Love In The Time of Flemoids

Chapter 4: The Flemoid Lab

The three of us returned to the first lab and began to take a look around. A large collection of what I assumed was chemistry equipment had been set up on a table. A small flame burned underneath a beaker filled with bubbling green slime. Other colors of what I assumed was slime filled other beakers and test tubes.

On the wall behind the table was a large diagram of what looked like a human body. The heart was circled, as well as the head and the mouth.

"Are they are researching how to kill us?" Crunch asked with a frown.

"Come look at this," Crispi ordered, her voice low with concern.

I strode over to where she stood in front of a large shelving unit, covered with what looked like large cubes.

"Are these what I think they are?" Crunch murmured in a horrified tone.

"Flemoid eggs is what they look like to me," I said, shuddering.

"They're doing slime chemistry?" Crispi asked, her frown deepening, "In a room full of flemoid eggs?"

We stared at each other, bafflement clear on our faces.

"I'm calling it in," Crispi said. She walked away from us, pulling out her comm, and began to murmur into it.

"This is so strange," Crunch muttered to me.

I frowned at the wall past her. "Is there something... weird about that wall?'

She looked where I was pointing. "I don't see anything."

I strode over, frowning at the brick. It just... felt odd. Like the bricks were a funny shape or color or... I reached out a hand to touch them and a door slid back.

"A secret room!" I exclaimed.

Inside was a pack of zorches—ammunition for my weapon—which I grabbed, and another cube-shaped box like the ones Crispi had found on the shelf. But this one was much, much larger.

"What is it?" Crunch asked, leaning forward to examine it.

"Don't touch it," Crispi ordered from behind us. "The scientists are on their way here."

My eyes flicked toward Crunch, who was watching me with a grin. She knew what I was thinking—or rather, hoping. If the scientists were coming, that meant there was a chance that—

"You called?" The door slid open and Rye stepped through, followed by two other scientists and a guard. Rye grinned at me. "Figures you'd be the one to find the interesting stuff." His eyes scanned the room, and then he frowned slightly. "The very interesting stuff."

"Do you know what they were doing in here?" Crispi asked brusquely.

"I do not," Rye said, "which is what makes it interesting."

He winked at me as he strode by, bending down to examine the chemistry equipment. His colleagues spread out, peering into the secret room, sifting through the boxes of flemoid eggs, and commenting on the strange drawing of human anatomy.

"How many were in here?" one of the other scientists asked.

"How many, AJ?" Crispi asked me, then glanced at her comm. "I have to take this," she muttered, stepping into the hall.

"Six," I said, my eyes still following Rye as he moved around the room. He had great shoulders, I noted—nice and broad—though, I really should keep my thoughts professional. We were working.

He glanced up as if he could hear my thoughts and shot me a grin. I felt my face heat slightly, but tried to keep my face neutral. He winked and grinned as a small smile crossed my lips.

Crispi stepped back into the lab. "They're sending more help," she said, a small frown on her face. "Do we need more help?"

"No," Rye said. "Not yet, at least."

"That's what I told them." Crispi sighed. "Oh well." She squared her shoulders and looked around. "Do you need me for anything? If not, I'd like to check on the rest of my team."

"If you don't mind leaving one of your team, just in case?" Rye asked, eyes flicking to me. Crispi hadn't seemed to notice our interactions.

"AJ, stay. Crunch, with me," Crispi ordered, before leading Crunch from the room.

Crunch flashed me a knowing grin, just as the door slid shut behind her.

"AJ, AJ, AJ," Rye murmured. He was staring at the bubbling green slime again, but then he turned. "What does it stand for?"

"Applejacks," I replied.

"Applejacks," he repeated. A shiver went up my spine at the deep timbre of his voice as he said my name. "What a lovely name."

"Rye," one of the other scientists said, drawing our attention to the secret room. "What do you make of this?" He pointed at the cube that looked rather like the type that contained flemoid eggs.

"A conundrum, I'd say." Rye strode over and the two began to murmur with each other.

Without warning, the door to the lab slid open. I lifted my zorcher, but it was Alpen. I lowered my weapon and saluted.

"AJ," she barked. "Where's Crispi?"

"Checking on the rest of the team," I stuttered. I did not like to be the direct center of attention when it came to communicating with the Master Sergeant.

"I see." She stepped to the side and another soldier strode through. A Sergeant Major, I could see from his uniform.

I saluted again.

"This is Sergeant Major Chexster, here to advise us," Alpen said formally.

My eyes widened. Fred Chexster. The legendary Chex Warrior. Who rescued Chex City, Chexopolis, and the entire Cereal Dimension from the flemoid invasion.

"Call me Fred," Sergeant Major Chexster said humbly, giving us all a sheepish look. "I'm just a regular warrior like you." He winked at me. I knew I turned beat red as I saluted again.

Well. I had to say, things had certainly gotten interesting.