literature

A Technical Foul - Chapter 25

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Chapter 25: Sherbie_final_message.playback();

-S-

Beacon made his way over to the bed, pulling out more board games from beneath it, searching for something.  He glanced back, and averted his gaze.  Alt was crying too.

-A-

Alt was crying.  She was sitting just outside, looking at the floor.

(A) Sherbie... we only knew each other for a month... it's too soon for me to lose you...

-S-

"Did you love him?"

Beacon's voice was small and shaky.

-A-

Alt fell silent.  Truth be told, she'd never been asked that question before.

But somehow she already knew the answer.

(A) "... ... ...Yes, Beacon, I did."

-S-

Beacon perked up slightly.

"Check his memories.  See if he ever told his systems how he felt about you."

-A-

(A) "... ... ..."

Alt turned her back.

(A) Systems.  Search memory banks for any particular recorded messages Sherbie may have left prior to his death.

-S-

EXECUTING... ... ...FOUND.  ONE RECORDED MESSAGE PRIOR TO BECOMING OFFLINE.  PLAYING NOW.

Hopefully someone will have the sense to look into these pre-recorded things, didn't even know I had them.  But I'm probably going to be dead whenever you hear this.  Oh MAN that sounds cliche.  But anyway...whoever finds this, don't worry about me.  I'm sure it'll all be fine.  Oh, and pretty important.  Find Alt.  I care a lot more than I ever let on.  She's still kind of off on open displays of affection, but that's cool.  It's just part of being Alt.  So anyway, I'm babbling.  Alt, I love you.  Just thought you should know.  Okay, I'm definitely dying now, I can't feel anything anymore.  Bye, I guess.  Till we meet again.  Keep smiling!

END OF RECORDED MESSAGE.  ACTION - REPEAT, EXIT?


-A-

(A) Exit.  But create a shortcut to that message for later access.

Alt went over that message in her head over and over.  She was still completely silent.

-S-

Beacon went and sat beside her, something in his hand.

"...Mummy?  You okay?"

-A-

(A) "... ... ..."

Alt wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel.

(A) "... ... ...I'm okay, I guess.  What are you holding there?"

-S-

"I'm not sure."

He produced a small black box.

"Teck said if something ever happened to him I had to give this to the person taking care of me."

He passed it over, and Alt opened it without too much trouble.

-A-

The box contained a single USB stick, opal black.  Alt winced slightly as she held it up; it reminded her of earlier that morning, when Alt had prepared a similar USB stick for her birthday present for Sherbie.  (And Ohm had swapped it with another one in order to pull a prank on Sherbie, but that was irrelevant now.)

(A) I wonder what's on it.  Let's hope it's not a virus or something similar.

-S-

Beacon took it curiously.

"...Should we look or just destroy it?"

-A-

Alt hesitated.  She knew how important this choice was.  She weighed the pros and cons in her head for a while before making her decision.

(A) "...Let's take our chances and look."

-S-

Beacon huddled closer.

"But let's do it back home where we have back-up if it goes wrong."

-A-

(A) "Good idea, Beacon.  Let's go tell the others."

A few hours later...

(F) "So we never did find out what was causing that commotion.  Maybe it was just a rat after all."

Alt, Franklin, Figment, Nebula, Tidal, Ohm, and Beacon were all back on home turf at Technuloji's coastline.  Franklin held Sherbie's parts tightly, while Alt bore the USB stick.

-S-

Figment, after a long silence, brought up the question no-one wanted to say.

"Whadda we do now?  Without...Sherbie?"

-A-

There was a very long silence.  Alt broke it.

(A) "I guess... we'll just have to keep moving forwards.  It'll be more difficult for some of us than for others..."

-S-

Beacon dipped his head.  Even Ohm seemed to choke up slightly.

-A-

(T) "We've all had our casualties.  Some more significant than others.  But it was all for the better.  We mustn't gaze at the past for too long, for when we do we have our back turned to the future."
(N) "That reminds me.  We really should find out what was on that USB stick."

-S-

Beacon held it up.  It looked completely normal.

-A-

(N) "It looks normal, but what matters is what's saved on it."

A few minutes later...

Everyone crowded around a single computer at the royal embassy.  Alt had already deactivated the computer's network connection to isolate it in case something went wrong.

(F) "Okay, here goes nothing..."

Franklin snapped the USB stick into the appropriate port and waited for its data to load up.

-S-

It seemed to be several image files, and one written message.

The pictures were of Teck and Beacon.

-A-

Alt was silent as she clicked through image after image.

(A) Teck... Beacon...

Finally she opened the text file.

-S-

To whomever this may concern...

My name is Teck, Teck the Porcupine.  You may know me, you may not.  If you do, then you might think twice about adopting this adorable little joey.  If you don't then wonderful - he has a new home.

His name is Beacon, his father, at least technically, is Sherbet the Kangaroo, used to be an agent for the special squadron COPS.  No idea what that stands for.  But he killed me.  His mother is Queen Altair Devonne forgotten the rest of it.  She lives on a secret island, known as Technuloji.  Tesla the Tigress could tell you more.  She was my link to them, enabled me to create Beacon, you could say.  

And if his eyes glow on occasion, don't be alarmed, he isn't radioactive or anything.  No idea where that ability came from but he can manipulate light, apparently.

Just keep an eye out for me.  I'm not so easily killed.  

Watch out, Alt - I might come back for you someday.  And Sherbie isn't around to protect you anymore.


Then it abruptly stopped.

-A-

(F) "That last part creeps me out.  There's no way he knew that accurately how everything would turn out."
(N) "Maybe he went back and made some last-minute edits."
(A) "Well, it looks like all the loose ends are tied up... it's too bad all this had to happen on Sherbie's eighteenth birthday of all days."

-S-

Beacon trembled.

If Teck knew so far in advance, then surely not...what if he vanished just as Mummy shot at him?

-A-

(A) If that's the case and Teck is still alive, then don't worry.  We'll be ready for him when he comes back.

Alt didn't immediately realize what she'd just done.  Apparently, at some point she'd unconsciously modified the bug in Beacon's head so she had a link with him just like the one she used to have with Sherbie.

-S-

Beacon blinked.

...Mummy?

-A-

(A) Ah... yes, Beacon, it's me.

Alt picked up Beacon.  Everyone else glanced at the two of them.

-S-

Beacon rubbed his skull.

How are you...doing that?

-A-

(A) I don't know, I think I just tapped in without realizing it.

Franklin turned.

(F) "Is something wrong, Your Majesty?"
(A) "I... please excuse me.  There's something I need to do."

Alt left the room with Beacon and returned to room 317... the room where everything had begun.

(A) Figment and Nebula did a number on this room... but most of it looks salvageable.  It'll take a few days, but I think we can have everything rebuilt.

-S-

What are you going to do?

-A-

Alt put Beacon down.

(A) I'm going to get Sherbie's birthday present working again.  I don't care how much work it is, but everything in here is going to be up and humming again as good as ever, and completely Teck-free.
Chapter 1: [link]
Chapter 24: [link]
Chapter 26: [link]

Chapter 25 of A Technical Foul. You can't tell, but I ended this chapter just short of a major turning point. No, it doesn't involve Sherbie coming back as a zombie. That would have been interesting, though.

In case you haven't noticed, I've been uploading a chapter of this every third deviation. I might have it finished by Valentine's Day, depending on how things go.

Tech series & all involved concepts © :iconxx-amaramis-xx: and me
© 2010 - 2024 sonicinterface
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Tori-the-Sand-Cat's avatar
And mroe. I've faved them all, I think, just not...erm, bothered to put them all in.