00100

X-9 reached the cafeteria first, with Albert Zoeniga mere fractions of a second after him.

Nina sat on the floor, in the midst of chunks of the frozen milk. An upside down bowl lay beside her. Meanwhile, Fuzzy worked on the spilled milk.

“What happened?!" Albert Zoeniga demanded to know, concerned, but seeing clearly her life to be safe- for now, anyway. He held out a hand to help her up.

She shook her head, a tiny bit annoyed, watching the huge hybrid animal attack the milk. "Fuzzy liked the milk and wanted more, but I wanted to save some for our coffee. I tried to move it out of his reach, but he's so big, and as I was carrying the bowl, he was dancing all about, excited, and I tripped over his big blue feet! But why were you guys calling me, anyway? You started to call me before I even fell and shouted in surprise.”

Albert eyed the big dog/lion creature. "We were concerned for your safety, Sis. We found something in the power room, left by your professor, I think, Dr. Kitchen. A recording on her personal screen device telling what happened here at this facility."

"Oh?" asked Nina McCleer, anxious to know. But as she said this, she noticed X-9 sneaking up on Fuzzy with the mini-blaster. He slowly, carefully brought it up to the back of the creature's head. Fuzzy, enjoying the milk, had no idea he was about to die, but Nina McCleer saw.

“Alarmed, she cried out, "X-9, what are you doing?"

Her yell startled Fuzzy. He looked up and the robot lost his advantage. Since the milk was gone, Fuzzy began his routine of jumping all over like a maniac again. X-9 tried to draw a bead on him, but soon gave it up as hopeless.

"Mrs. McCleer, I lost my chance. He is too fast for me to risk trying to shoot him now, because if I do not make it a kill-shot, but only wound him, then he will be wild and may harm you and Mr. Zoeniga.”

Puzzled, Nina asked, concerned for Fuzzy, "But, why do you want to shoot him, anyway? We don't need to eat him now. We found some supplies here in the pantry."

Albert Zoeniga said, "Nina, that's what we have to tell you. Fuzzy killed the people here! And he ate them!" He showed her Dr. Kitchen's screen device. "It's on here; you can hear it, but first let's try to take care of Fuzzy, before he takes care of us!"

X-9 added, "We don't know all the details yet, but we can be sure it was Fuzzy. Dr. Kitchen said so with her dying breath. But let's not play it now. Hearing her voice- She seems to have been fond of him- Her voice may get Fuzzy too excited, and then unpredictable in the way he will react."

Nina stared, finding it all hard to believe. "Fuzzy? He did all this to the R and D Lab?"

X-9 kept on the alert, watching Fuzzy, ready for trouble. "You see, Mrs. McCleer, we as yet do not know what set him off, but I am sure Fuzzy experienced a trauma of some sort that set him off on a killing spree. We don't see any of the bodies, because Fuzzy ate them. Not all at once, of course. Some he probably has stored somewhere outside in the snow, some instinct perhaps prompting him to save his food supply in hiding from other animals, although I think Fuzzy is the only animal here. He went to his food supply before, whenever he would leave us every day for a few hours."

Albert said, "It makes sense. But how do you know so much about animals?"

"When I took care of Miss Bright, she watched a lot of shows about nature. She may have forgotten all she learned once she began to drive and took new interests, but I still remember.”

“Oh."

Nina McCleer shook her head, trying hard to accept what must be the truth. Fuzzy romped playfully and then came over to her for another pat on his head. She did. "Look how friendly and loving he is! How can Fuzzy be a killer?"

"Yeah, until he's hungry and runs out of food," Albert cynically answered.

X-9 told Nina, "Not only do we have the recording to show you, but it is also the only logical conclusion. We have seen little else for Fuzzy to eat in this blizzard, all the days we have been caught in it. All he has for food is what you found in the pantry. And I don't see any tell-tale empty cans lying about, so I doubt Fuzzy learned how to open them."

When Fuzzy came back once more for Nina McCleer to pat his head, the robot quickly took the small blaster to shoot him, but just as quickly Fuzzy resumed his bouncing and jumping. He barked and meowed affectionately, sometimes dashing into the hall and back again, scattering everywhere rubbish which had been left over from his berserk, killing episode. 

Frustrated, Albert Zoeniga remarked to X-9, "Looks like Fuzzy won't stand still long enough for you."

"True," agreed X-9. He handed the blaster to Albert. "I will lure him outside. You take this. I doubt he will be any more co-operative out in the snow and stand still long enough for me to shoot him. But I will keep him outside, and you and Mrs. McCleer can seal up the windows- especially the big, broken view window- with the thick sheet metal we found in the power room. Seal this place while Fuzzy snd I are outside. Then you can close the entrance door, so Fuzzy cannot get in. You will be safe in this building. I believe the sheet metal is heavy enough to keep out Fuzzy."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" asked Nina. She reminded, "I am not a robot like you, X-9. Nor is Al. It is no easy feat for us, at least not for me, to handle sheet metal and to be able to hold it in place over the windows and then secure it in place with, with- with what will we even use to secure it?"

X-9 considered. "Yes, you are right, Mrs. McCleer. But we must do something to keep you two well. We only have one mini-blaster, and that is only good as a last desperate attempt to protect yourselves. The trained guards were not quick enough to stop Fuzzy, so we should not chance it, if we don't have to. And I know there are better blasters in the cabinet in the guards' locker room, but we don't know the security codes to activate them. I don't know how we can find the codes, either. Perhaps a notebook somewhere might reveal-"

Albert interrupted, "Okay, okay, X-9,  this is what to do- You and me, we'll hang the sheet metal over the windows, and we make sure we don't do anything to upset Fuzzy. Afterwards, when the place is secure, we can take Fuzzy outside and lock him out."

The robot agreed. "That might work. I will be the one to take him outside, and while he is playing in the snow, I can quickly slip back in and help you two slam and lock the door. Mrs. McCleer, you keep the blaster, and keep it handy at all times."

"Right."

The three of them stayed together during the whole time it took to barricade the windows. The smaller windows, those which Fuzzy could not run to and force his way through back into the Lab once he was stuck outside, they ignored, such as the small anti-frost peep window built into the entrance door. Fuzzy hung out with them as they worked, curious, but then, soon, he became just bored. He seldom stayed in one place for very long, as usual.

First, they went back to the utility room. X-9 hoisted a few of the metal plates onto his back and walked back to the main lab.

"Do you need help?”

“Thank you, Sir. At the risk of sounding like a cliche, let me repeat, Robots are made for labor, and to be able to labor for humans makes us happy."

Back again in the main lab, X-9 held a metal plate over the bottom third of the destroyed view window. He kept it there with one hand, and with the other he pounded in some rebar cut to size. He used the rebar as nails. Albert held the makeshift spike in place where X-9 wanted to drive it in through the metal plate. X-9 did all four corners of the plate, then he released his grip on the secured plate.

"Good. The rebar is holding; the weight of the metal did not pull the spikes loose," said X-9.

They had brought some step ladders also from the utility room. Albert climbed one, and X-9 the other, to be able to affix the next two metal plates to the wall higher up, to cover the top two thirds of the large window. And so they covered the view window totally.

Immediately, once the entire view window had been plated shut, they all noticed the loud howling of the wind died down. They could still hear it outside, and also where it was coming in from the still-open entrance by the hallway. But the wind’s main entrance, through the busted large window, was now blocked.

“I think it just got warmer in here by ten degrees," said Nina.

Fuzzy rejoined them, coming from the cafeteria. He looked to Nina for another treat, but she stayed with the others and did not oblige. Fuzzy paced back and forth. He seemed to not like the big window being covered, the lack of fresh air and the open elements. Nor did he like not getting a treat.

The team went from window to window, room to room throughout the R and D Lab, covering all the larger windows. These remaining windows were not nearly as big as the big view window in the main lab, and they were much easier for X-9 to take care of. Most still had unbroken panes, but once they locked out Fuzzy, they didn’t want him sneaking back in via one of the lesser windows.

Fuzzy followed them from room to room, watching with a growing anxiousness, an uneasy pacing, as the robot continued boarding everything up.

"I don't think he likes this. He feels closed in and trapped. I suppose he likes the great outdoors," remarked Nina McCleer.

"We left the front door open, he can leave. Nobody's stopping him," said Albert. "But keep the blaster handy, Sis Nina, in case he stays and gets antsier."

"Yes," X-9 seconded it.

They had to make some more trips to the power/utility room for supplies for their project. As the job neared completion, they went to the end of the hallway, past the power room, to check for more windows to cover. So far, they had not yet gotten a chance to see much of this area of the building, because first they were hunting for the power room, and then because of the urgency for action once they found Dr. Kitchen's screen and learned who did all this carnage.

The hall led to a foyer in the back of the building, and in the foyer a smaller, snow-covered window needed inside plate-covering as well. Beside the window was the back door. The back door matched the front door, even with an anti-frost peep window in it. This back door was closed, without much trace of its former guard who had been stationed here when Fuzzy went rammy.

While the snow and green icing covered the bigger window of the foyer, the door's peep window gave a fairly clear, unobstructed sight, because its anti-frost chemicals kept the snow from building up and covering over the view of the scenery outside the peep window.

"I suppose the snow is still falling," said Nina. She paused a moment to take her eyes off Fuzzy and to look out the peep hole to check the weather. "Hey, look at that," she said.

"Please pay attention to Fuzzy while we take care of this window," advised X-9.

"Yes, you're right," she said. "But in the back here, I saw a building behind our building. It almost looks like a garage or a hangar," she said, pointing. She moved aside so the others could get a look.

"Yeah. Hmm," said Albert. "I wonder if they have any vehicles inside there?"

"Maybe an ATV? Some new prototype the scientists were making," hoped Nina. "That would come in handy with all those snow drifts."

"Something that could outrun Fuzzy."

X-9 said, "I had assumed, when this place operated, the Lab's staff had been brought here, and then their transport had left them here and gone back to Sparkle City. After all, you can't have the staff of a top-secret Research and Development facility just coming and going. I don't suppose they have their own transportation in that building to take to Sparkle City. But let us keep our eyes on Fuzzy at this time."

Albert Zoeniga gulped, turning his gaze to the hybrid. "Eh, look at him. That's not so good." He saw how the animal lay down in front of the foyer's doorway back into the hall, practically blocking their way out of the foyer. He stared at them, licking his chops. It gave Albert the willies.

The robot said, "Once I fasten this plate over this here window, I will then go to phase two and lead the beast outside."

"You could use this back door," Nina  McCleer realized, "if we had not left the front one open for Fuzzy. But we did, in case he wanted to leave the Lab building on his own. As it is, it does us no good to lure him back outside from this door, if we still have to dash back to the front and close that door then.”

X-9 said confidently, "No problem. Let's go back to the front entrance so I can lure out Fuzzy. We should have the situation under control in five minutes, and then you will be safe and sound in here, while Fuzzy plays in the snow out there."

However, the plan did not proceed with the ease with which the robot had imagined.

They all went back to the front of the building, Fuzzy having moved out of the way when Nina asked him. Once at the front of the R and D Lab building, Nina gave X-9 one of the snacks that Fuzzy seemed to like more than the others, a little burger, to tempt the ugly creature out the door. Then, the robot walked to the open front door. He half closed it, so that, when the time came, it should not be too hard to quickly push it shut.

"Here, Fuzzy, here, hybrid thing. Come on outside with me and get this nice treat I have for you. I know you like the great outdoors, and I know you hate being cooped up in here, so, c'mon, let's go out, where you can enjoy the snack- Come on, Fuzzy! What ails you?!"

Fuzzy simply sat nearby, watching, not moving a muscle, as if wondering why, suddenly, the mechanical being offered him a treat, when he never did before. The same mechanical being who had closed all the big windows, blocking out the nice sunlight- well, anyway, the glow that came in the daytime from a sun hidden by the thick blizzard clouds.

X-9 tried a new trick. “Get it, Fuzzy, get it!” He tossed the burger out the door for Fuzzy to chase into the snow.

Fuzzy did not.

X-9 said, "I do believe he doesn't trust me.”

“Let me try. Maybe you aren't tasty enough for him," suggested Albert Zoeniga. He took the tiny burger.

"Possibly, Mr. Zoeniga. Okay, your turn, but when you lure him out the door, I am coming with you, and taking along the mini-blaster, too, just in case."

Albert Zoeniga  had no more success than did X-9 in luring Fuzzy outside.

Nina sighed. "I guess it's up to me. His claustrophobia, or whatever it is, has made him uneasy and suspicious. I'm the one who nearly always fed him. I'll get him to go out that door."

"No, Sis Nina, you don't have to do that. I know how sensitive you are. You may hate yourself later for doing it."

She set her jaw and held up the personal screen Albert had found and shown her. "I think I saw some small red dots on here, blood splatters. No, I won't regret luring him outside. If Fuzzy killed the staff here, including Dr. Kitchen, I am willing to do this to him.”

So, Nina took the burger treat and marched out the door, calling sweetly as she went. "All right, Fuzzy, follow me. Come on. I have a nice treat for you!" The fierce window blew in her face and carried away her voice. X-9 followed her at all times.

Fuzzy hopped happily to his feet. He scurried out the door.

The strange beast gazed eagerly at her hand as she stood in the snow. He waited for her to toss him the treat.

"Go get it, Fuzzy!" she said kindly. She tossed it away from the building, as far as she could. The whistling wind carried it even further through the air

That Nina tossed the treat so far surprised the dog/lion, but his reflexes took over and propelled him after it. He zipped through the snow swiftly, catching it before it even hit the blizzard-covered ground.

Fuzzy turned and looked back expectantly to hear Nina's congratulations for his catching skills, but- Nina and X-9 were gone!

Puzzled, Fuzzy heard the door slam shut. He raced back to the R and D Lab, so he could rejoin his companions inside. Yes, the entrance had indeed been closed on him. No matter. He bumped the door with his head, but the door did not open. He tried again. No success. So he backed up, then ran hard against it, ramming the hatch.

Still no luck.

Inside, Nina listened to Fuzzy's repeated attempts to force his way back inside. Next, Fuzzy stopped smashing into the door, and instead, called to her. He howled and barked and meowed in his most heart-rending notes. When that also failed, he went back to banging the door and scratching at it. He darted to the large view window and tried to jump in through it.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The thick metal plates, and their pegs, held- THUD! THUD! THUD!

Fuzzy returned to standing before the door, whining and whimpering for Nina.

She made a feeble attempt at being casual about it- “I wonder how long he will keep this up.”- but Albert saw her discretely wipe away a tear.

X-9 reckoned, "For about a half hour, until late morning, if he keeps to the schedule which he followed when we were out in the blizzard with him. He will be hungry again, then, and he will be leaving us for a few hours. When he does, we can see if there's anything in the other builidng in the back behind this place. Maybe we will find something which we can use to leave here. By the time Fuzzy returns, we might be long gone.”

Nina McCleer dropped her pretense of not caring. "Poor Fuzzy. I tell myself he is bad, but still, he helped us find this place, which turned out to be a disappointment, and now I don't know what to do about George... I hate the idea of Fuzzy dying slowly from starvation, or freezing. When you were covering the windows, I think we should have taken the chance, in one of those rare occasions when Fuzzy sat still for more than two seconds. I think we should have tried to blast him, so that it would be quick for him. I don't like how he will be suffering from hunger...”

Albert gave her a comforting hug. "Nor do I. But, it’s like X-9 says- If we miss, Fuzzy’ll go crazy. But why say our trip up here is a disappointment? You saw many different prototypes lying about the labs. Perhaps there are some things that we can use, to learn the truth. Maybe even figure out a way to free Mr. McCleer from the mines, if he is alive and stuck there. Something as useful as that costly, hard-to-get camo-tape, perhaps.”

"You are right, Al. Meanwhile, I am going to the back of the building, where I won't be able to hear Fuzzy's howls quite so loudly.”

“Very good, Mrs. McCleer," X-9 said. "And Mr. Zoeniga and I shall sort out the various contraptions here, to find anything which can help your mission. We can gather them and put them near the back door, and, when Fuzzy runs off again, then we will have all we need right at the door. If we find any vehicles in the place across the way, then we can grab the items we already waiting by the back door and bring them with us when we leave."

She nodded. "A good plan, X-9. As always.”

“And so, she went to the back and sat in the foyer by the rear door. e took Dr. Kitchen's screen device, and played it and searched through it...

Suddenly, she shouted, "Hey, listen to this, guys!! Dr. Kitchen says on her recordings that she thinks George is alive! George is alive!! I knew it!!!”

(c) 2012 drk