Dynamic Patrol: Gel-Squad (Remastering!)

Chapter 6: The Brig

It was cold and pitch dark; for a moment, he didn't know who or where he was. It was almost like he was swimming in a pool, but if the pool were filled with thick tar instead of water. It was smothering Tommy with all of its might. It was too late to struggle, and it had already taken over. As the Hero came to, he was grasping for the way out. Struggling with his biological cage as it continued to force its will upon him, he was so weak... and how did he even...?

Then it came back to him, and he remembered the taser. It was that dumb Droid who got him. That taser must've had nothing short of a lightning bolt inside its power cell. Because that's what it felt like, he still felt the residual effects. He attempted to form a semi-solid liquifying arm and a grasping hand; it only existed for a moment before it reverted to join the gelatinous puddle with the rest of his body; that's all he was, a thick orange and black puddle. He was sloshing around in what seemed to be a cell. The turbulence did not wait for Tommy to come back.

Bouncing up against the bulkheads, he could tell four walls surrounded him. He couldn't even tell if there was a door. Tommy was more concerned about how long he had been out cold. He felt the tremors and the turbulence. The shockwaves were much heavier now; it must have been at least a few hours because they were worse.

Now that he knew. Just how many had they gone through? How much damage have they taken? No time to waste, Tommy focused all of his effort and energy, and he was finally able to return to a solid state, groaning in agony still. It wasn't as bad as when the taser struck him, but the pain was still there; he opened his eyes to find himself in a semi-lit room. He had a bed, which he didn't need and looked uncomfortable, a small desk with a metal chair, and a toilet, which he also didn't need. It also looked filthy. It confused him why the rest of the ship seemed so elegant, and the cell looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. It looked like the Droid wasn't doing as good of a job as it appeared.

Tommy grunted as he got off his knees and immediately noticed pain centered around his inner left thigh. That must've been where he was struck with that jolt from the taser. It was also the first time he had been bruised, as this area turned to an unhealthy-looking pinkish-black. He hoped such bruising would reduce. "Hello!? I could use some help here!" Perhaps the bed could be helpful. He sat on the stiff mattress. "Anybody?" he called out.

He felt another tremor, worse than the rest, as he sat. He slowly realized that no one was listening to his calls for help. Tommy frowned, looking at the door. He had no choice but to try and escape. He should've been concerned about morphing in his present state, but all that occupied his mind now was his planet and the safety of the people on this ship. He limped toward the door. He oozed right through it with no problem and reformed on the other side.

He immediately observed his surroundings; the hallway was darkened, and the clean white lights were replaced with red emergency lighting. The ship was in backup power; he didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that. Tommy limped toward the bridge, entering without any issue. The Droid neglected to shut the door; perhaps, with so many different emergencies going on simultaneously, the door was the least of its problems. "Hello? Droid, I'm sorry, okay? Let's just work together. You know the ship, and I know how to be a hero. We can save these people, but we need to act fast." He called out. Tommy yelled as he stumbled over a large object in the middle of the room. From the floor, he squinted, trying to make out the thing in the darkness.

It was the Droid, but it was not powered. Tommy wasn't sure why she was offline. Most droids drew power from an electromagnetic field; perhaps the ship considered the Droid nonessential equipment and did not require power during this emergency. He was sure that if he roamed the corridors, he would find many robots offline, along with other systems. Tommy shuffled in closer on his knees and examined the robot for signs of life, "Droid? Are you in there?" No response; maybe it was for the best... the thing did attack him, but then again, from its point of view, Tommy was an intruder, and with that in mind, the Droid could've easily turned up the voltage on that little taser and killed him just as easily. The Droid spared him, and now he had to save the Droid; at least, that was what he thought he had to do.