SEND IN THE CLONES III : The Run-around

In a familiar featureless room at the bottom of an elevator shaft you wait a long time standing at attention while watched by four familiar guard bots.

Finally a familiar door slides open and the distastefully familiar BLUE form of Cleto- B-QRK-2 enters accompanied by two familiar YELLOW companions: Dewey-Y-JLK and Sunny-Y-TLS.

Dewey looks at Cart significantly then leans over and whispers into Sunny-Y's ear.

Cleto says, "Troubleshooters The Computer is gravely disappointed in you. Against specific instructions you did not return here promptly at the conclusion of your mission. This reflects very badly on your loyalty record"

"mumble mumble loyal mumble zzz" I reply as a try to stay awake.

"Sorry, sir! Had a bit of a memory loss due to possibly being killed... But that's clearly no excuse! I'll fully accept this blow upon my record..." Brett makes a great bow in shame.

"Traitors sabotaged our route back sir, in order to prevent the Computer from achieving the full glory! A perfectly reliable lift malfunctioned, due to countermeasures hidden in the children we escorted. Then similar sabotage outside the Troubleshooter HQ caused my hygiene device to malfunction as well. Let the cameras show we were promptly outside HQ, deducting the time lost due to sabotage."

"You mumble unhygienic zzz hygiene!"

Pay Close attention and DON'T INTERRUPT!

The computer has learned of your success in accomplishing its previous mission. Before hearing your... delayed report, I bring you news that The Computer has rewarded your success with another opportunity to serve!

"zzz zzz snort Serve and clean! Zzz" you not sure if that is a reply to Cleto or to a dream...

"We would be honoured to continue to serve. However, we require maintenance to be in optimal condition to serve. Request rest and hygiene time as specified by the Troubleshooter directives, sir."

"Yes! It would be an honour to loyally continue serving Friend Computer! What is our next important task, Cleto Sir?" Brett says ignoring Cart's request.

I said don't interrupt!

Now - you troubleshooters have been chosen, selected among all others, to take on a highly confidential mission.

The video heroin Teela-O-MLY is a traitor of the basest and most devious kind she and her associates have been conclusively implicated in the diversion of valuable biological research equipment to an illegal destination in NBD sector. The Computer knows the nature of equipment but this information is not available at your security clearance.

Teela-O-MLY disappeared some time ago. The Computer has been using electronically generated images of her during her absence. She was last seen in the Housing Preservation and Development & Mind Control: Entertainment Division in NBD sector.

Your assignment: go into HPD & Mind Control; locate and retrieve the missing equipment; locate and terminate Teela-O-MLY. Anyone who has associated with her recently is almost certainly a traitor and should be apprehended for interrogation and possible termination.

The Computer wishes to stress the importance of secrecy at all times during your mission. Betrayal of the information I have given you is grounds for immediate and comprehensive termination. Here is an authorized termination voucher. Do not reveal it to anyone unless absolutely necessary.

Who is the team leader?

I look around a bit lost, switching between to Brett and Cart, having forgotten what happened to the team leader with all that happened ythe day before. It could be clonal memory loss, of sleep deprivation. However, this time I have learned the lesson and I don't interrupt Cleto as he waits for an answer after he finished.

Noooooo, not Teela-O-MLY! Beautiful Teela, lovely Teela in her creaseless orange jumpsuit and magnificiently huge pair of eyes... Cart wasn't sure whether he had said that out loud or inside his sleepy head. "As equipment officer I request proper restraint and termination equipment to do so, sir. And clearance for the Troubleshooter team to enter the appropriate zones to find her."

Brett was a little surprised that the famous actor is a filthy traitor all along, but he does not particularly care much about her. Meh, her show is over-rated anyways...

As for the matter of team leader, Brett is unsure if Cleto meant it as the position title, or as generally the representative of the team. In any case, he also kept his mouth shut as instructed by the man in blue.

that's actually a fair point equipment officer.
He hands Cart a termination voucher for Teela-O-MLY.

You may need to access areas above your current clearance in order to track down the traitor. The computer has authorized me to promote your team leader to yellow status.

Cleto hands Brett a voucher good for temporary assignment of Kevlar armor and two yellow laser barrels. The voucher States explicitly this equipment is transferable to the leader's successor or replacement.

before proceeding with details of your glorious mission to exterminate this unspeakably villainous traitoress, I would have you relate the details of your previous venture. we must rely on your accurate exhaustive and unvarnished account of the episode. Be quick and succinct waste no time with polite formalities!

Brett's eyes lit up when he sees the voucher. "Oh my! A promotion?! Thank you, Friend Computer!" Brett cheers as he kissed the voucher.

We went down that lift and the bot blew up, then there was a tunnel, and we were betrayed by our own traitorous team member who were communists infiltrators trying to stop the great Friend Computer then there where crazy bots on dirty water and a giants wave and then we met this crazy lady that was going to kill us, but she didn't and we found a bunch of kids under the evil influence of mutated evil that took us to Captain Bootaroo's recording studio where the kids went nuts with their illegally obtained blasters but then miss Teela rescued us after those little devils blew up captain bootaroo and we managed to call for help and take the kids to safety. There was a not of traitorous evidence collected from that studio! I say as the coffee kicks in!

Still exhausted, and under pressure from the demand to be succinct, Cart reverted to his speech tic. "Serious summons! Menacing music! Tricky tubes! Slippery sewers! Terrible team traitors! Ravaging robots! Wild wet water! Wand-waving woman! Gnashing gate! Secret studio! Yammering youngsters! Ennervating explosions! Pesky powder! Barreling Botaroo! Timely Teela! Sinister security! Levitating lift! Pernicious pee!

At the moment Will mentions Teela the guardbots' lasers and blasters immediately lock on the Troubleshooters. Alarms sound. Cleto and the yellows draw lasers and back away warily.

"Hello there friendly robot! I think I've seen this somewhere before" I say as I step away from the elevator (or any other enclosed area for that matter!)

Brett also quickly mimics the behaviour of everyone by pointing his fingers like a gun and looking around the room. "What?! What is going on? Are we being under attack?!"