Characters:
Narrator
Molly
Max Thornfield
Crisp
Keane
Slotter
Femur
Dex

Narr: Molly hurried down the main corridor of Flashpoint, the Flashpack’s headquarters. She stopped at a door at the end of the hall, and burst through the door. A sleeping Max rolled over, muttering something. Molly hesitated, and blushed slightly.

Molly: Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. We’ve…got a situation.

Max: What time is it?

Molly: A little after three.

Max: This better be good.

Molly: Aliens are invading.

Max: (sighs) I’ll be out in five.

Narr: Molly paced outside Max’s room until he came out in his robe, yawning.

Max: Can’t aliens find something better to do with their time?

Molly: Wake up, Max. You’re going to want to be balanced before you see this. And preferably sitting down.

Narr: Max followed Molly down two flights of stairs and into the Monitoring Console. Crisp greeted them at the door with a cup of coffee for Max. Keane was seated in front of one of the monitors pressing buttons. Slotter was reclining in a wooden chair sketching what they all saw on the monitor.

Max: Who’ve we got today? Venus? Corona? Tell me it’s not the Saturnians again, they were cranky.

Crisp: Taking into account the structure of the vehicles, it is undeniably Drallus.

Narr: Max nearly spit out his coffee.

Max: Drallus? She doesn’t waste any time, does she? She’s not making any sense.

Molly: She sounded crazy to me. I thought it was an empty threat.

Max: It’s like she’s been adding ships every day! And these are huge! It’s like…it’s like they’re growing!

Keane: She is crazy. These ships have the capability to create a pressure explosion field. She’s got one hell of a mechanic.

Slotter: We should get his number.

Molly: I could make pressure explosions if I wanted!

Keane: Yeah? Maybe you should get on it, this looks pretty ominous.

Molly: Well, I can’t make them at this moment…okay, fine, I can’t make pressure explosions. Sue me. Why don’t you all hire Drallus then?

Crisp: She’s just teasing, Molly. Don’t take it personally.

Max: Flashpack!

Crisp, Molly, Slotter, Keane: Flashpack?

Max: No, no, I’m trying to get your attention. Jeez, we need to work out a better system.

Keane: (lets out a low whistle) Max, it may be time.

Max: You’re not talking about-

Keane: I am.

Max: I need to see for myself.

Narr: Max, followed by Crisp, Molly, Slotter, and Keane, went into the Observation Room – a room made entirely of one-way mirrors that let them see the outside but kept them hidden from the world’s view. The entire Flashpack gazed in awe at the massive ships that hung in the Earth’s atmosphere. They were large black ovals with silver and purple trim that hummed quietly. They practically filled the sky.

Max: Keane, I think you’re right.

Molly: Someone want to clue the rest of us in?

Keane: My mother’s aunt is a Floogle.

Crisp, Molly, Slotter, Keane: (gasp!)

Slotter: Nothing good comes of Floogles.

Crisp: They are incredibly intelligent beings.

Slotter: They hold the most secret of secret knowledges. Any being with that many secrets has too much power.

Molly: And they are practically amoral. If there are any Floogles with a conscience, you’ll never be able to tell them from the rest.

Keane: Hey, remember the part where I’m related to one? Yeah, thanks.

Molly: I’m still confused.

Max: If our suspicions are at all correct, we need that most secret of secret knowledges. These machines mean business, and we have too many questions.

Crisp: Do the ships belong to Drallus? Has she got bats in her belfry? If they’re not hers, whose are they and why do they bear such a remarkable resemblance to her vehicles?

Max: Yes, thank you Crisp, I’m glad you’re taking this all down.

Molly: I guess I should know better than to ask at this point, but just how exactly do you expect to make this journey?

Crisp: Security in Glyween is like nothing I’ve ever before dissected. They have eyes that float in the air. They have x-ray vision. They can go outside time. And they are incredibly hostile to outsiders.

Slotter: Wouldn’t you be if you were protecting the world’s secrets?

Keane: My mother gave me a charm a few years ago, in the form of an ID. It is, essentially, a security waiver. I will be identified as a Floogle.

Molly: What about the rest of us?

Keane: It only allows for one guest.

Max: Which should be me.

Crisp: Of course.

Molly: Max, this leaves a bad taste in my mouth. No offense, Keane, obviously we’ve identified a Floogle with a conscience. But you don’t know what kind of environment you’re walking into. It could be really dangerous. I’m worried.

Slotter: Well do we have any better ideas? Besides, usually Max’s so-crazy-they-just-might-work schemes end up totally saving the day. Or at least being really fun. Though…I guess this one won’t be much fun for us.

Max: Look, it’s got to be done. Keane and I can take care of ourselves. You monitor the activity of the ships and hold down the fort. We’re going to want to make this as short a trip as possible.

Narr: Max got dressed and in 20 minutes he and Keane found themselves boarding their spaceship. They took off and watched with one eye on the rearview as Molly, Slotter, and Crisp grew smaller and smaller and then disappeared.

Max: So, uh, Keane?

Keane: Yeah?

Max: Well, I didn’t want to ask you before, in front of everyone, but…

Keane: What is it?

Max: Are you sure about this?

Keane: I am. But it doesn’t really matter, does it?

Max: What do you mean?

Keane: Max Thornfield doesn’t do anything he’s not ready to do.

Max: (chuckles) I suppose you’re right.

Narr: They rode in silence for a while.

Keane: You know, no one has ever doubted your…loyalties.

Max: What do you mean?

Keane: I’m just saying…you’re a very loyal person, Max. We appreciate that. We wouldn’t know what to do without you.

Max: Well gee. Thanks, Keane. You’re an okay gal.

Keane: Look, I’m not looking for a Kodak moment or anything.

Max: Fair enough.

Keane: We’re entering Glyween, anyway.

Narr: Glyween was a rather green city on Jupiter. It was probably the most technologically advanced city on the immediate planets, but it sort of resembled a town out of an old Western movie from the 1900s. The creatures that inhabited the city were small, about four feet tall. They had no real structure and rolled around much like amoeba. They were mostly a light green and spoke through osmosis. At the border, a Floogle in a dark green official cap pulled them over and checked Keane’s ID. He scanned her charmed card and waved them through. They hovered slowly through the town until they found a saloon marked "Femur’s." They parked the ship and walked inside. As soon as they entered, every Floogle in the bar rolled quietly out. Max and Keane took seats at the bar, and a Floogle in a cowboy hat rolled over to them and set down two sodas.

Max: Good to see caffeine’s an international language.

Femur: I don’t reckon you folks are from around here. How did you happen to pass our guards?

Keane: I’m half.

Femur: Well, welcome home, little missy. I reckon you’re in some mighty trouble to go poking your nose around these parts.

Max: We’ve got…aliens. No offense.

Femur: None taken, young man. You’ve got Drallus on your tail, huh.

Max: Well, that’s what we’re trying to figure out. We know her ships are pretty high tech, but we can’t figure out if they actually belong to her, and what she intends to do with them.

Femur: This here’s a secret base located in the Himalaya Mountains on your little planet.

Narr: The Floogle produced a map from just under the bar in front of him and handed it over to Keane.

Femur: Their security is mighty tricky. Got doors that open and close so fast they’ll chomp any jet or plane that tries to go through without permission. You’re gonna want to take that there spaceship, and put her into hyperspeed.

Max: (kind of shocked) Whoa, really? Uh…okay wow, that’s helpful.

Femur: That Drallus is a very dextrous lady. I’d be careful around her if I were you. Something’s not right with her head.

Max: Yeah, we figured that out. Can you tell us what’s going on?

Femur: That’s not really something you’re going to need me to do.

Keane: Uh, okay. Is there anything you can tell us?

Femur: You just take your map, little lady, and finish your fizzy.

Max: Well, what do we owe you?

Femur: Shucks, you don’t need to give me nothin’. The giggles are enough for me.

Narr: The little blob rolled away into the back, leaving a bewildered Max and Keane to finish their sodas.

Max: Okay, that’s weird.

Keane: Well that was a wasted trip. Aside from this stupid map he told us absolutely nothing.

Max: Let’s get out of here.

Narr: Max and Keane exited the saloon and were met with the sight of their spaceship hovering a good few feet off the ground.

Keane: No wonder security was so easy.

Max: You think they alerted…who is that?

Narr: A loud booming voice came over the outer speakers of the spaceship.

Dex: You were expecting maybe the lovely Lady Drallus?

Max: I’d know that voice anywhere!

Keane: Dex!

Dex: Oh, it’s so lovely to be recognized.

Max: Those are your ships! Or are they Drallus’s?

Dex: We don’t need separate ships anymore, you pathetic Earthling. Drallus knows her place now. We will rule together.

Keane: Just what is it you want to rule again?

Dex: EVERYTHING. How small are your brain-units? And now that I have your ship not only can I add one to my fleet, but you are stranded here in Glyween, doomed to roam among the blob-creatures who think they know everything. Be careful, hoo-mans, they sell out to the highest bidder.

Narr: A loud whirring began inside the Flashpack’s spaceship, and Max and Keane backed away as Dex continued his diatribe.

Dex: Now I can continue my doomsday machine without this Thorn in my side! Muahahahahaha!

Keane: (hushed) I think it’s time to get out of here.

Max: (hushed) How many Transports do you have left?

Keane: (hushed) One. But I can’t think of a better way to use it.

Dex: Without your elaborate flying machine you can do nothing! You pathetic "super heroes" are nothing but sub-par hoo-mans with superior technology! But who is the supreme being now? Is it you? No! It is I, Dex!

Narr: Keane quickly hugged Max and there was a brief flash of light. They could hear the faint echo of Dex’s –

Dex: Cuuuuuuurse yoooooooouuuuuuuuu!

Narr: - and they tumbled to the floor of the Monitoring Console, where the rest of the Flashpack were wringing their hands.

Molly: Oh goodness, I’m so glad you’re alright! What happened? Where’s…the ship?

Max: Dex has it. And we have a lot of information. Well, sort of. It was a confusing trip overall. But for now we’re without a ship with a hyperdrive, and we still don’t know where Drallus and Dex are. We’re going to be stuck for a little while, so we’ve got to gather as much information as we can on our own.

Narr: Is the Earth doomed to be destroyed by Dex’s fleet of destruction? Has Drallus gone mad? Will the Flashpack be able to save the day this time? Tune in for next week’s thrilling episode of Epic Echoes: Gains and Losses.