Behind The Mask

Chapter 28: bOInG? zOOm!

"Final checks before departure."

The Colonel raises a hand, counting items off. "Fuel, yes. Ammo, yes. Equipment, yes. Crew..." She pauses for a moment. "Everyone's accounted for and on the ship."

"You're forgetting someone."

"Nope, I don't think I am, sir. That's everything!" She hastily straightens herself, eager to set out. "We best set off before anything happens."

"Colonel. We're not getting out of this."

"But do we have to bring him?"

"Yes."

"No, I mean, do we really need to bring him? We already had to take all the Frightbots cause he ordered it and he didn't even say why!"

"It was the king's orders. I don't like them either, but we have no choice."

"Fine..." she groans.

"Get everyone ready. I shall retrieve him."

I walk off to the elevator, heading to the laboratory floor of the Empire Porky Building. I understand her frustration though, because I'd rather not do this either.

Shortly after returning from our hypothermic adventure up Snowcap Mountain, we were informed of the location of the next Needle, in another place I went during my brief holiday long ago — Saturn Valley. It should thankfully be a much easier trek, though we have a complicating factor.

Master Porky has requested we again take extra assistance, but this time in the form of someone none of us wanted — Fassad. Since the events that happened at the Chimera Lab, Dr Andonuts has been relocated to the Empire Porky Building, and that's where Fassad will be right now.

I hear he's under close watch from Master Porky, understandably since the events happened under his watch.

The laboratory floor has always been rather secretive and apart from my time here where I assisted the construction of Mr Genator and... her, I haven't been up here much at all. But the difference is striking — rather than Pigmasks walking the halls, robots do instead.

Soon, I find the good doctor, who looks as if he's had years shaven off his life. The shadows under his eyes clearly demarcate a lack of sleep.

My eyes shift to something else though — a fluid filled glass chamber in which Fassad is being contained, with wires and sensors attached to him. It reminds me of when I first awakened.

It occurs to me that is the first time I've seen him since his modifications. Dr Andonuts did a very good job with him — he looks almost completely normal. That is, apart from the two horns protruding from each nostril of his, and the jet pack attached to his back, most likely to compensate for his inability to speak and walk now.

"Doctor." I call out.

"Ah. Hello." He awkwardly pauses. "You're here for him?" he says, turning to face Fassad.

"Indeed. Is he ready?"

"Yes, he's perfectly fine. Give it a minute to drain. You'll need to take this with you." he says, pointing to a robot that sits on a table next to him. The robot is small, perhaps a third of my size, and is seemingly feminine in appearance, given the colouring around its mouth to imitate lipstick.

It occurs to me that other robots made by the Pigmask Army have a similar application of lipstick to imply femininity... except for her. I wonder why.

"That is the interpreter, isn't it? How does it work?"

"The horns Fassad speaks through will make noises the robot can interpret. It's been... fairly accurate."