Changed: Outbreak

Chapter 4: Treasures under pile of sand

[Scott's pov]

"Shouldn't we look for the others? Did Doctor K left you a note of where they're going at this time?" Lui's questions pile up on me as I type away on the keyboard of the computer on the lobby desk. My mind focused on finding that one information stored into the system of the laboratory ever since I heard of the tragic incident from Doctor K himself. "Doctor K told me that he will be fixing the valves of the drainage system with the others to eliminate the concentrated pooling leakage from one of the tanks that store Latex goo, specifically Black Latex."

I stated as I browse through documents upon documents from the computer screen. Key presses audible enough in the entire lobby, and the constant scrolling of the mouse wheel in search for that one article. Then I found it. I found the article that I've been looking for. It's the newspaper article about the strange ship that crash landed on Earth close to a civilized area. "Lui, I think I found our trip to leave this planet and find the Protogen race you're looking for." I uttered as I turn to look at Lui. I caught Lui's change of expression just in time. The worries painted on his visor turned to astonish.

"Is that for real?!"

[K's pov]

I let out a groan as I struggle to turn the opened valve. I kept on trying, but the valve won't budge. "Boss, let me handle that. Don't injure yourself." I immediately looked to my right, and noticed that the voice came from Puro. He chuckled at me and I let go of the valve in response. "You don't have to call me boss." I replied to his comment as I watch Puro grasp the valve with both of his paws before successfully turning the valve.

"It suits you, Doctor K. You're the oldest within the group. You made me, you saved Human, you saved Scott, you helped Prima, you made Lui, and you're the one who maintains this laboratory despite time corroding everything. Although, it's only a joke, and I'm not going to call you boss, unless you actually ask me to call you that, boss." Puro explained and gave out another chuckle. I sighed in return before turning to look at Colin who's only standing behind us, calm and observing us two. Colin gave me a smile, and I raised my paw in response.

[Lui's pov]

A ship from the previous Protogens that entered Earth? The article is from years ago, and I doubt the ship will be functional to even send me out of here. Thoughts and question race through my head as I try to occupy myself with the book I'm holding on both of my paws. I sit on the corner of the room with the book in my paw, and Scott sits by the office chair by the lobby desk as we both wait for the return of the three.

Then the doors swung open, and Doctor K and the others entered the lobby. Puro and Colin approached my direction, while Doctor K went for Scott. "What are you reading?" Puro asks as he sit next to me, and I closed the opened book to reveal the book cover to him. "Book about... Machinery? Since when did you got the interests on machinery?" Am I this bad at keeping attention away from me?

"K, I think I know how we can fulfill Lui's wishes."

"How, Scott?"

"Remember the ship that crash landed on this world? We can search for it and dig it up to see if we can make it work. It's the only technology present in this world that is advanced enough for easy space travel, and plus I bet it has the coordinates back to one of the Protogen planets."

"How do you propose for this to happen? We haven't even work on space travel yet!"

"Relax, Doctor K. You forgot who you're talking to right now. I may be a robotics engineer in my past life, but I have learned quite a lot of things in my new life in this world. I'll handle with the repair of the ship, and you bring me the necessary materials and equipment required for the job. Then we can set this ship to fly with Lui inside to the coordinates set in the navigation system. Don't you think that sounds amazing?" Scott explained out to Doctor K, but Doctor K does not look convinced by Scott's plan.

"Take it easy there. We have no assurance that we can fly an old ship that's been corroding for years since it got here. Although I like the sound of your idea, it is highly improbable that the ship can fly, more so safely travel Lui to the destination this ship contains. What we could do is fire the ship to life, then send a distress signal. Whoever is out there from where the ship came from will most likely send someone here to check out the distress signal. They will send a ship, and we can hijack that ship to reprogram it to send Lui back." Doctor K explained out to Scott, and Scott gave him a few nods as he explains it out to him.

I reached out my right paw towards Puro who is sitting right beside me. I passed on the book I was holding to Puro before standing up and approaching the two. "May I ask something regarding the ship that you two are planning to hijack?" I stated and the two immediately turned their heads to my direction. Doctor K raised an eyebrow at me, while Scott expressed his curiosity by putting up a huge question mark on his visor. "Let's say a ship successfully lands here. How many Protogen will this ship contain, and how are we going to take care of them before we can successfully hijack the ship?" I asked and the two looked at each other before looking back at me. "They will most likely send a group of four to check out a distress signal, and if that is the case--"

"--May I volunteer for securing the ship?"