[LNH/Acra] The Road to Killfile Wars #7

[cabbagewielder at yahoo.com]

	Five men in black suits stepped out.  They aimed their guns at Dalton.

	"We take him.   You live," the leader said.  "Do we have
deal?"
	"Sounds good to me," Dalton said.
	"Shut up!  I'll handle this..." Electra said as she leapt
forward.   She landed one foot away from one of the gunmen.  "Tell
me.... Why did they bury the Regal 13 agent below the hill?"

	The man in the suit dropped his gun and made gulp.

	"I don't know," he stuttered.
	"Because," Electra gleamed.  "He.... Was.... Dead."

	An electric bolt erupted from her hands and through the man's body.
 He landed on the concrete and head there was a loud snapped on the
base of his skull.    Beneath him was a large puddle of blood.

	"Was that really necess-" Speed said.

	Before he could finish speaking the gunfire erupted.  He wrapped
Dalton in a bubble of cellophane.    Dalton looked confused.

	"We need to get inside Speed Richardson," Tyler said.
	"Yeah.  We can do more damage that way," Speed said.
	"Though not as much as Electra," Speed said.
	"Agreed," Tyler said.
	"Smith and Wesson, Nine Millimeter.   A mechanicized projectile
weapon designed to kill animals and other Earthborn Sentient Being,"
Dalton said.  "An Acme Security door.    A retractable grating with a
locking mechanism to keep personal or corporate property out of
unwanted hands.  A Varnoff/Henkerton Industries Communications Card...
a long range interstellar communications device used by several
Earth's Super teams.   Genetic Remodification nanites (defective)...
microscope robots designed to alter DNA for medical purposes.  The
defect creates super powers and blocks sensory inputs. "
	"What the hell are you doing?" Speed said.
	"Sorry... the chips in my head record the technology around me.
I-I sometimes repeat reports when I'm nervous," he said.  " A
mylar bag... a device used to preserve food stuff to ensure freshness.
 An ammonium nitrate explosive... a device designed used for mass
destruction.  Favored by terrorist groups for..."
	"Did he say explosive?" Speed said.

	The Road to Killfile Wars #7 of 12
	Before the Fall
	By Jesse N. Willey

	Vel looked at his sensors.   He didn't believe what he was seeing.
The ship was huge.   Moakonzi looked at him.

	"It is time for you to take the challenge," Moakonzi said.
	"What?"
	"Are you ready to take lead of the empire," he said.
	"What in your name are you talking about," Vel said.  "I'm
half human.  The Dorfan people would never accept leadership from
a..."
	"It didn't stop them before," Moakonzi replied.
	"Huh?"

	Moakonzi just smiled.

	"Alright, let's go," Vel said.  "But I'm not becoming
emperor."

	 ______________________________

	Electra didn't get the warning till she set off the second bolt.
By then the bomb had already gone off the factory was now missing two
walls.   It looked a little unstable.   A man stepped out from behind
the second wrecked wall.

	"Ah... Electra.  How nice to see you again," he said.
	"Crompton," she said.
	"Nice to see you remember me.   Thank you for bringing me the boy...
and leading me to next clue to finding the sword," Crompton said.  He
then turned to Tyler.  "Your friend Mister Niceguy is still
recovering in the burn ward.  And thanks for asking."
	"How do you know about..." Tyler said.
	"Uh, uh, uh.... Not so fast Mister Bridge," Crompton said as he
adjusted his belt buckle.  "This device here is equipped to emit a
hypersonic frequency that only you, and I are immune.   You're taking
me to that sword.... or else your little friends will be in a lot of
pain... probably terminal."
	"But it will kill your men too," Tyler said.
	"So what, I never liked them anyway. Now, are you going to help me
get that sword or do I have to...." He said making a slitting motion
with his hand.

	Tyler turned and saw Electra pinned the ground by four agents.   Tyler
thought for a moment and saw Crompton's hand going down toward his
belt.

	"I'll do it," Tyler said.

	______________________________

	Vel and Moakonzi entered The Barge.  The airlock was cold and sterile.
   The hallways buzzed and clunked.   Once they entered the main
corridor the lights began flashing red.   Robotic guards charged them.

	"I thought the point of going The Barge was to rescue you.  You're
already here so why do we..." Vel said as wrestled with a guard.

	Moakonzi grabbed the robots arms and snapped it clean off.

	"Because," he said.  "as you yourself said there are two
Moakonzis.  The one of truth and the one of legend.  You have to be
sure you have the right one."

	The robots retreated down the hallway.   They came to a bridge that
went over a deep pit.  The bridge itself looked like three rows of
giant piano keys.  The robot made it two keys in before it was
incinerated by plasma beam.

	"What a crappy death trap!"  Vel said.  "If we have to play
Heart and Soul to disable it, I'm out."
	"Similar idea, but it's not that easy, I'm afraid.   Are you
familiar with Thib's fourth concerto?" asked Moakonzi.
	"Lennon and McCartney is as far as I go classic music wise," Vel
said.
	"Then follow me and you better hope I remember how to play.  Any
misstep will cost us our lives," Moakonzi responded.

	_____________________________

	Electra crawled across the floor.   She slowly managed to get the
unconscious agents off her.      Tyler and Crompton were walking to a
pile of Cracker Jack bags.

	"The clue should be here somewhere," Cromton said.
	"Yes, the third and final one... if you follow the Grail myth
tradition," Tyler said.  "Of course, if you believe the myth it
won't work for you.   It might even destroy you."
	"Your mind has been corrupted by too much Indiana Jones.  It might
not work for me, but that's not the point.  What matters is that
other people won't have it," he said.  "Now find it."

	Tyler grabbed the nearest bag of Cracker Jack.   He dug through the
bag and found the prize.  He wripped open the wrapper.  Inside was a
piece of a paper that said: 'Remember where Appleseed told you would
have to go'.   He felt sorry for the kid who could have gotten that
prize, even as two dimensional paper toys go it sucked.   Electra
managed to stand.

	"Don't even try it, Miss Joy," Crompton said as he rubbed his
belt buckle.

	The hypersonic generator began to buzz, but Electra still stood.

	"You can't physically torture someone who can't feel pain,"
Electra shouted.

	Crompton pulled his Smith and Wesson on her.

	"A small oversight.   You can't feel pain, but you can still
bleed," he said.
	  "But in order for that choice to be truly her own, an item must be
located from a land where men dare not go...," Tyler muttered.

	  Tyler stared across the huge golden ocean of Cracker Jack bags.
Crompton fired.   Tyler shoved Electra in the pile of bags.
Electra's cry was muffled as the bullet flew past and she hit the
bags hard.    She felt a pointed object stabbing her.  She
instinctively grabbed for it.

	"I-I felt that," she shouted as she pulled the sheathed sword of
the pile of bags.
	"Oh shit!  She's the lady in the lake?!" Crompton said.

	Electra tried to remove the sword from its sheath.   Unable to do so,
she swung the sword by the hilt and bashed Crompton in the face.  His
jaw snapped almost clear off.

	"What the hell is this thing?" Electra said.
	"As I said, you wouldn't believe me if I told you," Tyler said.

	______________________________


  	Moakonzi got them across to the other side.   The other opened and
they were standing in front of a glowing yellow tube.   Vel turned his
eyes away from the glowing light.

	"Do you see that Vel?" Moakonzi asked.
	"What is it?" Vel asked.
	"As I said.  'The Stuff dreams are made of'.   Exoctic matter
and neural energy.   When recombined properly it can give some
strength, youth and vitality.   With it you could end the civil war and
save the dorfan people," Moakonzi said.
	"My plan was something like that," Vel said.

	  Vel shoved Moakonzi through the glass tube.   Three seconds later,
the ship exploded.

		To Be Continued...

_______________________________________________________________________
The Regal 13, Dalton Asters, Vel, Crompton and Moakonzi created by
Jesse N. Willey.   Electra, Tyler Bridge and Speed Richardson created
by Tom Russell Jnr.