Artemis Fowl: Wreaking Havoc

8. Some Real Burden

"We have a problem."

It was one line that no one wanted to hear.

"Out with it, then," said Trouble, rather moodily. "Did the virus in the main communicator develop complications? Did the entire LEP network system get hacked? Or, so help me, did your laptop run out of battery?"

  Foaly spared the Commander a withering look.

 Holly, Foaly and Trouble were crouching in the countryside in Ireland, miles away from Haven which was undamaged but stirring slightly as rumours of the Council and the crumbling LEP police force began to circle. The LEP headquarters were still intact and the same as always aside from the fact that the conference room's ceiling had caved in mysteriously. And that the head technician's lab had been completely ransacked, as well as with traces that the LEP network system had been attempted to be hacked ("But it's impossible to, because obviously as the genius that I am only I can access those parts," said Foaly proudly).   Before leaving, the trio had slipped in, security being beefed up again and sprites already swarming around the conference room as they rebuilt it. The trio had been trying to find the main communicator, or the Alpha Drive as Foaly liked to call it, that controlled all of the LEP communicators. Unfortunately, and most predictably, it had vanished, taking with it control over all of Haven's communication into another's hands. The mass communication lull all throughout Haven just minutes before the detonation did not go unnoticed by the public, but officers were assumed to have made up a story stating otherwise. Hopefully. Otherwise...rise in crime and panic, good to see you.

To make matters worse, Holly discovered that the hideout was located directly beneath the worst toilets in the building. No wonder Foaly would rather have not told her.

"My laptop doesn't run out of battery," Foaly said now. "I mean, it does, but it can run on solar energy, heat energy, kinetic energy, and an abnormally lengthy and powerful battery pack created by, of course, yours truly. So you can expect it to last for oh, I don't know, indefinitely."

  "You didn't have to tell us all that."

  Foaly almost started sulking until he remembered that this was an emergency.

  "No, the virus in the Alpha Drive didn't develop complications," he said. "If we had it I could clean the virus instantly, but since I'm barely connected with it via this laptop all I have is a GPS to track it by. And I don't think communication is our greatest priority right now. We have to find who Holly's being controlled by; maybe they'll have the answers to all this chaos. And no, of course the network system didn't get hacked!" Foaly's voice rose reproachfully, and Trouble waved it away impatiently.

  "Then what's the problem?" asked Holly. Foaly sighed and looked at her grimly.

  "The problem is that Artemis Fowl is in trouble," he said. "I just got an email from him. 'I need Holly's help.'"

 Holly felt a sick feeling curdle in her stomach.

 "Is that all he said?" she asked, hardly daring to breathe lest she miss the answer.

 "Yes."

Artemis did not need Holly's help. If anyone knew Artemis Fowl the Second, they would know that Artemis Fowl did not ask anyone for help in a way such as 'I need Holly's help'. Maybe 'I am in urgent need of assistance from Captain Short', 'Tell Holly that I require her assistance' or, if he was really short on time, 'Holly's presence required urgently'.

But not 'I need Holly's help'.

Unfortunately, Holly, Foaly and Trouble believed he did need help, because life’s events had taken a fairly large turn on them and they barely had time to think for themselves. Which led them to believe the email that Artemis was, indeed, in need of assistance.