To Infinity and Beyond
To infinity and beyond
Episode 4: A dangerous friendship
By Kitty Ocean
Commander Nebula walked through the corridors. Suddenly he spotted Buzz and his team. "Ah, Buzz, I was just looking for you." He said.
"Yes Commander." Buzz saluted.
Commander Nebula folded his arms behind his back. "Your courageous rescue mission had been a success, but next time please inform me when you attack planet Z on your own."
Buzz swallowed. "Ehm, yes, Commander." He mumbled.
"Commander Nebula?" Mira asked. "Do you know how Nané is doing?"
Commander Nebula nodded. "I was just on my way to the LGM. They have checked her if there wasn't any trace of hypnotism left."
Buzz agreed. "A wise decision Commander." He said. "But I think we can now say without any doubt which side she is on."
Commander Nebula pushed a button and a few doors slid open. Inside were 5 LGM and Nané, who jumped immediately from the table she had been sitting on and saluted.
"Take it easy Rookie." The Commander ordered. "The LGM said you was pretty hurt after that blast from Zurg."
Nané smiled. "I've been hurt worse Commander, don't worry about me."
"But I do, Rookie, if I still want you to be a Space Ranger."
Nané gazed at Commander Nebula. "You... you are saying I can stay?" Commander Nebula nodded and Nané tried to keep herself calm. "Thank you so much!" She said happily.
"However...." The Commander started.
"However?" Nané asked. "I hate 'however'."
Commander Nebula scratched his voice. "I want you to take some days off to recover fully."
"But..." Nané exclaimed. "I'm feeling 100%!"
"You are going home for a week Rookie." Commander Nebula folded his arms. "That's not a suggestion, but an order. You go home and have fun!"
Nané grumbled. "Okay, I'll go, but I'll only have fun because you ordered me to have fun!" Moping she walked out of the room.
"She really loves Star Command." Mira smiled.
Commander Nebula smiled for a moment but took back his steel face. "Yes, she really has a heart for Star Command."
XR rolled at Buzz. "Hey Buzz, how about it?"
"How about what?" Buzz replied.
"Well, now that it's officially that Nané is better than you..." XR mentioned. "It will probably take her about a year before she writes her own rules of Star Command, just like you."
"What are you trying to say?" Booster asked.
"Well, it will probably take one more year before old Buzz can retire!" XR proudly smiled.
Mira giggled, Booster gasped and Buzz looked steaming at XR. "I will never retire!" He yelled.
XR poked in his ears. "I'm right next to you, no need to scream."
At that moment the LGM gave Commander Nebula a report. "Ah, finally." He said. "The damage report about the Power Suit of Nané." He read a few seconds.
"And?" Buzz asked.
"Outer controls ruined." One LGM said.
"Can't be fixed by us." Another added. "Very rare components."
"I thought the LGM could fix anything." Mira answered.
"Sorry." The LGM sadly replied.
Mira waved with her arms. "I didn't mean it that way!" She said against the depressed little green men.
After a few hours, Nané had come home again. Star Command had been nice enough to fix the door, but the mess was still all around! "Corona kills me if she seems this junk!" Nané looked around, closed the windows and made sure she was alone. "Okay, for one time." She mumbled and started focusing.
Suddenly all the junk started moving and floating to their original place! In the centre stood Nané, enveloped by a pale blue light. "Guided by the powers from beyond...." She mumbled.
At that moment, when half the room was cleaned, someone rang at the doorbell. A vase dropped and crashed into shards. "Shoot!" Nané cursed. "That was Corona's favourite vase!"
Angry she pulled the door open but then suddenly gasped for air. In front of her stood Warp! Warp Darkmatter! And he was wearing a normal suit!
Nané smashed the door close. "No!" She screamed. "Not again! Zurg is an idiot, I don't want to come near him again!"
"Wait!" Warp yelled through the door. "It's not..."
At that moment Nané opened the door and she held a simple laser. "I want some rest! Now get lost!"
Warp jumped back. "Be careful, that thing is dangerous!"
"I know, it's supposed to scare you." Nané growled.
"Well, it works, now put it down!" Warp said back. "I'm not armed! See?" He showed all his pockets.
Nané lowered the laser. "Why would you come here unarmed? Did Zurg fire you?"
"No." Warp played with his foot. "I ehm... he thinks I'm getting some parts for him. Actually.... I ehm... wanted to ask you something." He showed some flowers.
"Huh?" Nané was astounded.
Warp smiled. "I heard that is something people do when they pay a visit to someone else. Among your culture I mean."
"I'm not raised here." Nané replied and opened the door further. "Oi, I must be so stupid! Come in." She stepped aside. "Don't say a word about the mess. You are the one who caused it."
Warp walked in. "Well, ehm, actually you have quiet a nice place here."
"Thanks. I share it with my stepsister Corona." Nané walked at the couch and cleaned it a bit. "So, why are you here?"
Warp stood in the middle of the room with his flowers. "Well..."
"I've heard that word enough today." Nané sighed. "Sit down and talk."
Warp sat down. "There is something bugging me since yesterday."
"It would have been saver if you asked it by mail." Nané replied sarcastically.
Warp nodded. "True. It's just that... why did you help me?"
"Huh?" Nané asked confused.
Warp repeated it. "I mean, you made me number 1 again. Why would you do that?"
Nané swallowed. "I... eh... don't know." She replied. "My stepmother told me that sometimes... well, you know... the best way is getting things back the old way."
"Oh." Warp answered. Then it was silent. But then suddenly: "How do you do that sending stuff?"
"Huh?" Nané was astounded. She didn't expect this question. "I, I don't know. I was born with that gift."
"Can you do more?" Warp then asked.
Nané thought for a moment what to reply. 'What if he does this for Zurg?' Nané asked herself, 'I must be careful'. Then she remembered the words her stepsister Corona always said to her: 'Trust on your heart. It tells you if people are evil or not.'
'He feels good to me,' Nané thought again, 'But my brain tells me he's evil. Can I trust him?'
"Something wrong?" Warp asked.
"How do I know this is not a scheme from Zurg?" Nané confronted him.
Warp was shocked, but then replied honestly: "You can't know. But I can tell you it's not. And I'm not lying."
At that moment the doorbell rang again. "Mm, busy day." Nané mumbled and stood up. She opened the door and saw Team Lightyear. "Argh!" Nané yelled and slammed the door close.
"Nané, are you all right?" Buzz asked.
Warp, recognising Buzz's voice, gasped just as much as Nané. "Yes, yes!" Nané yelled, everything is all right!" *Quick, hide in the closet! * Nané commanded telepathically. "But it's such a mess in here!"
Warp hid in the closet but peeked through a crack. Then he suddenly saw all kinds of things floating through the air! *Nané, how...? * He started, hoping she would pick up his thoughts.
*Does this answer your questions? * Nané send back.
After a few seconds the room was presentable again. Nané opened the door. In front of her was Team Lightyear in casual look. "Hi, we thought we'd drop by." Buzz smiled.
"Thank you." Nané smiled politely. "Do come in."
"Sure, we will." XR rolled in as the first.
Mira looked doubting. "Something wrong Mira?" Booster asked.
"No, I just thought... I just felt something." Mira walked in. "Very vague. But it's gone now."
"Probably the heat." Booster replied and tried to squeeze himself in.
Mira pushed. "Yeah, you are probably right!" Finally Booster got in.
"Wow Nané, what a pretty flowers!" XR smiled. "Where did you get them?"
Nané swallowed. The flowers! She forgot to hide them! "They... ehm... are send by my roommate! Please sit down, want something to drink?"
"Yes, but I'll hang up our coats first." Buzz smiled and took the coats from Mira and Booster.
Warp swallowed, Buzz was heading for the closet!
"Wait!" Nané yelled. "I'll do it!"
"No, you need to rest." Buzz smiled helpfully. "I'll do it."
*Do something! * Warp send. The door slowly opened.
*Don't move! * Nané ordered.
Not knowing why, Warp obeyed. Buzz hung up the coats and walked back to the room if nothing was wrong.
"There is that feeling again!" Mira mumbled.
"Maybe you are getting sick." Booster said.
"Also possible." Mira replied.
*What... what just happened? * Warp asked.
*I must be an idiot doing this. * He noticed Nané sighing. *I made you invisible. This proves I trust you so don't dare to betray me or you'll find out how I am when I'm NOT nice. *
Nané came out of the kitchen with some drinks. "Thank you Nané." Buzz smiled.
"So." Nané asked, just to get a conversation. "Anything new?"
"Yes!" XR jumped up happily. "That suit of yours was so messed up, but the LGM managed to save a part."
"How nice." Nané was totally not interested, but pretended to be.
"And they gave it to me!" XR proudly showed some glasses. "With this, I can see a persons body-heat and identify him or her by his or her body-size, heat, length and so on! Even through walls"
"Wow!" Nané smiled. "That could be really handy if it could actually be used. You can also identify people by looking at them."
XR looked a bit sad. "But it can see through disguises." He mumbled. "It would be really handy against the Gargantuan."
"Oh, I see." Nané felt sorry for the robot. She had been pretty hard on him. "Why don't you show me how it works?"
XR beamed of joy. "Okay! Let's see who's in this house." He peeked around. "Buzz Lighyear, Mira Nova, Booster Sinclair Munchapper..."
"Impressive, but how do I know you know this because of your new gadget?" Nané asked.
But XR ignored her and continued. "Nané Sophia, Warp Darkmatter.... Warp?!"
Nané slammed herself for her head. Buzz jumped up. "Warp? Where?" He yelled.
"In there! In there!" XR pointed at the closet.
Buzz took a hand laser and walked at the closet. "Okay Warp, get out with your hands up!" He swung the door open, but saw no one. "XR, there is nothing here."
"But I can see him! He's in there!" XR completely panicked.
*Get out of here! * Nané send.
Warp obeyed and ran through the house. "There he goes, there he goes!" XR pointed and all looked at the direction of the open window, but still saw nothing.
"You know?" Mira said. "I think XR has a problem with integrating the new program. He probably just imagined something." Though she wasn't sure of herself.
"Sure, XR is insane again." XR mumbled. "I really saw him!"
"Oh, poor XR." Booster played with his fingers. "Maybe we should take him to the LGM."
"Good idea Booster." Buzz turned to Nané. "I'm sorry we have to leave so soon again."
"It's okay." Nané smiled. "XR's health is very important!" She waved good-bye and when they finally had vanished out of sight, she slammed the door shut and sighed deeply.
That night Warp returned to Zurg's headquarter. "Well?" Zurg asked. "Where are those very rare and expensive components? I need them to complete my Hyper Mega Very Evil Super Hornet."
Warp walked to his room. "They had to order them, I have to get back tomorrow." He lied.
"What?" Zurg almost exploded. "But that guy promised it would be there today!"
"Whatever, I'm tired." Warp slammed the door close.
Warp sat down on a bench and sighed deeply. "Close call." He mumbled.
*Close call indeed. *
Warp looked up and saw a vague image of Nané. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
*Send. * Nané replied. *And I'm not really here. This is just an image of me. It takes a lot from me to do this. *
*Then why do you do this? * Warp asked again.
Nané raised her shoulders. *Dunno. Must be a flue or something like that. But I am loyal to Star Command! *
*Wouldn't dare to ask you otherwise. * Warp smiled.
Nané stretched her arm. * I came to give you this. * In the palm of her hand was a red medallion. *Take it, transportation takes even more of me than just doing this. *
Warp quickly took the necklace. *What is it? *
*If you wear this necklace, you can send for yourself. * Nané explained. *That way I don't have to look for the right thoughts in your mind and that way you can contact me. *
*Why? * Warp only asked. *Does this mean... we are friends? *
Nané became silent. *I... I think we are...*
End of part 4