{"id":274,"date":"2014-12-30T04:46:36","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T04:46:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=274"},"modified":"2021-12-30T21:12:58","modified_gmt":"2021-12-31T03:12:58","slug":"part4","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode4\/part4\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 4: \u00a0Ice Ice Baby<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 4<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the distance, the giggling girls drank hot cocoa (with vodka, of course), watching many of Dr. Rough\u2019s minions work on making sure the new laser beam was operational. Apparently, the weapon had been damaged during the smuggling process. Lena and Yulia, however, were far more entertained with each other\u2019s company, waiting for the payments promised them for this prize.<\/p>\n

The man who owed them payment loomed over them all on one of the higher levels of the ice-covered palace. He was adorned with many snuggly furs for warmth, and his ferret, Dr. Twitches, was draped over his shoulders. As he monitored his minions\u2019 progress, his prot\u00e9g\u00e9, Justin Timberlake, better known as Drums, approached.<\/p>\n

The former Himitsu Takana gold had been twisted to the point where now he, Dr. Rough, could mold him into his second in command. He was counting on Drums to help him execute his plans in ways none of his inferior henchmen could. The problem with getting Himitsu Takana rejects was the obvious fact that they didn\u2019t have a high level of skill. Drums did. He had been a high-ranking agent at HimTak and was now even helping his own agents rise up in skill.<\/p>\n

\u201cDa men said dey workin\u2019 dey asses off, yo.\u201d The only real problem was the way the boy talked. It agitated Dr. Rough to no end, but there was always a price when one wanted to show his greatness to the world by taking it over by force. At least the Ebonics would lessen when Drums was calm.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny progress?\u201d Glancing over at his right-hand man, Dr. Rough couldn\u2019t help but admire his handiwork. He mentally congratulated himself for the mechanical genius it had taken to give Drums the electronic eye that now defined him.<\/p>\n

\u201cGonna take anotha day or two. Genius ta have dis up while we doin\u2019 dat Global Idol<\/em> shiznit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough ran a hand over his greased, wavy curls, tying them back. \u201cI have learned that if one is to bring Himitsu Takana to its knees, he can\u2019t wait to develop a new plan. Many must go at once so I can keep firing more at them. They will tire, weaken, and eventually fall to their doom. I thought Global Idol<\/em> could do it, but that damn Carter–\u201d<\/p>\n

He caught the slight look of pain in Drum\u2019s remaining eye. It was only for a second, fleeting and barely detectable, but it was there. It disgusted Dr. Rough to see that Drums might still have remaining feelings for those he\u2019d once worked with at HimTak. It meant his prize minion could turn on him. His eye twitched again as his lips curved upward. Perhaps he could use this for his own benefit.<\/p>\n

\u201c–muddled things up. I should have had you<\/em> target him instead of one of my lower minions. You can handle it, yes, Drums?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded slowly, and Dr. Rough could see his mind trying to process it all.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a problem, is it? I thought when you joined, you had nothing but hatred for those who had betrayed you. You said yourself it was Carter who gave you that handicap to begin with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drums felt the rage boil through his body. It had been Nick who\u2019d done it. HimTak who had turned him away. He just wished the occasional stab of guilt reminding him who those people had once been would remember they had driven him to this point. He had served them well, and they had set off the chain of events that had led him here. His jaw set in determination. \u201cIt ain\u2019t no problem, Dr. Rough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGoooooood. Very good.\u201d Dr. Rough stroked his prized ferret as his workers toiled over the ray.<\/p>\n

Drums watched the ray, his mechanical eye evaluating every possibility of what it could do and feeding the information to him. Pearl had been right about him being part machine in the end. But it wasn\u2019t worse than death or permanent disability. That, she\u2019d been wrong about. He had been lucky to find Dr. Rough, who had done the operation personally. He glanced over at his new mentor.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoon, when this is operational, we can test it on the southern polar cap, a show to the world of what we can do. We can get ultimate control by threatening to evaporate their water supply. HimTak will, of course, try to stop me, but we will take them down easily with world powers at our disposal. Then I will be invincible! Then they will finally see that I, Dr. Rough, was beyond worthy of them. They will bow to me!\u201d He cackled maniacally, gleeful over the mental image he had concocted.<\/p>\n

Drums laughed as well, feeling like he finally belonged somewhere again for the first time since the accident that had taken his eye. Nothing was going to take that from him. Not again.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Agent Carter and Officer Littrell stood on the edge of the Ross Shelf, directly across from the iceberg in question on the satellite images, searching for proof of their theory. Nick grinned as he took off the tinted goggles he was wearing and pulled a pair of sleek-looking Ray-Bans from his pocket. Pearl\u2019s not only a genius,<\/em> he thought. She also has excellent fashion sense.<\/em><\/p>\n

Brian watched Nick smile to himself as he slowly put the glasses on his face, practically striking a pose as he did so. \u201cWho do you think you are, the Men In Black or something?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot exactly.\u201d Nick smirked. \u201cWill Smith may be the shit, but my glasses are way cooler.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian grunted his disapproval but watched with curiosity as Nick pressed a small button on the side of his glasses.<\/p>\n

A tiny red light flashed, and the shades turned darker as the thermal imaging sensors activated. Nick looked again at his target, this time through the cover of the ice, and saw a maze of different heat sources. Some he recognized as human bodies, while others looked like giant computers. There were also a slew of tiny spots moving around inside. They appeared to be alive, but it was difficult to tell exactly what they were just by looking at heat signatures. Dogs? Cats? Either way, that iceberg was definitely more than it appeared to be. An excited smile crossed the young agent\u2019s face. \u201cThat\u2019s no moon. It\u2019s a space station!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCarter!\u201d Brian hissed as he tugged on the sleeve of Nick\u2019s puffy coat, crouching behind the snowbank.<\/p>\n

Nick looked down at his partner with disgust. \u201cDon\u2019t tell me you\u2019ve never seen Star Wars<\/em>. You CIA guys are so lame.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI happen to love Star Wars<\/em>, but now’s not the time. Would you get down before someone sees you?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see you have no sense of humor either,\u201d Nick grumbled, ignoring his partner\u2019s request. He looked down at the all-white ensemble that was keeping him surprisingly warmer than he\u2019d expected in the bright Antarctic climate and turned to face Brian. \u201cIt\u2019s called camouflage, dumbass.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd those ridiculous black glasses don\u2019t stick out at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRelax, man, no one can see me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe<\/em> can see you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian burst into laughter when Nick whirled around, fumbling for his gun, scared that he\u2019d been spotted. But when he turned around, there was only a small penguin standing a few feet from him, watching them intently. Nick frowned at the penguin and then glared at Brian. \u201cReal funny!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you said I don\u2019t have a sense of humor.\u201d Brian smirked as he looked through a pair of binoculars. \u201cMaybe we were wrong about this place. I think the only living thing on that iceberg is probably your new little friend there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick rolled his eyes at the brilliance of the CIA and ducked behind the snowbank. \u201cShows how much you know,\u201d he grumbled as he handed Brian his glasses.<\/p>\n

Brian put on the glasses and was amazed by the technology. As he scoped out the hidden ice fortress with the cool new toy, Nick watched the penguin that now stood just inches from him. He smiled as he held out his hand, wanting to pet the cute little guy, but as he reached for it, the penguin was startled. It slowly backed away from Nick with its feet gliding across the ice, as if it were dancing, until it rested on the edge of the water.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you see that?\u201d Nick gasped.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee what?\u201d Brian asked, still playing with the heat-detecting glasses.<\/p>\n

Nick turned back to the animal. It seemed to wink at him before diving into the cold water. He shook his head in disbelief and watched the penguin race toward the iceberg. \u201cThat penguin just did the moonwalk, and then it\u2026\u201d Nick hesitated at the ridiculousness of his statement. \u201c\u2026winked at me before it swam away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe moonwalking penguin just winked at you?\u201d Brian raised an eyebrow as he took off the glasses. \u201cLord, what was my cousin thinking, leaving the fate of the world in your hands?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m serious! There was something really freaky about that penguin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you shut up about the penguin? Look, I think our best bet is to head for that part of the iceberg there. That appears to be the back side. And I can\u2019t be sure, but I think that\u2019s a door.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick smirked as he hopped into the small speedboat they\u2019d borrowed from the McMurdo station. \u201cFigures you\u2019d want to go in the back door.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that supposed to mean?\u201d Brian snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing.\u201d Nick laughed at the anger in Brian\u2019s voice and plopped himself behind the boat\u2019s steering wheel. He quickly stopped laughing when he felt Brian pushing him out of the seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m driving this time,\u201d Brian grumbled, and the boat went sailing toward the iceberg.<\/p>\n

They docked on the back side of the iceberg, and when they reached the secret entrance, Nick frowned as he mindlessly pressed buttons on the electronic keypad. \u201cStop touching that before you disable it!\u201d Brian barked as he came up behind Nick.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow else are we supposed to get inside?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have your toys, and I have mine.\u201d Brian smirked as he pulled a small electronic decoder from his bag and plugged it into the keypad.<\/p>\n

Nick frowned when the decoder broke the entrance code in a matter of seconds, and the large white door slid open gracefully. \u201cWhere\u2019d you get that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian smiled, proud that he was finally one-upping Nick. \u201cI could tell you, but then I\u2019d have to kill you,\u201d Brian said, ducking quietly into the empty hallway.<\/p>\n

Nick rolled his eyes as if he thought the line was corny, but deep down, he was just mad he hadn\u2019t thought of it first. With a frown, he pressed a button on his watch. Brian glared at Nick when his watch buzzed to life, making just enough noise to alert people to their presence. \u201cHey, 00Carter! How goes the top-secret mission?\u201d chirped Pearl\u2019s cheerful voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cShh!\u201d Nick whispered, smiling at the image of his friend as he crept down the hall behind Brian.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I\u2019m sorry.\u201d Pearl giggled. \u201cAre we sneaking?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, we\u2019re inside some kind of secret ice fortress. It\u2019s cool as hell.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s because it\u2019s made of ice, silly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot that kind of cool, Pearl! Hey, listen, the CIA guy has this cool decoder thing that opens up doors locked with keypads. Think you could make me one of those?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian stopped in his tracks to give Nick a completely disgusted look. He couldn\u2019t believe Nick was having this conversation when they were in the middle of a serious operation behind enemy lines.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Nick shrugged and then turned his attention back to his watch. \u201cSo could you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChild\u2019s play.\u201d Pearl laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSweet! Oh, but could you make mine cool-looking? Brian\u2019s looks like some kind of Gameboy from the nineties.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian glared one more time and then rubbed his now-aching head as he continued walking.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do you one better,\u201d Pearl\u2019s voice crackled. \u201cI\u2019ll make you one out of an actual Gameboy. That way, you can play games on it as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMake it a Playstation?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got it, Blondie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the best, Pearly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Brian hissed as he stopped outside a door marked Giant Laser Control Room<\/strong>. \u201cWould you shut up before you get us caught?!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick rolled his eyes at Pearl and then clicked off his watch. \u201cWould you stop telling me how to run MY mission?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur<\/em> mission,\u201d Brian grumbled.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mission,\u201d Nick corrected as he wandered into the control room.<\/p>\n

The room was huge, and in the middle of it stood a giant laser. \u201cSomeone\u2019s compensating for something,\u201d Nick laughed as he started poking around with the buttons at the base of the machine.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did I tell you about touching things?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we have to disable it somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian pushed Nick out of his way with a huff. \u201cYou\u2019re going to kill somebody,\u201d he grumbled. \u201cI\u2019ll disable it. You make yourself useful and go stand watch or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStand watch? I\u2019m not gonna stand watch; you go stand watch!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust do it, Carter!\u201d Brian yelled as he began to fumble around with the buttons, navigating through option after option on the large screen.<\/p>\n

Though Nick was furious, it appeared the man knew what he was doing, so Nick decided to drop it and snoop around the lab a little. He began rummaging through papers on a desk and found a manila folder. \u201cF-A-N-S?\u201d he read aloud, curiously reciting the four letters stamped below the words Top Secret<\/strong> stamped in red ink on the front.<\/p>\n

He started to flip through the papers inside when the door to the control room opened behind him. This time, both he and Brian whirled around. They laughed and lowered their weapons when they saw a penguin standing there. Brian tucked his gun back into its holster and went back to work on the laser. Nick rolled up the file in his hand and tucked it safely into his inside coat pocket as he stared down his little visitor.<\/p>\n

For a moment, the penguin seemed to stare back as if it were enjoying the rivalry. And then, once again, it winked at Nick before moonwalking out of the room. \u201cDude, tell me you saw that!\u201d Nick said to Brian but couldn\u2019t take his eyes off the door the dancing animal had just slid out of.<\/p>\n

\u201cSaw what?\u201d Brian muttered.<\/p>\n

Nick headed toward the door just as a man walked through it, holding some crackers in his hand. \u201cMJ!\u201d he called. \u201cCome on, buddy, you know Dr. Rough doesn\u2019t like it when you miss your nap! MJ!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick and Brian froze when the man saw them, but he simply smiled at them and said, \u201cYou guys see a penguin come in here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick and Brian looked at one another, completely astonished, and then Nick smiled back at the man. \u201cCute little guy with a twitch? Likes to do the moonwalk? Yeah, he went that way.\u201d Nick pointed to the door, and the man automatically started to leave.<\/p>\n

Nick looked at Brian again, and they both tried to hold back laughter, until the man stopped at the door. \u201cHey, wait a minute!\u201d he yelled as he realized that Nick and Brian were on the wrong team.<\/p>\n

The minion reached for his walkie-talkie, but Nick lunged at him, forcing the radio to go flying across the room. \u201cOfficer Littrell, whatever you\u2019re doing over there, you\u2019d better hurry it up!\u201d Nick yelled as he wrestled the drone.<\/p>\n

Nick was a strong man, but Dr. Rough hired his minions for brawn, not brains, and the man was putting up a hell of a fight. Nick punched the short man in the jaw, sending him flying back against the large desk, but the man was back on his feet before Nick could draw his gun, and he punched Nick in the gut, forcing the air from his lungs.<\/p>\n

Nick doubled over with a cough, and the man headed straight for Brian. The man grabbed Brian from behind and tore him away from the tangled mess of wires he\u2019d been trying to cut. Brian equaled the minion in size, and for a minute, Nick watched the fistfight that ensued in awe. He may not be the smartest partner in the world,<\/em> Nick thought, but at least he\u2019s good for something.<\/em><\/p>\n

As Brian ducked a punch and then threw one of his own, he noticed Nick watching him. \u201cA little help here, 008?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick shook himself from his daze and then looked around. He grabbed a metal chair from the desk and ran at the stranger with full force. When he cracked the chair over his back, the guy fell to his knees, and Brian went back to work disabling the weapon.<\/p>\n

The minion scrambled to his feet again and grabbed the chair. He swung it at Nick, who ducked it easily, and the chair went crashing into the laser, sending electricity pulsing through the metal legs and frying the man holding it. Once dead, the man fell to the ground, and Nick and Brian sent looks of equal disgust to one another, cringing at the smell of charred flesh. \u201cThat\u2019s disgusting,\u201d Nick said, trying to keep the contents of his stomach from coming back up. \u201cDude, hurry so we can get out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian shook off the disturbing image and focused his attention back on the wires in front of him. \u201cJust a few more to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick peered over his shoulder curiously. \u201cCan\u2019t you just cut them all at once?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Brian replied as if that were the most idiotic suggestion he\u2019d ever heard. \u201cYou have to kill the circuits one at a time in the right order, or the thing will know it\u2019s being tampered with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll just know? Like it\u2019s alive or something? Like attack of the giant killer laser?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like working with a ten-year-old,\u201d Brian muttered under his breath. He tried to keep his cool so as not to mess up and cut the wrong wire. \u201cIt\u2019s programmed with a failsafe,\u201d he explained, but Nick shrugged, so he put it in terms he would understand. \u201cLike a booby trap.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian rolled his eyes as he watched the light go on inside Nick\u2019s head. \u201cIf you trigger the failsafe, it will set the weapon into self-destruct mode. A power source this big would most likely blow this berg right out of the water.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick\u2019s eyes grew wide, and then he smirked as Brian held his knife over the last three wires. \u201cNo pressure, huh?\u201d He laughed, causing Brian to pull his knife back.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you mind?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d Nick grumbled.<\/p>\n

He glanced over his shoulder at the rotting corpse beside him, and the stench once again filled his nostrils. His nose became overwhelmed and surprised Nick with a monstrous sneeze that lunged him forward. He accidentally bumped Brian\u2019s elbow, forcing him to slice through all three remaining wires.<\/p>\n

Brian stared at the knife in his hand with disbelief, until the room started to shake. Lights started flashing, and alarms started sounding all around them. Nick and Brian looked at each other with wide eyes and spoke in unison. \u201cOH SHIT!\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 5<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 4: \u00a0Ice Ice Baby Part 4   In the distance, the giggling girls drank hot cocoa (with vodka, of course), watching many of Dr. Rough\u2019s minions work on making sure the new laser beam was operational. Apparently, the weapon had been damaged during the smuggling process. Lena and Yulia,\u2026<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":128,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"templates\/template-onecolumn.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-274","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5xaHX-4q","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=274"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/274\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":983,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/274\/revisions\/983"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}