Daydream || Rick Tyler [DC's Stargirl]

• Chapter 14

As soon as Molly put the sleep mask over her eyes and changed into her suit once again, she felt like she was going to throw up. She was so nervous as her heart pounded inside her chest. As her, Yolanda, Rick, and Justin reached their tunnel entrance, Molly kept playing her plan out over and over inside her head. It was a pretty simple plan actually. Find Mr. Mahkent. Make him tell her what he knows. How? Well, she would figure that out.

Once Molly, Rick, Yolanda, and Justin walked down the stairs from the Burmans' house and into the tunnels, she felt like she was going to have a heart attack. However, she kept a straight face so Yolanda, Justin, and especially Rick wouldn't know she was actually freaking out. She couldn't even imagine what he would think of her then. Then again, what did it matter what he thought of her?

"We're in!" She suddenly heard Beth's voice through her own goggles. As planned, Beth just told them that her and Barbara arrived at the American Dream. She asked us, "Can you hear me?"

"We read you," Courtney replied, who had entered a tunnel with S.T.R.I.P.E. on the opposite side of town.

"We hear you loud and clear," Molly confirmed for her group as they started to slowly make their way down the tunnel.

Then, Molly heard Yolanda ask her quietly, "Are you doing okay?"

"Um, yeah. Totally," Molly nodded while gulping nervously. She actually felt like she was going into cardiac arrest.

"It'll be fine. We got this," Yolanda assured her.

"Shh!" Rick suddenly hissed at them, who was leading them from a few feet ahead.

Molly and Yolanda both whipped their heads toward him and hissed back, "Shut up!"

"Guys! I found some sort of countdown!" Beth's voice rang through Molly's ears again as Rick just sighed in annoyance at the two girls. Then, Beth continued, "I think we have thirty-five minutes before they turn it on. Whatever they're going to make people believe in, it's called the New Constitution. They want to combat... global warming? They want to force people to-"

As Beth trailed off in mid-sentence, Molly, Yolanda, Rick, and Justin all just stopped and looked at each other confused. Then, Molly heard Courtney ask, "They're going to force people to do what?"

"Force them to embrace solar and wind power. They're going to eliminate discrimination over race, religion, and sexual orientation. And universal healthcare."

Molly just became even more conflicted as she asked Beth, "Uh, Beth? Are you sure you're reading it right?"

"Yes, Molly. This is their big plan," Beth confirmed for her.

Molly turned towards Yolanda and Rick, who looked just as confused as she did. Weren't all of the things the ISA wanted good? They sounded pretty damn good to Molly. She was starting to second guess what they were all doing there.

"That sounds good," Courtney stated, sharing everyone's thoughts. Then, she double checked, "Isn't that good?"

Rick's voice cracked as he asked, "Hey, Pat? Are you sure we're on the right side here?"

"There's got to be something else," Pat replied, believing that there had to be more to the ISA's plan.

"I don't know, Mr. Dugan," Beth responded while continuing to scroll through the New Constitution, "The only thing it says is that when the machine is broadcasts, the process will take thirty minutes. If we don't stop them before then, it's permanent." Then, Beth exclaimed suddenly, "Oh, here's more! It only affects fully developed minds."

Molly's heart instantly dropped since she knew exactly what that meant. Yolanda immediately turned towards her and asked, "What does that mean?"

"Well, the human mind isn't fully developed until the age of 25, which means the machine... it will only affect adults," Molly replied nervously.