CHAPTER TEN
Operation Set-Up
I.
We ran through the King’s Town High School parking lot and I ran my fingers across my Premise as we passed it.It was good to see my car again.I loved that thing.
We ran up to the front entrance where the door was still unlocked.I pulled the handle and opened the door and Chuck and I slipped in.
“Do you think one of those aliens that were looking for the blue goo at the space café took Nog?” Chuck asked as we raced down the dimly lit freshman hallway.
“Possibly.Like I said, it could be a number of enemies.Or just some random abduction.”
We turned the corner at the end of the hall and came to the maintenance office.We got our phasers ready and slowly entered the room.We made our way into the boiler room and finally stood over the open hatch that lead back down into the sewer.We looked down into it.It was dark and smelled like crap.
“It’s down there, Chuck.I’d bet my life on it.”
“Then let’s do it, brotha.I trust you.”
I climbed down the ladder first and Chuck followed.We splashed down into the dirty sewer water and aimed our lights up and down the dark tunnels.Without Phil’s computer personality, we were going to have a hard time tracking it down.
“Dare we split up again?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“There’re two directions to this sewer.If we both go this way,” I said pointing down the ribbed corridor, “and it turns out that the Blobberous was actually down that way, we’re screwed.”
“So if you go that way, and I go this way, we’d hopefully find it either way,” Chuck said, seeming to be on the same page as me.
“You know it, bro!”
“No,” Chuck said to my surprise.
“What do you mean, Chuck?What do you mean, ‘no’?”
“We’d leave ourselves vulnerable – no back up.If I got eaten, that’s the end of good old Chuck Taylor!If you get eaten, the Scout Brooks story comes to an end.”
I thought about what Chuck said, and he was right.But I was more right-er.“We’re splitting up, dude.My call.”
“Alright, well if I become blob-feces, it’s your fault,” Chuck said.
“I’ll take my chances.I feel the end of this mission is just around the corner.”
“Scout,” Chuck said, putting his hand on my shoulder,“if I do become blob-feces…will you…will you have…”
“Spit it out, Chuck.Will I what?”
“Will you have Lamar pick me up?”
I stared at Chuck after the most ridiculous request I’d ever heard.It was so ridiculous that I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.But the dead serious look on his face probably told me he wasn’t.I just smiled and nodded.“Be careful, guy.”
Chuck nodded, turned and splashed down the tunnel.I turned around and headed the other way.
I was alone.If I needed to fart, now was the time to do it.But there were bigger things on my mind.Bigger, blobbery things.I wanted to be the one to find it and take it down.Between battling the Frooginites my freshman year, the Slimeborgs my sophomore year, and now the Blobberous – my junior year mission had proven to be my most difficult.We actually needed to formulate a plan.
And to top it all off, Nog was abducted by who knows what.I was hoping, as I’m sure we all were, that Farrow would be able to shed some light on the abductors.
II.
I crept down the disgusting sewer tunnel slowly, aiming my gun and light forward and constantly looking over my shoulder.The Blobberous could have been anywhere.
Up ahead, I saw a ripple in the water.I came to a stop and kept my eye on the disturbed water.I made sure my gun was set on ‘laser’, just in case it was one of the squirms.
The eerie sound of dripping water made for a nerve-wracking atmosphere.On this mission, it felt like danger was around every corner.
The ripple in the water then proceeded to make its way towards me.I backed up a couple steps and had my phaser ready.Then, suddenly, something broke the surface of the water and lunged towards my face.It latched on and knocked me down on my back.I thrashed around in the water, screaming my lungs out, as the hairy, soggy creature gripped my face and slashed its claws against my cheeks.
“Get off me you son of a -” I shouted as I set my phaser down and grabbed the animal with both of my hands, tore it off my face and threw it to the side.I stumbled to my feet and gripped my gun.I aimed the light down into the water and saw the creature racing back towards me – it was a muskrat!
The beaver/gopher/demon hybrid launched itself into the air again, getting ready to dock with my face once more.This thing seemed to be the size of a Labradoodle!
I lifted my gun as the muskrat spread out all of its limbs, preparing to latch onto my face again.Suddenly, one of the purple, gooey, slimy tentacles that I’d become far too familiar with, reached in and grabbed the muskrat in mid-flight.It was yanked back and the Blobberous devoured it.
“My God!” I lifted my phaser and fired off rounds of lasers at it, knowing very well they wouldn’t do anything.I was just trying to distract it while I thought of an escape plan.
The Blobberous roared and I looked to my right.There was a ladder – I darted over to it and climbed it fast.I lifted the latch above my head and crawled out of the sewer and into…the boys locker room?
I was back in the school.I crawled out of the drain, which was located near the back of the boys’ showers.I ran for the door and pushed it open, and ran into the empty gymnasium.I ran to the other side of the gym and knelt down.I pulled out my cell phone and opened the Frog Nog app.
I typed furiously and sent a message to the rest of the Fellas:Blobberous at the school – gym – hurry!
I felt the floor shake and looked up at the basketball net back near the locker rooms.The glass backboard shook and then became unhinged and crashed to the floor.I got my gun ready and kept my eyes on the locker room door.
The whole gym shook again and then there was a pounding thud against the far wall.The walls began to shake and Mr. Ripped’s plaques on the wall that certified him an actual gym teacher, fell to the ground and shattered.
“Oh God…” I quietly said to myself.I looked around, trying to get ideas to brace myself from the impending attack.There was nothing.I was alone, and if I didn’t make it to the gym exit back near the locker rooms, I was going to be trapped in here with the Blobberous.
I sprinted for the exit just as the wall next to the locker room door crashed open.Bricks and dust fell to the gym floor.I slid to a stop and watched as the dust settled.
The Blobberous oozed its way out of the locker room where it had broken through the floor.Several squirms detached themselves from the massive blob beast and slithered towards me.I backed up as I sprayed on some hardcore laser fire at them.They all blew up on impact, splashing a purple-ly colored blood on the floor.
The Blobberous roared again and started making its way in my direction.
Right then, the gym door flew open and the dark silhouette of Chuck stood in the doorway in heroic fashion.A smoke billowed from behind him as he entered the gym.It was like a rock star entrance.
“Hey!Hix!” Chuck called out.The Blobberous turned its head and looked at Chuck.“Lookin’ for me?”
I don’t know why the Blob would have been looking for Chuck specifically, but it sure made for an awesome line!
Out of nowhere, the giant skylight above the gym shattered.Chuck and I looked up, as did the Blobberous, and we saw Philclops repelling down with his grapple hand, with Adia holding on tight to him.He made a swift landing and he and Adia immediately raised their guns.
“How ‘bout that entrance, Scout-ness?” Phil said with a giant gummy smile.
“That was fast!” I said.
“Yeah, but how about that entrance?” Phil repeated.
“Genuinely classical!” I said, so happy that we were all back together.Our plan could finally be executed.
As the Blobberous started squirming towards the three of us, Chuck ran along the padded gym wall and joined our side.
The four of us aimed our guns at the giant alien blob.I could see all of the bones and skeletons from all the people it had devoured, floating around inside its purple gelatinous body.Dr. Hix Blossom, Mr. Ripped, Blorf, Marco, Detective Rickert Raggs…all of their deaths would not go unpunished.Our laser phasers were salted up and ready for seasoning.
“Wait for it to get closer Fellas!” I shouted over the gutty growls and ghastly roars of the Blobberous.The brute slithered towards us.“Salt up your weapons!”
On my command, everyone turned the knobs on their phasers to projectile launcher.
“Wait for it!” I screamed.The Blobberous got closer; its tentacles flailing every which way.“Wait for it!” I repeated.
Suddenly, the Blobberous stopped and started to shrink down, eventually flattening itself against the floor.It then split into two blobs again, and both separate Blobberous’ rose up – each with their own mouths, eyes and collection of bones and skulls.
“Uh…” I stuttered.
One of them flung a tentacle towards us and Adia and I were the first to duck.The tentacle slammed Chuck and Phil and launched them across the gym, tearing Phil’s grappling cord from the arm mechanism.They hit the wall and collapsed to the ground.
“Guys!” I shouted, standing up fast.
“Scout, duck!” Adia screamed from the floor.As I turned back around and faced the two alien creatures, the tentacle swung back and wrapped itself around me and lifted me into the air.
“Scout!” Adia, Chuck and Phil all shouted in unison.As I struggled in the tight, suction-cuppy grip of the tentacle, I saw my team rushing up with their guns drawn.
Phil aimed his gun at the Blobberous that held me.I saw him aim carefully through his sight-scope and pull the trigger.Salt sprayed out of the barrel of the phaser like water from a showerhead.
The Blobberous squirmed to the right and out of the way of the oncoming seasoning.The salt hit the ground in between the aliens.Phil let off the trigger for a moment and aimed at the creature again.He held the trigger down and the salt sprayed again.The Blobberous, who gripped me, slithered backwards quickly, avoiding the salt spray again.
“Dang!” Phil yelled as the salt spray dwindled to a lazy pour out of the barrel.“I’m out of salt!”
“Those things are too quick!We need to get closer!” Adia shouted as she ran towards the creatures.I could feel the grip on me getting tighter.My body felt warm and it was throbbing something fierce – I couldn’t breathe.
“Adia, no!” Phil screamed, reaching out and trying to grab her as she dashed for the creatures.
I struggled to keep my eyes open from losing consciousness and saw Adia run right up to the blob that had me.She lifted and aimed her gun, only to be swept off of her feet by a tentacle from the other Blobberous.She hit the ground hard and her phaser broke open, spilling the salt all over the gym floor.The tentacle wrapped itself around Adia’s legs and lifted her up into the air, hanging her upside down.
I knew Chuck wasn’t going to be able to handle this by himself.One gun of salt wouldn’t be enough to do the trick.My body had given up.I let my eyes close and my breathing became slow.My heart was slowing down – this was the end.
Without warning, the Blobberous’ joined bodies again and formed a giant alien creature that towered over Phil and Chuck.I heard Chuck scream like a girl and I struggled to open my eyes, knowing my last sight would be that of the four of us dying.
Chuck and Phil were backing up slowly.I then saw Phil’s robot eye start glowing red.Instantly, a red beam shot out of his eye and burned a small hole in the tentacle that held me.The Blobberous’ grip loosened quickly as it shrieked in pain.I dropped to the ground and hit it so hard that one the lenses on my glasses shattered.Between the muskrat scratches on my face, my broken glasses, my sewer water soaked clothing – I certainly appeared to have been in one hell of a mission.
My weapon was still hanging over my shoulder by the strap, so I lifted it, turned the knob to ‘laser’ and held down the trigger as I aimed for the tentacle that was holding Adia upside down.
“Phil! Grab Adia!” I shouted.
Phil ran over underneath Adia just as the lasers penetrated the tentacle and released her from its’ grip.Adia fell twelve feet straight down and landed on top of Phil.
“Chuck!By my side, now!” I ordered.Chuck’s heroicness kicked in again and he stood by my side.As Phil dragged Adia out of the way, I turned my knob back to ‘projectile launcher’.
“Ready!” I yelled.“Aim!”Chuck and I lifted our weapons and aimed at the massive Blobberous.
“Hopefully it doesn’t move out of the way again…” I heard Chuck nervously say.
As the feeling was coming back to my face, eyes and rest of my body – I thought about Detective Rickert Raggs and how I ParaZapped him up real good.He couldn’t move a single muscle after that.
“Hold it!” I yelled.Chuck lowered his weapon and I turned the knob on my gun to ParaZap.I pulled the trigger and watched a squiggly purple laser beam shoot out and engulf the Blobberous.It froze, unable to move, and starting glowing a bright purple color.I switched my knob back to the salt launch and yelled, “ParaZap, fool!”
Chuck lifted his gun and we both pulled our triggers at the same time.Salt from both of our guns sprayed out wide and hit the idle Blobberous.We drenched that S.O.B. from head to toe with the weaponized sodium.
The Blobberous screamed, roared, howled, shrieked – you name it, he made a deafening noise of it.The glutinous pile began to sizzle and emit a horrendous stench – worse than anything Lamar had ever laid his pooper-scooper on.The blob thrashed back and forth, sending splatters of glowing purple goo splashing against the walls, ceiling and floor.A sort of steam started to billow from it as the Blobberous’ black eyes went white.It’s mouth stayed wide-open and its teeth fell out one by one.
The purple coloring of its body started to turn a grayish color as the creature boiled to the ground.Pockets of bubbles burst on the floor – the sight reminded me of scrambled eggs boiling in a frying pan.The screaming came to an end and all that was left of the Blobberous was a pile of purple, corroded salt.
Finally, we were all able to catch our breath.The nightmare was over.
III.
We were in my Premise and driving back to Nog’s farm.Chuck sat in the passenger seat with his head back and his eyes closed.Adia and Phil sat in the back seat.Adia rested her head on Phil’s shoulder, and Phil stared out the window.Everyone was quiet.
To break the silence a little bit, I flipped on the radio.A news reporter was reporting:
“An unconfirmed earthquake hit King’s Town this evening.The ground split in multiple areas and there was an explosion near Bud’s Hardware - police say from a possible gas leak.Residents near King’s Town High School have reported feeling tremors resonating from below the area.
“And earlier reports of a strange creature have gone unconfirmed.Police say there is just no evidence of such creature and that a late-night jogger named Palm Leafton is just a nut-job.”
I had heard enough.As long as they didn’t investigate the Blobberous too much, everything else could be passed off as earthquake stuff.I turned the radio station and Mark’s ‘I Need Ya (To Live)’ was playing.I wasn’t in the mood for that either, although I was proud he was getting so much airplay.I turned the radio off all together and focused on getting back to Fort Nog’s.
When we got there, there was an operation set up, called Operation Set-Up.A sign that read just that was hammered to the barn doors and there were two heavily armed guards standing outside in the Professor’s floodlights.There were engineers working on setting up a satellite in the front yard, and running the cables into the barn.
There was another heavily armed guard standing at Nog’s back door.
“We need to get in there,” I said, expecting a hefty questioning and more secure scenario.
“No probs,” the guard said, sliding out of the way and letting the four of us inside.
Adia and Phil sat down at the kitchen table.They looked completely worn out.Chuck went straight for the fridge.I however, walked into the living room to check up on Farrow.
There were two beautiful nurses tending to Farrow.He was awake and alert, and seemed to be enjoying every single moment of the wet washcloth forehead patting and medically induced foot rubs.Hastings stood in the corner and perked up when he saw me enter the room.
“Did you kill it?” They were the first words out of Hastings mouth.
“We did.The Blobberous is no more.”
“Good.Now we just have to worry about Nog.”
Farrow heard my voice and looked over at me.He shooed the nurse’s away and sat up on the couch.
“Scout, are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.Farrow, what happened to Nog?”
Farrow took a deep breath and sat back in the couch.“It all happened so fast, Scout.They tried to get into the barn – they were looking for you.”
“Me?” I asked, surprised to hear that.
“Yeah.When our people wouldn’t let them into the barn, they smashed into the house and demanded to talk to whoever was in charge.I was quick to sell Nog out – something I now regret – and they swarmed him.One of them knocked me out and then Nog was gone.”
“Did they say anything?Like who they were?”
“No.”
“What did they look like?”
“Um, they were about five feet tall or so; they wore black armored space suits with yellow helmets and clear visors.Through the visors, it looked like they had large black eyes, gray skin, small, thin noses -”
“Let me guess,” I interrupted as the description sounded quite familiar, “they had whisker-like antennas over their mouths which looked like some sort of organic mustache?”
“Yeah – how’d you know?”
“Scout, do you know these space creeps?” Hastings asked.
“Sounds like the Grims.”
“Grims?” Hastings and Farrow said at the same time.
“The alien species that we killed on the moon.Remember, they had captured that dude, Flak, from Septune Five?”
Farrow rested his forehead in his palm and shook his head.It had become clear what was going on.The Grims learned about the two that we killed to save Flak, and then came looking for us.And when they couldn’t find the Fellas and I, they scooped up Nog.
“We need to get him back,” I said.
“How?”
“We go find them.They are somewhere in the Andromeda galaxy.”
“We’ll need to start an investigation and research this situation before we just go cruising through space again.We don’t know anything about this species, or what they’re capable of,” Farrow said.“It could take some time.”
I agreed with him, however, we didn’t know how much time we actually had to save Nog.We didn’t even know where the Grims took him.