INTO THE BLACK

Google stared at the stunningly attractive girl in front of him and found he couldn't think of a single thing to say. Say something smart he thought to himself. Or something funny. Or perhaps I should say something heroic. 'Hi, I'm Google Jones and I'm here to rescue you'. Or would that be pompous? What if she doesn't need rescuing. Is it chauvinistic of me to assume she would? Perhaps 'Hi, I'm Google Jones and I can rescue you... if you want. I mean, I don't mind. Either way. I'm cool'? Yeah, that could work. Has a nice casual feel about it. Oh god, she's looking at me. Wow, she's really cute when she uses her eyes. Ok, I'm going to say something. Any minute...

“Who are you?” Abe demanded as he pointed his blaster at the girl.

“I'm Uranus.”

Such a beautiful name thought Google.

“I'm afraid Olga escaped a week ago. That's when I was moved here, but for some reason they keep calling me Olga. It's possible they were trying to lure you into a trap.”

“Gee, you don't say,” said Abe, glaring across at Billy and Google.

“Hey, I know you,” said Uranus. “You're Google Jones – the chosen one!”

She knows me! She knows me! Ok, act cool. Don't say anything stupid.

“Yep,” said Google. Phew, that went well. “Google Jones is he who is me. And Uranus is who is you.” Two from two. I'm doing well!

“Uh, this is all great, but shouldn't we be escaping before we got blown up?” asked Abe.

“I'll lead the way to safety,” said Billy as he yawned, awake again.

Damn that should have been my line thought Google.

#

“You have a piece of the Trinity Key here? On your shelf?”

“Prince Mykur's feng shui expert said it clashed with the vibe he was going for in Throne Room #1. So I offered to look after it.”

Jupiter walked over to the shelf while Liberty kept her blaster aimed at Tonkins.

“How do we know it's really the Trinity Key and not a fancy paper weight. Or a bomb?”

“Just take a close look at it,” Tonkins replied.

“He's right Lib. I'm pretty sure this is the second piece,” Jupiter replied.

“How can you tell?” Liberty asked without moving her eyes from Tonkins.

“Well, it's slightly larger than the orb we collected and has more of a halo-like shape about it, but it has the same silverly, translucent look as the first piece. Plus it's hovering in mid-air above my hand.”

Liberty turned to take in the sight.

“I can't believe we actually got it,” Liberty said.

“I'm as shocked as you are,” added Tonkins dryly. “But if you want to live, you better focus on making your speedy getaway. It looks like your furry friend and kids are about to be caught breaking a prisoner out.”

#

Google watched from behind as Billy lead Uranus down the narrow corridor.

“But what do I say to her?” he asked Abe. “Write me some lines. Something romantic. Possibly about roses.”

“It doesn't work like that. If you want someone to fall in love with you, you need to actually let them get to know the real you. You can't pretend to be someone else. Just be yourself around her,” Abe replied. Then quickly added, “Although dialling back the awkwardness couldn't hurt. Oh, and try not to do that pompous git thing you do.”

“I'll do my best. Wish me luck,” Google said as he picked up his pace to catch up to the others.

“I like Uranus” Google said as he reached them.

“Huh?” said Uranus as she turned to face him.

“I like your name,” Google repeated.

“Oh, thanks. Yeah, I was born there when my parents were on holiday. My poor sister wasn't so lucky. She was born on Venus.”

Google laughed. “That is unfortunate.”

“I like your name, too,” Uranus said. “It's kind of exotic. What's it from?”

“I think it's latin for 'to search'” Google replied.

“We better hurry,” said Billy as they reached the portrait of the fat lady. “If they discover we've broken a prisoner out, dad will send the death eaters after us.”

“Death eaters?”

“It's what his security force are called.”

“What's all this chatter?” asked the fat lady as she woke up inside her painting.

“Blatant copyright infringement,” Billy told the fat lady.

“Password denied,” the fat lady responded.

“Denied. Why?”

“We're in shut down mode, all portraits have been ordered to remain frozen,” said the fat lady.

“But you can let us through, can't you?” asked Abe. “I mean we know the password, so we can't be the ones they're after.”

“What do you think I am? Some neurotic security computer! I am a lady and a lady never breaks her word. No entry!”

“We're dead,” moaned Abe.

“No there's another way. Quick, follow me if you want to live!” Billy said.

“I was just about to say that,” Google told Uranus. "Really, I was."

#

Liberty, Jupiter and Justice raced up the ramp and into The Love Crusader where they began a frantic search of the ship.

“Tonkins was right. There's no sign of them,” Jupiter finally said.

“Great! If they're not dead, I'm going to kill them!”

“Ah, that's not the worst of it guys,” Justice added looking down at the cockpit monitors. “They're starting to lock down the exits due to some security breach. If they don't get here soon, we'll be trapped.”

#

Billy led the group through one grey corridor after another until they ended up at a thick, black metal door with spikes protruding from it.

“Oh, this doesn't look ominous at all,” said Abe.

“Relax, it's just my bedroom,” Billy replied as he keyed in a code and the door hissed open.

“Oh my... uh... this is, um, nice,” said Uranus nervously as they made their way into the room. Kids toys littered the room but everyone's attention was fixed firmly on the mural painted along the walls. A mural that depicted the Mykur family's long history of patricide.

“That's, uh, an interesting piece of art,” said Abe, holding back a gulp.

“There's a lot of... red paint,” added Google.

“Yeah, that guy being decapitated over there is my great-great grandfather. Dad always said I have his eyes,” Billy replied as he pushed a toy crate out of the way and removed a section of the floor below. “We can get out through this tunnel.”

“You dug a secret tunnel out of your own bedroom?” asked Google.

“You saw the mural, didn't you? I always knew one day I'd need to escape or be killed.”

Billy was first to drop down into the tunnel, then Abe. Google and Uranus followed, finding it's kid-sized nature more claustrophobic than the others.

“So... do you come here often?” Google asked Uranus as they crawled along.

“You mean to evil, creepy castles. Not so much. You?”

“First time.” He looked across at her. “It's not that bad though, thanks to the company.” He paused, then added, “I meant you, not the monkey and the pre-schooler.”

Uranus smiled. “You're sweet. If we're not slaughtered in the next few minutes we should totally catch up for coffee sometime.”

“Oh, I'm lactose intolerant,” said Google.

“Me too! Well I used to be too, but then I took the cure.”

“My bodyguards wouldn't let me risk it. In case it had side effects.”

“But you're so brave... I used to watch all the Google Jones, Chosen One cartoons when I was a kid. Nothing scares you.”

“Yeah, they tend to exaggerate stuff a little. I'm not that brave.”

“Oh really?” said Uranus. “Because I could've sworn you were risking your life to save me.”

“Well you were sort of on the way so...” said Google as smoothly as he could manage. Up ahead Abe and Billy climbed out of the tunnel.

“Kiss me,” said Uranus.

“You mean right now? Here?”

“Yeah, that's my ship Kiss me, right up there. Billy's tunnel lead straight to my docking bay! What are the odds?”

“Ah, yeah, great,” said Google. “Yay.” Then a bit more petulantly, “Isn't Kiss me an odd name for a ship?”

“What ship did you come here on?”

“The Love Crusader.”

“Will you kids stop gossiping and get up here. Life or death situation, remember?” Abe yelled down at them. Google climbed up before helping lift Uranus out.

“We're in Bay 330, it's only a few doors down from our bay.”

“Well, I guess this is where we say goodbye,” said Uranus. “Thanks for rescuing me and good luck with the whole saving the universe thing.”

“Yeah, uh, goodbye,” said Google as he hung his head and followed Abe and Billy back towards the bay exit. Then he stopped. Sighed. Turned back and stared at Uranus as she went about getting her ship ready. Abe watched on.

“Ok. Hurry up and kiss Uranus goodbye,” he told Google. “But make it quick or you can kiss your anus goodbye.”

Google raced over and tapped her on the shoulder. She smiled.

“I... ah, is it ok if I kiss you?” he asked.

“I'll allow it.”

#

“Look! Here are they come!” Liberty said as Abe, Google and Billy came racing up the ramp.

“Let's get out of here,” said Abe as he puffed for breath when he reached the top.

“Where the hell have you been?” Liberty demanded.

“I kissed a girl!” replied Google.

“Ah, guys, change of plans – everyone into The Blackbird,” Justice said.

“Huh?”

“Security just started shutting our airlock. We won't fit through in The Love Crusader – we need to abandon it,” Justice told them.

“But we can't... all my stuff...”

“It's my ship! You can't expect me to just...”

“There's no time!” yelled Justice.

“He's right,” said Liberty. “We've got to go, and we've got to go now!”

Jupiter took one last rueful look around the ship as everyone piled into The Blackbird. He rested his hand gently on one of the walls.

“Thanks for the memories,” he said quietly before closing the door shut.

Seconds later the door flew back open as Liberty raced to the cockpit, grabbed the first piece the Trinity Key and sprinted back towards The Blackbird.

“Can't believe we almost forgot that!”

#

Prince Mykur watched on a hologram display as The Blackbird exploded out of the docking bay just before the airlock slid shut.

“I am glad you talked me into this plan, Tonkins. It's so evil, I'd almost swear I came up with it,” he said chuckling. Then added, “Make sure the records show that I did come up with it and see to it that anyone who knows that I didn't is killed.”

“As you wish my lordship.”

“It will be so much fun killing them once they've collected the final piece of the key for me. You are sure the technicians had enough time to rig the jump functionality on The Blackbird?”

“Yes, as you told them to do. In your plan. Which you created all by yourself.”

“Excellent.”

#

“That was too close!” Abe said as the Blackbird made its way from Prince Mykur's Castle.

“Are you kidding? All in all, things couldn't have gone to plan better,” said Justice. “We got what we came for... and what's this about Google kissing a girl?”

“You got the second piece of the Trinity Key?” asked Abe.

“Yep, it's right here. But we've still got no idea how to find the third piece,” Jupiter said as he took the second piece of the key out of his pocket. The halo vibrated slightly then flew bullet-like through the air. At the same the orb in Liberty's hand shot out of her grasp, joining the halo. Together they floated mid-air, the halo rotating around the smaller orb.

“Ok, that was kinda cool,” said Billy.

“Ah, guys... look at this,” said Jupiter as the lights on Blackbird's control panel lit up like Christmas decorations at a Vegas Christmas Spectacular.

“What's going on?” Liberty asked.

“It's changing our course,” Jupiter replied.

“Where's it taking us?”

“Earth.”

Previously on Into the Black: Having found the first piece of the Trinity Key, our heroes have broken into Prince Mykur's Castle in an attempt to get the second piece.

And so far, if you were to be writing a year 12 essay on this story, you could talk about the story's various inter-connecting themes such as personal sacrifice, free will versus fate, and humanity versus computerity. (But it's probably best not to mention Cher.)

And now the story continues...




Liberty entered the control room first, followed closely behind by Justice. In an instant, she'd sized up the number of guards (4), the amount of guns they carried (8) and the amount of deodrant they were wearing (0). Before the guards even had a chance to register the new smell of the pizza, Justice and Liberty had their blasters out.
“Don't die trying to be a hero – you chose the wrong side for that,” Justice told the guards. “Now drop your blasters.”
The guards did what they were told as Jupiter entered carrying the pizza boxes.
“I thought you said we were going subdue them by drugging the pizza,” Jupiter said.
“That was just to stop you eating it all,” Liberty said as she opened one of the boxes and took a slice from Jupiter. “I always get hungry on a big mission.”

Justice quickly went about tying up the guards while Jupiter and Liberty checked the security monitors.
“Tonkins is in his quarters in the west wing. If we hurry we may be able to get to him while he's alone. If he's on our side like Billy says, he could help get us into throne room #1,” Jupiter said.
“Ok, I'll stay while you and Libby get Tonkins. I can guide you and keep you updated on his movements from here,” Justice told them as he started to tap away on the monitors, bringing up various schematics and maps.
“Ah guys, you're not going to like this...,” he added.
“What?”
“To get to Tonkins, you have to go through the torture section of the castle.”

#

“I'm bored,” said Billy.
“Yes, intense life or death situations can be so tedious,” replied Abe.
“Play some video game in the rumpus room if you want. They've got an Xbox Infinity,” Google said.
“Oh, I prefer the Playstation Infinity+1,” Billy said. “Besides, shouldn't we be helping your friends?”
“Yes, I'm sure they really need the help of a seven year old. I'm sure you'd be of great use if they ran into some evil toys.”
“Well, we could try to free the princess while we wait,” Billy said.
“I liked him better when was sleeping,” Abe complained to Google.
“Princess? What Princess?” Google asked, looking up from his book.
“Princess Olga.”
“We have to rescue her!” said Google, practically jumping out of his seat.
“No way! Our orders are to stay here until the others return. They were very simple orders. 'Get killed' isn't mentioned in them once.”
“But I've met her. She's the princess from Gaia. That's my home world! We've got to save her.”
“She's right near where my bedroom used to be,” Billy said. “That's how I heard about her. I could get us there easily enough – I know a secret passage.”
“No. You're both crazy. Can't you see it's obviously a trap!?”
“It's only a trap if we get caught,” said Google as he picked up his blaster.

#

Liberty pulled the remains of the giant spider carcass off her chest as Jupiter helped her back onto her feet.
“Ok, what fun do we have next?” she asked.
“Now you're near end of the torture section,” Justice told them as he watched Liberty and Jupiter from the monitors in the security room. “To the left of you should be two doors – avoid them. They lead to the Den of Dentists and the Country Music Museum. If you continue past them and you should come to a red metal door,” Justice instructed.
“Got it,” replied Liberty as she lead Jupiter down the narrow, grey corridor. “I can see the door. Now what?”
“Make your way through that room and you'll be in Tonkins section of the castle.”
“Ok,” said Jupiter as he put his hand on the door handle.
“Just one thing,” said Jupiter. “What's in this room?”
“Uh, I don't know. It's just labelled The Fear Room.”
“We just battled ten-foot spiders, yet this is the fear room? Oh goodie,” muttered Jupiter as he opened the door and entered the room.

#

“The electronic paintings actually double as secret doorways in this part of the castle,” Billy explained as he lead them up to a portrait of a fat lady. “This short cut will get us to the Princess in no time.”
“How do we get in? It's rock solid,” Google said as he tapped the painting.
“Oi! You woke me up with all this racket!” the fat lady in the painting moaned as she came to life and moved about the painting as if by magic.
“Sorry, but I need to get through,” said Billy.
“Alright then,” the fat lady said begrudgingly. “What's the password, Harry?”
“Harry's one of my brothers,” Billy explained. “She sometimes gets us mixed up.”
“Well, hurry up. What's the password or do you want me to call the guards?” demanded the painting.
“Blatant copyright infringement,” Billy answered.
“Correct,” sighed the fat lady and the painting flickered off, leaving an open entrance for the trio to enter.

#

Jupiter watched as Liberty made her way into the room. Without warning a burst of purple gas exploded into her face she collapsed to the ground.
“Liberty!”
Jupiter quickly scooped her up and dragged her out of the room, slamming the door shit behind them.
“Are you ok?” he asked as he propped her up against the red door. No response.
“Justice are you there? Liberty got sprayed by some gas – I think it was purple. What was it? What do I do?”
“I saw it. I can't find anything on the castle's system about it – hang on I'll get answers from the control room staff.”
“Hurry,” Jupiter said as he tried to wipe Liberty's face where the gas hit. Her eyes jerked open.
“No,” she said sitting up in a panic.
“What is it?” Jupiter asked.
“I slept in!”
“What?”
“I'm going to be late for the final academy test.”
Jupiter couldn't help but let out a laugh.
“It's ok, Libby. You graduated. It's all fine. We're on Mykur's Castle ship at the moment, remember?”
“The test was on blaster technique. I'll never be good enough. I'm not going to be able to save him. I'm going to get Google and Justice and you killed,” she said, her words almost blurring together.
“It's fear gas,” Justice cut in. “You've got to keep her calm. It uses a person's deepest fears against them. If you can't keep her calm she could go into cardiac arrest.”

Liberty screamed and flailed about, banging her body into the hard metal door. Jupiter forced his arms around her, trying to keep her secure.
“It's just the gas Lib. Whatever you're seeing, it's an hallucination. You need to relax.”
“I got him killed!” she screamed. “I got them all killed! They're all dead!”
“They're not. Everyone's fine. You just need to stay calm.”
“What would you know!? You're dead too!” Liberty squealed pushing Jupiter away. When Jupiter regained his balance Liberty had her blaster pressed up to her own head.
“I can't go on,” she said, her eyes filling up with tears.
“No Lib – stop! You can't do that. Please. I can't lose you. I can't lose someone I love again.”
The words were out his mouth before he even knew what he was saying.
“Jupiter!” Justice's voice screeched from Jupiter's earpiece. “You can neutralise the effects of the fear gas with laughing gas. There should be some in the Den of Dentists.”
“Liberty, please just hold on for me,” Jupiter said.
She looked across at him with desperate eyes.
“I'm sorry,” she said softly. Gun against her head, she pulled the trigger.
“Noooooooooooooooooo!” Jupiter screamed as he rushed down beside her.
“No. Please no,” he continued to cry as he rocked back and forward, nursing Liberty's now lifeless body.

#

Billy lead Google and Abe to the prison cell room. A big metal door stood between them and the princess.
“This seems too easy,” Abe said. “Where are all the guards?”
“They don't need them – these doors are new. They're the latest, state-of-the-art advancement in security. Nothing can cut through them and the lock on that door is a 32 digit combination. It's impossible to crack - because it's not digital, computers can't even crack it. On top of all that, you need fingerprint clearance. Hopefully mine are still on the system,” Billy said.
“And you know the password?”
“Yep, it's...” Billy promptly fell asleep.
“I really don't like that kid,” Abe said. "Even more than I don't like you."
“He must still have tyrozone in his system,” Google replied. “Quick, help me get him to the keypad.”
Together he and Abe dragged Billy across the floor and placed him up against the metal door, resting his hand gently on the handprint reader. A light above the the device turned from red to green.
“Please input password. You have 90 seconds. Failure to do so will result in death,” came a bubbly voice from some speakers above the door.
“Oh great,” muttered Abe. “Any ideas?”
“1,2,3,4,5,6 etc.?” suggested Google. “I mean it has to be something fairly simple if a seven year old could remember it.”
“That's it!” said Abe, as he started punching in some numbers.
32 digits later, the lock clicked open with a satisfyingly heavy clunk.
“Billy said the doors were new – they still had the default factory password. All zeroes,” explained Abe.
With effort Google managed to pull the heavy security door open. Together, he and Abe made their way into the prison cell. What he saw inside made him gasp.
“You're not Princess Olga... where is she?”
A beautiful teenage girl stood up from her prison cell bed to greet them.

“Thank you, but our Princess is in another Castle.”

#

Jupiter cried and convulsed in the corner, his body rocking back and forward. Liberty knelt down beside him and forced a laughing gas mask onto his face.
“Breathe this in deeply. You're going to be ok,” she said to him soothingly. Jupiter started to cough as he eyes regained focus and he took in the sight of Liberty above him.
“What's going on?” he said weakly.
“You got hit with fear gas when you went into the room. Luckily I was able to drag you out without inhaling any. The gas causes fear-based hallucinations – you nearly went into cardiac arrest.”
“Oh,” said Jupiter as he slowly started to realised what had happened. It had been he who went into the room first, not Liberty.
“At times I got the sense you could hear what Justice and I were talking about. What were you hallucinating?”
“Um... Heights. I hate heights,” Jupiter said.

“Liberty, I've managed to get the fear gas turned off. You should be able to make it through the room safely now,” Justice instructed from the control room.
“Quick, let's get this done with,” Liberty said, as she helped Jupiter back onto his feet.
The room behind the red door was no bigger than a room of the same size. Jupiter and Liberty quickly made their way through it and out into a corridor.
“Do you see a green door? There should be one on the left. That's Tonkins quarters,” Justice told them.
“Yep, I see it,” said Jupiter as he reached for the door.
“Why don't you let me enter first this time,” Liberty said with a smile as she pushed her way into the room ahead of him.

Inside she found a thin, odd-looking man writing at an old, oak desk.
“I prefer writing in the ancient method,” he said, before looking up at his visitors. “Now, tell me why I shouldn't have you killed?”
Liberty raised her blaster at him.
“I think you'll find we have the advantage in this situation,” she said calmly.
“An illusion. Ignorance, you see, isn't an advantage,” Tonkins replied as he continued to write in an open journal on his desk.
“Billy sent us to find you,” Jupiter said. “He said you could help us.”
“I don't know a Billy. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to end your lives now,” Tonkins said.
“Blade – you knew him as Blade,” Jupiter said quickly. Tonkins set down his pen and looked back up at them.
“You've seen Blade?”
“He's here,” said Jupiter.
“What! You idiots! Do you know how hard it was to get him to safety? And you brought him back here!”
“Well if you want him to stay alive, you need to get us to throne room #1.”
Tonkins coughed on some laughter.
“We're serious,” said Liberty, placing her finger on the blaster trigger.
“But it's madness. To get to throne room #1 you'll need to make it through the five fire pits, past the havoc beast, sail the wave pool of acid that leads to the swamp of eternal doom. And that's the easy part. From there you need to...”
“You can give us the directions on the way. We're not leaving here without the second piece of the Trinity Key.”

“Oh, the Trinity Key,” he said surprised. “Why didn't you say so? It's just over there on my shelf.”