Dynamic Patrol: Gel Squad! Episode II

Chapter 23: Search

Tommy and his team exited his room; Kai searched for Cam, figuring the same ventilation system would take him toward the medical specialist. While Tommy, Cal, Kipp, and Bodi remained in solid form, searching with the rest of the station's population for Polly. They had flashlights along with them, naturally. A team of security droids assisted the lower deck search parties. No one seemed to mind having robots around; D1 had changed the population's mind about artificial intelligence— it made Tommy feel quite disgusted with himself and how he was treating Cam, but that was not his primary focus.

"Hey, Tom? So I think I want to quit." Cal dropped suddenly as he and Tommy were about halfway into an auxiliary craft docking bay, "Quit what?" Tommy asked; he wasn't sure if Cal was trying to quit living on the station, trying to break up with him, or worse. Tommy turned to Cal, "Look, I know that things are difficult, with the power core explosion and losing half the station and all. But it's going to get better, believe me." 

"No, it's not that. I'm very happy here." Cal corrected quickly, "Oh. Then..?" Tommy asked as his attention was divided, "I don't want to be the deck chief. I want to be a school teacher!"

"What?" Tommy laughed lightly, "But I thought you wanted to build stuff." Tommy's eyes widened in surprise at that; what a bombshell. "I don't like to tap into stereotypes... but you're a military man... usually they're stern and fierce. And hate kids?" Tommy spoke as if he weren't sure what was coming out of his mouth. "I already checked; there's no one here who's a teacher; Kipp didn't even know what it meant to extrude; it's important that we start educating again. It's the only way to preserve our culture and history via the next generation. And we need a teacher more than we need a deck chief."

"Are you sure..? Children can be cruel." Cal nodded eagerly; he looked toward Kipp and Bodi, who were trying to break into an old shuttle pod; even with their working status, they couldn't focus on performing their duties. Cal was sure he wanted this. "That's... I don't see a problem with that. There are about 67 extrusions and pre-ascension-aged children on the station. I think you could assemble a basic class."

"Oh, don't worry about it; I already have a curriculum!" Cal declared, he was very excited. "You know what... no matter how many times I merge with or talk to you... I don't think I'll ever not be surprised by your actions, Cal."

"Is that a bad thing?" Cal asked with a raised eyebrow, but he had a cheeky grin. He didn't want Tommy to think he was weird, but perhaps it was too late. Maybe it was considered strange for someone as big and strong as Cal to become a schoolteacher, but times were changing now. Plus, he never wanted to be deck chief; he didn't even want to teach kids, but he'd found a new calling. And it did make sense; most of these extrusions were running around causing terror on the station; some didn't even have parents because they'd passed away in the initial burst of charges. Either way, they needed guidance, and Cal wanted to give it. "No... it's adorable."

"Really? If it's 'so cute,' maybe we should... intermingle later?" Cal leaned in for a kiss before something fell off the upper level and clattered to the ground: a massive box. Tommy's attention was pulled away immediately because a fall from an object that large and that high could not have been an accident, "Up there," He shouted; he pointed up toward the upper level, where a shadow was messing around with the crates in the room. "Stretch me out!" Tommy exclaimed to Cal. His idea was to be used like a rubber band. Cal knew what he meant, and he grabbed Tommy with both hands, pulling him out by the ankles and arms. The squirrel contorted just enough to give himself tension, and Cal closed one eye to get decent aim in the dim room; his focus was further enhanced by sticking his tongue out of the corner of his mouth. He released Tommy, and the gooey squirrel was at the mercy of the wind as he rocketed through the air. He also exasperated a scream of joy as he traversed the bay with no resistance; Kipp and Bodi made their way over and watched as Tommy went splat against the glass of the shuttle bay's control booth. His orange and black form spread across the pane like a giant blob of snot.

Cal winced, feeling secondhand pain from Tommy's collision. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Oops, sorry. Didn't mean to do it that hard, Tom." Cal shouted, but Tommy ignored the stinging of colliding with the glass. And he slipped down the smooth surface and reformed solid, shuffling over. He found Polly trying to squeeze his way into another vent. "Not so fast," Tommy said; he grabbed hold of Polly's ankles because half his body was still moving as he tried to force his way back into the ventilation system. Tommy pulled, but when Polly wouldn't budge, he wrapped his tail around the nearby railing and used it as a winch to pull Polly out. The purple and black Omeocoon, whom Tommy had established as a mouse, was violently thrust out of the vent, where he collided with a rail and yelped in agony. "Sorry," Tommy said to Polly, who seemed quite resilient. He was able to get back up and continue his mission of escape.

"Just stop. Alright? We have your friend; if you don't come with me, you'll see him again," Tommy exclaimed as Polly tried to jump over the rail, hoping to crash on the deck below. "Okay... so we're getting somewhere. That's good. Just turn around slowly." Polly complied; now Tommy could actually look at him— as much as the light would allow, anyway. "State your demands," Polly said furiously. The emotional response was to attack Tommy, but Polly knew that would've gotten him nowhere. "Just come peacefully, and I swear nothing will happen to you or your... dog," Tommy said honestly. He didn't have any intention of hurting Gauge. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" 

"Because A: You're outnumbered. And B: If I wanted to hurt you, I would've done it already." 

"I guess so, but even then. I don't want to be your prisoner. I'm a member of your people. Don't you think that's enough to warrant some trust?" 

"But you ran away from us." Tommy countered, "Because you electrocuted my friend?" Polly retorted, and for that, Polly was ready to jump, but Tommy tried his best to keep the mouse grounded. "Please don't make this harder than it needs to be." Tommy pleaded. Polly shrugged, "Thanks for the offer, but I'll take my chances alone." He jumped over, and Tommy rushed to catch him, but Polly was too quick. Cal, standing below, grabbed the mouse and glared at him as he held him in his arms like a newlywed couple walking through the door as husband and wife for the first time. He looked around and saw Kipp and Bodi standing near the door, and there were no vents in this room; sometimes, it was just better to give up; he was on a space station... in retrospect, he couldn't leave without Gauge or the time, displacer. "Damnit." Polly huffed in defeat. Of all the Gel-Squad endeavors, this was the most straightforward mission ever.