Dimensions of Change
By Zipper
Chapter Six
“You must forgive a mistrusting bat but, RIGHT! Pull the other one.”
Tacoma snarled.
Gadget, being the innocent mouse she was, never caught on the bats sarcastic
tones. “Pull the other what?” She scratched her head. “Widget,
I don’t think she believes you.”
Widget’s eyes glistened. “Go ahead Dodger, vaporizer her. Hit her
between the eyes.” Widget stated flatly before turning her attention back
to Gadget. “Don’t move sis. Dodgers an expert marksman, but even then,
a millimeter will put the beam into an eye, and that would be bad.”
Gadget nodded. “Oh, right that would mess up my perfect vision.”
Widget rolled her eyes. She hoped that she wasn’t that utterly cute and
innocent.
Tacoma grinned. She had been waiting for this moment. A single ping for range
finding, a slight adjustment for the perfect shot and Bam! Gadget was…
not on the floor, wailing an unearthly cry with a hole in her head. Instead,
she stood there looking cute.
“Um, the bridge of my nose is getting warm.” Gadget stated, as if
this was some experiment.
“OK Dodger, that’s enough.” Widget inserted. Tacoma drew her
attention back to the albino.
“Wha… OK, enough Widget. What’s all this.” Tacoma demanded.
“I think I’ll let you all get equated. I have to see how Tammy’s
doing.” Widget smirked as she left.
Tacoma was stunned. She turned back to the room, only to find Gadget mere centimeters
from her neck. She froze as fear and memories stunned her senses but Gadget
never bit. Instead, Gadget would move Dodgers head slightly left and right,
or up and down, always examining her head mounted laser.
“Golly, its so small, yet the power circuits suggest a high output.”
Gadget mumbled. “If you increase the RC time constant, you’ll increase
the power output ten fold.”
Dodger shook her head free. “We had thought of that, but that decreases
the fire rate. This is the best we could do while keeping the rate up.”
She hissed.
Gadget cocked her head to the side. “But why do you have a laser strapped
to the side of your head?”
Tacoma was irritable, tired and was not in the mood for silly questions from
a long time enemy. “Because, you silly mouse, I am an aviator. This is
the standard equipment for an aero-mammal in the resistance’s air force.
The fact that my strafing laser didn’t burn your head off only proves that
you’re not a vampire, but I’m still keeping my eye on you.”
“Strafing laser?” Foxglove asked.
Tacoma rolled her head to examine the new bat. Foxglove was sitting with her
legs crossed and Dales head in her lap. “Yes, a Strafing laser. How else
am I supposed to have a small side arm in flight? Its not like I can hold a
weapon wile flying!”
“Oh, That makes sense, but what’s with that vest? It looks uncomfortable
in flight.” Foxglove said as she stroked Dales cheek.
Dodger figured she was going to be here awhile. She sighed with resignation.
“Not really. It’s comfortable and warm, plus it is the only way we
can attack extra systems to our self’s.”
“Really? Like what?” Foxglove asked, her ears perking up.
“Oh every thing from 5 oz bombs to my personal favorite, the Vulcan gattling
laser, and it alows for the radios and battery hook-ups.”
“I never pictured you as someone interested in weapons Foxy.” Dale
purred.
Foxglove’s ears turned bright red. “To be honest, I’ve always
wanted to be a fighter pilot. Flying at high speed, no stopping for anyone,
free to maneuver with out restrictions. It was all I could dream about while
I was bounced between foster homes.”
“Trust me, its not all that.” Dodger said straight out. “The
life is rough. Always pushing to be better than the other guy. Never resting,
never letting you guard down. Doing that will send you home in a cardboard shoebox,
or worst out here, turn you into the enemy her self. Little sleep, always stressed
little hope. The glamour is gone for me, leaving only stark reality.”
An uncomfortable silence fell upon the room. Tacoma stirred in her seat. “How
did you two get here?”
“Another detention and another one of my inventions that went wrong.”
Gadget mumbled.
“You’re an inventor like widget?” Dodger asked with interest.
“Oh, you bet she is.” Foxglove chimed in, always happy to toot her
friends horn. “Shes done everything from aircraft to cars.”
“You fly?” Dodger asked with an increasing interest.
“I’ve seen her out fly hawks.” Foxglove inserted.
Dodger smiled. ‘I’m starting to see what Widget sees in them.’
She taught to her self as the conversation continued.
Widget sat down in a plush chair with a plop.
Tammy opened an eye as she slowly rocked a sleeping Gimcrack in the rocking
char next to his crib. “How’d it go?” She asked in a whisper.
“Just as I had planned. Dale was emotional and the Captain was cool and
calculating, but they soon came around.” Widget whispered back as she got
up.
Tammy offered the sleeping mouselet to Widget, who accepted the gift with eagerness
before she padded over to the chair. “Good, maybe now I can rest.”
Tammy said with an ‘oof.’
Widget didn’t respond. Her attention was on Grimcrack, her paw slowly stroking
his cheek. She slowly started a deep, quiet song. “We all live in a yellow
submarine, a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine.”
Tammy watched on “I want a pup of my own.” She mumbled.
“Any rodent caught your eye?” Widget queried.
“No. The only thing close was Chipper, but I knew, even then, that it was
a passing phase.” She sighed as she remembered. “I wanted to be grown
up, not treated like a kid. If I only knew what grown up meant then…”
She faded off.
“I’m sorry you got dragged into to this.” Widget mumbled.
“Widget, you didn’t drag me…” Tammy began.
“No, I have to say this. You have been so good to me… to us.”
Widget stroked Grimcracks ear, “I wished the Trans-phasic Modulation Inducer
had worked properly. Instead I’ve drawn two other innocents into this living
nightmare. I can’t help thinking that maybe I’m not fit to lead this
little band. Maybe I should relinquish command. I don’t know, I feel all
mixed up… like a whirlpool, inside.” She peered down again at Grimcrack.
“But I know I have to, if not for anyone else but you, Grimmy.
Widget leered back to Tammy, who was out like a light. “Thanks for listening.”
She whispered contently before sleep caught her at last.
Alicia stumbled back to the scientific personnel’s barracks and collapsed
onto the reckroom’s couch. It was morning, and most self-respecting vampires
were tucked away in their small crevices. She shivered thinking about what had
just happened.
The sun had peeked through the cloud cover, if only briefly, but retribution
was swift. She tenderly touched her eyelid as it started to swell shut. From
behind a bag of ice appeared.
“You want to talk about it?” Jonathan asked, leaning across the back
of the couch.
Alicia accepted the bag and placed it on her eye. “I hate her you know.
That’s all I feel is hate now. Hate and fear.”
Jonathan nodded. “Soon, that’s all you will feel. Hate and fear is
the most basic of emotions.”
Alicia looked up with her good eye. “But I can’t remember anything
else but I know my life was more that hatred. There was another emotion, but
I can’t even remember its name.”
Jonathan nodded his agreement. “No one would shed a tear if she was caught
out there when the clouds cleared.”
Alicia nodded. “At least we triangulated the location of the disturbance.”
“Really, were.”
“The burned out tree in the center of uncontrolled part of the park.”
Alicia stated. “Gadget was mumbling something about an early morning raid
tomorrow.” She paused. “I wouldn’t mind seeing it fail.”
She said, barely above a breath.
“None of us would mind, but don’t think about doing anything rash.”
Jonathan warned. “I remembered what happened to a cat named Langly. He
was much like you. One day he tried to warn the resistance about an impending
raid but was found out. He was tied to a flagpole on city hall the next night.
When day came, they raised a shade. It blocked out the most of the light, keeping
him alive all day, if just barely. His cry’s” Jonathan shivered, “were
broadcast through out the city. They still haunt me to this day.”
“Don’t worry Jonathan.” Alicia sighed. “I won’t do
anything to get me in trouble. I’ll be a good girl.”
Jonathan patted her on the back. “Good girl. Now lets head off to grave.
Get ablest a few hours of sleep.”
Alicia shrugged him off. “I don’t feel tired. I think I need a walk.”
“But what if the clouds clear?” Jonathan pushed.
“Then I’ll fry, or explode, or melt or what ever.” Alicia snapped
before storming out.
Bad Gadget seems to have problems making friends. This is what happens when you have all coffee taken away from you suddenly. You become an eternal crank. Atleast we finaly hear from Alicia, but life as the dammed does not seem fitting to her. To much depretion to live with. At least Foxglove and Good Gadget seem to be getting along, and might find something to eat while there at it, but will things stay like this for long? Find out on the next exciting installment of ‘Dimensions of Change’
Disclaimer: ‘Dimensions of Change’ was produced, written,
edited, and well, brought into this plain of existence by Zipper the Magnificent!
All Characters except for Widget and Grimcrack are the trademarks of Disney
Animation or some other Disney company (who knows, or cares). John W. Nowak
is credited for the creation of Widget and Grimcrack. The Vaparitic rodent community
has set up protest in front of Capt. Airheart’s sunning and sun lamp depository.
Anyone interested is asked to meet in front of the building at noon.
Sighed Capt. Airheart.
Foxglove has been granted, in the attempt at fair airtime, a blippet of her
own.
Foxglove: Oh loyal readers, a beseech you, please stop reading stories were
I get banged, bruised, trampled, bitten, burned, and please abandon this idea
of vampires. Its hard on a bat. Thank you.
The rebuttal
Author: No
Foxglove: Please?!
Author: let me think… NO! Pain makes good reading.Readers want pain, they
want to feel for you!
Foxglove: Ah, guano.