. I don’t think she did any of this out of malice… Natto is her father,” Lyla stated.
“Chief? Okay, send her back to the academy, these eight too!” Lyla’s mother started to declare.
“Wait mo- Ma’am. Let me make sure we have Goru,” Lyla headed over to one of the medical check in stations she attached the clasp of the loop meant to bring the items to her. Goru’s feet emerged from the loop and Lyla quickly moved the loop so that he was being lowered to the table. A woman with short orange hair rushed to the table. She started to run scanners over Goru’s inert form. Faith rushed over and pushed the woman out of the way. Faith lay a hand on Goru’s cheek.
“Well?” Lyla asked when Faith’s expression turned sour. She began tearing through her medical kit and pressed a syringe into his thigh.
“What are you doing? That’s epinephrine. It could cause cardiac arrest if not administered for a proper reason,” The orange haired medic growled and tried to push Faith out of the way.
“He is having an allergic reaction to the stun capsule Natto used on him! I am trying to clear his airway! Faith propped Goru’s head up to straighten his airway. Goru took a gasping in-drawn breath.
The medic stepped back and tapped on her tablet. A group of medics rushed to their position with a hovering stretcher. “Get him to observation stat. He is recovering from anaphylaxis.” The medic looked over Faith’s kit. “What have you been up to Faith?”
“Illoa, I am the team’s designated medic. I am training to be a full doctor,” Faith replaced the epinephrine syringe in its proper place and closed her kit, “How is my father?”
“Doing as well as to be expected… I need to go look after your friend,” Illoa replied. Then she followed the medics as they took Goru away.
Lyla wanted to follow after him, it was what Goru would do for her. “Lyla, I said I am very surprised to see you here. I thought I wouldn’t see you until the program was completed,” Lyla’s mother stated, forcibly inserting herself in Lyla’s field of attention.
“Extenuating circumstances Ma’am,” Lyla turned to her team, “Take the portal back and report to the headmistress about what happened, though I am pretty sure she already knows.”
The team turned and started walking back to the distant portal that had brought them here. Their departure brought the portal to Lyla’s mother’s attention. She turned to a man standing just behind her, “Where did that portal come from?”
“Chief, that falls into the need to know category. You don’t need to know yet…” He answered.
“Way to be enigmatic Mark!” Lyla’s mother snarked.
“Orders Chief!” He shrugged at her.
“You know Andrea!” Lyla stated.
Mark eyed her and winked. “Chief you have an appointment…” He handed Lyla’s mother a tablet.
“What about Her!” Lyla’s mother gestured absently at Lyla while flipping through the details on her meeting.
“I’ll see to her,” Mark smiled at Lyla. Lyla’s mother teleported away. “I suppose you would prefer to wait for Goru to wake up. You won’t accept my word that he will be fine…”
“Nope, I intend to wait for him,” Lyla stated.
“Follow me,” Mark directed, “Goru is Natto’s son isn’t he?”
Lyla nodded, “That is probably why Natto tried to kidnap him.”
“Yeah, that would be my guess. It might be a few days before he wakes up. Let me arrange you some temporary quarters.”
“That would be great,” Lyla replied.
Mark tapped at his tablet. They stepped out of the portal room into Sanctuary proper, “The portal you arrived here through will take you and Goru back to just a few moments after you left campus. You have that tactiball tournament to win…”
>
Lyla stopped cold blocking the flow of traffic into the portal room, “How much do you know about us?”
“I was one of the observers for your entrance test. Andrea and I worked together setting up the school. I have a great deal of interest, especially in her chosen pupils. It is a case of curiosity. She doesn’t tell me everything either.”
Lyla followed Mark all the way to the medical center she stopped in front a white doorway with a nameplate labeled Goru Nattan. “Here is his room,” Mark stated, “He took a few steps further down the hall, “And this is yours. I commandeered this observation room for you.” He led her inside and went directly to the delivery cupboard and retrieved a pin. “You probably know the drill. This is your temporary identification. You are free to roam Sanctuary, to find your way back step into any transport booth and state home. Activating it will bring you here. Now I have to get back to work.”
Mark left Lyla alone in the room holding on to a remote pin and just a taste of independence.
Chapter Twenty-six
The After Party
Maeve felt like she had let everyone down. They had nearly lost Goru. If Maeve had done a better job of monitoring his life signs she would have known he was reacting badly to the stun capsule. She hadn’t even considered the possibility. All the stun capsules currently in production had safety measures integrated in their release systems. If they detected an allergy of sensitivity they altered the compounds they used. They even gauged the proper dosage depending on the mass of the individual. It wasn’t in Maeve’s calculations to consider Natto might have obsolete tech. It should have been.
She decided to rewrite her code to integrate the new variables into her decision making pathways. It was a little late, but it worked. Maeve changed the focus of her concern from Goru who she was still monitoring via his remote pin to Lyla whose remote pin had deactivated the moment she put on the temporary one. Anything could be happening to Lyla. The uncertainty had translated to simulated anxiety. Maeve just discovered what improper monitoring of her team could lead to, now she didn’t have any information on their able-bodied leader. It was intolerable.
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