Order of Magnitude

VI. Ready. Set. GO!

     "This is the place," Turner said when they finally came to the clearing he had been at a week ago. It was a little harder to find than he had anticipated, and since the group was largely inexperienced in the human's world, it took longer than he would have liked. But those annoyances were inconsequential now that he had made it.

      "I thought we would never get here," Thom complained. "I've never been out this far before."

      "You've barely been out of our home," Miller joked. "I'm surprised you could even keep up as well as you have." It was something of a lie, since Thom had slowed the group down considerably. But that was not something the boy needed to hear from his group leader.

      "So what do we do now?" Scarlet asked.

      "First, we gotta make sure we're prepared," Turner replied. "When we're good and ready, Miller and Thom will go forward into the muck."

      Travis scanned the area. "I don't see anything; where is this trap."

      "Straight ahead," Miller answered. "If we walk toward the building, we'll find it soon enough."

      Thom gulped. "And that's where we're going, right?"

      "Yup, as soon as we get the go ahead."

      Turner, Scarlet, Jean, and the members of their respective groups pulled out their grappling hooks and readied them. It was time. Turner gave a nod to Miller, and he started off toward the lab.

      Thom, on the other hand, stayed where he was.

      "Come on," Miller said when he noticed he was alone. "Let's do this."

      "Just give me a second," Thom said, his voice quavering. In his rush to prove himself a man, he never stopped to imagine how terrifying the moment of truth would actually be. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his nerves. Just as soon as he got control of his breathing, he leaned over and retched up his meager ration of breakfast. "I'm sorry," he said over and over again.

      Miller walked over to the scared boy. "Hey, it'll be okay," he said reassuringly. "All we have to do is walk out there and wait to be collected. We have the least dangerous job possible."

      "I know that," he said, on the verge of hyperventilating. "I just... I don't know if I can do it. I've never seen a giant before, and now I'm going to have one picking me up. What if he crushes me? What would my mother say?"

      "Hey," Scarlet shouted. "You volunteered, kid. Don't wimp out on us now; we can't just leave you here."

      "Scarlet, please," Turner said. He got in front of the boy and dropped to one knee. "How are you with a grappling hook?"

      "I've practiced with them in the yard."

      "Good. Travis, give the boy your hook. You're going to be taking his place."

      Travis shot a look at Turner, then threw his grappling hook at Thom. "Fine," he said, and stood next to his new group leader.

      "Are we ready?" Miller asked.

      "I guess," Turner answered.

      Miller and Travis exchanged looks, and walked toward the lab. Each step was taken gingerly, their bodies anticipating the sudden feeling of incapacitation. Their moves were labored and they advanced at a snail's pace. Miller noticed it first; his feet wouldn't lift off of the ground anymore. Travis saw this, gulped, and took a few more steps until he too was good and stuck.

      Farther back, hidden in the grass, Turner and the others waited for the bait to be collected. "Alright, Thom," he said softly. "Just do what I say."

      "Okay," Thom said, still shivering.

      "Trust me on this. Look how far away that building is. It would be a day or two just to get there, assuming they don't have any other safeguards. And I doubt we have that kind of time."

      "Just tell me when to move-" Thom's sentence was cut off when he saw the giant scientist walking right toward him. He scrambled backward, trying to get as far away from the human as he could.

      "Stop that," Scarlet commanded.

      "He's going to step on us!"

      "No he's not, he's not going to be anywhere near us; knock it off, kid."

      Just as Scarlet said, the scientist had stopped a good distance away from the group. He was carefully trying to extricate Miller and Travis from his gooey trap.

      "Now!" Turner shouted, and everybody rushed forward. Thom took a few shaky steps, and before he knew it, he too was running toward the giant. A sudden feeling of exhilaration grabbed him. Despite his fear, he was excited. Turner watched him and smiled. "Hooks ready!" he shouted. "Go!"

      One by one, the grappling hooks latched onto the scientist's pants and lab coat. The giant didn't even notice it; he was still busy collecting Miller and Travis in a jar. Within seconds, he stood up and carried his new specimens into the lab while down below, the parvs were holding tightly onto their ropes. Thom got so wrapped up in the moment that he let out a "WOO". Scarlet quickly hushed him, but they both knew the sound would never carry to the giant's ears.

      All too soon, the ride ended, and the parvs found themselves in the lab where their venerated leader was waiting. This was it. The breakout began now.