Chapter 4 - General's toy and Welcome to Despin

Once again. I don't own Fox or Krystal. I do however own Anthony. Any other mentions of names or places is purely coincidental.

Chapter 4
General's Toy and Welcome to Despin


        "Where the hell is he going? The terminals are in the other direction!" Fox asked irritably as he and Krystal hurried to keep up with the panther as he made his way through the crowded station towards the cargo handling department.

        "Keep up please we are on rather a tight schedule." Anthony Called over his shoulder as he pushed through a door marked freight carts only. "The General is expecting us, and he doesn't smile upon tardiness."

        "Uh, Excuse me, but where are we going?" Krystal asked trying to sound as polite as possible as she and Fox caught up with the panther . "Are you sure you know where you are going, there isn't anything back here but cargo shuttles. We're not taking one of those are we?' She asked a hint of distaste in her voice.

        Anthony laughed catching her concerned distaste at the idea, "You really are a delightful girl! No, of course we aren't taking one of those disgusting cargo shuttles my dear. I wouldn't be caught dead on one of those in this suit. It would be ruined for sure!" Anthony said smiling slightly and giving her a wink which made Fox scowl. "No, We will be traveling in a bit more style. If you can in fact call it travel at all."

        "Oh! Okay?" Krystal said a bit of relief in her voice although no less confused than she had been before about where they were going. She turned to Fox how merely shrugged and continued to scowl at Anthony. Anthony was watching them as he hurried them along with a smug expression of amusement on his face; clearly enjoying leaving them to puzzle on his words.

        They walked along in silence for a few minuets. Anthony guiding them through the labyrinth of corridors under the station. "Ah, here we are!" Anthony said suddenly stopping in front of a set of steel doors marked Authorized Personnel Only! "And with five minuets to spare!"

        Fox looked at the door apprehensively. "Where does this lead to? Surely there can't be a transport down here? We're underground." He asked sounding skeptical. Distrust etched on his face.

        "Who said anything about a transport my dear boy?" Anthony said the same smug expression on his face. "I only said we would be leaving for Despin. I said nothing about a transport now did I?" this last statement was said with a air that Fox was sure was to make him feel foolish. but he didn't care.

        "Okay, I'll bite if we aren't taking a transport how are we getting there?"

        Anthony merely shrugged and said "You will see. Now, please inside." Fox scowled at him but started for the door. As he opened the door and began to step through Anthony called up to him. "You do lack in the manners department don't you? Have you never heard of ladies first?" As he said this he walked by Fox and grabbed the door. "After you my dear." He said sinking into a half bow motioning for a slightly pink Krystal to go ahead through the door. Krystal stepped through the door with an embarrassed mutter of "Thanks!" Fox glowered at Anthony as he followed her through the door.

        "Oh, so he wants to play me as an @$$ does he?" Fox muttered to himself angrily. "Well! Let's just see about that ." With that he followed the other two through the door slamming it behind him.

        The room they had stepped into looked like it had once been a storage room. Now it was crammed with hundreds of computers and scientists in white lab coats. In the center of the confusion of wires and computers stood a long, low, rectangular shed like structure. Anthony ignored the flurry of activity around them and strode purposefully across the room towards the low structure in the center; Fox and Krystal followed staring around in open wonder at the amount of activity going on.

         One of the scientist looked up as they neared the structure in the center of the room and scurried towards them through the tangle of wires that blanketed the floor. "Ah! Sir. Perfect timing. Everything is ready. You may depart whenever you are ready." The husky scientist said beaming at them and straightening his glasses as he fell into stride with Anthony who had not stopped. "The General has confirmed that the gate is open on the other end."

        Anthony Nodded. "Very Good, we will leave momentarily. Although we are running behind a bit. Would you please be so kind as to set it back for five minutes earlier?" Anthony stopped and turned to the Scientist with a smile. "I do hate being late."

        The scientist returned the smile. "No problem Sir. Give me a few moments to make the adjustments and you can be on your way." and with that he turned and hurried away towards a conceal a little ways away.

        "Move what back five minuets earlier?" asked Fox who had been listening intently to the conversation hoping to glean some idea as to what was going on. "What's going on? What is that thing?" Fox asked motioning to structure. He found himself curious despite his hatred of the panther.

        "That you shall see momentarily!" Anthony answered a hint of excitement in his voice and a gleam in his eyes.

        "Does this have anything to do with the General's 'toy'?" Krystal asked staring at the structure.

        "Clever girl!" Anthony praised stepping up behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders and looking up at the machine. "Yes, This is the generals new 'toy'. It is one of the most important 'toys' of our time!" Anthony said this last part looking down at Krystal with a smile.

        "You don't mean this is a.." Krystal breathed in amazement looking up at Anthony as she put two and two together.

        "Yes, It is!" Anthony said simply although his voice quivered slightly as he returned his gaze to structure.

        "It's a What?" asked Fox icily not liking the feel of being the only one not knowing what was going on and annoyed at how close Anthony was to Krystal.

        Krystal started at the sound of Fox's voice. "Oh!, oh! Fox this is a..." She began he voice quivering with awe but was cut off by Anthony.

        "Don't spoil the surprise my dear. He will see momentarily." he said softly still staring at the structure with a quiet excitement.

        "Sir!" The scientist had returned. "The changes have been made. I set it to five minuets before you gave the order. Your all ready to go. If you would like to make your way into the chamber we can begin." the scientist said nearly as excited looking as Krystal had been.

        "Thank you. Yes. Lets us begin." Anthony said turning to face the scientist.
"Fox. My dear, are you ready?" he asked Fox and Krystal. Fox grunted still annoyed at being left out of what was going on but curious all the same.

         Krystal merely breathed. "'Yes!"

        "Very well then shall we?" Anthony motioned them towards a door on the short side of the structure.
        Fox saw his opportunity and rushed forward towards the door a smug expression on his face. He'd show that he had just as many manners as the Panther did. As he ran towards the door he tripped on a bundle of cables and was sent sprawling to the floor. As he sat untangling himself from the mass of wires Krystal and Anthony passed completely oblivious to Fox sitting on the ground as they were staring up at the structure.

        As they reached the door in the structure Anthony opened the door for Krystal with his half bow and then turned and looked around for Fox. He spotted him and with a smile that said all to well he knew what had happened he called. "What in the world are you doing down there? We need to get moving. We're on a tight schedule. Come along." as he turned and walked through the door after Krystal.

        "Damn!" muttered Fox shaking his head as he got to his feet and hurried after Anthony and Krystal.

        When he caught up with them they had entered door in the side of the structure into what looked like an empty hallway with another door at the other end. As Fox closed the door behind himself the scientist's voice echoed around the small hallway. "Search program running. Location found and locked. You can go ahead and head to the far end now sir."

        "Shall we?" Anthony asked with a slight smile.

        Fox hurried forward and was pleased to reach the door first. Standing to the side of it, He flung the door wide and imitate Anthony's half bow. As he swept downwards his eyes caught what was on the other side of the door and he froze in mid bow. Forgetting all about ladies first he staggered through the door in disbelief. Instead of the sterile white room with all the computers he had just left. he was now standing in a very large sun lit garden in front of a massive stone palace. Fox turned and stared back the way he had come. Through a massive stone archway he looked back down the cramped steel hallway in which Anthony and Krystal were still walking down.

        "I take it you now know what the General's 'toy' is do you?" Anthony said with an amused smirk at the look of shock and amazement on Fox's face.

        "This is incredible!" Fox stammered temporarily forgetting his hatred for the Panther. "This has got to be the biggest...."

        "Discovery of the century." Finished Krystal in awe as Fox's words failed him."How did you manage this? This is...huh...This is amazing." She asked her voice full of wonder as she looked at the hallway they had just left.

        "Yes, it is." Anthony said with a mild chuckle. "Although you will have to wait for the answer as to how it was managed until you meet the creator. I merely have the privilege of using the machine. Only he can tell you how it works." As he said this he turned and closed the archway doors and after a few seconds opened them back up. No trace of the hallway could be seen. In its place was a breath taking view of a beautiful valley with a large city nestled into the very center of it. "My friends! Welcome to Despin"

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