Heavy Metal Noise
Dr. O'Shay entered the house carrying what looked like a cylindrical metal device of some sort. It had a handle on the top of it, and glowing readouts and indicator lights on the bottom. The top portion of it was latched to the base by several heavy clamps. The professor quickly carried the thing into his office and then exited the room, locking it behind him.
His actions were not unnoticed by the five robot children and the one human boy that had observed him enter the house. As he locked his office, O'Shay first noticed the youngsters and quickly greeted them. Konbanwa, he said.
Konbanwa, O'Shay Hakase, Reno replied.
If you don't mind my asking, O'Shay asked, What are all of you doing here? I thought that you were going to spend the night over at Reno's place, Astro?
We were, but that was before Atlas invited himself over and then Mars showed up, Reno explained. My apartment isn't that big and it quickly became a bit too crowed.
The professor suddenly had visions of empty oil cans and pizza boxes scattered all over the living room and sighed. Just pick up after yourselves please, he said giving Astro and Reno a hard look into their eyes. I've got to get back to the Ministry and finish some paper work. Keep out of my office please, I've left some sensitive equipment there that I will need to look at when I get home later. He added, this time exchanging eye contact with Uran.
Sure, no problem, came a unified response from Uran, Astro, Reno, and Cobalt.
Dr. O'Shay then disappeared into the kitchen to make himself some instant Ramen in the microwave oven. He ate it quickly and then grabbed his briefcase and headed out the door again. I'll be back in a few hours, please try and keep it down to a dull roar, he said, you don't want to disturb the neighborhood.
Reno was already on the phone ordering a dozen half meter sized pizzas with various toppings. Atlas and Astro had already broken into the case of organic robot oil that Atlas had brought over with him, and Cobalt and Uran were busy channel surfing on the professor's two meter flat screen television receiver.
By the time the pizza delivery finally arrived, the group had settled down watching the episodes of Robot Chicken, and Adult Swim that Reno and Astro had downloaded earlier in the week from various Bit Torrent sites.
They were in the middle of watching a Robot Chicken parody of Star Trek when the television set suddenly lost sync and the picture started to 'buzz' with diagonal lines. Atlas got up and whacked the side of the large screen television with his fist, and it promptly exploded. Before Astro and Uran could yell at Atlas, the door to the professor's office began to glow with a bright green light.
What the hell? Astro thought out loud.
The group got up and cautiously approached the professor's office. The green glow got brighter and a loud whine started coming from behind the closed door, which sudden flew open on its own.
Astro, Reno, and Atlas entered the room to investigate, while the others stood just outside the office.
At that moment the professor opened the door the house and walked in. He dropped everything he was carrying and ran into the office which he saw was now open.
I told you to keep out of my office! O'Shay yelled.
We didn't open the door, it flew open by itself! Reno yelled back.
What's going on in here? Mars and Cobalt stuck their heads into the doorway to peek inside the office, while Uran stood outside frightened by the glow and the high pitched squeal.
The cylindrical device sitting on the professor's desk opened itself up to reveal a perfectly smooth sphere about 30 centimeters in diameter. The orb was now glowing with a bright green light and was emitting a high pitched whining sound.
What is that thing? Mars asked at the top of his lungs.
It's an ancient relic the Ministry's archeology department dug up in Egypt in some tomb, the professor said loudly. I brought it home because I thought it would be safer here than at the ministry, we've had several relics stolen in the last few days.
Is this the Lok-Nar that you mentioned? Reno asked.
Yes, that was the translation of the inscription carved into wall where this relic was found, O'Shay cried above the increasing noise being emitted by the glowing sphere. We locked it into this protective canister because we thought it might be radioactive. It wasn't supposed to open by itself, it has an encrypted lock.
Maybe that orb has some A.I. of it's own! Astro said.
You may be right. O'Shay replied as he tried to close the canister.
As the doctor grabbed the two halves of the container to try and close it there was an explosion of light. The occupants of the room found themselves falling through the air in as if a hole had opened in the ground beneath them. The world went quiet and dark and all each of the could hear was the sound of the air flying past them as they fell through the darkness.
Outside the professor's office, Uran stood trembling in fear as the others disappeared in a flash of light. The glowing orb floated out of the room and hovered in front of her. She backed away and stood against the far wall as the Lok-Nar cornered her. Uran fell to the floor and sat against the wall. She covered her eyes, but the sphere seemed to penetrate her thoughts, speaking to her and filling her mind with images.