Nephew of the Forgotten One, Chapter 30
Nephew of the Forgotten One, Chapter 30
Picky
"Jeff, are you there?" Paula called. She knocked on the door to his lab in Printon.
No answer came. She knocked harder.
"Jeff!" I called. "Answer your door! We can only hold this weight for so long!"
"One second!" someone said. I heard the sounds of someone fumbling over various junk; of chemicals boiling; and even electricity crackling. I didn't quite approve of that last sound. I then heard someone fiddling with deadbolts and locks and that sort of thing. The laboratory door opened before us.
"Apple Kid!" Paula exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"This lab is jointly owned by me, Jeff and Dr. Andonuts. Jeff's down in the lab a bit further. He's currently developing a food synthesis machine. He's gonna call it the Foosynma. Sounds a little too much like the Suporma for my liking, though."
"Paula!" Tony complained. "Get Jeff, now! We can only carry this weight for so long, you realise."
I looked up and saw Apple Kid's mouth open roundly. "I'm offended!" he stated.
"We're not talking about you, Apple Kid," I muttered. "We're talking about BJ. He's gone a little comatose."
"BJ?" Apple Kid asked. "Who's he?"
"A friend," I bluntly stated. "He was mortally injured during a battle for an Energy Point, and we can't bring him back for some reason. We need someone, in this case Jeff, who has the technological expertise to devise some sort of invention to keep him stable and revive him."
"Nothing you've tried has healed him? And you've tried everything?"
"We haven't used the Your Sanctuaries or Horns of life," Paula admitted. "But our Your Sanctuaries have lost all their power, and Jeff once analysed a Horn of Life. He found it has the effect of PSI Healing Omega, and the Cup of Lifenoodles had the same issue."
"Oh." Apple Kid rubbed his chin. "In that case, maybe we should get Jeff. JEFF!"
"Coming, Apple Kid!" Jeff yelled from somewhere deeper in the laboratory.
We stood a few seconds, then Jeff appeared.
"Picky? Too? Paula?" Jeff wondered. "What are you doing here?"
"You know who that kid BJ is?" Paula asked discreetly.
"Not really," Jeff admitted. "I know he's one of the eight kids -- well, seven and a Mr. Saturn -- who are supposed to save the world. But why are you asking me about him?"
"We'll show you inside," Tony explained, likely groaning under BJ's weight as much as I was.
"...okay. Enter." He backed off, and the three of us and our baggage entered.
"Oh man, what happened to him? He looks dead..."
"He isn't dead," Apple Kid said. "Just comatose."
"Why did you bring him here?" Jeff demanded.
"We felt that there was something here that you could hook him up to, keep him stable," Paula explained.
Keep him away from Julia's eyes, I added in my thoughts.
"I have one such invention," Jeff said. "I call it the Lebensschutz. German for life protection, if you didn't know."
"No, I didn't," I muttered. "Could we get him into the Lebensschutz before I collapse?" And I was halfway there, too; it's not that easy to carry someone who's about 50% heavier than you.
"Sure, I guess," Jeff observed. He led us to the Lebensschutz machine.
Tony and I were relieved to finally have BJ's weight off our shoulders. Literally.
"Now we attach these apparatus to his arms, legs and head," Jeff explained. "They'll try to stabilise his situation. By the way, what sent him into this state?"
"Electric shocks," Tony responded. "Seemingly massive ones."
Jeff opened a box attached to the Lebensschutz machine. He pulled up various computer chips and put them back, before settling on one. He put the chip in the Lebensschutz.
"This computer chip will help the stabilisation," Jeff stated again. "But the recovery is completely up to him."
"He's strong," Paula murmured. "I'm sure he can make it through. I know he will..."
Picky! Paula! Tracy cried in my head. We're coming up to the lab, with Julia. You've got BJ on some sort of support, right?
Yeah. He's in the Lebensschutz. We'll meet you outside.
"Jeff, is your father coming to the lab soon?" Paula asked.
"...in a few days, yes. Why do you ask?"
"Um, well," she stammered, "I'm sort of worried about Paul, my brother. He's become both a narcoleptic and an insomniac; and my parents and I can't predict which one is going to manifest itself on any one particular day. I'd like you, your father, and Apple Kid to try and run some tests. You don't have to do a whole gamut, just enough to figure out why Paul's exhibiting such contrasting symptoms."
Jeff lifted his glasses slightly and nodded. "I'll do that. I'm assuming you can arrange his arrival soon?"
"He's on his way," I admitted. "He's with the rest of our little band. And now that I think of it, we'll have issues with the Crystal-shards. BJ's been incapacitated, but he's got a Crystal-shard to deal with."
"That's easy," Apple Kid interjected. "I've got a set of portal devices worked out. If you just put the shard in your device, it should appear in the device we'll have here."
He pulled out a machine and handed it to Tony. "I call it the Cromlech. Not sure why, though. I just like the sound of it."
Paula suddenly spoke up. "Tracy and the others are almost at the lab. You should go. Tracy'll tell Paul, and I guess Julia, to stay here."
"But won't having Julia here risk upsetting her?" I wondered.
"Possibly," Tony mused, "but she'll protect BJ."
"Go!" Paula urged. "Just send Julia and Paul in here once you meet them."
"Okay!" I exclaimed. "We're going..."
Tracy
"Where's BJ?" Julia pressed.
"He's here..." I stated for what seemed like the fiftieth time. "And Paula wants you and Paul to stay here."
"Why?" Paul demanded.
"Well, it's getting a little dangerous," I explained, "and Paula doesn't want either of you getting hurt. Nor do I. It's just looking out for your well-being."
Do I tell them? I queried myself. Most of all, do I tell Julia? ...my emotions tell me yes, but my instincts tell me no...
"Tracy, is there something on your mind?" Poo asked.
"No," I lied. I couldn't tell Julia ... or should I?
"Look!" Dusty yelled. "Tony and Picky."
"Great!" Ñrutas mused. "Now we'll be back together again."
"But why isn't BJ with them?" Julia observed. "Is there something you don't know, Tracy?"
I blushed.
"There is something! Tell me!" She ran up to me. "Please..."
I looked behind Julia. Dusty's eyes were solemn, but firm. "Tell her," he mouthed.
"...Julia," I began, my heart and brain fighting for control. "Julia... I'm sorry. BJ, he ... was injured."
Julia's eyes doubled in size; her pupils dilated.
"How badly?" She wiped tears away from her face.
"Very badly," Dusty admitted. "I think he's barely alive."
Julia quivered. I could have sworn that she was about to collapse. Dusty ran forward to comfort her.
"But he's okay," I quickly added. "He's in the Lebensschutz; it'll keep him alive and probably bring him back from the coma he seems to be in."
"Dusty, you lied to me," Julia whispered. "How could you?"
"I only lied to you because I felt it would be best," Dusty argued. "You wouldn't have been able to take it back in Fourside, right?"
"We came in at a bad time, didn't we?" Tony asked.
"Yes!" Julia screamed. "People keep leading me on, and on..."
"Julia, I'm sorry!" Dusty exclaimed. "I'm so sorry for having lied to you. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you today. Everything..." He walked off.
"Now they're both gone," Julia whispered.
"Picky, go get Paula. We may need her help to deal with this." I walked over to Julia. She lowered her head, refusing to look at me.
"It isn't worth it to grieve like this, Julia. Yes, it's a tragedy that this happened to BJ; and yes, it's wrong that we lied to you, over and over. But to act like this to Dusty, who was doing what he thought was best for you, that's not something that's good."
"But he lied to me..."
"Yes. Everybody lies, though. They generally lie white, and that's what Dusty told you. A white lie."
"Julia, you're upset over BJ, aren't you?" Paula asked her. She had just arrived with Picky.
"Yes. And at everyone who lied to me about him."
"If you feel so strong about him, why not help him out here? It would be just as useful as actually fighting for the Energy Points."
"I'll think about it."
"Just stay here for a little bit. You'll get used to it. And you won't be alone. I'll be here too."
"Will you?" Julia wondered.
"I will. You can count on that."
"And Dusty... will he be with us, too?"
"If you want him to be there."
"No," came the curt reply.
"OK, he won't be there. Do you want to stay here?"
"I guess," Julia murmured. "But I want to be involved in the fighting as soon as BJ recovers."
"...is there anything else?" Paula asked.
"No, nothing."
"We can go then, now. Paul, you too."
Thus Julia, Paula, and her brother left for now.
We collected Dusty and Poo teleported us off to Summers.
"I should go see if CB's out of the hospital yet," Tony commented upon arrival.
"CB?" Dusty asked.
"Back when we kept getting separated, I ended up here in Summers. I met a boy named CB. He was injured by Robe before I landed, though; I helped him to the hospital."
"Go do that," Ani said. "We'll arrange a boat."
Tony started walking towards the hospital; we walked past it, to Toto. Poo immediately looked for available boats.
"Do you have any boats available?" he would query.
"How many riding?" the captain would respond.
"Seven."
"Room for eight on a sailing boat? Are you out of yer mind?" Then the captain would laugh, and motion for us to leave; almost immediately some fat millionaire would appear, give a wad of bills to the sailor and get on, whereupon the sailor would board the ship, which would sail off within seconds.
"Augh!" Dusty exclaimed. "We're getting nowhere."
"Why don't you use your tarot cards to build us a bridge to Sanken Mountain?" Ñrutas questioned.
"It's easy: I don't have any cards that freeze water, and I used Symplegades back in Twoson. It won't be healthy for me to try and revive the Six of Swords. We'll have to rely on boats to get us to the island."
I turned to the west, and saw Tony coming towards us. I neared him.
"CB seems to have been discharged. He went home, wherever that is."
"I'm sure he's fine, Tony. You don't need to worry yourself sick over him."
"I guess you're right."
"Well, shall we go? Sanken Mountain is waiting!"