H.O.M.E. 16
by
Fin
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The armored vehicle of which Franklin and Slim had the dubious honor of being cuffed in the backseat inside was equipped with a moderate strength levitation engine. Attuned to the metal lining of Outer Ring City itself, the machine was able navigate the various magnetic fields that arced and flowed through the cylindrical marvel. Able to turn on a dime then rocket away at full speed within an instant, the hover car was the preferred transportation vehicle of anyone that could afford such mobility innovations. Namely, one of the Council Members themselves, or someone with enough prestige to be joining them in their ruling chamber soon, most likely.
"Well aren't you going to shift into some sort of violet viscous violence?" asked Franklin Blade to his companion.
The Slime Lord remained however in his solid shape. Human and unamused.
"See those blinking lights Brother?" said Slim as he gestured to sides of the armored car. "This chariot has been augmented to prevent any cellular rearrangement. Whomever we irked certainly has the finances to expedite our arrival."
"You think it's The Council then?"
"Remind me again why you had to challenge their thousand year rule of unquestioned authority?"
"To get back my son."
"And how is that going right about now?"
Franklin had to admit not well. Being forcefully abducted and bound in the backseat of the flying car certainly had not been on today's list of planned activities. Nor was the explosion that rocked SlimStim headquarters.
The man grimaced.
"Give James some time," said the ret. admiral as he looked around the cramped passenger cabin. "I'm sure he will manage to free us in no time."
"James!? How do you know the boy is even still alive?" responded The Slime Lord incredulously. "Did you see what they did to my club!?"
Franklin however reamined resolute in his estimation.
"I know my son. I'd wager it'll be about 10 minutes until he arrives."
That was about all the alien could handle from the clearly delirious Umon.
"You need to wake up Brother!" decried the beset blob man. "Whomever had the resources for this will not hand us over easily. Wherever we are headed, your boy won't be able to just stroll in and ask for our release!"
Franklin just stared at Slim blankly.
"Did I say 10 minutes? Maybe it'll be less."
But before the flummoxed being could come up with a retort, the viewscreen in the back cabin switched on. Displayed on it was their driver, live on a feed from the front of the vehicle.
"Good evening gentlemen. I trust you both are comfortable enough back there?" asked the large grey beast with an insidious smile.
"Choke on a laser," and "Breathe the void" were the two responses the alien wheelman received in unison.
"Charming," returned the driver. "I am however to inform you of your host's sincere regret in the manner of which you came under our custody."
"You destroyed my club!"
"Somehow the citizens of Outer Ring City will have to go on."
"Why have you done this?" interjected the eternally calm and impassive Franklin as he focused his view on their kidnapper.
The alien smirked.
"Ha! And I heard you were the smarter of the Umons," said the grey monster at the car's controls. "Did you Idiots really think you would just corner the entire market for Fever yourselves? Clearly the boss wants his competition out of the way, or better yet, all working for us instead."
"Tell me you were able to find another Lord to assist with manufacturing?" asked the ret. admiral dryly to his partner.
Slim shook his head negatively.
"I remain the only factory in our monopoly, Brother," replied the alien morosely.
But just as the gooey beast was about to continue with an explanation of how difficult it was to find a trustworthy Slime Lord, the armored levitation craft suddenly lurched heavily, the viewscreen flickering off immediately.
"That would be James, right on time."
"Oh come now! There's no way he could have found us already!"
Whomever or whatever was outside though had certainly gotten their captor's attention. And the automated turret mounted on the roof of the magnetic car began to spit laser fire audibly from within the cabin.
Pew. Pew. Pew. Pew. Pew. Pew.
Over and over without ever pausing, the heavy weapon unloaded its crackling energy at a target neither passenger inside could see.
"It seems like he has commandeered a vehicle of his own. Maybe it's yours?"
"My convertible! Surely you're joking!"
"We should be free shortly."
The Slime Lord snarled not nearly as convinced of their immenent salvation as the laser cannon above continued its rapid spread of fire.
"You think you know your son so well, Brother?"
"I do."
"That he would just leap at the chance to face death for our rescue?"
"He would."
"You don't know everything then," continued The Slime Lord as their armored chauffeur jerked wildly from side to side. "Your boy isn't the same Umon he used to be, friend. Outer Ring City has changed him Brother... like it changes us all."
The vehicle then entered a free fall for the next few seconds before recovering its forward trajectory, halting all conversation inside the rear compartment as the men within tried to stay upright and seated.
When Franklin had regained his position on the passenger couch, he responded with his own matter of eternal importance.
"Don't call me Brother, Slim."
The ret. admiral also did not like to be told what he knew or did not know about his sons. Slim though could read his twin well enough to know when he had found a vein, and decided to push on the artery a bit further.
"Do you really think the boy has been keeping busy this whole time searching for your kin?" asked The Slime Lord with a look of faux disbelief. "That he has been ever so diligent to find the family that you once so tragically lost?"
"What do you mean?" questioned the older human, annoyed at the line of inquery as the flying car continued to buck up and down roughly, engaged in some sort of manic arial combat.
"Look around you!"
"There are no windows in here, Slim."
"I meant figuratively Brother!" said the blob alien. "Outer Ring City has everything a castaway could ever want. From several different dimensions no less. Are you sure your boy even wishes to find your missing loved one anymore? That he isn't trying to stay here as long as he can?"
As Franklin gripped the adjacent door to steady himself once more, the man began to tire of the violet hued beast.
"If you know something relevant about my son, come on and say it then," said the ret. admiral as he stared at his opposite inside the cabin.
Slim just smiled.
"It's not mine to share," said the alien man slyly. "Just don't think though that we can count your boy's suicidal Umon tendencies to save us any longer. Everyone becomes a bit more alien in The Core, Brother. You and James both."
The lights in the cabin then winked out as a deafening roar filled the interior.
"I'd hold on to something if I were you!" called out Franklin moments before an ear splitting crash drowned out all the rest.
The armored hover vehicle veered to the left as its metal frame buckled from an impact. It had been rammed!
Hard enough so that the levitation engine keeping them aloft went dead from lack of power.
The flying craft spun wildly as it lost altitude, flinging the passengers inside against its thick walls, ceasing all further communication. Down and down it fell, emitting a hectic storm of smoke, flame, and laser fire the whole way. Until finally the car smashed into the surface of Outer Ring City several hundred meters below, burying itself in a flurry of rubble immediately.
For awhile there was no movement from the impact crater, every broken piece of metal and jagged shard of glass laying exactly where it had landed.
Then what was left of one of the doors started to budge on its hinges. After some struggle, it finally fell away completely to reveal a purple Slime Lord using its viscous bulk to force an exit. Slim had survived the crash.
Franklin then next emerged beside him as well. Just in time for them both to see James Blade parking Slim's violet dented flying convertible nearby, in the passenger seat Sammy.
Running to close the distance between himself and his old man, the lieutenant saluted his father as he came to a halt.
"Sorry for the delay Sir."
"I was beginning to wonder if you would even show at all."
"There was traffic," said the boy breathing heavily, still not able to believe his arial stunts had successfully grounded the enemy craft.
"I'd say," said the admiral as he turned to look on the wrecked vehicle nearby.
Then a moment's pause as Franklin eyed the blonde clone in the rescue convertible. James saw his look, then stood up straight and tall, ready as a soldier for whatever was next.
"I take it you saw then," asked the lad warily.
"I did," answered his old man, not meeting his son's gaze.
Another pause. A crowd of alien gawkers began to assemble around the burning vehicle.
"Aren't you going to say anything Dad?" questioned the boy, starting to get more nervous than he could take.
Franklin breathed.
"Look around you son," said the man, as he searched the scene before them. "Aliens to your left. Wormholes to your right. Mysterious ancient cylinders all around us. And inside?"
The man finally turned to face his son like he should have once done to a different one so many years ago.
"Inside... a swarm that does who knows what to whomever its inside."
James did not know how to react.
"So... you are fine with it then?"
The admiral actually coughed a bit before recovering.
"What I am saying is... we are indefinitely marrooned on an alien world often fighting for our very survival every day."
The man then took his son by his shoulders.
"The only one that has to be right with it boy... or has any right to be right with it, James... is you."